Watches for nurses remains one of the most crucial tools, even with the advent of technology. These are some of the main reasons why a nurse needs a watch in the line of duty:
Administering medication
Every medication comes with the stipulated duration of administration.
Given that nurses are working with several patients, they can quickly lose their sense of time. Missing the drug is catastrophic for the patient as it leads to possible exposure to recurrent infections. Nurses use the watches to notify them of the right medication times. This explains why most nurse watches come with alarms.
Tracking and Caring for Patient
A nurse needs a watch with many compliments for tracking current patient data like body temperature, breathing rate, and pulse rate.
Record Keeping
A nurse keeps records of all the patients in the hospital. They have to indicate the time of admission, type of medication, and date of discharge. Using nurses watches for accurate record-keeping, the nurse can easily monitor the patient’s development.
How to Choose the Best Nurses Watches
Now that you understand why watches are important to nurses, you also realize the need to choose the perfect ones. The watch should aid the nurse in performing the roles to perfection.
Here are some of the things to look into when choosing a nurse watch:
- Waterproof
Nursing involves washing hands from time to time using water and soap as they handle a lot of infectious materials. A nurse, therefore, needs a waterproof watch that they don’t have to remove every other time. Be careful with the extent of the waterproof. Some watches indicate water resistance yet form mist on the screen when introduced into the water.
- Lightweight
A nurse is committed throughout the day; a heavy watch would be another baggage that makes it hard to work efficiently. A watch to a nurse is an enabler and should not be distracting.
- Backlight
Not all the rooms in the hospital are well lit, some due to medical reasons like after surgery. A nurse, therefore, needs a watch with backlight to perceive the time all the time. The backlit watches also come in handy when working a night shift with most lights out.
- Easy to Clean
Nurses come into contact with different materials and fluids in the line of duty. The watch will catch dirt in the process. An easy to clean watch makes it easy for the nurse to wear the device all the time.
- Analog
A nurse is better off with an analog for precise timekeeping. Most analog watches come with accuracy and ease of reading for convenience. Most of the patients’ records are in the analog time format hence easy to reconcile.
- Minimal Ticking Sound
The hospital set up requires as much as silent as possible. When shopping for watches, avoid the ones that make a lot of ticking noise as it can easily irritate patients. It can also interfere with your thinking when trying to concentrate on the timing of medication.
Bottom Line
Watch is an essential tool for nurses. The right watch makes it easier for the nurse to offer exceptional patient care.