Do nurses use their wristwatch in real life nursing?

[northmississippi]

In class so far, we have used a watch for vitals and IV drip per minute counting.

Do real life nurses use their watches alot for stuff like that?

Thanks.

[One1, BSN, RN]

All the time: for respiration rates, heart rates, meds that need to be pushed slow, and documenting times.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I like to keep track of time. Sometimes I have hourly eye drops or hourly checks for my insulin drip, so I need to keep track of time.

I don't use my watch to count respirations or pulses since we have ventilators and EKG monitoring for that.

I haven't counted drops for IVs in many years, but I did use the wall clock for that.

[c2brn7]

This helps me pick out the watch I want to buy for nursing, its a citizen bm8180 and it had big dail with numbers, a red minute hand, and 24 time as well. A fellow student nurse showed me his and its perfect for nursing. Citizen Eco-Drive Mens Railroad Approved Watch - White Dial - Stainless Steel BM8180-54A if you want to see it. It's a "railroad watch" also.

I used my watch for everything in school, clinical's and providing home nursing care for my parents. I wear a $25 watch that I purchased at a medical supply store while in school. It also has the 24 hour time. I didn't want to wear my good watch because I knew I'd be washing it along with my hands a lot. Later our instructors told us to save the good watches for home. Same with our rings, only a band if we were married. If I ever get a job, I'll be wearing the same watch. My home watch is a Citizen and I love it but would never wear it in the hospital since I see the links as a source of bacteria.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

My favourite watch had an alarm setting - I would use that to remind of tasks. It was great!

Alas, it stopped working- watches often do that on me - and I haven't found a similar one yet.

I'd be lost without my watch.

[lrobinson5]

I think almost every hospital in my area uses pumps, so we haven't even learned how to count drips in school. I would think that one uses it every day to know the time and take a quick pulse and respiration count.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I use a Timex with big numbers, a sweeping second hand, and Indiglo so I can use it in the dark.

[Robublind]

Everyday, I don't go to work without it. (HR, lab draws, charting), I need the digital set to 24hr because I need every brain cell to do my job and doing the math to switch from 12hr to 24hr would put me over the edge.

I do not show up to my shift without:

Name Badge

My cheap 24hr digital timex watch -cheap enough that if it got involved in a code brown, I could trash it without a second thought.

My Littmann

At least 4 inkpens- I lose one or two a shift.

Shears

Iphone with my drug guide on it

also bring a:

Lightpen, kelly clamp, but if I left them at home, I could do without, lift one from someone else.

When I show up, I fill my pockets with Alcohol pads, saline flushes, 4x4s, 1 10cc syringe (I was in a code when no one had a syringe to inflate the cuff after intubation luckily I had one in my pocket)and post it notes.

[Robublind]

This helps me pick out the watch I want to buy for nursing, its a citizen bm8180 and it had big dail with numbers, a red minute hand, and 24 time as well. A fellow student nurse showed me his and its perfect for nursing. Citizen Eco-Drive Mens Railroad Approved Watch - White Dial - Stainless Steel BM8180-54A if you want to see it. It's a "railroad watch" also.

Too expensive, save it for when you are going clubbing. I think about whats going to happen to my watch when my pt vomits on it.

Think cheap, trashable.

[Footballnut]

I use my wristwatch constantly although I take it off and put it in my pocket during certain procedures. Gotta be waterproof 'cause I have to keep it clean.

[Asystole RN]

I use mine all day, every day.

I use it for counting respers, HR, gtts etc...

It's an iPod Nano watch btw so I use it to listen to music or audiobooks when charting as well.

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

I dont wear a watch. Cant stand them. For the most part, I have never been anywhere in my hospital and needed one. Theres been plenty of clock. Guess it depends on where you work.

[NurseCard, ADN]

It helps to have a watch for counting respiration and pulse, if you don't have any type of machine showing you a pulse.

Some electronic thermometers have little 15 second clocks on them for counting respiration.

I don't wear one myself; haven't worn a watch in, I really don't know how long.

I should add that I work psych and therefore do not do IV pushes, so I don't need a watch for that. We take vital signs at our nurses station, and when I'm doing them I usually use the clock on the wall for respiration.

For telling the time, I pull my android phone out of my pocket, if there's no clock nearby. =)