watch with sweeping second hand?

Nurses Uniform/Gear

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They are saying we need a watch with a "sweeping second hand" for our clinicals. What is sweeping second hand? Anyone know?

Heidi

A "sweep" second hand watch is simply the old-fashioned (non-digital) kind with the round face and hour, minute, and second hands that move around the face. They are still available at the lower prices -- I have one I wear for work that I got at WalMart for, like, $7.

I would get the cheapest watch you can stand to look at :D to wear to clinicals/work, as long as it's waterproof and can be cleaned with (at least) alcohol if needed (i.e., not a leather band). There's no point in making a significant investment or meaningful "fashion statement" when you never know when something awful is going to happen to it.

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then why specify? If there is no difference,....i no longer wear a watch, because i have not been able to find one of the sort i prefer...which is the way watches worked before battery operated ones came about.

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a sweep second hand to me, is one that literally "sweeps" around the face of the watch....in continuous movement, not stopping at each minute mark....and apparently no longer common in the lower price level.

though you might check out wind up timexs

That is the correct answer. They are hard to find because most non digital watches with a second hand stop or "tick" at each minute while the sweeping second hand watches do not.

I found one at Sears http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04413682000P?vName=Jewelry&cName=Watches&sName=Ladies&psid=NEXTAG01&sid=IDx20070921x00003j

Hope that helps!

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i have found you cant trust the description, as Elk found, this is used when it doesnt mean what I mean, lol. Best not to buy, sight unseen.....and i know they can be made, i had a battery operated one years ago, lost the darn thing....

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Yes, everyone else is correct about the specific meaning of a "sweep" second hand -- perhaps what I should have said is that, in my experience, schools of nursing don't care whether or not it's a true "sweep" second hand, they just want a watch that HAS a second hand, any second hand, and not a digital watch (or traditional watch without a second hand).

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

:ancong!: on being accepted to nursing school! :)

Basically what everyone else said. I got my watch from a mall kiosk for $20...then I lost it :( So I bought another one at Target for $14.99. The one from Target is actually a digital watch but it has seconds in the corner (not a sweeping hand, just counts the seconds) and in my opinion that is just as effective.

Make sure you get one that is waterproof because you will be doing a lot of hand washing! And as others have said, I wouldn't spend a fortune on a watch...save that money for a good stethoscope! :lol2:

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Thank you very much for the clarification, guys. I clicked on some of your links and finally found one for $40! It's expensive, but it's gonna work. What would I have done without allnurses.com??!!

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What is the difference in telling time b/t a sweeping had and one that second hand that ticks at each second? (Hope that makes sense) There must be some difference if they specify one over the other...just curioius!!

Me :nurse:

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Both are technically 'sweep second hands.'

The OP's course is just specifying ANALOG w/seconds required, instead of digital.

As for the differences...

With the exception of the Rolex Tru-Beat (middle 1950's) and some minor manufacturer's "dead beat" models (1 tick per second), mechanical watch movements move the second hand several times a second creating the illusion of continuous movement. How smooth this movement actually is depends on the beat rate of the movement, modern watches generally 'beat' between 5 and 8 times per second.

Analog quartz watches typically beat 1 time per second, and many have a low battery warning that drops the number of beats to once every other second. Some may have problems with timing repetitive actions (such as pulsations) because they end up counting the watches visible beat.

Hope that clears it up.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

You "young whipper-snappers" are so cute! This thread is one of those that make me realize how ancient I am - LOL. I realize that true millenneals don't even wear watches -- no need to because the most accurate time is always available on the cell phone.

FYI y'all, the reason you will need a visual second hand is because it is used to time pulse & respirations... generally, you will count the number that occur in 30 seconds (X 2) or a full 60 seconds. It is easy to notice when your 30 seconds are up (halfway around dial) and/or 'count' while watching the second hand... not so easy if you are trying to 'do the math' with a digital readout of seconds. After you have had to start over a few times because you lose count - you will understand.

Rather than buying multiple cheap watches, it would be better to get a better one that will last you for years. Seiko makes a few very durable models - they will last a couple of decades. My fave is a plain old Citizen model (JC Penney for $60.) that has actual numbers big enough to read (12 hour & 24 hour) with day/date & hands that are also big enough to see in a dimly lit room. Not fancy, I've had it for 2 years now & only had to change the battery.

If you really want to go full bore 'nursey' - go for a pin-on watch like they use in the UK... the dial is upside down so you can easily read it & it doesn't interfere with handwashing at all.

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I get it now, thanks for the info and explanation!!!! :)

Me :nurse:

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I recently bought a watch for nursing school, and the package just says "Japan movement". Is this sweeping second hand? I assume it must be the right kind because it is a jelly band watch that I picked up at Life Uniforms, but I haven't opened it yet in case I need to return it.

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