watches - best for nurses?

Cowboys_RN, BSN · Mar 31, 2006

I bought a Timex plastic waterproof one at Walmart, I think it was like $15. It's digital but has a digital second hand.

EmilyCCRN · Mar 31, 2006

I prefer a watch with an expandable metal band so I can push it up my arm (with a clean paper towel, of course) before washing my hands. I would get really annoyed if I had to take my watch off every 30 seconds when I wash my hands, so I don't like non-expandable bands. I bought a $30 Timex two years ago and it's held up quite nicely, despite the fact that I wipe it down with alcohol daily.

omni · Mar 31, 2006

If you think about it a wrist watch is probably not a good idea. In the hospital I'm at now they don't allow anything worn on the fingers,wrists or around the neck. I got myself a nurses watch to hang on my chest. A watch simmilar to these : http://www.walshbrothers.co.uk/Update/nurse.htm

Personally I hate wearing a wrist watch so in "civilian clothes" my mobile phone is my watch.

LanaBanana · Mar 31, 2006

If you think about it a wrist watch is probably not a good idea. In the hospital I'm at now they don't allow anything worn on the fingers,wrists or around the neck. I got myself a nurses watch to hang on my chest. A watch simmilar to these : http://www.walshbrothers.co.uk/Update/nurse.htm
Personally I hate wearing a wrist watch so in "civilian clothes" my mobile phone is my watch.

Wow, they really don't let you wear wrist watches? I feel so naked without a watch! I've been known to actually wear my watch even after the battery stopped just so I had one on. I'm also a little obsessed with knowing what time it is!

danfif · Mar 31, 2006

My personal favoriate is the $6.95 ones from Walmart. Sweep second hand, and if the get goozed, into the trash they go, without a second thought! I go for the stretch bands also, so that I can pull it up my arm when washing my hands, which is very often!

Peace Out,

Dan

omni · Mar 31, 2006

Wow, they really don't let you wear wrist watches?

No watches, no jewelry, no nothing :nono: . You will be surprised about how people can take off everything, except the wedding ring. Like that is more bacteriaresistant than a regular ring. It just crcks me up. But the no jewelry rule is actually smart, you get a lot of bacteria that thrives under the moist and warm skin underneath your watch or ring. Its also quite difficult to wash properly under there.

I'm surprised you don't have this rule in the US. Its a lawsuit waiting to happen , hehe.

stressgal, RN · Apr 1, 2006

Oh, it's in the U.S. The hospital I work at allows nothing below the elbows. It's not a problem as I have always worn a watch that pins to my scrubs. (Germaphobe here!) The face hangs upside down so I can simply look down and see the second hand. I actually found it at walmart for less than $20. I have seen others pin their regular watch to their name badge. I think it is a trend that will be seen elsewhere soon. We are also not permitted to run around town in our scrubs. They are provided by the facility, specific colors for each profession and very identifiable. Face it, infectious diseases are getting more resistant daily. Infections are something I don't want to bring into my home and family. Not wearing a wrist watch is a small price to pay.

kukukajoo, LPN · Apr 3, 2006

As students in my school, we are required to get a watch with a scond had- part of the uniform!

Fun2, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2006

I feel so naked without a watch! I've been known to actually wear my watch even after the battery stopped just so I had one on.

:imbar My battery is dead now...been dead for about a week or so. My phone is my watch, so I don't even think about it, but I have to have the watch on.

ak47m203 · Apr 4, 2006

yeah im still using that. im from uk too.

If you think about it a wrist watch is probably not a good idea. In the hospital I'm at now they don't allow anything worn on the fingers,wrists or around the neck. I got myself a nurses watch to hang on my chest. A watch simmilar to these : http://www.walshbrothers.co.uk/Update/nurse.htm
Personally I hate wearing a wrist watch so in "civilian clothes" my mobile phone is my watch.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2006

Almost all of my career I've never worn a wrist watch. It interferes with hand washing. You ALWAYS want a watch that has a second hand. A digital timepiece is going to be of no value whatsoever to you unless it is being used as a timer with an alarm. I've always had a watch with a second hand that hangs from a short piece of leather that attaches to either my uniform or my name badge. The nurses in England traditionally wear these kinds of watches. Many nursing supply companies sell them now. The watch actually looks like it is upside down to the people who are standing across from you. However, when you flip the watch upward or you look downward at it to see the time it is oriented so you can read it quite easily. The last time I saw one of these watches advertised I kept the ad just for someone asking about them on the forums. It was called a Carabiner watch and priced at $34.99 from the www.advanceweb.com/shop site. It was pictured in the January 2006 Advance for Nurses biweekly publication for southern California. This is a nursing recruitment publication that goes out to nurses all over our geographical area. If you go to that site, click on "Nursing", then on "Watches" the very first two items that are shown are a lapel watch which is similar to the type I have and the Carbiner watch. As you look at their different watches you will note that they ALL have second sweep hands.

Here is a link to an older thread where this was addressed. There were a number of different manufacturers of these lapel watches who were listed by forum members in this thread. https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/lapel-watches-130988.html

You can also take a plain old wrist watch, buckle it, and then just use a safety pin to tack it onto your uniform. This keeps it off your wrist, but within easy reach. We saw this done by Australian nurses in an old video about dealing with fire in the hospital when I was a student.