Watches for Nursing Students

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Hello guys,

I just recently got accepted into a Nursing School in Portland, Or. Time is flying by and I will be starting my first term at the end of September. We were given a list of things to purchase such as uniforms, shoes, and a watch with a second hand. I currently wear an apple watch religiously, but it does time out after 10 seconds. Should I consider buying a cheap watch for school, or will my apple watch work OK? I was reading that a lot of hospitals have a no watch policy due to watches harvesting bacteria but, I work at a local hospital and I see all the nurses are wearing them.

Thanks in advance.

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Apple watches are expensive. Do you want blood and crap all over it? Plus any watch that "times out" is terrible for timing things. The point is to be able to time 15 or 30 seconds while you're counting, both hands are probably going to be tied up. Leave the smart watch home, it's not the best choice, and it's not worth ruining it.

Just go to walmart, and buy a cheap $10 watch.

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I agree with the above poster, get a cheap watch. If it times out after 10 sec. you're going to have to tap it a lot and what if you're wearing gloves or your hands are dirty? It could be an inconvenience. Plus, if you have to touch the watch every time you use it, it could be an even bigger infection control risk than a regular watch.

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Yeah. I bought a cheap silicone watch from Target. That way, I can literally wipe it down with disinfecting wipes or hand sanitizer without having to worry about anything getting damaged.

But if you decide you want to stick with the Apple Watch, there should be a way to lengthen the time before it goes dark.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

I used to have an Apple Watch and because of the fact it times out, it gets annoying pretty quick. I bought a Baby G for clinical. It's cute but rugged and doesn't time out :)

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Does your school allow you to wear an Apple Watch? Because in my nursing program we have to wear a watch with a second hand for when we check pulses.

I would buy a cheap $10-$20 watch, so if something happens to it or gets dirty you won't have to worry about it.

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A nice used Rolex

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The cheapest watch you can get that is waterproof, has a second hand, and has a housing and band that can be cleaned with soap and water or alcohol if necessary. I've gotten years of good service (had to change the batteries now and then) from the $7 watches Walmart sells.

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology Student.

I wear my Samsung gear sport religiously because it's waterproof. It has the option to be toggled to "always on" to prevent timing out after 10 seconds. Because it was a battery killer I bought a stethoscope watch which works perfectly!

Amazon.com: Prestige Medical Analog Stethoscope Watch with Medical Symbols, Blue: Health & Personal Care

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

I have the watches that I put on my name badge, or you can pin to scrubs. They hang upside down so you can just glance at it, easy to clean because of silicone and cheap. Love them, can color coordinate and I get lots of compliments. I dont always have my stethoscope on me, running to codes and getting smacked in the face with the bell ended that one quickly, but I always have my badge!

Lancardo Unisex Nurses Lapel Silicone... Amazon.com: Lancardo Unisex Nurses Lapel Silicone Watch (Pack of 5): Watches

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Thank you guys! I figured a good cheap one would probably be the way to go. I appreciate all the comments.

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I know a lot of nurses who use their Apple Watch on the floor. They can be safely wiped down with alcohol, and there is actually a setting that lengthens the amount of time before the watch times out.

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