Holiday season has been on us for a while now, the stores are playing endless loops of the top pop Christmas hits and the old timey crooners, but it's entirely possible that the season has gotten away from you anyway. With the unfortunate surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide, you can definitely say that it's been a different holiday season compared to the last. Schools in some communities have switched back to virtual, and parents are finding themselves struggling to balance home life and working from home. And now to top it off, you're at T-minus not many days left and wanting or needing to find a gift.
We've put together a list of some of our favorite gifts for the nurses in our lives at a range of price ranges. A thoughtful gift can have a positive impact, especially in a year that has been mired in fear, anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty. Read on for our suggestions and maybe you'll find just the thing for that nurse in your life whether they be coworker, friend, partner, or spouse.
Portable Hand Sanitizer
This little gift has been sold on shelves of pharmacies and Bath & Bodyworks for years, but perhaps never has it been a more guaranteed to be used gift than in today's world. Whether you go for bigger bottles to station on a table by the door, or a smaller bottle that will fit in a purse or a pocket, or alternatively clip to a key chain, you can't go wrong with some hand sanitizer.
Nursing Scrubs of Gift Certificate
Every nurse or nursing assistant can use a set of scrubs. If the nurse you're shopping for works in a cold climate, consider winter-weather scrubs to help keep them warm. Alternatively, if you know well the personality and tastes of your nurse, consider scrubs with a theme. Scrubs come in every color and theme you could imagine. The fashion industry world of scrubs is your oyster!
Quality Nursing Shoes
Nurses and CNAs are on their feet most of the time. This means problems with their feet can present themselves and be incredibly painful. Therefore, men and women in this industry often spend good money on their footwear. Quality shoes that are designed specifically for nursing professionals are an ace in the hole gift idea. Go here, for an in-depth guide on the best five shoes that are recommended for nurses.
Compression Socks
Since we just discussed the importance of footwear for nurses, this one shouldn't be surprising, and yet people rarely give a lot of thought to socks. We generally think of socks in the aspect of their color or length, but a certain type of sock is especially helpful for nurses. Compression socks aide in enabling blood circulation and support to the Achilles tendon.
Pulse Oximeters
Oximeters are small devices that can flip over your earlobe or fingertip to measure the oxygen saturation level. Nurses have to check oxygen levels in their patients on a routine basis, particularly patients hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment or other respiratory issues. For a nurse to have their own oximeter would be a convenient asset, particularly if there were ever an issue at their facility with supply.
Water Bottles for Nurses and Clinicians
Nurses need to stay hydrated, and buying a water bottle from the gift shop or convenience store down the street on a break can be a pain. Make sure that the important nurse in your life has a refillable water bottle to take to work. Opt for durable, so it won't break if it gets knocked off a table, and check that it won't leak if it gets turned upside down.
Meal Help for Nurses
There are lots of meal subscription services on today's market. Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and Home Chef to name a few. These companies do the ingredient shopping, and recipe creating for you. All your nurse has to do is cook. Do a little research because some of these companies offer meal subscriptions that has the meals already pre-prepared requiring even less work.
Bags or Totes
Take a look at the tote or backpack that the nurse in your life is using to cart around their scrubs, notebooks, or PPE (or all of it). They might need something bigger or better, or simply are due for something new. A quality backpack or tote will be appreciated and well-used.
Hand Cream for Nurses
Frequent hand washing is hard on hands! Quality hand cream will provide relief to dry and cracked hands. Keep it fragrance free and focus on hand cream, instead of lotion. The hand cream will have less water and a higher oil content than lotion allowing it to moisturize better.
Hopefully, something on this list will hit the spot, or get your creativity flowing. Happy Holidays from all of us at NursaTM.
