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As I approach the 6 month mark in my nursing career, I have learned that certain products are lifesavers, mood boosters, and handy to have on hand to get me through my long shifts. Working long shifts, not to mention in the middle of a pandemic, on top of trying to learn how to be a good nurse to your patients, the little things sometimes are what get you through your day and your job. I rounded up a few of my absolute favorite products that I have fallen in love with that make my life and my nursing shifts a little brighter; these products are must-haves for any new nurse in my book! With Christmas on its way, if there is a nurse in your life you still need to shop for, you may just want to snag one (or more!) of these great products for them!
With each of the products, I will provide a direct link to purchase the exact item online if you want one for yourself, or for someone else in your life! I tried to keep this post to 5 different items, that vary in cost, to make sure that there is a gift you can buy no matter your budget!
Happy Shopping, xo!
A Good Tumbler
This was the first thing I bought for myself, I think after just one week of working on the floor as a new nurse. It seemed like everywhere I looked, my coworkers all had Yeti coffee mugs, filled with caffeine for that 12 hour stretch! I am a huge coffee lover, but a good tumbler can be so versatile for whatever I want to bring to work, cold or hot, my beverage maintains its temperature for hours, and it is by far the most recommended item on this list.
I have the 30 oz Zak tumbler but there is a 20 oz option as well. I recommend this brand, as it does the same thing as a Yeti IMO with a much better price tag. This is an amazing gift, because it is guaranteed to get used, and it is such a practical product. I use my tumbler every single shift, and may buy another one since I always bring at least 2 to 3 drinks to work (lol, hello hydration!). It encourages me to stay hydrated if I bring a cute mug to work, so it is a win-win for practicality and for health!
A Good Work Bag
I would not survive without a good bag for work. There are just not enough hands to bring in all your crap for work! I don't care how minimalist you are, you can always use a good bag to free up your hands walking into work in the morning. I have the utility tote from 31 that I absolutely love! My mom bought it for me for nursing school, and I still use it for work because it is the absolute best! I recommend this bag, as it has the open bag concept of a large tote so you can fit your shoes, lunchbox, books/planner into the main bag with ease, while also having lots of little pockets on the outside for easy access to grab snacks, your mask (lol 2020 things), your feminine products, pens, and more! The smaller outside pockets are also super handy to put your drinks in, fitting a water bottle perfectly. It is a customizable bag, which is great to be able to label with your own unique design so no one mistakes it for their own!
If you are more of a backpack person, I also have a wonderful backpack I cannot recommend enough; the Jins & Vico bag is wonderful, with a laptop sleeve that is perfect for if you bring a laptop to work, or else it is great to slide your planner or books into to take with you to work. It also has great front pockets to hold anything you want easy access to. I use these pockets for things like pens, extra chapstick, tampons, and granola bars. I love this backpack so much, and this would be a great option for someone who prefers this style of bag!
A Cute Badge Reel
I love having cute badge reels! When not much of your look is able to implement your personal style, your badge reel can, so I like to buy (and receive) cute ones that add a personal flair to your work uniform. This would be a perfect gift for someone if you are wanting to give something unique and fun, yet cost effective! There are so many good ones for pediatrics and L&D/PP, both areas that apply to me, but for the purposes of this post I linked more generic ones that would work no matter the area of nursing you are working in!
I am a sucker for florals & marbles, both options with this seller, so I linked in an assorted badge reel option so you can choose which one is more your style! I have this floral print badge reel and love it, but it is a bit more expensive, so I wanted to provide a more cost-effective option as well.
A Chapstick Holder
I don't know about you, but I love my chapstick, and it is hard for me to remember to throw one in my pocket going into work, especially considering I already have to cart around a pen, phone, and pager in my scrub pockets, less is more! So I bought myself this chapstick sleeve from Thread Wallets that hooks onto my name tag, and it has saved my poor chapped lips! I cannot recommend this enough for anyone who loves their chapstick. It is so handy to have with me, as I can't lose my chapstick and I will never forget it in my bag or at home since it is attached to my name tag for work.
The styles and prints that Thread Wallets offers are so aesthetically pleasing as well! I have gotten so many compliments from coworkers and parents, telling me how cute my chapstick keychain is, asking me where I got it from or telling me how handy it is! I think this is one of the things on the list that sounded unnecessary to me, until I realized how happy I was to have it! If you have a nurse in your life that loves their chapstick like I do, they will absolutely appreciate this product!
A Good Pair of Shoes
Now this is going to be by far the most expensive item on this list. If you are wanting to buy someone a very expensive gift, and you know them super well, go ahead and buy them shoes, however, since everyone is so unique and different, I recommend you let them pick their choice of shoes themselves! I needed to include them in this post because a good pair of shoes is an absolute must-have for any new nurse. Believe me, I have spent way too many nights with a heating pad on my calves with soreness from neck to toes because of unsupportive shoes.
I have Danskos, which I recently purchased, but so far I am in love! I have them in the honey color, the same as many of my coworkers, so those are the ones I linked, but you can, of course, buy them in whatever color you choose. If Danskos aren't your thing, I have heard amazing things about Brooks tennis shoes as well, and believe that they might be worth a shot if you are not a Dansko person! However I promise a good pair of shoes will make or break your shifts at work, and they are absolutely worth the investment, no matter the expensive price tag!
I hope that you can find something in this list to buy for yourself or gift to someone else! IMO each new nurse will be ahead of the game with these 5 products in his/her life from the get-go. I love these products and don't know how I lived without them! These practical, yet stylish, products brighten my day and my shifts at work, I hope they do the same for you!
Bless all the new nurses out there, I am right there with you!
you are blessed. you are gifted. you are loved and appreciated, just as you are.
mindfully, molli
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