Nurses work hard. Long days are often followed by long nights caring for the sick. They’re on the front lines when it comes to ensuring that people recover from their illnesses—and nurses are often the last line of defense against catastrophic medical emergencies. They work long, hard hours that are getting even longer and harder, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Nurses matter. So when you have an opportunity to get them a gift, why not get them something that will make a positive difference in their lives—the way nurses make such a positive difference in the lives of so many others? Here are six great gift ideas for the nurse in your life:
Coffee
If there’s one thing nurses rely on to make it through their hectic shifts, it’s coffee. This is especially true for nurses pulling doubles.
Coffee is the fuel that keeps nurses firing off in every direction, whether they work in a nursing home or a busy cardiac unit. Coffee keeps them kicking. That’s why a gift card to the local healthcare facility’s coffee shop is a perfect gift.
The nurse in your life will be able to swing by, refuel and quickly get back to caring for patients.
Comfortable shoes
Talk to nurses about the most important tool in their life-saving arsenal of tools, and they’ll tell you that a comfortable pair of shoes is at the top of the list.
Nurses spend a lot of time on their feet, sometimes up to 12 or 16 hours straight. That type of pressure will put even the toughest of toes to the test. So the next time you have an opportunity to get a nurse a gift, get them the most comfortable pair of shoes you can find.
Wine
Sometimes a person just needs to unwind with a bottle of wine after a tough day on the job. Red, white or somewhere in between, it doesn’t matter, just as long as it’s a high-quality bottle that the nurse in your life knows is waiting at home after a long shift of caring for patients.
Nurse scrubs
Nurses typically don’t worry too much about fashion while they’re getting ready for work. Most of them only have one option: nurse scrubs.
The uniform of the nurse is renowned for being durable, versatile and remarkably easy to clean—and also unstylish. Until now.
Gone are the days of solid-color, light-blue nurse scrubs. Today, they come in a variety of colors and designs. Want something wild? You got it. Need something in your nurse’s favorite color? You can find it. Nurse scrubs are now fashionable and more comfortable than ever, which is why they make the perfect gift for nurses.
Massage
Being a nurse can be an extremely physical job. It involves lifting, bending, picking and pulling—and a whole lot of critical thinking. Yes, a nurse’s body and mind rarely gets a break. By the end of the week, the job can leave a nurse aching from head to toe.
This is why a gift certificate for a relaxing full-body massage is a perfect gift for any nurse.
If you really want to show the nurse in your life how much you appreciate all they do, give them an hour-long massage (or better yet, an entire day at a spa) so they’re body and mind can relax and rejuvenate.
A watch (but not just any watch)
Time matters when it comes to healthcare. But sometimes wristwatches aren’t practical. They get caught on things, get dirty with bodily fluids and other liquids and just generally get in the way.
That’s why a watch that clips on the nurse’s waistband or nurse scrubs collar is a great gift. It will help make sure the nurse in your life is on schedule without ever getting in the way.