Determining the best watch for nurses can be difficult given the many options available on the market. Before buying a watch for medical purposes, you should consider its comfort, display readability and price.
In this nurse watch review, we have featured the 10 best watches that range from $10 all the way up to $100. Therefore, regardless of your budget, you are bound to find a watch that is easy to use, has a beautiful design and fits other requirements you may have.
In no particular order, below is the list of the best watches for nurses this year.
#1. Prestige Medical Nurse Lanyard Watch Military Time
Many nurses love this watch because it can be worn either on the wrist or around the neck. Apart from this, you can remove the lanyard for another type of strap and wear the watch on your clothing/ID loop if you wish.
The nurse watch has a water-resistant casing and displays military time. This watch is lightweight, affordable and doesn’t tick loudly.
However, it also feels cheap and the plastic lens can easily get scratched.
#2. Casio Unisex Analog Resin Strap Casual Watch
The watch’s protective mineral crystal and resin material are water-resistant. Therefore, there is a very small chance that your watch will get damaged during your shift. The black time numbers are designed to give the watch a unisex look.
The watch has an accuracy of +/-20 seconds per month for limited time differential over long periods of time.
#3. Swatch Analog Unisex Watch
The Swatch watch has a plastic band that is stain-resistant and easy to clean. There is also a glow-in-the-dark hand but unfortunately, it doesn’t glow brightly for a long time.
This nurse watch is comfortable to wear, lightweight and looks sleek. However, its plastic band is stiff and the ticking noise is loud.
#4. BestGrew Unisex Watch
The BestGrew Unisex Silicone Lapel Watch as colorful and cute straps. The watch becomes an excellent accessory when pinned on your scrub suit.
BestGrew nurse watches are sold in sets. For one price, you will get 3 Nurse Brooch Watches with batteries, silicone covers, and a brooch pin.
We love this nurse watch for the glow in the dark feature. Moreover, it is easy to clean, sturdy and cheap. However, the glow only lasts for about a minute after being exposed to direct light.
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#5. Swatch Originals Twice Again White Dial Black Silicone Unisex Watch
The nurse watch has a bold and large number display that makes it easy for you to check time. Its face background is white while and the time hands are black. The watch has an additional calendar window that you can use to keep track of the date and day.
The hands of this Swatch watch are luminous and glow in dark environments. The watch is also water resistant up to 100 ft.
#6. Timex Unisex Weekender Analog Quartz Watch
The Timex Unisex Weekender is a cool and comfortable watch that any nurse would love. This watch is designed for nurses that are always in a hurry thanks to its quick-release and slip-thru straps.
The straps are made of nylon and can be washed with mild detergent. This wash is stylish, small and lightweight. The indigo lighting also works well. However, the watch has frays at the area of the holes and ticks loudly.
#7. Casio Women’s Classic Analog Watch
Casio is known for its excellent watches that are functional, easy to read and affordable. The Casio Classic Analog watch is one of the watches recommended for nurses. The watch is simple and makes it easy to tell the time by simply glancing at it.
The Casio women’s watch features a quartz movement design and has a plastic case and resin band. This watch is water resistant. Therefore, you do not have to take it off when washing your hands at the clinic.
#8. Wior Medical Lapel Watch
The Wior nurse watch is made of alloy and features quartz movements. As expected with quartz watches, the clock ticks loud but not so loud to the extent that you would be annoyed.
The nurse watch is available in three classy colors: gold, rose gold and silver and is easy to read.
The only downside we could find with this watch is that the pin isn’t sharp enough. Therefore, you will need some effort to pin it on your scrubs.
#9. Casio Analog Unisex Watch
To begin, the nurse watch has a rotating bezel that you can use to mark time and a day and date display. The watch also has a glowing hand that will help you make the correct assessment during night shifts in dark rooms.
The Casio Analog watch is lightweight and inexpensive. However, it lacks a stopwatch or alarm feature.
#10. Speidel Scrub Watch
The watch has a silicone band and is, therefore, easy to clean. The most you would need to do is wipe off any dust with a tissue or a damp cloth. The watch is also water-resistant and hence you shouldn’t worry about it getting wet during your shift.
There is also another version of the Speidel Scrub watch that comes with stainless steel straps and white leather straps, just in case you don’t prefer the silicone straps option.
We love the Speidel because it is comfortable to wear, durable and comes in multiple color options. However, the watch does not glow in the dark and the band can get a little sweaty.
Why Do You Need a Nurse Watch?
Nurses need medical watches to keep track of the various work-related activities they have to do during their shifts. Some of the tasks you may be responsible for that would require precise timing include performing pain assessments, lab charting, administering medication and measuring patient vital signs.
Track Time
To begin, a nurse wrist watch will help you keep track of time. When you are always on your feet up and down the clinic, wearing a watch will allow you to know the precise time no matter which section of the clinic you are in at any particular moment.
Pain Assessments
Assessing or reassessing pain in a patient is common during nursing shifts. You can rely on a nurse watch to assess the patient’s pain to track his recovery or identify potential medical issues.
You can know whether or not a medication is having the intended impact on a patient by carrying out regular pain assessments.
Administering/Scheduling Medication
You will also need a nurse watch to keep track of time to provide medication to patients at the right time intervals. A good watch for this case would be one with an alarm, which you can set to be notified of upcoming scheduled medication.
Sometimes, you may have to administer a drug over a 1-5 minute interval (IV over 1-IV over 5). In such a case, you will have to track how you are administering the medication.
A patient can experience complications depending on their psychological condition, type of drug administers, how rapidly the medication is given, and so on. Ensuring the medication is administered at the correct time intervals is important to prevent potential health risks.
Recording/Tracking Vitals
One of the common activities you will have to do as a nurse is tracking vital signs such as apical pulse rate and respiratory rate. Tracking the vital signs can help you discover patient health status at any time,
A digital nurse watch with second counters or a watch with a second hand helps to track time accurately for better assessment.
Assessing the four vitals is critical to identifying whether a medication or treatment is effective when providing care to patients with a sudden trauma.
Lab Charting/Documentation
Lab charting and medical documentation often require accurate recording of the date and time when the assessments, tests or treatments were performed. Some interactions may have to be recorded to track the patient’s condition as well as ensure other medical personnel are up to speed on the health status and medications administered.
Measuring a patient’s health progress would be difficult if accurate records are not kept. Apart from this, medical personnel may be confused about the order of the medication administered, which can lead to more complications.
Having the right nurse watch will make it easy for you to carry out your duties on time.
Choosing the Right Medical Watch
There are a number of features that the best watches for nurses have. These features greatly determine the functionality of the timepieces.
Consider the following:
i) The watch face
Check the face of the watch and the elements it has.
- Would you want a watch that shows time in 12hr or 24hr format?
- Would you prefer a classic analog watch or a digital one?
- Should the watch have regular or large numbers?
- Do you want a watch that can illuminate or glow in the dark?
Ideally, you should select a watch with contrasting hands and background. For example, if the face background is white, you may want the hands or numbers to be black for readability.
If you usually work in poorly lit areas, a watch that glows in the dark would be ideal.
Knowing the watch face to go for will help you narrow your selection of the best medical watches that would be right for you.
ii) Material
Go for a watch made of durable material that is also easy to clean. The material should also not pinch or puncture the skin when you are wearing the watch.
Majority of nurse watch has rubber, resin, and plastic hands. These materials can be easily washed and are not harmful to sensitive skin, unlike some metal bands.
If you usually have to clean your hands regularly when performing your duties, the best medical watch to buy would be one that is made of a quality resin material. This material is easier to clean than leather or fabric bands. If you are allergic to some materials, go for watches made of hypoallergenic components to avoid getting allergic reactions.
Finally, make sure the medical watch is water resistant since you are likely to be washing it on a regular basis.
iii) Type of Watch
When it comes to the type or nurse watch to buy, decide whether you would want a lanyard/lapel watch or a wristwatch.
Wristwatches are lightweight, hard to lose and enable you to know the time by quickly glancing at them. On the other hand, you may prefer lanyard watches as you may not want your watch to be in contact with water as you wash your hands.
What to Consider When Buying a Nurse Watch
Ask yourself these questions when evaluating different medical watches:
- Do you prefer a lanyard/lapel watch or a wristwatch?
- Do you want a waterproof watch?
- Should you go for a 12-hr or 24-hr format watch?
- Do you need a watch with a digital face or 2nd hand?
- How large should the time numbers be?
- Do you want a watch with an illuminated face or that glows in the dark?
Analog vs. Digital vs. Smartwatch
Watches have evolved and today, they come in different features and have more functionality. For this reason, determining the best watch to buy for a nurse can be quite a challenge.
To determine whether to go for a digital, analog or smartwatch, you should consider the features you would want on the watch.
If you want advanced features such as health tracking, watch face customization and glance-able notifications, a smartwatch would be ideal for you. However, keep in mind that smartwatches are a little expensive.
Below is an overview of the types of watches that would be suitable for different nurses:
Analog Medical Watches
These watches are ideal for nurses that:
- Prefer the analog design
- Need a cheap medical watch
- Want a light watch
- Don’t need advanced features
- Are likely to damage or lose the watch
- Your job discourages smartwatches
- You want a watch that does not need regular charging
Digital Medical Watches
These medical watches are ideal for nurses that:
- Are not allowed to wear smartwatches at work
- Looking for a cheap medical watch
- Want a light watch
- Are not likely to lose or damage their watches
- Find it difficult to read analog watches
- Want a watch that does not have to be frequently charged
Medical Smartwatches
You should buy these watches if you:
- Want advanced features that are not available on digital or analog watches
- Want a bright display
- Want to customize your applications or watch face
- Want to track certain aspects of your health
- Want to receive notifications without having to look at your phone
How Much Should You Spend on a Nurse Watch?
The price of a good medical watch will mostly depend on its brand and features. Generally, the best nurse watches cost between $20 and $50. The higher the price of a medical watch, the better its features are bound to be.
Price should not be the only thing to consider when looking for a nurse watch. Apart from price, consider things such as quality and features of the watch. Generally, cheap nurse watches do not last as long as their higher-priced counterparts.
When evaluating different medical watches, consider your requirements, read reviews of the watches and shop online to get the best price.
What Do You Want?
When you write down the must-have features of a watch, you can eliminate quite many that do not match your requirements.
Make sure you write down what you would really need but not just what you want. You do not want to buy a watch that is expensive but does not have the features you need.
Read Trusted Reviews
Read medical watch reviews to find out more about the watches you are interested in. From the reviews, you will be able to identify the pros and cons of different watches.
Shop Around
Finally, shop around to find affordable nurse watches. Amazon is a great place to buy medical watches.