Being a nurse is a job that demands a lot from a person. You have to be constantly focused, keeping your mind on the task at hand, and having an immense workload to get through. It’s a highly-active job and comes with a lot of stress. Nurses really are heroes. As this is such a complex job, we’re seeing watch companies releasing specific
Watches for nurses. They’re regular watches, but they have a few functions that would benefit these medical professionals.
In short, the best watches for nurses are water-resistant, comfortable on the wrist or easy to clip onto a scrub pocket, easy to wipe clean (but let’s not go into the gory details as to why) and should offer excellent visibility.
We’ve made a list of the eight best watches for nurses here: some traditional timepieces, some smartwatches. So, here we go!
Speidel
Scrub Watch for Medical Professionals
This watch is particularly great for nurses because the silicone band offers a lot of comfort. Also, this means it’s very easy to keep clean, which is an essential feature. The 38mm case is stainless steel.
It has a water-resistance rating of 3ATM, which means 30m. Inside it has a Quartz movement, which powers the 3 black hands on the face, which sit on an analogue display with a white dial for optimal contrast. It offers time in a 24-hour format. As for the seconds, you get a red hand which can be vital when taking a pulse.
The collection, called Scrub, are designed specifically as watches for nurses and those in the medical profession who require accuracy from their watch. The dial is easily read when in a hurry. The second hand can be relied on for taking an accurate pulse reading. Plus, the band is easily wiped clean with antibac. Worth noting that the band is interchangeable if you want or need another and there are also almost 40 different colours.
This watch costs under $100.
Fitbit
Versa 3 Health and Fitness Smartwatch
The Fitbit Versa 3 is the latest Versa model and offers both style and smart functionality, making it one of the best watches for nurses. It has an OLED display which is bright in all lighting conditions (plus, you can turn it up or make it dimmer if needed). If it’s handy to you, you can utilise the always-on display. A feature that, until now, was made famous by the more expensive Apple Watch.
The Versa 3 has an abundance of apps that make life a little easier. For one, nurses can use the timer function for a whole range of their day-to-day tasks. There’s also the option to set multiple alarms if you need reminding of certain things.
Medical professionals like nurses are likely interested in their own health and fitness, and Fitbit is still a leading brand for fitness trackers. The Versa 3 will monitor heart rate, calories burned, steps taken and distance.
Advanced features include blood oxygen saturation monitoring, breathing rate and temperature (whilst you sleep) which, altogether, give an excellent overview of your general health. Whilst you sleep, the Versa 3 will monitor your sleep stages and provide you with an easy-to-understand score out of 100 in the morning. If you had a bad night, you’d be able to see where you woke or how long you spent in the sleep stages and how this compares to averages within your age group.
Looking at the design, it’s not too far from the premium look you get with the Apple Watch 6, albeit more rounded. The watches are interchangeable, too.
You can get a Fitbit Versa 3 for around $200.
Timex
Expedition Field Mini Watch
This watch is predominantly aimed at those who enjoy an outdoor adventure. The Timex Expedition Field Mini is, as the name suggests, small. 26mm, to be precise. Though don’t think this slim timepiece isn’t durable because it is. It has a scratch-resistant face, brass case and leather strap.
On the face, you’ll find an analogue dial which is super-easy to read at a glance. The time is offered in both 12 and 24-hour format. What’s extra helpful is the Indiglo light, which allows you to see the display in low-lighting.
You can read more about the Timex watches with the Indiglo feature, here.
As for the design, it’s a mix of professionalism and practicality, so nurses won’t have to swap this watch out for something else off-shift because it blends in well with all outfits.
The reason this is one of the best watches for nurses is because of the comfort (especially for daintier wrists), the accuracy and the useful backlight.
Perhaps best of all, you can find this watch for around $60.
Women’s Weekender Watch
Another Timex offering is the Women’s Weekender. This 31mm watch is minimal but beautiful.
The nylon strap is comfortable, easy to clean and interchangeable if needed.
The face offers 12 and 24-hour time formats, an analogue display with a 3 hand Quartz movement, including the Indiglo light underneath a scratch-resistant mineral glass dome. Another plus is that this watch has a 3ATM (30m) water-resistance rating.
The Weekender range from Timex certainly deserves its place on the best watches for nurses. It offers durability, water-resistance, a clean and uncluttered display for checking the time quickly, and the Quartz movement means you can trust the accuracy.
Watches in the Weekender range are around $50 – 100.
VAVC
Nurse Watch
Now we head to a larger watch that is 40mm. The dial offers both 12 and 24-hour time formatting and a red second hand, which is useful for things like taking a pulse.
The watch is easy to clean thanks to the stainless steel case being water-resistant. The face is protected by sapphire mineral crystal, and the band is leather, though this is interchangeable. It’s lightweight, durable, reliable, comfortable and hygienic.
Inside is a Japanese Quartz movement, which is known for its accuracy.
All in all, the VAVC was specifically designed for doctors and nurses and comes with all the basic features needed to make on-shift life a little easier.
You can find this watch for around $50.
Apple Watch Series 6
The Apple Watch Series 6 really is the watch that does it all, and there’s no doubt that it’s one of the best watches for nurses you can buy.
It has an OLED retina display which offers bold, bright and clear colours for easy reading. There are so many different complications to add that it’ll make your head spin. Customise your display by applying any of the best Apple Watches faces and enjoy the convenience of having the apps you use most at your fingertips.
The Apple Watch Series 6 delivers notifications and allows you to answer phone calls without your phone nearby (if you have the cellular version). Things like calendar appointments, reminders and alarms can be utilised to boost productivity. You can even check emails on the go, so you don’t miss important information. If you do have the cellular version, it’s advantageous, as some nurses aren’t allowed, or it’s not convenient to have a phone in hand.
If you’re interested in monitoring your steps over the day, the Apple Watch 6 has GPS built in so you can keep an eye on your distance (and calories burned).
This version is water-resistant to 50m, which protects it against things like shallow water submersion, splashes and spills – everything you’re likely to come up against during the day.
The case comes in 40mm and 44m sizes and the bands are interchangeable. It’s advised that nurses use the silicone sports strap as this is the easiest to clean, but we’ve also reviewed the best Apple Watch straps, here.
Ultimately, the Apple Watch Series 6 is the ultimate multifunctional watch for managing your day.
You can pick this up for around $400.
Samsung
Galaxy Watch Active 2
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a beast of a smartwatch when it comes to versatility.
Physically speaking, you get an OLED display which clearly shows your widgets (complications) and the information you’ve deemed necessary enough to put on your watch face (which is fully-customisable). Also, it offers an always-on display feature.
The 40mm case comes in either stainless steel or aluminium with interchangeable straps. As with the Apple Watch 6, it comes with a silicone band that will be the best for cleaning.
As it’s a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, you get features included like heart rate and sleep monitoring, distance, calories burned, stairs climbed, etc. This can be a useful feature for those working shifts whose sleep patterns are changeable so you can learn how to maximise the quality of sleep you get.
More than that, it comes with Bluetooth and GPS so you can stay connected. Be it notifications, messaging or making a phone call. This is your best option if you’re an Android smartphone user (as the Apple Watch 6 is to iPhone users). It’s also potentially a better fit for fitness tracking at a lower price than the Galaxy 3.
This watch costs around $250.
Casio
Women’s Nurse Watch
We finish on a simple high with the Casio Nurse Watch for women. It’s a budget-friendly offering with a modest 33mm resin case and band with mineral glass face. Plus, it’s waterproof to 10m, which is handy for splashes and the like.
Inside is a Quartz movement.
The display has an analog dial, 12 and 24-hour time format, a second hand and hour markers in different colours to separate morning, afternoon and evening. Additionally, there’s a date window and a bidirectional rotating bezel.
This is certainly one of the best watches for nurses as it offers durability, reliability, comfort, ease of cleaning and doesn’t break the bank. If you only need the basics, this is a great option.
Conclusion
We hope you found this whistle-stop tour of the best watches for nurses to be useful. Don’t forget to check out our related article covering the best budget smartwatches in 2021, which all cost less than $100.
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Last Updated on June 19, 2021
Maygen is a multifaceted writer, proofreader and an experienced smartwatch industry writing and editing professional.