Nursebae Gift Guide 2018

Have a "nursebae" in your life? Not sure what to get her/him?

Don't look any further!

1. Smart watch: As a student who spends long hours on campus and works in the hospital, a watch is your best friend. Whether it's counting respirations, counting a pulse or timing bowel sounds in each quadrant, YOU NEED A WATCH. I recommend a smart watch because: a) I can count my steps for the day b) I can check + respond to text messages without having to pull out my phone in class or on the unit c) I am notorious for sleeping through alarms but I've found that the alarm feature on my Apple watch is strong enough to wake me up - so more power naps for me without fear of over sleeping and wasting the day.
2. Comfortable clogs: I love my clogs! They're solely for work. They're comfortable and I'm pretty sure they've improved my posture. Hospitals are germy places. With that being said, you may not want to sacrifice a pair of your favorite sneakers for work or clinical. This is where clogs come in handy.
3. Lunchbox: The key to staying focused during long days on campus is food. Most students I know are "balling on a budget". In an effort to save money I strongly recommend packing your lunch. Packing your lunch is not only cheaper but it's healthier. As much as I love Wingstop and American Deli, it's not sensible to eat that every day. It begins to weigh you down after a while. We get 1 hour for lunch at school and on days I forget to pack lunch the majority of that time is wasted driving to get the food and waiting for the food to be prepared. I don't know about you but I like naps. I'd rather pack my lunch, eat on campus and then head to the car for a 30 minute nap in between lectures. This lunch bag is an "urban twist" on the traditional brown paper bag and it's from a small business!
4. Cute Sneakers: If you're not a clog person sneakers are your next option. Ever since I saw these sneakers I have been in LOVE! These would be great for wearing around campus, wearing to the gym and wearing during clinical. I personally wouldn't wear these to work because: bodily fluids. But you better believe I'd wear these all the time to lecture and the gym!
5. Wireless noise cancelling headphones: Contrary to popular belief, the library can be loud. In our library prime real estate is limited. (Prime real estate: a big study room with a white board) I prefer to study alone however that's not always realistic. When I do study with classmates it is VERY easy to get distracted. In an effort to stay focused I like to bring my noise cancelling headphones. I currently use the in-ear and over-ear beats and they work fantastic, however, they can be a bit restricting. I put the wireless headphones on this list so you can have free range of motion. I tend to walk around a good bit when I study and also walk to write + draw on the white board. Moving around frequently keeps me awake when studying. Wireless allows you to move freely without having to constantly start and stop your music or lectures. 
6. A BIG water bottle: staying hydrated it key. This is perfect for long lectures so you're not frequently getting up and disturbing your neighbors during lectures. Forgetting your water bottle at home is arguably more devastating than forgetting your headphones on the way to the gym. This bottle is huge (2.2 Liters) so it makes it hard to forget!
7. Comfortable Scrubs: Figs make my favorite professional pajamas. What gets me is that they're wrinkle resistant and  they look like regular clothes. I have worn these scrubs to class with a t-shirt on days I wasn't scheduled to work simply because they are cute and comfortable. Bonus: They make tall scrubs! They also have a variety of colors that correlate with popular colors worn in most hospitals.
8. Stethoscope: I love MDF! They're affordable and stylish. What's not to love? If there's anything that I've learned from working in various hospitals, it's that stethoscopes have the tendency to disappear. I currently have 2 stethoscopes from MDF (1 for school and 1 for work). This particular style is very popular. Not including me, off the top of my head I know 4 people with this exact design, 1 of them being my second oldest sister.
9. Anatomy coloring book: I can't stress the importance of taking excellent notes while taking prerequisites. Many times in PathoPharm we were told to review old anatomy notes on our own time to have a firm grasp on the new material. In nursing school everything builds upon itself. I used these coloring books while taking my prerequisites and they're great for a quick refresher course. Also, coloring is pretty therapeutic!
10. Planner: I have tried a variety of planners and none of them suit my needs quite like the Happy Planner. It's spacious enough to fit all of my daily homework and reading assignments with a little bit of space left over to jot down shifts at work or dinner dates with friends. Happy Planner also sells cute stickers that come in handy for reminders. (ex. bill due, appointment, lunch date, exam, paper due, etc.) They also sell expansions for the Happy Planner so you can incorporate monthly budgeting sheets or exercise plan sheets. Bonus: You can usually catch this planner on an excellent sale or use the 50% off one item coupon from Michael's website. 

Hopefully you find this helpful!

Happy Holidays!