10 Fun Holiday Gift Ideas for Travel Nurses
Make a nurse's holiday calm, comfortable, and bright with thoughtful gifts!
Travel nurses may live a life of adventure, but their workdays are often filled with critical decisions, suffering patients, physical exertion, and long hours on their feet. This holiday season, consider giving your favorite traveling nurse a gift that brings joy and lightens the load. And, yes, treating yourself is allowed!
Gifts for Nurses
A welcoming gift for a travel nurse is a gift card or certificate for a hydrofacial or deep tissue massage. But some folks feel better about giving a tangible item or accessories. Check out this list of ten items the travel nurse in your life will love (and use!).
Accessories: Bags and Silicone Rings
Nurse Bag
Small items, such as scissors and pens, are easy to lose or get lost in the shuffle at the nurses’ station, so many nurses choose to carry their own supply. Nursing bags are more than a bag; they are a home for these loose items so that they are easy to access and easy to tote to and from the facility. You can find nursing bags on Amazon, or places that sell scrubs like Scrubs & Beyond.
Lunch Tote
It is imperative for nurses to stay focused on the job, and one of the best ways to do that is to eat nutritious foods throughout the day. They need a lunch bag or box that is thermal and can keep food fresh. Cute lunch bags can be found at stores like Target or L.L. Bean.
Silicone Ring
Silicone rings are jewelry for people who use their hands, may it be for work or adventure. They are often used as a substitute for an expensive wedding or engagement ring that the traveler doesn’t want to get dirty. Companies like Qalo and Enso Rings offer a wide variety.
Badge Clips, Lapel Pins, and Stethoscope IDs
All nurses wear I.D. badges and one way to set themselves apart is to spice it up with a cute badge clip. Choose a whimsical option or a clip that is an inside joke to make it extra special. Another way to customize a nurse uniform (or any outfit, really) is to jazz it up with a lapel pin. Lapel pins come in every design under the sun – from a simple R.N. pin to hearts, rainbows, and hobbies.
Just as nurses can spice up their badges and scrubs, they can give some love to their stethoscope with a stethoscope I.D.
Nurse Books
For the traveling nurse reader in your life, gift a book about nurses or about nursing. Some ideas include Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives by Theresa Brown, or Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders.
Drinkware and Water Bottles
Travel nurses need to stay hydrated to stay focused, which is why you'll almost always catch them using a reusable water bottle. Some favorites are from Yeti and HydroMate, and the self-cleaning water bottle from LARQ.
Electronics
A slick option to keep travel nurses entertained on their breaks is a Kindle e-reader, where they can store their favorite books for every mood. On another note, the Philips SmartSleep Alarm personalizes the sleep and wake-up experience using sunset and sunrise simulation, a smart choice because travelers need some serious sleep to recharge. If you're looking to spend $$$, the Apple Watch Series 8 will be well-loved and well-used.
Cell-Phone Sanitizer
Get rid of the bacteria, viruses, and grime on your favorite traveler's cell phone with the PhoneSoap UV Cell Phone Sanitizer & Charger.
Nurse Led Medical Penlight
Another item for the nursing bag is penlights like this rechargeable penlight option from Steeles. Nurses use these to get a closer look at throats, ears, and pupils.
Want to find more nursing gadgets like the penlight? Check out our article 5 Nurse Gadgets that are Super Handy.
Prestige Medical Nurse Assist Clipboard
The Prestige Medical Nurses Clipboard is a quick reference tool for nurses, complete with clock, timer, alarm, and calculator, including multiple diagnostic and assessment guides. They can be found at multiple stores including Walmart.