Ask A Nurse: What Are The Best Watches For Nurses?

No single watch works for every nurse. Decide which features matter most to you, then find one that delivers them. Here is what experienced nurses look for and the watches they actually wear on shift.

What to look for

Get a fluid-resistant watch. You wash your hands constantly and your watch will get splashed all day, even if you never submerge it. Pair that with a durable band you can wipe down during and after every shift, and a face you can read fast.

A visible second hand is non-negotiable for counting respirations and pulses. Amanda Haas, RN, BN, MN, who has spent more than 14 years on the floor, puts it plainly: "The best nursing watch, for nursing alone, is a basic analog watch with a solid silicone band." Krista Elkins, BA, RN, CFRN, NRP, CCP-C, a nurse and paramedic with 20 years on ground and helicopter ambulances, adds that if your watch is digital, it needs an easy-to-read analog-style display with a second hand.

Clara Sutton, who nursed before moving into human resources, likes a self-illuminating face for night shift. Bands and batteries should be easy to replace, and the case should have no nooks and crannies where dirt and pathogens hide.

What to avoid

Skip anything that needs fiddling to read. Haas steers nurses away from metal-link and fabric bands. Clip-on and pin-on watches look cute but force you to hold them away from your body, and both your hands are usually busy when you need the time. Sutton's list of dealbreakers: not water-resistant, small face, weak band.

If you want a smartwatch, make sure it lights up in a dark environment (think a flight nurse on a night scene call) and gives you a quick one-touch timer.

The watches nurses recommend

Luminox Navy Seal. Built to Navy SEAL specs in 1992 as first-line gear. Water-resistant to 200 meters, unidirectional rotating bezel, durable carbon fiber case, and a self-illuminating dial that suits night shift. Sutton's favorite.

Speidel Original Scrub Watch. Designed for healthcare workers and cheap enough to buy a couple to match your scrubs. White dial, red sweep second hand, quartz movement, 12- and 24-hour markers, soft silicone band, water-resistant. The steel back can be engraved.

VAVC Nurse Scrub Watch. Large dial, bright red second hand, 12- and 24-hour markers, Japanese quartz movement. Silicone or calf-leather band in several colors, white or colored dial, sapphire-coated mineral crystal, and some versions have self-illuminating hands.

Apple Watch. Elkins's pick for smartwatch users. Switches to a clean analog face with a second hand, pushes phone notifications to your wrist so you can triage urgent messages without digging out your phone, and runs apps like a pediatric critical care dosing calculator. Plus timer, alarm, stopwatch, heart rate, and step tracking.

Timex Expedition Rugged Core Analog Field Watch. Sturdy resin case that shrugs off bumps with medical equipment, water-resistant, durable easy-clean band, self-illuminating dial for taking vitals in the dark, and large numbers for fast reads.

Bottom line

The best nursing watch is water-resistant, easy to clean, has a durable band, and a face you can read in the dark with a visible second hand. Avoid anything fussy, small-faced, or clip-on. For a basic workhorse, a silicone-band analog watch is hard to beat. If you want notifications and tracking on your wrist, the Apple Watch covers it.