Nursing Graduation Gifts Guide

Graduating from nursing schools requires disciplined dedication. Between countless hours studying complex medial topics to applying what’s learned in a classroom setting, nursing school represents a 24/7 commitment that not many students can make. Find a gift for a recent nursing graduate is also difficult. We put together this nursing graduation gifts guide to help you find some awesome ideas!

On top of the rigorous curriculum, nursing students develop nursing skills within a structured school residency program. After completing all of the academic and residency requirements, nursing students receive the ultimate reward by acquiring degrees that open several doors to enriching careers.

Although a diploma looks nice sitting on the bedroom mantel, nursing school graduates receive much more than a piece of paper that designates academic accomplishments. Anyone that shops for a gift to give a nursing school graduates has myriad options literally at their fingertips. We hope that you enjoy our guide for choosing a nursing graduation gift!

Rediscover Entertainment

Chances are nursing graduates spent little, if any time enjoying movies and television shows. They barely had time to pull their heads out of voluminous textbooks for a quick bite to eat. Buying a DVD or Blu-ray copy of a nursing graduate’s favorite TV show or movie represents an ideal way to say “Congratulations.”

You can gift a copy of a medical drama, such as Grey’s Anatomy or ER. Help the nursing gradate relax with a good laugh by purchasing a copy of MASH or season two of Scrubs. Parents of nursing graduates that are willing to plunk down a little more cash should consider gifting a DVR and a DVR player to express appreciation for the nursing student’s dedication to enhancing patient health care. Nursing professionals can also catch parts of their favorite shows and movies during lulls in their shifts.

Speaking of Scrubs

Most medical offices and hospital issue scrubs for the personnel working at the facility. However, most medical facilities only offer one or two scrub outfits, which is not enough for the busy nurse that burns through five, 12-hour shifts each week. Make sure the nursing graduate knows the first medical assignment, as hospitals and medical centers have different dress codes that apply to scrubs.

Consider brand names such as Dickies, Cherokee, and Landau that have earned the reputation of producing scrubs that endure the rigor of bustling hospital and medical center work. Scrubs should comprise high quality breathable materials that quickly remove perspiration to cool the skin. You can also get creative with innovative scrub designs, but remember the dress code strictly enforced by the medical facility.

Nurses Carry a Heavy Burden

We know it takes a special person to thrive in a chaotic medical facility environment. Busy emergency rooms and unexpected relapses test the mettle of the stoutest nurse. Yet, nurses carry more than a heavy emotional burden at work. They also carry many things that require organized storage. The nursing graduate that you shop for should appreciate a nursing bag that includes several small and large compartments for storing medical devices, as well as articles of clothing.

Constructed with hard to stretch nylon, the best nursing bags store pens, scissors, and electronic communication devices. Make sure a handy zipper shut outer compartment is large enough to store a stethoscope for quick access. Fine mesh holds a water bottle and a strong side loop carries an umbrella. The adjustable strap should be able to withstand years of heavy loads. Stylish nursing bags promote unique personalities in an environment full of special people.

Time Flies When You’re a Nurse

Nurses must followed stringent time constraints during hectic hospital or medical center days. Every patient has a schedule that needs to be met by the minute. Nurses that fall behind or forget to check on a patient put their careers in jeopardy. Every nurse needs to wear a watch and not just any watch.

Watches designed and constructed for nurses possess impervious outer shells that withstand constant abuse. The outer shell should also prevent moisture damaged caused by accidental beverage spills and immersion into water. Nurse watched should always tell the correct time, which means the timing mechanisms work flawlessly for years on end. Nurses never have time to watch the clock, but they must make the time to check the time on their professional grade watches.

Sage Career Advice for Nurses

Nursing graduates learned the academic concepts and hands on procedures that allow them to thrive on the job. However, no nursing school prepares nursing graduates for adapting to one of the most difficult work environments. In addition, nursing schools only provide nursing graduates with the tools needed up to the graduation date. Nurses also need to stay abreast of current nursing information.

You can help a nursing graduate make a smooth transition from school to career by purchasing one or more of the nursing books that describe different careers, critical care advances, and professional development. Author Katy Quan provides nursing graduates with a game plan on how to survive the first year on the job, with the helpful tome The Everything New Nurse Book. Keville Fredrickson penned an authoritative book onnursing career opportunities. Every nursing graduate should read the Barbara Arnoldussen book, First Year Nurse: Wisdom, Warnings, and What I Wish I’d Known My First 100 Days on the Job. While a book might not sound too exciting, we certainly wanted to recommend this one in our nursing graduation gifts guide.

Help a Nursing Graduate Take a Load Off

Nurses stand almost every minute of long single and double shifts. One of the best gift ideas for nursing graduates involves buying a pair of super comfortable shoes that provide long lasting durability. Breathable materials prevent sweat from causing foot discomfort and pliable leather gives nurses flexibility to position feet according to the movement of the body. The best shoes for nurses contain cushions that absorb the pounding feet take while constantly moving across hard tile floors.

Shoes can be tricky things to purchase, as you must know the exact shoe size of the nursing graduate. A better idea involves bringing the nursing graduate along to the store or giving a gift certificate. Any shoes that nurses wear must also be slip resistant, as nurses traverse over slick hospital and medical facility floors. Many nurses wear clogs for optimal breathability.

Buy the Items Store in the Nursing Bag

Make a nursing graduates day by not only gifting a nurse bag, but also gifting a nurse bag replete with all of the things he or she needs on the job. Load the smaller compartments with pens, scissors, and even a brand new cell phone. Sanitizers, lotions, and compression stockings used on the job fit in the medium size nurse bag compartments.

You can even purchase a professional grade stethoscope online, without busting your nursing graduate gift budget. By the time nurses graduate from nursing school, the shiny new stethoscope they bought before the first day of class has turned into a worn-out, mostly useless heart monitoring device. A new stethoscope would certainly make a good gift for nursing graduates.

Pamper the Nursing Graduate

Nursing graduates need to relax after years of grueling academic instruction, hands on classroom procedures, and a demanding residency. Reward the nursing graduate by gifting something that pampers. A weeklong paid for spa vacation or even a one time spa appointment helps sooth the over stressed mind and body. Another ides is to buy a plane ticket or pay for a hotel stay, so the nursing graduate can get away from it all, before showing up for the first grueling day at a hospital or medical center. Take the nursing graduate out to a lavish multi-course dinner, followed by a high-energy night on the town.

Some Final Thoughts on Nursing Graduation Gifts

As you see, you have a seemingly unlimited number of gift options for a nursing graduate. The criteria that you use for selecting the best for a nursing graduate depend on budget and the preferences of the nursing graduate. You don’t want to waste money on a cruise, when the nursing graduate prefers to vacation within a remote wilderness area. Moreover, you have to be careful not to bring work into the gift. The nursing graduate that you shop for might something want something non-career related.

If you run into a wall trying to find something for the hard working nursing graduate, you always have the time-honored gift of cash. Writing a check or giving a gift certificate is a great way to reward nursing graduates by providing the graduates with something of value that they can spend anyway they want.

If you can think of anymore awesome ideas for us to include in our Nursing Graduation Gifts guide please let us know.