If you’ve ever met a nurse or spoke to a nurse then you’re probably going to hear them discuss watches. Most nurses wear a watch. It’s the odd nurse that doesn’t wear a nurse. It’s vital that they have access to the time and have accurate measurements.
Unlike most jobs where you can simply take your phone out and check the time, nurses are not able to do that. Many hospital have strict rules about nurses having access to their phones because they do not want nurses to spend their shift texting friends.
The other reason is that nursing is a messy job. Even if a nurse was allowed to access their phone during the shift, it’s not something many would want to do. That’s the reason so many nurses who are able to have access to their phone choose not to do so.
Nurses have to handle patients and deal with bodily fluids (including human waste like poo) and blood. This can be very messy and it can make your watch a trap for bacteria and dirt.
Because of this, there are a lot of nurses who choose to use fob watches. These watches are not attached to the nurses wrist, but rather can be affixed to the nurses clothing or lanyard.
Some nurses prefer these fob watches because they can be used and attached to any area of their outfit and stay out of the way of the infected areas of a hospital routine (bandage dressing, cleaning poop or human waste, blood splatters, vomit, or other issues that nurse have to deal with).
Regular watches would have to be fitted underneath a set of gloves, which can be a problem to clean since it requires constant change outs.
What’s The Difference between a Fob Watch and a Wrist Watch?
A fob watch is similar to a pocket watch, but there is a slight different. It’s not meant to be worn on the wrist, so it’s marked difference from a regular wrist watch is that it’s more of a pocket watch style.
The benefit to a fob watch is that unlike a pocket watch, there’s a fob that can be affixed to a belt, coat, lanyard, chain, or any other surface. Some nurses even affix their watch to a clip board to ensure that it doesn’t get dirty.
Are Nurses Required to Wear FOB Watches
No, nurses are not required to wear a fob watch. Nurses are not required to wear any watch in particular.
The hospitals have clocks situated around each floor, so a nurse can always tell the exact time when they need to.
However, because of how frantic a role being a nurse is, it’s not always possible for a nurse to walk over to the nursing station and check on the time.
Many nurses are floaters in hospitals, or if they are working in rehab facilities or nursing homes, then they are in and out of patient rooms.
Some nurses simply don’t have the time to spend checking the wall clock or visiting the nursing station to make sure what time it is.
For these nurses, it makes sense to have a watch fob on you that can take care of keeping track of the time.
It’s not unusual for a nurse to have a fob style watch attached to their outfit or attached to a chain or lanyard that they have on them at all times.
The fob watch is the easiest one to use for medical nurses who are dealing with incredibly busty schedules and dirty work.
What Kind of FOB Watches Are Best For Nurses?
Most nurses should stick to the fob watches that are designed for active use. While you can buy expensive fob watches that are flashy and designer, that’s not what is ideal.
The best recommendations are found on Amazon where you can view the well made brands of fob watches.
I always like Casio brands, they’re popular for a good reason. But Timex and other well known brands are good. The only issue here is that Timex and Casio don’t make fob watches. They are great if you’re looking for a durable G-Shock or other watch, but a regular Fob watch is going to be more easily found from other companies.
Avoid no name brands because they are fragile and will break. Pick a fob watch from a good brand that has a lot of reviews.
The other thing is that these Fob watches are cheap. You don’t have to worry about losing them or breaking them.
This fob watch for example is super affordable and gets great reviews.
Here’s a selection of good Fob watches to check out.