As a Nurse, you face a variety of stressors in the winter, especially because you’re constantly coming in contact with patients. In order to stay warm, comfy, and healthy this winter season, check out these three hacks:
- Protect your hands.
From cracked skin to touching nurse equipment, your hands go through a lot in the course of a day. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but you always want to carry a small bottle of hand gel as well as some moisturizing lotion with you. Be sure to apply both evenly throughout the day, and in order to guarantee extra protection overnight, slather your hand cream on right before going to sleep and pull on a pair of light cotton gloves over them. The cream will then have the whole night to soften into your hands, and the extra warmth of the gloves will feel so nice on a cold winter night. - Keep your car stocked.
Regardless of road conditions, Nurses are still expected to work. This calls for a car emergency kit. Some great items to have on hand are blankets, an extra change of clothes, snacks, and sand/litter for road conditions. - Layer up.
Layering is key to staying comfy cozy in the winter, and your scrubs are likely not heat-insulated. Try wearing long underwear under your scrubs, or double up on socks. An extra shirt layer like Under Armour is also great because it’s so thin and insulated. Fingerless gloves will also work in your favor while you’re en route to work and need to pick up your phone.