The best watches for nurses are designs that help you do your job instead of hindering it. You’ll need to consider a number of factors, from the sanitary preservation of your workplace to the print and color you prefer. We’ve narrowed down the 16 best watches that suit a nurse’s needs in the workplace.
To make your decision even easier, we’ve only included watches with second hands, as this is an extremely vital task of a nurse watch.
In a hurry? Here are our top 3 picks:
The 16 Best Watches for Nurses
Speidel Scrub Watch
This simple watch includes a white dial with both 12 and 24 hour markers. The red second hand and quartz movement allows accurate pulse readings to be taken with ease. The super soft silicon band is comfortable and easy to clean, with water resistance up to 100 feet. Additionally, the watch is available in 6 colors designed to match whatever scrubs you wear.
Nurse Watch Highlights:
- 6 color options allow you to pick something that perfectly matches your scrubs
- Red second hand and quartz movement are designed for accurate pulse readings
- 12 and 24 hour markers to keep track of military time
Speidel Original Scrub Watch - Medical Scrub Colors
This easy-to-read dial watch comes in every color to match your scrub outfit! It's waterproof and the band is made of stain-resistant, easy-to-clean silicone.
An added benefit to the Speidel Scrub watch is that you can easily replace the silicone band or add a few other colors to your collection! There are over 17 colors to choose from and they feature an EZ-Change pin so that you can swap the bands quickly and effortlessly.
Speidel Scrub Watch Replacement Band
Silicone Rubber Band - 18mm, 20mm, 22mm and 24mm, Multiple Colors Options. Featuring the EZ-Change pin for quick and effortless band swaps.
Apple Watch Series 6
For nurses on the market for a smart watch, you can’t go wrong with the Apple Series 6. The tech specs of this watch feature an always-on Retina display that is now 30% larger than the Series 3 and that is 20% faster than the Series 5.
This is another nurse watch with a second hand that is red so that you can accurately conduct pulse readings.
This watch connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and syncs with all of your podcasts, music, and audiobooks. You can geek out and keep track of your health easily with all the bells and whistles including the ECG app, Sleep app, and Blood Oxygen app.
We absolutely love this watch for nurses, but it’s definitely not cheap. For those on a budget who are looking for a more affordable smart watch option, you can always opt for the older models such as the Series 3.
All of the Apple nurse watches are available on Amazon or you could also try it on in store.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality
- Easy health tracking apps
- Retina display
New Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)
This new Apple smartwatch features an aluminum case and comes in various colored sport bands.
Looking for more nursing swag? Shop these Stethoscope Accessories or our Favorite Nurse Tote Bags
Armitron Women’s Sport
This resin watch by Armitron makes it to the top of our list of the best watches for nurses and features a digital dial with a day and date display, backlight, dual time capability, chronograph, and seconds. This is among the best waterproof watches for nurses; a 27 mm case includes an acrylic dial window, and the resin band has a buckle closure.
It’s water resistant up to 330 feet, so it won’t get ruined if you accidentally hop in the shower with it still on (we all do it). This sport watch is available in 11 colors and ideal for nurses who are constantly on the go.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Digital display shows time, day, date, and seconds
- Resin band has a buckle closure for easy use
- Has a backlight that can be used in dimmer and darker settings
Armitron Sport Women's Digital Watch
This chronograph watch features a durable resin strap that is water-resistant and easy to clean. This waterproof watch can be submerged in 330 feet of water.
Timex Women’s Weekender
This 31 millimeter watch comes with a pink nylon slip-through strap, allowing you to easily slide it on and off. The cream-colored dial is designed to be easily read, with a 24-hour time clock. The watch utilizes analog movement and has a case diameter of 31 millimeters. It’s water resistant to 100 feet and can withstand brief water immersion and splashes, but shouldn’t actually be used for swimming.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Slips easily on and off the wrist
- Easily-read analog dial
- Able to withstand splashes and brief immersion in water
Timex Women's Weekender Nurse Watch
This petite 31mm watch features a nylon slip-through strap, making it super easy to slide on and off for on-the-go nurses!
Related: Shop These 7 Best Nursing Backpacks
Speidel Petite Scrub Watch
Read our Speidel Petite Scrub Watch Review
The Speidel petite scrub watch packs the same features as the original scrub watch by Speidel, just in a smaller watch. I, personally, have a small wrist, so the petite scrub watch is the better pick among these two scrub watches (see the face on my wrist below).
The red second hand makes it easy for nurses to keep track and perform accurate pulse readings and the silicone bands can also be replaced if they get damaged or if you simply just want a new color to wear on your off days. The plentiful band color options mean you will find a band that matches your scrubs.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Petite model fits smaller wrists
- Scrub watch matches your outfit
- Red second hand
- 12 and 24-hour clock
Speidel Women’s Scrub Petite Watch for Medical Professionals
The petite sister to the original Speidel Scrub Watch, this small(er) version features easy to read small face, luminous hands, a silicone band, and second hand.
VAVC Nurse Scrub Watch
This nurse scrub watch by VAVC is built to last with 316 L surgical grade stainless steel and sapphire coated mineral crystal glass. Similar to the previous nurse scrub watches on this list, there is a highly visible red second hand for easy reading and a large, visible white dial that features a 12 and 24-hour clock.
Unlike the other scrub watches, however, they offer a leather band or a silicone band option. You can choose between the 32mm or 40mm face.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Leather and silicone band options
- 164 feet water resistant
- 24-month warranty
- 60-day satisfaction guarantee
VAVC Nurse Scrub Watch
Comparable to the Speidel Original Scrub Watch, but with a leather band rather than silicone.
Nurse Mates Women Uni Watch
This rubber watch is engineered specifically for nurses. It comes with a polyurethane strap and has large numerical markings to allow easy reading. The watch includes military time and has a waterproof design. A cute electrocardiogram heart design on the face adds a pop of personalized flavor. You can pick this watch up in utilitarian black or professional white.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Large numerical markings and military time to make time-telling easier
- Construction is water resistant and perfect for the workplace
- Cute electrocardiogram heart design
Related: Shop These Comfortable Nursing Shoes
Prestige Medical Stethoscope Watch
This high-tech design from Prestige Medical helps keep track of both regular and military time and is among the best stethoscope watches for nurses for both its durability as well as functionality. Dotted markings around the face allow you to count time to the second, ideal if you need to time something by the number of seconds instead of minutes.
Its case is water resistant, so you don’t need to be concerned about spills or cleaning.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- High-tech design and engineering
- Keeps track of military time
- Second markings around the face let you count passing seconds more easily
Prestige Medical Analog Stethoscope Watch
Attaches to all stethoscope tubing with a second hand that moves with a ticking motion.
Casio Women’s LQ139A-1E Black Classic Resin
This imported watch has a 22 mm case with a dial window made from resin glass. The simple design has a dial featuring Arabic numeral markers (aka 1, 2, 3, 4.. ) and the Casio company logo. A black resin band comes with a buckle closure to fit any wrist. White second markers dot the black watch face, the design helpful and easy to see.
This is a remarkably simple watch that can be worn at work or out-and-about on the weekends or travel.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Professional and simple design good for any nursing setting
- The buckle closure helps the watch fit any wrist and easily come on and off
- White numerical and second markers help you see more easily
Casio Women's LQ139A-1E Analog Watch
This is Casio's classic round analog watch with resin glass and band.
Casio Women’s Black Resin
Another ideal imported design from Casio, this watch comes with a fluted crown and white outer dial. Its dial is slightly larger than the previous Casio, coming in at 25mm rather than 22m. The resin band has a buckle closure for easy use, and the watch is water resistant. Casio is a good name among the medical community and has many more options to choose from that would also be considered some of the best watches for nurses.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Water resistance makes it ideal for any professional nursing setting
- Classic and sleek design looks great and provides easy-to-read markings
- Printed indices easier to read on a white background
Casio Women's Classic Round Analog Watch
Another black resin analog watch by Casio, this affordable and simple watch features printed indices rather than Arabic numerals.
Lapel Pin Watch
Rather than being worn on your wrist, this lapel pin watch is designed to clip easily to your lapel or any other part of your clothing. The watch is constructed from a metal alloy with quartz movement. It’s water-resistant to average daily life, but it’s not designed for diving, swimming, or bathing. The total watch length is 8.5 centimeters, with a case diameter of 33 millimeters.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Clips onto any part of your clothing for convenient access
- Quartz movement and clear dial let you read the time easily
- Available in white, gold, or rose gold
WIOR Nurse Lapel Pin Watch
This affordable hands-free lapel pin watch comes in three different colors: gold, rose gold, and silver.
Lancardo Silicone Lapel Pin Watch
This nursing watch comes with 12 funky patterns and designs to choose from. The round white face is offset by black markers, with a contrast that makes reading time easy even when the light is dim. The soft cover is made from medical silicon, allowing easy removal and washing. A pin-on design allows it to adhere to your clothes without easily falling off.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- 12 fun patterns and prints to suit your style
- Easily-read face and pin-on design make it convenient for all-day professional wear
- Soft medical silicone cover is easily removed and washed
Silicone Lapel Pin Watch
Affordable pin watch that comes in a variety of fun designs and color patterns!
Glow in the Dark Nurse Fob
These super affordable packs of nurse watch fobs come in a pack of 3 with color varieties to fit your style. These watch fobs can easily attach to your stethoscope, pocket, or lapel.
All of the pointers on this easy-to-read watch are glow in the dark, making this a great watch for night shift nurses! The second hand also has a glow in the dark pointer, so that you can provide accurate pulse readings regardless of the lighting situation.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Glow in the dark pointers
- Silicon rubber housing
- Playful color options
Glow in the Dark Nurse Watch Fob
These cute nurse fobs can pin pretty much anywhere you want! Glow-in-the-dark feature makes it great for night shifts.
Nurse Mates Chrome Military Watch
This Nurse Mates watch comes in chrome or black coloring, with a heart replacing the 12 on the face. The water-resistant construction makes it great for the workplace, with a rubber strap. It has clearly-defined second markers around the face and also includes a 1-year limited warranty, making it a safe choice among the best watches for nurses!
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Designed specifically for nurses in the workplace with a cute heart design
- Clear second markers make taking pulses simple
- Gold dial comes with a military theme to keep track of military time
Nurse Mates Military Dial with Blue Heart Watch
A watch designed specifically for nurses with a blue heart and red second hand for accurate pulse readings.
Dakota Leather Watch
The Dakota women’s watch comes in 4 colors designed to match your scrubs. The strap is made from genuine leather, and the face measures 1.25 inches in diameter. A 35 millimeter case size ensures that the watch is large enough to read in a professional setting. Additionally, each 15-second quadrant is clearly highlighted to make seconds-based nursing tasks much easier.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Genuine leather strap and comfortable construction
- 15-second quadrants highlighted for easier time telling
- Quartz movement and easy-to-read numbers make taking pulses simple
Dakota Women's Nurse Watch with Water Resistant Leather Band
Awesome watch for nurses that helps you easily track the seconds with the 15-second quadrant pulse ring.
CNBRO Sport Watch
We had to add this sport watch by CNBRO specifically because of the rose gold pink style that adds a feminine flair to your scrubs. The battery will last for 3 years, meaning you won’t need to worry about getting the battery replaced anytime soon.
Nurse Watch Highlights
- Waterproof
- Rotating bezel timer
- Super lightweight
CNBRO Women's Waterproof Sport Watch
A cute, sporty watch for nurses that can be found in a rose gold design!
Things to Consider for the Best Watches for Nurses
1. Watch Face
You’ll need to consider what kind of watch face is most important to you. Do you need contrasting colors or large markings for easy readability? Do you need 24-hour time markings? Do you want extra information, like the time or date?
2. Durable Materials
Nurses need to choose their watch material carefully to make sure they maintain a germ-free environment. Your watch should be cleaned easily, and the material should be soft enough not to puncture your skin by accident. It helps to avoid metal link bands.
3. Type of Watch
The two main types of watches are lapel watches and wristwatches. Lapel watches can be clipped to any part of your clothing for ease of use, while wristwatches go on your wrist. Lapel watches allow you to wash your hands more easily, while wristwatches are harder to lose and easily accessible.
4. Analog or Digital
Digital watches allow a greater degree of customization, along with other potential features. However, analog watches don’t need regular charging, and they offer an indication of time down to the second. Which type you choose depends on the features you want.
5. Budget
Your last deciding factor is your budget. How much do you want to spend on the watch? Watches with extra features and complicated engineering will be more expensive than simplistic designs.
Best Watches for Nurses FAQ
What type of watch is good for nurses?
Watches that are waterproof, have a large and easy to read face and second hand, and are easy to clean are the best for nurses. We encourage nurses to seek out watches with silicone or leather bands, as they can easily be cleaned.
Can nurses wear smart watches?
Most hospitals allow nurses to wear smart watches to work, as they not only keep track of time, but are extremely helpful in keeping organized and taking patient notes.
Can nurses wear digital watches?
Most nurses prefer analog watches, as they make counting seconds easier for pulse readings. However, some nurses will choose to wear digital watches that show the second count.
Conclusion
As a nurse, you have to consider a number of professional factors when you choose a watch. Fortunately, many watches are made specifically with your needs in mind. By narrowing down your wishes for features, display, and budget range, you can pick the watch that’s perfect for you.
