first aid kit

The Ultimate New Nurse Survival Kit [36 Ideas for the RN Survival]

Written by: Kristine Thorndyke

A nurse survival kit can help nurses relieve the everyday stress of their difficult profession, as well as celebrating their achievements. It can be either practical or funny gifts to help them unwind after a long shift.

If you’re making one yourself, we’ve got you covered! Below are 36 ideas to help you create and fill the ultimate nurse survival kit. We have also picked a couple of pre-made survival kits, which are perfect for those looking for a more affordable option. 

Preparing for nursing school yourself? Start here. 

Nurse Basket

First things first, you’re going to need something to put all the gifts in. This is pretty integral to the nurse survival kit as it brings everything together in an attractive presentation. When thinking about what basket to get, you need to consider many factors. Size is important – too big and it will drown all the gifts, too small and they won’t fit in. You also want your nurse survival kit to look the part, so think about aspects like color, material, and design.

We have selected a smaller rattan style basket in a brown color, as this has a classic feel to it. Our next pick is more of a nautical theme, a basket made from cotton linen. What we like about this one is that it has a drawstring, allowing you to ‘close’ the basket.

Our Top 3 Picks

Related: 17 Beautiful Gift Baskets for Nurses

Nurse Hand Lotions

Nurses rely day-to-day on their hands, and this can lead to discomfort from dry and tired skin. Hand lotion is a practical and useful nurse survival kit gift that any nurse will appreciate. There are a huge number of hand lotion brands out there, so make sure you choose one which will do the job well. You can then take it the next step further and go for something more luxurious, or something more along the aromatherapy lines. 

We’ve chosen the Burt’s Bee gift set as it includes two moisturizing hand creams plus some cuticle cream, all made from natural ingredients. If you’re after luxury, this is the set to choose. Next up is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Cream, a more budget option but nonetheless a best seller on Amazon. This does what it says on the tin – heals, relieves and repairs dry hands. Lastly, we’ve chosen a more middle of the road option, a lotion based on stress relief as we feel that this is something all nurses need! 

Our Top 3 Picks

Best Premium Hand Lotion:

We understand not everyone can afford to pack all high-end products in these survival kits. But for those who are gifting a more.. discerning nursing new nurse, we recommend the L’occitane shea butter hand cream.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Dry Shampoo