The holiday season is nearly upon us and with it comes the usual flurry of parties, tree decorating, tradition reliving, and gift-giving. Before you get stressed and start researching ways to avoid it all, I want to invite you to take a look at our gift guide. It just might be the perfect solution to all of your holiday stress—at least the gift-giving portion of it.
Although gifts by themselves aren’t what the holiday season is all about, giving and receiving them is a great way to practice generosity and reflect on the real reason for the season—the gift that we’ve all been given through the birth of Jesus Christ.
In this gift guide, you’ll find all kinds of ideas tailored to nurses. You can use it to find the perfect gift for the nurses in your life, or, if you’re a nurse yourself, you can send this list to the loved ones in your life as a helpful hint of items that you’d like to find under the tree on Christmas morning.
A word to the wise, stay away from colognes and gym memberships—they send the wrong message.
Give the Gift of Education
Another great gift to give to your friends this holiday season is the gift of investing in their futures. If you know that your friend is thinking about returning to school for additional education, refer them to Concordia for one of our degree programs. You refer them, we reach out and take care of the rest. It’s that simple.
1. Shoes Worth the Price Point
Nurses are on their feet for longer than some people are awake. They need the right support and comfort so that they don’t feel like collapsing at the end of a shift—at least not on account of bad shoes. If you don’t know where to start, check out these shoe recommendations from Prevention.
2. Strong Coffee
Caffeine is a gift that never goes out of style. This can come in the form of a gift card to a local coffee shop, a bag of beans in the mail, or a personal latte delivery on a particularly taxing day. If you’re buying online, a few of our favorites are Blue Bottle and Counter Culture. If you have a friend who already drinks too much coffee, opt for a tea subscription. A few to check out include Simple Loose Leaf and Amoda.
3. Scrubs that Actually Last
Scrubs wear out fast and the good ones that stand up to the wear and tear of the job aren’t always cheap. Set up your nurse friend for success in 2020 by sneaking a few quality scrubs under the tree. If you need an idea of some good brands to consider, check out these five scrub recommendations for nurses from RN Network.
4. A Stress-Erasing Massage
Support a local spa and buy your nurse friend an hour massage to redeem whenever needed. Beyond being on their feet all day, nurses often witness horrific accident aftermath and end-of-life moments. Help them fight compassion fatigue with a stress-erasing massage.
5. Ear Candy for Walking Breaks
Nothing revives like a little fresh air and a brisk walk around the hospital grounds during a short walk. Give your nurse friend some entertainment to accompany that daily walk with an Audible subscription.
6. Useful Lotion
With all the frequent handwashing, nurses need all the hand care they can get. Bypass the flowery, fancy lotions and opt for something a little more substantial like this one or this oldie but goodie.
7. A Musical Break
Give your nurse friends a musical break from all the medical charts with a concert ticket to see one of their favorite musical acts. Pay attention to what your nurse friend listens to (you can always spy on Spotify playlists!) and snag a few tickets to a local show.
8. Easy Dinners for Busy Nights
Some days are just too busy to try to meal plan, stop by the store, and then spend an hour or two prepping and cooking dinner. A HelloFresh subscription saves the day when takeout just doesn’t cut it any longer.
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