Chronograph useful for l&d nurse?
January 3, 2010 3:19 PM Subscribe
Buying a watch as a gift for a labor and delivery nurse. Would a chronograph be useful or not?
I'm choosing between these two models:
with chronograph
without chronograph, but the numbers glow
She has to work in rooms where the lighting is kept dim by the mothers, so the second model (where the numbers glow) might be slightly more useful. Still I'm wondering, is there anything a labor and delivery nurse would find a chronograph useful for?
I'm choosing between these two models:
with chronograph
without chronograph, but the numbers glow
She has to work in rooms where the lighting is kept dim by the mothers, so the second model (where the numbers glow) might be slightly more useful. Still I'm wondering, is there anything a labor and delivery nurse would find a chronograph useful for?
Response by poster: Thanks, but I know she is allowed to use a wristwatch.
posted by skjønn at 3:29 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by skjønn at 3:29 PM on January 3, 2010
The things that come to mind are timing how long someone has been in labour (or at a particular stage of labour), or taking a pulse. But if there are clocks that are easy to see, then this isn't an issue.
(On a side note if a healthcare person tried to come near my nethers with a wristwatch on I would sharply send them back to take the watch off and wash their hands again, thank you!)
posted by Coobeastie at 3:37 PM on January 3, 2010
(On a side note if a healthcare person tried to come near my nethers with a wristwatch on I would sharply send them back to take the watch off and wash their hands again, thank you!)
posted by Coobeastie at 3:37 PM on January 3, 2010
Not a parent, L&D nurse, or medical professional of any description, but I am a watch geek.
Traditionally, medical people would use "doctor's watches," which had a special tachymeter-like scale for reading pulse rates. (This page describes a Soviet example; the scale marked "GRADATUS AD XV PULSUS" (this legend was virtually always written in Latin, with the Roman numerals) shows a pulse rate in pulses per minute if you count fifteen pulses starting when the seconds hand hits zero.) These are still made, but are quite rare these days, even among doctors--I'd bet they're far more common in horology aficionados' collections than on nurses' and doctors' wrists, and that virtually all nurses and doctors of that type are horology aficionados themselves.
I expect that most things such a nurse would need to time for professional reasons would be fairly short (around a minute), short enough that it would make more sense to read the seconds hand of the watch rather than pressing chronograph buttons. My perceptions may well be off here, but if that's the case, I'd go with the glow-in-the-dark non-chrono. If you want to give a slightly more extravagant gift, a quality leather band or perhaps a metal bracelet to go with the watch could dress it up quite nicely.
posted by tellumo at 3:50 PM on January 3, 2010
Traditionally, medical people would use "doctor's watches," which had a special tachymeter-like scale for reading pulse rates. (This page describes a Soviet example; the scale marked "GRADATUS AD XV PULSUS" (this legend was virtually always written in Latin, with the Roman numerals) shows a pulse rate in pulses per minute if you count fifteen pulses starting when the seconds hand hits zero.) These are still made, but are quite rare these days, even among doctors--I'd bet they're far more common in horology aficionados' collections than on nurses' and doctors' wrists, and that virtually all nurses and doctors of that type are horology aficionados themselves.
I expect that most things such a nurse would need to time for professional reasons would be fairly short (around a minute), short enough that it would make more sense to read the seconds hand of the watch rather than pressing chronograph buttons. My perceptions may well be off here, but if that's the case, I'd go with the glow-in-the-dark non-chrono. If you want to give a slightly more extravagant gift, a quality leather band or perhaps a metal bracelet to go with the watch could dress it up quite nicely.
posted by tellumo at 3:50 PM on January 3, 2010
I am an ICU/ER nurse. No chronograph. Are you sure a woman would want a male model? Of the dozens of women I work with, none would choose this watch. Also, I've never heard of a hospital banning watches - that would be problematic for numerous reasons.
posted by rotifer at 4:49 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by rotifer at 4:49 PM on January 3, 2010
Why all the watch-hate for medical professionals in here? Hypochondriacs, the whole lot of ya.
As for the watch, I would suggest going against the chronograph, not necessary and makes pulse reading a little more difficult. However, you should NOT get a cloth band - get a bracelet watch, due to the frequent hand-washing, the cloth band will be in a constant state of semi-damp chafeyness.
posted by banannafish at 5:06 PM on January 3, 2010
As for the watch, I would suggest going against the chronograph, not necessary and makes pulse reading a little more difficult. However, you should NOT get a cloth band - get a bracelet watch, due to the frequent hand-washing, the cloth band will be in a constant state of semi-damp chafeyness.
posted by banannafish at 5:06 PM on January 3, 2010
I have a man's watch with face similar to this woman's watch. It is the most legible face I've come across.
posted by Agamenticus at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by Agamenticus at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2010
How about a nurse's fob watch? this is an upside down watch worn as a badge that the nurse can look at as it is pinned on the shirt.
posted by By The Grace of God at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by By The Grace of God at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2010
Room time, the time displayed by the clock on the wall, is often used in situation where time is critical in medical situations. It's also easier to glance up at the room clock than it is to keep one hand free to look at your watch. Which isn't to say a watch isn't useful.
Another aspect you should consider is how difficult it is to clean. If it isn't waterproof and chemical resistant enough that it can be dunked in sterilizer, you may want to look at another model, because it will only be a matter of time before the person wearing it will want to do that to their watch. Both of the watches you picked looked pretty good in regards to being able to clean them.
A chronograph may be useful in theory, but there are usually timers for things that need to be timed in the room. There are also usually protocols that require those timers be used. Pulses are still occasionally taken by hand and watch, but usually in situations where there isn't an automated solution to the problem, and using the second hand is easier than starting a chronograph and re-palpating the pulse. Also, some of the chronograph watch models have their normal second hand in one of the little complications, the big second hand only moves when the chronograph is started, which is difficult to see. If the chronograph you're looking at has this feature, don't buy it, because it will be a pain to use.
Watches are pretty personal gifts. Although I might accept a watch as a gift, the chances of someone else choosing one that I actually would want to wear on a daily basis is pretty low. Perhaps the person you are buying the gift for is different and may find it an excellent gift, but you should be able to reasonably anticipate the receiver's reaction before you spend your money on a gift that may go unused.
posted by 517 at 9:20 PM on January 3, 2010
Another aspect you should consider is how difficult it is to clean. If it isn't waterproof and chemical resistant enough that it can be dunked in sterilizer, you may want to look at another model, because it will only be a matter of time before the person wearing it will want to do that to their watch. Both of the watches you picked looked pretty good in regards to being able to clean them.
A chronograph may be useful in theory, but there are usually timers for things that need to be timed in the room. There are also usually protocols that require those timers be used. Pulses are still occasionally taken by hand and watch, but usually in situations where there isn't an automated solution to the problem, and using the second hand is easier than starting a chronograph and re-palpating the pulse. Also, some of the chronograph watch models have their normal second hand in one of the little complications, the big second hand only moves when the chronograph is started, which is difficult to see. If the chronograph you're looking at has this feature, don't buy it, because it will be a pain to use.
Watches are pretty personal gifts. Although I might accept a watch as a gift, the chances of someone else choosing one that I actually would want to wear on a daily basis is pretty low. Perhaps the person you are buying the gift for is different and may find it an excellent gift, but you should be able to reasonably anticipate the receiver's reaction before you spend your money on a gift that may go unused.
posted by 517 at 9:20 PM on January 3, 2010
I'll add one more thing.
The most useful feature on a watch is usually the date. Getting the date right in charting is pretty important, and a watch with a dependable date feature is a nice thing to have. Some of the analog models don't handle months with only 30 days in them very well.
posted by 517 at 9:31 PM on January 3, 2010
The most useful feature on a watch is usually the date. Getting the date right in charting is pretty important, and a watch with a dependable date feature is a nice thing to have. Some of the analog models don't handle months with only 30 days in them very well.
posted by 517 at 9:31 PM on January 3, 2010
Wristwatch hate is because it stops you washing your hands properly - it's basically a band that allows a little colony of filth to remain uncleaned between patients.
And watches aren't banned - wristwatches are. People wear them on their belt, or nurse's fob pined to the shirt.
posted by Coobeastie at 1:00 AM on January 4, 2010
And watches aren't banned - wristwatches are. People wear them on their belt, or nurse's fob pined to the shirt.
posted by Coobeastie at 1:00 AM on January 4, 2010
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posted by Coobeastie at 3:28 PM on January 3, 2010