Christmas Gifts For The Healthcare Worker In Your Life
There are approximately 43 million healthcare workers in the world, so it’s likely that you know one and may even be stumped with what to give them this holiday season. There’s a gift for everyone, and we’ve put together a list that is both practical and sure to put a smile on your healthcare worker friend/family/colleague’s face.
Gift them: Pens or Permanent Markers
Perfect for: Nurses, doctors, paramedics
Great because: Easy? Check! Vital for work? Check. Affordable? Check! Customisable? Check! Pens and permanent markers are always a good choice for those who are checking things off every day.
Gift them: A Lunch box
Perfect for: Surgeons, nurses, hospital workers
Great because: Let’s face it, sometimes the hospital cafeteria just doesn’t cut it.
Gift them: Compression socks
Perfect for: Nurses
Great because: Nurses work for up to 12 hours, and walk about 4-5 miles each shift. What better gift for a nurse than a good pair of compression socks to look after their feet?
Gift them: A pen light
Perfect for: Paramedics, nurses, medical students
Great because: A pen light is one of those essential tools that are just always getting lost. Bonus points for cool designs/customisation.
Gift them: A Kindle
Perfect for: Doctors, medical students
Great because: It’s easy to slip in a bag, can contain hundreds of books or text books, and is great for those (rare) 5-minute breaks in the hospital.
Gift them: An insulated travel mug
Perfect for: Homecare workers, paramedic, home-doctors
Great because: Whether it’s tea or coffee, caffeine is necessary for those 12-hour shifts, and keeping drinks hot and good-for-travel is the best way to make their day.
Gift them: A “medical” DVD set
Perfect for: Doctors, surgeons, medical students
Great because: Whether their guilty pleasure is Grey’s Anatomy, E.R, House, or one of the other many medical dramas out there, it’s always an opportunity to laugh at the medical inaccuracies and ridiculously good-looking actors/actresses.
Gift them: An alarm clock (one they have to get out of bed to turn off)
Perfect for: Paramedics, medical students
Great because: Remembering to activate that iPhone app sometimes slips through the cracks, or because they’re the type of person to hit the snooze button a few too many times.
Gift them: A massage or spa day
Perfect for: Doctors, nurses, paramedics
Great because: A chance to de-stress and work out knots in well-worn muscles is likely to prevent too much burn-out over the busy holiday season.
Gift them: A SnapIT ampoule opener
Perfect for: Nurses, homecare workers
Great because: The SnapIT is a quick and safer way to open ampoules that can be carried around on a lanyard or pocket and prevents injuries.
Most of all, give the healthcare worker in your life a break. They’re the ones who look after people who are feeling the worst, and they deserve someone to take care of them sometimes. A home-cooked meal, someone to chat to, or even just an hour to nap may be the best thing you can give a healthcare worker this Christmas.