If you’re a nurse or deal with any kind of medical profession, you’ll no doubt be on your feet for long hours, and require good footwear. Here’s an article that explains why it’s paramount to have good nursing shoes for each an every shift.
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1. Are You Standing All Day?
As a nurse you know that a large portion of your shift is going to be spent standing, and when you stand you place all of your weight on your feet. So, what protects them the most? Your nursing shoes are the only thing that stand between your feet being in pain or feeling good at the end of a 12 – 16 hour shift. Therefore it is vital that you spend time determining the right type of nurse shoe for you. This means that although you must find the right size and fit, also the actual type of shoe you choose is important. For example, determining whether to buy clogs, tennis shoes, or slip-ons is just as important as how they will fit. When it comes to foot type, a simple foot pressure test could help you determine if you have flat feet (also known as fallen arches), normal feet, or high arches. Knowing the type of feet you have is a good start because it will help you select the correct shoe which in turn pays you back through comfort throughout your shift.
2. Is Hygiene Important To You?
Another important factor to consider when selecting shoes for nurses is the ability to easily clean them. A nurse whether working in the Emergency Room or Surgery should select a type of shoe that can be easily cleaned due to the fact that you never know what types of fluid you might come in contact with. Blood, urine, and vomit may be unwanted but certainly not uncommon to have found its way onto a surgeons or nurses shoes. For obvious reasons, traces left behind are not a good idea, so owning nurse shoes that can be wiped down with anti-bacterial wipes in every nook and cranny if need be is a good start.
3. Tools Of The Trade
Whether a male or female, comfort is extremely important when it comes down to selecting some nurse shoes; these are tools that you will be relying on and wearing throughout your shift. Your footwear is just as important a tool as your stethoscope or patient medication drug book. So, it is essential that you pick the right shoe for your feet and job duties. The best nursing shoes are ones which are not a burden on the wearer, but instead help get an individual through even the longest shift without noticing their footwear or any such discomfort radiating from the feet. Any tool, gadget or device in the global medical profession should be top quality in order to provide superior and efficient service, and this also applies to scrubs and shoes, which is why the term medical shoes is still in context.
4. Alleviate Stress
Bing in the nursing profession is one of the most stressful jobs that anyone can do. Long shifts that can include extended hours of standing on your feet. Working with patients who are sick and maybe even dying adds a tremendous amount of stress to the job. So anything and everything you can do to ensure you are comfortable throughout your entire shift is important, i.e having a pair of the best nurses shoes that you can afford. Footwear aside, proper hydration and nutrition is also extremely important. Ensuring that you have a proper avenue of stress relief can help to make sure that you do not suffer from a burn out.
Finding The Right Shoe For You
If you have made it this far into the article then you may now be wondering what next? Well now it’s time to sit down and make a list of what is important to you as a medical professional.
- Do you want a more traditional shoe or would you prefer something more modern?
- Do you want a running shoe to get you through the day or do you require a clog type shoe?
- Perhaps you want a slip-on for easy accessibility?
- Once you are able to narrow down to the type of shoe you want, the next step comes.
- Is support or balance more important than comfort or padding?
- Maybe your work environment requires a safe grip, or maybe you work long hours and need to have good shoes for standing which provide utmost ventilation.
All are crucial factors that should play a role in your next purchase for medical shoes. Remember you are not just buying a pair of shoes, but you are making an investment in your future well-being. The right footwear could enable a person to work longer, overtime hours which would mean more money in your pocket.