Nursing Sandals

Rachel February 19, 2020 nursing shoes Leave a comment 2,488 Views

Nurses have become an indispensable part of our life. They work tirelessly around the clock to make sure that the patients can feel as comfortable as possible. The upcoming century has witnessed the up-gradation of nursing has a highly sought after profession.

The highly demanding nature of the nursing profession takes its toll on the nurses. They are always on their feet, taking care of the patients in ways more than one. Comfort isn’t their forte when they are on the lookout for patients. This leads to the deterioration of health for the significant proportion of the nurses. Soon, grievances related to back pain, feet pain, and various other physical issues can be heard.

The shoes and sandals that the nurses wear during their jobs play a significant role in keeping them in good health. As such, the comforting nature of footwear is a key factor. Nurses often prefer comfortable, reliable footwear. Walking and running all day round with high heels or boots is not only impractical but could have major consequences on their physical health.

Features of a good nursing sandal

Light

While searching for a good nursing sandal, one must keep in mind that the lighter the sandals, the more relief it would provide to the nurse. Nurses are bound to have feet pain regardless of the types of shoes they wear. But, the light nature of the sandals ensures that the pain lessens, and they can serve the public to the best of their capacity.

Arch support

A good nursing sandal provides support and ensures that the back of the feet is in comfort. The nature of the job of nurses entails walking and running almost for the majority of the day, sandals with excellent arch support bring great relief to them. It supports them and helps them to relax a bit. It also manages to soothe the aches that standing on your feet is likely to cause.

Durability

Durability is a significant factor involved when purchasing any kind of sandal. When we invest a substantial amount of money in acquiring new sandals, naturally, we want them to last. The durability of a sandal is increased if it has a solid bottom treading. Some sandals provide shock absorption properties. This property is particularly beneficial as nurses are prone to accidents. They may find sharp objects falling on their toes. They could also encounter a chemical accident while running the test reports from the laboratories.

Comfort

This is the most important and highly sought after factor that nurses always search. The comfort level a sandal provides determines its worth. Nurses are more likely to buy sandals that provide them more comfort than to buy sandals that look fashionable and trendy. Fashion isn’t exactly on their minds when they have to endure long day and night shifts.

Different types of nursing footwear

Sneakers

Work environments that require nurses to run at a fast pace lead them to choose sneakers, tennis, and athletic shoes as their preferred choice of shoe. The fact that they provide comfort as well as flexibility makes them highly desirable.

Apart from providing comfort, they also encompass shock-absorbing quality. This quality disperses the kinetic energy that taking each step can cause. Sneakers also come handy where slippery floors are concerned. Most health clinics have polished floors, which are convenient to clean but could cause you serious injury if you are not careful.

Clogs

Nurses having long shifts tend to shift their focus on purchasing clogs. Clogs have various advantageous properties that make them a top choice for nurses. These can be made from multiple sources- leather, synthetic, or, more traditionally, wood. These shoes provide excellent arch support and make sure that the toes are closed. This reduces the tension exerted by continuously running on feet. These significantly reduce the various pains that could come with n aching feet. These can be classified as nursing sandals

Slippers

These are natural choices for nurses working in Operation Theatres (OT). The guidelines while working inside an Operation Theatre insists on a sterile environment. This is utterly important as the slightest contamination could lead to fatal consequences. Nurses are required to wear sterile shoes while working inside an OT. A quick changing of footwear is an important criterion. As such, slippers help and are much more practical. Slippers with toes closed and flat heels provide further comfort, which is an added advantage.

Significance of wearing good nursing sandals

Safety

Safety is the basic concern of every individual while performing a job. Nurse either walk or run for the major part of their part. Health clinics tend to have polished floors and are frequently cleaned to maintain hygiene. This increases the chance of accidents and injuries.

Injuries in the workplace are a rather common occurrence for nurses. A good nursing sandal tends to minimize the risks involved. It is likely to cushion the fall. Some sandals absorb shock and provide resistance against hazardous chemicals.

Good health

A nurse in good health is likely to provide better services. The taxing nature of the jobs is expected to riddle the nurse with backaches, feet aches, and even spinal pains. A good nursing sandal provides features that help reduce the pain. They provide balance and help to maintain the posture.

Flexibility

Covering long distances in minimum time is an essential part of the job of a nurse. A good nursing sandal provides flexibility and increases the speed of the work of the nurse. Some sandals provide style along with comfort. Others rely heavily on the comfort part. Most of these sandals are easily cleaned and are low maintenance. The cost of some of them could be higher, but the durability of the sandals counters it.

Tips

Several points need to be kept in mind while purchasing sandals. Overlooking any of them could lead to the purchase of wrong sandals. Here are some points that the nurses can keep in mind while making their purchase-

Protection

Safety and protection is the thought that is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The hazardous nature of the job of a nurse requires them to purchase nursing shoes that provide protection. Protection from a lot of things ranging from falls to accidents is what nurses’ search for in a sandal.

Be sure to buy sandals that offer the best protection. Purchasing from compression socks could also give an added advantage and help the nurses to do their job smoothly.

Back support

Sandals providing backs supports are an essential feature when it comes to sandals. The back support of the sandals protects the aft portion of the feet and keeps them in good health.

The tightness of the sandal is also a key factor. Make sure to buy sandals that fit you perfectly. Don’t buy sandals that are too tight. It will cause a great deal of pain to your feet. Also, don’t buy sandals that fit you loosely. They are more likely to drop off while running or walking t a high speed.

Durability

Nurses generally don’t mind investing in good sandals. But, what they expect in return is durability. The continuous to and fro that a nurse has to do require the sandal to be durable. Sandals that are fragile and fancy are not practical for the job of a nurse. Make sure to buy a durable sandal even if it is a little on the expensive side of the scale.

Low maintenance

Hospitals and their laboratories are filled with all kinds of fluids. The chances of many of them to fall on the sandals are high. Nurses prefer sandals that are low maintenance and require little effort to clean.

While buying nursing sandals, ensure that they can be cleaned easily so as not to worry if something does fall on them.

Good quality

The quality of sandals plays a major role in the comfort of a nurse. Nurses are more likely to be active if the sandals that they wear are comfortable.

Leather products are much more comfortable when compared to synthetic ones. While purchasing sandals, make sure not to buy synthetic shoes. These get extremely uncomfortable in the summer season. They stick to the feet and cause significant discomfort to the nurse wearing it.

Arch support

Excellent arch support will relieve or, at the least, reduce the feet aches. The stability that the sandals provide helps the nurses immensely. Many nurses have special medical conditions. They need to buy footwear that is suggested to them by doctors.

Be sure to buy sandals that provide excellent arch support if you have no medical conditions. It provides an excellent cushion to the feet and helps reducing pain at the end of the day.

Weight

The weight of sandals is also an essential criterion while purchasing sandals. Light sandals are most likely to provide more comfort. Heavy sandals could prove to be a source of displeasure while running or walking long distances in health facilities.

While purchasing sandals, ensure that they are light.

Height of heel

Heels in any sandals could make them look fashionable. But, the demanding job of a nurse leaves little to the fashion. Wearing sandals with no heels or relatively fewer heels provide a great deal of comfort.

Wearing high heels for long stretches brings immense pain to the feet. Nurses already suffer from foot aches due to their job. Adding heel to that mix is a wrong idea.

Buy sandals that have no or little heels. The sandals can still be fashionable without having heels. Several brands have sandals that are trendy, fashionable, and yet comfortable.

Top 6 nursing sandals

Although there is a multitude of sandals to choose from, here are the top 5 sandals that can be looked into while purchasing one.

Klogs USA Women’s Naples Leather Nursing Clog

The highlights of these clogs are:

It can be slipped on easily.
The sole is synthetic.
Presence of low heel.
Sole on the outside is flexible.
The insoles are cushioned and supportive.
The polyurethane outsoles make them slip-resistant.