Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Best technological stethoscopes

The Sleekest Stethoscopes For The Polished Professional

A new brand of stethoscopes is coming to the US for the first time, and you should be excited. ERKA is a medical instrument company that is well-known in Europe and other parts of the globe, where it sets the ultimate standard for high-quality stethoscopes, and in just a few weeks, you’ll be able to try out three new models of ERKA stethoscopes by purchasing them from scrubs and lab coats company Medelita, which has set the standard for high quality medical apparel internationally.

ERKA Scope

If you know anything about Medelita, you know that they have extremely stringent standards for quality. This is a fact that inspires confidence in the quality of the ERKA stethoscopes, because Medelita is not a brand that would sell products that aren’t of the absolute highest quality.

So what makes ERKA stethoscopes superior to the Littmann models?

  • German-engineered products are known around the world for their precision and technical mastery, and ERKA stethoscopes are no different.
  • From the sleek design to the patented dual-membrane sound chamber geometry, these chrome-plated stethoscopes are technologically more advanced than most scopes on the market, as well as being more hygienic.
  • From an aesthetic standpoint, the ERKA stethoscopes are much more attractive and polished-looking than any other we’ve seen. They also have a bit more heft to them, a pleasant weight that is indicative of their quality.

Starting in May, Medelita will begin selling three models of ERKA stethoscopes: the Finesse, the Precise, and the Sensitive.

gifts for nurses nursing scrubs

Updated Gifts For Nurses Gift Guide

No matter the time of year, nurses need love and appreciation for the hard work that they do. Nursing scrubs company Medelita recently updated their gift guide for nurses to help you out when you need an idea for a birthday, anniversary, or any other holiday (Nurses Week is coming up soon, guys…).

Check out their nurse gift guide below!

Whether its for a birthday, a holiday, or just a little something special to show someone that you care, here are some gift ideas for the nurse in your life! With gifts for every size budget, you will surely find something on this list that will put a smile on their face.

1. A Professional Nursing Lab Coat

The symbolic white coat is no longer reserved for physicians! Though historically lab coats have only been worn by physicians, today more and more nurses are embracing high-quality medical lab coats to complete their professional look. With custom name and title embroidery, they can show off their nursing credentials and wear their white coat with pride. Opt for a lab coat made with performance fabrics, which will repel fluids, wick away sweat, and are generally lower-maintenance and have greater durability.

nursing lab coat

2. Personalized Nursing Scrubs

Nursing scrubs that get softer with every wash? I dare you to find a nurse who doesn’t dream of that. Scrubs are a wardrobe staple for nurses—they can never have too many! But these nursing scrubs are unparalleled in their comfort (crucial for 18 hour shifts), durability (can last over 100 washes without fraying or fading), and fit (purposeful tailoring is flattering and gives unrestricted movement). Add an extra special touch with personalized embroidery in fade-resistant thread!

Medelita scrubs for men and women in "Baltic"

Medelita scrubs for men and women in “Baltic”

3. Audiobook Subscription

Nurses are always on the go and don’t have as much time to do the things that they enjoy, such as pleasure reading. Give your loved one the gift of an Audible or Scribd audio book subscription. These services will allow the nurse in your life to catch up on their summer reading list during their commute, while running errands, or doing chores.

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4. A Sleek New ERKA Stethoscope

Every single handmade ERKA stethoscope is a unique masterpiece: elaborately polished and chrome plated by a master craftsman. Just like a set of personalized nursing scrubs or custom embroidered nursing lab coat, each of these stethoscopes can be personalized with an individual laser engraving or a customized membrane. For an extra special touch, you can also choose from a wide range of different tube colors an chest-pieces to render a nurse’s everyday life a little more colorful.

nursing stethoscope

5. A Versatile Underscrub Tee

Most underscrub tees are meant solely to give you an added layer of protection under your scrubs, but not this one. The Core One Underscrub Tee is as versatile as it is soft and comfortable, making this the perfect gift for the nurse who needs to seamlessly transition from the hospital, to the grocery store, and even to the gym. The buttery-soft performance fabric is lightweight and wicks away moisture, and the reinforced seams ensure that this gift will work as hard as nurses do.

 nursing underscrub

 

6. I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories Of Becoming A Nurse

This book contains true narratives from nurses who remember the difficulties they encountered when they first entered the profession, and reflect upon what makes their career so rewarding and what gets them through their hardest shifts. Perfect for a nurse who might be feeling discouraged, the stories in the book will renew his or her personal strength and will remind them why they became a nurse in the first place—to help people.

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7. Prescription Coffee Mug

All nurses need coffee, and a lot of it. This 12-oz mug is dishwasher & microwave safe and is sure to bring a laugh to the nurse who receives it. It looks like an oversized prescription bottle with the label full of detailed descriptions about coffee—sure to lift the mood in any hospital or private practice!

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8. The Weeknight Survival Cookbook by Dena Irwin, R.D.

With very little free time to spare, it can be difficult and costly for someone in nursing to make tasty yet healthy meals for themselves throughout the week. A cookbook full of simple, nutritious recipes that can be made in 10 minutes is absolutely perfect for saving time and staying healthy.

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9. FitBit

On a nurse’s busiest days they can end up walking miles and miles—give them the gift of being able to track that exercise! In such a demanding career, it can be difficult to factor in time for working out but a wearable device such as FitBit allows you to track how much activity you have actually done during the day. It also tracks your sleep and lets the nurse in your life monitor their own health data and stay motivated with their health.

10. Keurig Coffee Maker

Another time saver for those who are short on time, a Keurig machine is a must. Gift it with a box of K-Cups in their favorite brand of coffee, or get them a Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter so that they can make their preferred gourmet coffee in an easy-to-clean, reusable filter. This contraption will end up saving time and money!

stain-removing-hacks

Six Surprising Household Items You Can Use To Remove Stains

Stains on clothing can quickly take your look from snazzy to shabby. Unfortunately, they are just an unavoidable part of life, like taxes or having to shave your legs (or your face, if you’re of the male persuasion).

Here are some stain removing hacks using household items that you would never guess could be used as stain remover!

1.The sun

For tough-to-get-out tomato based stains, douse the item in water so that it is fully soaked, spray a little white vinegar or lemon water onto the stain, and leave it out in the sun while it is very wet.

2.White bread

According to our sources, white bread can be very useful in removing lipstick stains from clothes. Remove the crust, wad it up into a ball, and blot out as much as you can – what’s left will come out in the wash.

3.Hand sanitizer

For ink stains, soak the stained area in hand sanitizer and wait for 10 minutes before throwing it into the wash.

4.Chalk

If you have a troubling grease stain, rub some chalk into the area before washing. The powdery texture should soak up most of the grease.

5.Kitty litter

Treat red wine stains as soon as you can, while it’s still wet. After pouring club soda onto the stain, sprinkle on some kitty litter and press it into the stain so that it absorbs the wine.

6.Meat tenderizer

Sweat stains, be gone! Wet the sweat stain with warm water and sprinkle some meat tenderizer on the area. Wait 30 minutes before washing.

stubborn-stains-in-clothes

Most Difficult Stains To Remove From Your Clothes (And What To Do About It)

Even if you don’t work in healthcare, stains happen. Whether someone bumps into you while holding a cup of coffee, or you spill your glass of red wine, there are a multitude of ways that life can ruin your clothes.

If you work in healthcare, you’ll probably experience more stains than the rest of us! Here are the most stubborn stains and how to get rid of them.

  1. Blood
    One of the toughest stains to remove is blood – not a good look on an otherwise pristine white lab coat. Rinse the stain immediately under cold water, let it soak in a mix of water and dish soap, and use a stain remover like OxyClean before laundering.
  2. Ink
    If you’ve gone your whole medical career without having a pen explode in your pocket, you are the exception to the rule. Ink stains are unsurprisingly extremely difficult to remove, but most water-based inks should come out in the wash with some stain remover. If you aren’t dealing with performance fabric, some recommend that nail polish remover can help dissolve the stain, but I don’t recommend you do this on any nice clothes that have technologic features imbued in the fabric.
  3. Coffee
    Another unsurprising yet stubborn stain is coffee, the lifeblood of so many working in healthcare. Rinse the stain in cold water as soon as possible – the longer you wait, the more time the stain has to set in. Rub soap on it, but not too hard, and apply stain remover before laundering.
  4. Wine
    It’s a vice of many, and it’s hard to get out of your clothes if you’re a fan of the reds! Experts suggest that to remove a wine stain, soak the garment in a mixture of water, dish soap and white vinegar. Rinse and apply an enzyme-based stain remover before washing.

A good rule of thumb to remember whenever dealing with a stain, is to avoid hot temperatures as this will cause the stain to set into your clothes.

Wear Pink To Show Support For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In case you didn’t know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month where cancer survivors, their families and friends, and our community as a whole can band together and show our solidarity for the fight against the disease.

There are many ways you can show your support, and this month you are likely to see a lot of pink ribbons, which is the most notable symbol for breast cancer awareness.

One of the best ways you can show your support for this important cause is to don a pink hue for a day – bonus points if you can get your friends and coworkers to all wear pink as well and host your own Pink-Out Day in honor of breast cancer awareness.

Scrubs and lab coats company Medelita recently had a Pink-Out Day of their own to show their support for their community. Everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by breast cancer, and it’s important that we all come together to show that we can “think pink” as a community.

Medelita's Pink Out Day

Medelita’s Pink Out Day

Five Best Accessories For Doctors

Whether you’re looking for a gift for that doctor in your life, or you’re a doctor yourself who’s looking for a way to infuse your personal style into your professional wardrobe, here are some of the cutest and coolest doctor accessories for someone who loves medicine.

Stethoscope Cufflinks

Doctor Accessories Cufflink

Check them out here. 

Silver-Plated Caduceus Earrings

Caduceus Earrings For Doctors

Check them out here.

Human Heart Retractable ID Badge

ID Badge Accessories For Doctors

Check it out here.

Stainless Steel Lung Keychain

Keychain Accessory For Doctors

Check it out here.

Neuron Necktie

Necktie For Doctors Accessories For Doctors

Check it out here.

Eco Friendly Fabric

No Surprise Here: Bamboo Is The Most Eco-Friendly Fabric In The World

Climate change is upon us, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to reduce our carbon footprint. Reusable shopping bags, not using disposable paper plates and cutlery, biking or walking short distances instead of driving – these are all great ways to be a little nicer to our earth.

But did you know you can also make an environmental difference with your clothing?

Cotton and other fabrics aren’t necessarily bad for the environment – they are biodegradable and will break down over time. But it turns out that clothing made of bamboo fabrics are actually the most environmentally friendly in the world. That’s because it’s generally grown with almost no chemical inputs (think pesticides).

Hemp, cotton, and silk are all also relatively eco-friendly since they are biodegradable and made of natural fibers as well. The main difference is that in some cases, there are more chemicals used to convert the raw material into fibers to crate fabric.

Notorious BIG Doctor Lyrics

To All The Doctors In The Place With Style And Grace

I’ve been listening to the old school rap playlist on Spotify lately, and it’s inspired me to come up with some creative rap lyrics to the tune of Notorious BIG’s Big Poppa.

To all the doctors in the place with style and grace
Allow me to pimp your stylish outfits, yes your lab coats
Who rock scrubs and save lives with all the patients
The back of the clinic, checkin’ vitals, is where you’ll find me (what?)
The operating room, or diagnostics, my team’s behind me (huh)
Mad question askin’, knowledge passin’, patients gaspin’
But I just can’t quit
‘Cause I worked my ass off in school now I have debt ta deal with

“I love it when you call me top docta’
Throw your hands up from the EHR, if you’se a true healer
“I love it when you call me top doc-ta
To the doctors gettin’ money treatin’ patients changing health
“I love it when you call me top docta’
If you got a stethoscope up in your waist maybe check my heart rate (why?)
‘Cause I feel some symptoms tonight that are makin’ me crazy, save me

The White Coat Effect

Invisibilia Podcast “The Secret Emotional Life of Clothes”

Podcasts are a great way to stay up to date on news stories and learn about things you never thought about before. They are ideal for listening to during a commute, or while doing tedious household chores. Listening to a podcast is the first thing I do every morning, as it wakes my brain up and stimulates thinking as soon as I wake up, preparing me better to take on the day.

One of my favorite podcasts is NPR’s Invisibilia, which tells stories “about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions.” These stories are often things you probably never even thought about before, and it prompts you to look at the world in a different way.

Recently, Invisibilia featured an episode entitled “The Secret Emotional Life Of Clothes”, which explores 7 different stories to examine how what we wear affects us more than we might think. The most poignant story, in my opinion, was their analysis of the theory of “enclothed cognition“, based upon a study in which participants were asked to complete a simple stroop test.

Some participants completed the test in their regular clothes, while others were asked to complete the test while wearing a white doctors coat. The study found that on average, participants wearing a white lab coat made fewer than half of the errors made by the other study group.

Interestingly, some participants were also asked to complete the test while wearing a white coat, but were told that it was a painter’s coat rather than a doctor’s coat. In these cases, participants also were not as accurate as those who believed they were wearing a white doctor’s coat.

This is an interesting exploration of how feeling like you are dressed professionally gives you more confidence and actually enables you to perform better intellectually. It is surprising that the simple act of putting on a white doctor’s lab coat would actually make you perform better on a test, but the proof is in the pudding.

Scrubs TLC

A Different Kind Of Scrub

Scrubs are the uniform that nurses and doctors and physician assistants wear. It’s also the name of a very popular TV show. Scrub can also refer to a bush or shrubbery, and “to scrub” means to scour or rub vigorously.

But if you grew up in the 90’s, you might think of something else entirely when you hear the word “scrubs”. It might recall a certain catchy tune from pop band TLC. Yes, I’m talking about the scrubs we hear about in the classic 90’s hit “No Scrubs”.

As a matter of fact, the TLC phrase scrubs gained so much notoriety that we now see it as the top definition in the Urban Dictionary definition for scrubs:

A scrub is a guy that thinks he’s fly
And is also known as a buster
Always talkin’ about what he wants
And just sits on his broke ass
A scrub is a guy that cant get no love from me
Hanging out the passenger side
Of his best-friend’s ride
Trying to holler at me

Listen up, boys! A scrub is someone that no self-respecting lady will date. Step up your game, and maybe even consider checking out medical school so that one day you may find yourself wearing scrubs, instead of being one.