When a nurse begins her profession as a practitioner in the nursing field, a new world awaits her in an exciting profession that is growing every day. Nurses may specialize in a particular field, or may be general nurses that are available across a wide range of specializations. Either way, nurses require equipment to perform daily duties regardless of what specialization they are in. Some nurses may only require standard equipment, whereas others may work in a specialization that will require advanced equipment. Examples of general nurses may be ward nurses or nurses in doctor's office, whereas specialized nurses can be found in pediatric wards, psychiatric wings, on surgery rotations, and so on. Each nurse will require their own set of equipment as stipulated by their standards of practice.

Technology today has changed the face of the nursing profession, with nurses having access to more state of the art equipment than ever before. Apart from various equipment and tools that may be used from one specialization to another however, standard nursing equipment has not changed. Most nurses today require in their daily routine shoes, uniform, watch, scissors, stethoscope, and sometimes blood pressure cuffs or other tools of relevance. In some cases, these tools are provided at stations for easy access to nurses, however in many cases, the nurses must have immediate access to these tools on their person at all times.

The profession of nursing is one that is high-energy and fast-paced at any given moment in time. Because of this, nurses do a lot of walking in their daily practice, and maybe even more than in any other profession. As a result, practical shoes are needed by nurses in order to maintain their own health and physical fitness. In some cases, shoes can be purchased through specialty shops that are ergonomically designed with the nurses walking needs in minds. Correct foot wear is necessary for nurses in order to avoid back problems, gait issues, or muscular problems. Due to the daily use that nursing shoes will undergo, durability in footwear is also an essential for the nursing profession.

A stethoscope is another piece of equipment vital to every nurse. Almost all nurses are required to have their own stethoscope and to know how to use it properly. A stethoscope that can be used across a wide range of patients is the most recommended, so one that can be used on babies, children, and adults is the type of stethoscope that should be used by the everyday nurse. Stethoscopes are used in a wide range of practices and utilized for many different types of exams, as well as to verify an individual's vitals and current condition. Assessing vital signs is an integral component to the nursing profession, and a stethoscope is a must.

Gone are the days of prim skirts and pointy hats in pristine white condition when it comes to the uniform of today's nurse. Today's nurse typically wears what are known as nursing scrubs, and this is standard across almost every profession of nursing. Today's nursing scrubs include comfortable pants that are easy to move in and use an elastic or drawstring waistband. Because nurses are moving frequently, and moving patients, comfort is key to their every day attire. Loose fitting tops with V-necks are also common to nursing scrubs. In some cases, nurses can have pockets on their scrubs to hold essential equipment, and in others, a scrub jacket with pockets can be used as well. Nursing scrubs are not just critical in their comfort and durability, but also in the maintenance of an environment that is sterile and hygienic for the patients they are working with.

On their person nurses carry a wide variety of equipment that is essential to their daily functions. These will include a watch for the timing of vital signs such as pulse and heart rate, a pen, handbooks for medicines or guidelines, medical dictionaries, calculator for medicine dispensing, and sometimes scissors if they are working with wounds and bandages on a regular basis. A blood pressure cuff can be kept on a nurse's person if she works in a clinic setting or doctor's office, however most hospitals today use electronic cuffs at stations that monitor other vital signs as well.

Today's nurse has the advantage of technology on their side. As a result, they are not bogged down by daily equipment that needs to be on their person, but they do have equipment on or near their person to assist them in their daily activities. Most equipment utilized by today's nurse is for the measuring of vital signs, or the administration of IV's, as these are the most integral tasks a nurse will undertake on any given day. All other equipment will be made available to them by their specialization or clinic, and will be at the ready when needed.