Personal Finance / Top Pens
If you don’t have the right tools for the job, it makes tasks more challenging than they have to be. Take your pen, for example. Whether you’re a student nurse or a seasoned veteran, the right pen is an indispensable part of your uniform.
Picking a pen that will get you through a shift of everything from documentation to lab work and medication updates is critical. The ink, comfort, and style choices affect how well you do your job.
Let’s look at the top five pens for nurses.
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What are the top 5 pens for nurses?
Here’s our list of the top five pens for nurses.
#1 Uni-ball Jetstream RT
What makes it unique
You won’t be disappointed with the gel/ballpoint hybrid ink in the Uni-ball Jetstream RT. It combines the addictive smoothness of writing with a gel pen, with the fast drying feel of a ballpoint ink pen.
Left-handed nurses don’t have to worry about smudging from this ink that is also water and fade resistant. It’s also specially formulated to resist check-washing.
The versatile Jetstream even writes on labels and slick papers. This retractable “clicky” pen has a convenient clip so you can secure it to your clipboard and for easy access.
Specifications
Style: Ballpoint
Weight: 1.44 oz
Ink Colors: black, blue, red, blue-black, brown-black, green-black, red-black
Where to buy
Cost
$10.29 for 3-pack
#2 PILOT Dr. Grip Center of Gravity
What makes it unique
The Pilot Dr. Grip Center of Gravity pen feels great in your hand. It was designed for ideal weight distribution, giving nurses a comfortable writing experience that feels effortless.
Another great thing about this pen is the wide double-layer comfort grip. It reduces stress on the distal and intermediate phalanges during use. In fact, this pen is recommended by the Arthritis Foundation.
Dr. Grip is retractable, refillable, and comes with “turbo charged black ink” for clean lines and smooth performance.
Specifications
Style: ballpoint
Weight: 1.44 oz
Ink Colors: black, blue
Where to buy
Cost
$8.89 single pack
#3 Pentel EnerGel RTX
What makes it unique
Nurses who prefer gel pens will love the Pentel EnerGel RTX. Its high-performance gel ink dries faster and writes smoother than other brands. The barrel is slightly thicker than other gel pens, but it’s still sleek and stylish. Tips come in four widths from fine to thick lines: 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm and 1.0 mm.
Users also enjoy the comfort of the EnerGel’s latex-free rubber grip. For nurses that need a variety of colors, Pentel comes in fun ink shades, including gray, turquoise, lilac, magenta, pink, and lime. Pick one or two to store in your fanny pack to be prepared at all times.
Specifications
Style: gel
Weight: 1.76 oz
Ink Colors: black, blue, gray, turquoise, lilac, magenta, pink, and lime
Where to buy
Cost
$7.83 for 3-pack
#4 Zebra Z-Grip
What makes it unique
Zebra hopes their pen will give you more than writability. Their tagline is “find zen with your pen.” The Z-Grip retractable pen delivers comfort, style, and performance at a low price.
Unlike other ballpoints, the Z-Grip promises a “skip-free” writing experience with low-viscosity ink. This pen is not refillable, but the clear barrel shows you when your pen is running low on ink.
Z-Grip is a dependable everyday pen made from solid construction. The easy-glide ink, ridged rubber grip, and metal clip give nurses everything they need in a pen.
Specifications
Style: ballpoint
Weight: 0.34 oz
Ink Colors: black, blue, red
Where to buy
Cost
$5.40 for 18-pack (on sale)
#5 Pilot G2
What makes it unique
The Pilot company has been in the pen-making business pens for over 100 years, and now they’ve perfected this pen. Nurses love the G2 because it is smooth and easy to use. The G2 is also one of the longest lasting pens available. It comes in four tip sizes, and there are more than 27 ink color options.
The G2 even comes in a pen/stylus model. Ink distribution is even. These pens do not leave ink blobs or skip when you’re writing. They work until the ink is gone. Some pens stop working before the ink runs out or leave you with a small amount of visible ink in the barrel. But the G2 runs until the last ink drop, and you get your money’s worth from these.
Most importantly, the Pilot G2 is comfortable to hold. It features a cushy grip to protect nurses from getting a writer’s callus.
Specifications
Style: gel ink
Weight: 1.44 oz
Ink Colors: 27 colors including Black, Blue, Red, Green, Purple, Pink, Turquoise, Burgundy, Navy, Orange, Lime green, teal, hunter green, caramel, and Periwinkle
Where to buy
Cost
$8.73 for 4-pack
Why are good nurse pens needed?
Nurses are always on the go, and they need a pen that can keep up.
They need a dependable pen with sturdy construction, but one that’s also comfortable to use. Nurses need a pen that will meet their needs on the job—charting nurses notes, writing on slick wristbands or filling out patient lab labels.
Nurses spend hours writing in patient charts and other paperwork. You’ll want a pen that’s easy to hold for extended periods of time, so you can focus on your patients instead of your hand cramp! It’s worth it to spend some time choosing the right pen for you.
How do you pick the right pen?
When looking for a pen, here is a list of factors to consider.
Ink – For nurses’ notes, black ink is recommended. Look for an ink that delivers bold, smudge-proof lines that are fade-resistant. If you want a pen for other purposes, such as writing thank-you notes or taking meeting notes, you might want a fun color to show your personality.
Comfort – Nurses should test out different pen weights, barrel widths, and grips to find the most comfortable. Did you know that heavier pens can actually improve your handwriting? Extra weight stabilizes hand movements and makes a smoother movement when writing for crisper, cleaner letters. Heavier pen barrels also increase sensory awareness while writing.
Closure – For nursing, a retractable pen is easiest because you won’t have to worry about keeping up with the lid or chasing a rolling pen cap around the patient’s floor. On the other hand, some nurses forget to retract the pen tip before dropping it in their pockets, causing unsightly ink stains. Consider which type of pen you prefer, a capped or retractable one, when shopping for your ideal pen.
Value: You want a pen that can stand the wear and tear of a nursing shift but is reasonably priced. Choosing a well–known brand that’s been around a while will be a better buy than a pen from a dollar store.
Next steps
Whatever pen you decide to try, it’s a good idea to keep a few pens on hand at all times. Pens also make great gifts for nurses.
Hopefully, these tips and suggestions will help you choose a pen that will work well for you while you work hard caring for others.
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Sources
- “A review of factors that influence adult handwriting performance”. onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Accessed June 9, 2022.
- “Keeping good nursing records: a guide”. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed June 9, 2022.
