Can You Identify All of the Nursing Equipment from an Image?

By: Khadija L.
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

A nurse is a medical professional whose main goal is to provide care to individuals, specifically maintaining or increasing their health and quality of life. They practice in many different specialties and while they are mostly seen accompanying doctors, they also work independently in other settings. 

Just like any other profession requires tools to perform their jobs effectively, so do nurses. Many of the tools that nurses use are also used by other people in the medical field. Some of the most popular include stethoscopes, scrubs, scissors, clipboards, thermometers, disposable gloves, syringes, and needles. 

Before modern nursing was established, nuns and monks took on the roles of providing help to the sick. During the 19th century, Florence Nightingale established the first school of nursing and so began the history of the profession. Many of the tools nurses use today were developed over centuries of trial and error and while the tools are very effective, there are still more advancements that need to be made. 

If you were given images of some of the tools that nurses use every day, would you be able to identify them?  Well, this quiz was made just to test your knowledge on the topic? If you would like to find out how much you know, or if you want to take a cool quiz, then all you have to do is click begin!

A stethoscope is a medical device which is used for auscultation (listening) to the sounds made by the internal organs. It consists of a small disc-shaped resonator which is placed up against the body mostly to listen to heart and lung sounds.

Trauma shears, sometimes called tuff cuts, are a type of scissors commonly used by paramedics and other people working in emergency medicine when they need to quickly and safely remove clothing from injured patients.

A sphygmomanometer,​ also referred to as a blood pressure cuff, is a device used to measure a person's blood pressure. It consists of a cuff that is able to inflate and collapse while releasing the pressure in the artery.

​Badge holders are used to hold badges (as the name implies) and other forms of identification in places where security is required. Some people also use badge tethers which have a loaded spring, while others use clips.

Bouffant caps are loose caps used to keep hair away from the face. They are worn by many different people in the medical field and they can sometimes be seen on patients, specifically those who go into surgery.

Scissors are a type of hand-operated shearing tool that consists of a pair of metal blades that slide against each other to cut items. In the medical field, there are several types, including surgical scissors, trauma shears, iris scissors and tenotomy scissors.

Not necessarily a tool, but the nursing pin is a type of badge made from some type of metal and is worn by nurses as a form of identification for having finished nursing school. Most pins are specific to the school which they attended and are presented at a graduating ceremony.

A pulse oximeter is a noninvasive method of monitoring someone’s oxygen by reading the peripheral oxygen saturation. There are two main types, the fingertip, ​and the earlobe. In some cases with infants, there is one for the foot.

A clipboard is a thin, rigid board that has a clip at the top and is used for holding and supporting paper, typically when hard writing surfaces are unavailable. Both doctors and nurses use these tools frequently to take notes and keep track of patients.

A penlight is a small flashlight that comes in the shape of a pen. They use small LED lights that light up at the press of a button. They come in a variety of materials and brightness and are used as an examination tool.

There is nothing distinctively different about a nurse’s watch, only its use. They are used to ensure that the patients are given the correct medication at the correct intervals and they are also used as alarms in order to check on patients.

Since the 1940s, scrub caps are worn by everyone in an operating room. They are worn to protect patients from contaminants found in the hair. There are also full-face caps made for people with beards.

A full-face shield is a device used to protect the wearer’s face from different types of impact hazard, which can include flying objects, chemicals, ​and infectious fluids. They are used in many different fields, including the medical field.

Body fat calipers (or a pair of calipers) are used to help determine body fat percentage. They do so by measuring the distance between two opposite sides by using the tips to fit across the points.

Digital meters are a type of blood pressure monitor that measure systolic and diastolic pressures by oscillometric detection. They can be inflated automatically or manually and while they are found in every major hospital, they are known for their inaccuracies in certain types of patients.

Forceps (or a pair of forceps) are​ a handheld instrument used to grasp or hold objects, specifically when the fingers are too large to hold or grasp objects. Outside of the medical field, they are called tweezers, tongs or clamps.

A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. There are many different types of thermometers, some are used for different parts of the body and some use different elements to measure temperature.

A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator that comes in the form of a U-shape two-pronged fork. It is used to assess a person’s hearing, particularly in two exams- the Weber test and the Rinne test.

An otoscope is a device used to look in the ear to get a view of the ear canal and tympanic membrane. It is typically used during regular check-ups and when patients complain of symptoms concerning the ear.

A cannula is a type of tube used to deliver or remove different substances (fluids and gases) as well as for collecting information. They come in a variety of sizes and are also color-coded.

Bandage scissors, sometimes called bandage forceps, are angled tipped scissors known for having a blunt bottom blade in order to help safely cut off bandages without injuring the skin.

Compression stockings are specialized stockings designed to help prevent the occurrence or progression of different venous disorders, including edema and thrombosis. They are elastic and help to increase venous blood flow.

A suture kit is a type of surgical kit used to help manage cuts and lacerations. These kits come in different sizes and with different objects, but the most popular items found inside are a pair of forceps, surgical scissors, surgical blades, scalpels and needle holders.

A tongue depressor is a tool used by medical practitioners to depress the tongue to allow for examination of the mouth and throat. Tongue depressors are flat, thin and often wooden and smooth at both ends, similar to a popsicle stick.

A measuring tape is a type of ruler used to measure the distance between two points. In the medical field, it is used to help monitor​ the progress in weight management, head circumference of children and many other things.

Medical gloves are used by medical professionals during different examinations and procedures to prevent cross-contamination. These gloves come in a variety of colors and sizes, as well as with powder, powder-free, latex and vinyl.

Bedpans are receptacles used for bedridden patients who are unable to use the toilet. They can be found in different medical facilities and are usually made from metal, plastic, glass or ceramic.

A syringe is a tube with a nozzle and piston used for sucking in and ejecting liquid usually through a hollow or fitted needle. They are also used in the culinary industry, in laboratories and some are found in parts of firefighting equipment.

Gauze is a thin, open weave fabric used as a medical dressing. Modern gauzes are coved with a type of plastic porous film that helps it to prevent direct contact and therefore minimize adhesion to the wound.

A reflex hammer is a medical instrument used by medical professionals to test deep tendon reflexes, as part of neurological physical exams to detect anomalies in the nervous system.

A kidney dish, sometimes called an emesis basin, is a small shallow basin in the shape of a kidney used in hospitals and nursing homes to hold different types of medical waste, including body fluids and soiled bandages.

A tourniquet is an elastic strip used as a constricting device to help control venous and arterial blood flow, usually around limbs. In emergency situations, they are used to help stop traumatic bleeding.

A crash cart is a type of container which houses different types of equipment used in medical emergencies. Most, if not all, crash carts have wheels that help to move them around more quickly.

A nurse’s utility belt is a type of tool belt that nurses and other medical professionals use to keep all of the items they use regularly. Some of these items include scissors, penlights, pens or markers, and tape.

Sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizers are different types of portable hygiene products that medical professionals and much of the population use to keep their hands, as well as other body parts, clean.

A pair of scrubs is a type of uniform worn by nurses and doctors not only for identification and hygienic purposes. In some places, nurses wear traditional uniforms that consist of a dress, apron, ​and cap.

Monofilaments are small strands of nylon used in the monofilament test. The test is a neurological examination used to assess the sensation of the peripheral nerve, specifically the feet of patients with diabetes mellitus.

A pocket eye chart is a chart used to measure the visual acuity of a viewer. It is a smaller version of the original Snellen chart which is used by doctors, nurses, ​and optometrists and is usually held at a distance of 6 feet away.

Oral swabs, sometimes called buccal swabs or smears, are tools used to collect DNA from inside the mouth. Apart from being used in the hospital for testing, they are also used in law enforcement and clinical trials.

​A surgical mask, sometimes called a procedure mask, is a type of mask worn by health professions during nursing and surgery to prevent the shedding of bacteria (in the form of aerosols and liquid droplets) from the wearer’s nose and mouth.

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