5 Incredible Inventions Created by Nurses

By Rachel Lamb . 24/05/2019 · 3 Minute read

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Nurses are incredible people; they work long, tiring shifts every week and often put patients ahead of their own personal needs. But their devotion to helping patients doesn't stop at nightshifts, code browns and skipping lunch - some of them have really gone the extra mile to produce game-changing medical inventions, many of which have become commonplace in any healthcare setting.

Here are 5 nursing inventions throughout history that have changed healthcare for the better...

1. Neoslip

When Registered Nurse, Neomi Bennett, realised the difficulties that patients were having with putting on tight compression stockings, she developed a brilliant solution to the problem.

The Neoslip pouch slips easily onto the patient's foot, allowing the compression stocking to slide effortlessly over it and onto the leg. This innovative design has now been adopted by the NHS and has the potential to save millions of lives. Neoslip is also extremely cost-effective at less than £10 per pair.

Thanks to Neoslip, the time taken to put on compression stockings has been dramatically reduced, with a much more comfortable experience for the patient. Nurses can now devote more time to other essential duties.

Find out more about Neoslip.

Neoslip compression stockings were designed by Registered Nurse, Neomi Bennett

 

2. Sanitary Towels

It's hard to believe that women ever managed to get by without decent period protection! During World War I, medics and nurses used 'cellucotton' for treating wounded soldiers, which was five times as absorbent as regular cotton. Field nurses quickly realised that cellucotton would be perfect for use as a sanitary towel and Kotex brought the product to market shortly after the war ended.

 

3. Feeding Tubes for War Veterans

Back in the 1940s, during WWII, an African-American nurse named Bessie Blount-Griffin invented a special feeding tube for use by paralysed war veterans. The veterans would bite down on the tube and recieve a mouthful of liquid food, so they could feed themselves instead of relying on others.

Bessie Blount Griffin created feeding tubes for paralysed war veterans during WWII

 

4. Ostomy Bags

The Ostomy Bag is a life-saving device in more ways than one; not only does it provide effective waste disposal for those with bowel complications, but it also allows for a more discreet, sanitary disposal, so wearers can maintain an active social life.

But, did you know that the Ostomy Bag was invented by a Danish nurse in 1954? After visiting her sister, who had just undergone surgery for colon cancer, Elise Sorensen wanted to create a better option than the post-surgery appliance her sister was given for waste, which leaked and smelled bad.

Elise came up with the still-used plastic pouch that changed the way ostomy patients have lived ever since.

Ostomy bags were devloped by Danish nurse, Elise Sorensen in 1954.

 

5. The Crash Cart

Originally called the crisis cart, this life-saving invention was designed by a registered nurse named Anita Dorr in the late 1960s. She saw the time being wasted by healthcare professionals struggling to gather the right equipment in emergencies and came up with the set of drawers on wheels we still use today.

The crash cart contains essential equipment, such as defribrillators, needles, IV kits and emergency medication.

Crash cart in hospital was created by nurses in the 1960s

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