Medical Shears & Scissors
8 products
Trauma shears, bandage scissors, and surgical-grade cutting instruments. Durable stainless steel construction for clinical use.
- Stainless steel construction
- Trauma and bandage shears
- Sharp, reliable cutting
All Shears / Medical Scissors8 products
Buying guide
Which medical scissors do nurses need?
Nurses, doctors and paramedics carry shears rather than ordinary scissors. Choose by length: a short pair for the pocket, or a long pair for cutting clothing and heavy dressings.
Nurse shears or EMT shears?
The ADC MiniMedicut is a 14 cm (5½″) nurse shear that fits a scrub pocket. It is the right size for trimming tape, gauze and dressings on the ward. The ADC Medicut EMT shear is 18.4 cm (7¼″) long, with a rivet rated to 88 kg, and gives you the leverage for cutting through clothing, denim and thick bandages in an emergency. Paramedic students and emergency staff usually choose the longer pair. If you only buy one pair as a nursing or medical student, start with the shorter shears. They go everywhere with you and handle most ward tasks.
Why do medical shears have a blunt tip?
Both have a bandage tip on the lower blade that slides along the skin under a dressing without cutting the patient, and one serrated blade that grips material so it does not slip. They are stainless steel and can be autoclaved. Colours are practical, not just personal: a royal blue or neon orange pair is easier to find in a kit bag and to tell apart from a colleague's. Wipe them down between patients like any other pocket tool.
Want a pocket organiser too?
The ADC Pocket Pal III combines a pocket organiser with MiniMedicut shears, a penlight and a three-colour pen, so the tools you use most stay in one place in your coat or scrub top. It comes in black, violet and teal. It is a tidy option for a first clinical year.
Questions we get asked
Before you buy
What scissors do nurses use?
Most nurses carry bandage or nurse shears about 14 cm long, with a blunt bandage tip so they can cut dressings close to the skin safely. The ADC MiniMedicut is this type.
Can medical shears be sterilised?
The ADC Medicut and MiniMedicut shears are stainless steel and autoclavable. The MiniMedicut is rated to 143 °C.
Are trauma shears the same as EMT shears?
Yes, the names are used for the same tool: long shears with a bandage tip and a serrated blade for cutting clothing and dressings quickly. The ADC Medicut EMT shears are 18.4 cm long.
Do you have paediatric-themed shears?
Yes. The MiniMedicut Adimals edition is the same 14 cm nurse shear with a child-friendly design for paediatric wards.