Climbing the Nursing Corporate Ladder
Many nurses are content with clinical nursing, bedside practice and the routine events of the job. What if that is
Articles
Healing Hands That Speak to the Heart
Interested in a nursing career filled with job satisfaction? If you are reading this article, then thespecialty of hospice care
7 Tips for the FNP
Healthcare workers and providers strive for patient’s to receive great experiences and bedside care. Aside from pride and human satisfaction, financial
Empowering Your Staff to Empower Your Team
Trying to motivate nurse’s aides/support staff members to complete the details of their individual job roles can be a difficult
Hiring the Right Fit
In order to produce high quality patient care, you must have high quality nursing staff. Sounds simple, right? Before we
Improve Nursing Engagement, Improve Retention
Through your hard work and team approach, you have built a strong nursing team. Now, just sit back and enjoy
Keeping the Risk Team Happy
I learned long ago that many patient safety events that result in injury are mitigated in an effort to reduce
The Successful Assistant Nurse Manager
The hierarchal chain of command has taken on many different names over time, yet one thing has never changed-the frontline
Making Change Stick
Did you ever why you chose to do certain things in life? Why do you choose to brush your teeth
The Guardian Angel
As my alarm clock went off at 5 a.m., I couldn’t help thinking that I would rather stay in bed.
The Traveling Nurse: 5 Tips for Success
Nursing is the career that can literally take you anywhere in the world. Your nursing skills and expertise are highly
“Life is about coming and going”….quote by unknown author.
I had just walked in the house from my third 12-hour shift. After kicking off my shoe- and-socks and taking
5 Pros and 5 Cons of Working at the Retail Health Clinic
Walk-in retail clinics have sprouted throughout the country in the past decade: MinuteClinic, RediClinic, Healthcare Clinic (formerly TakeCare), The Little
Nurses Caring for Nurses
With all the patient-centered care that we do, how much time and effort do we spend to take care of
The Weaving Car
I was droopy eyed as I gave early morning report to the nurse taking over. You see, I worked twelve
Nursing and Key Roles in Our Profession
There are a multitude of paths that you can explore during your nursing career. Usually, to start out, many pick
The Right Way to Staff Your Unit?
I am often greeted by the nursing staff with a, “Good morning! Today I have five patients.” I often reply
The Lady in The Hall
The lady glided down the hall which was dull from aging wall-paper, flickering lights missed by the maintenance man and cool from
Happy Nurses = Happy Patients
In a time of patient satisfaction scores, fear of litigation, and working in environments that are concerned about the proverbial
9 Traits of an Ideal Workplace for a Nurse Practitioner
I have worked in a variety of medical settings over the past 10 years starting at the retail clinic, then
Nurses Working with PTSD and Combat PTSD Patients
Some of our peers are privileged to work with the men and women who have served in our United States
Self-Care for Nurses with Ayurveda
As we all know, working long shifts as a nurse can cause primary imbalances in our body, such as unhealthy
9 Must Haves for Healthcare Organizations to Attract and Retain the Best Talent
With aging population, increased chronic illnesses and retiring workforce, the demand for mid-level providers continues to grow. Competition for the
Do Nurses REALLY Eat Their Young?
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” – Wayne Dyer I come from a of
Lessons Learned: Listening when they say “I don’t feel right”
I would have to say, when I graduated and passed my Family Nurse Practitioner certification, I became nervous about diagnosing
Concerns for Food Allergies when Prescribing Medications
Food allergies seem like they are becoming more prevalent, either that or I was in the right field to see
“An Unusual Miracle……..
There are distinct miracles that occur in every nurse’s career no matter what department or what setting you are employed.
Diary of a Nurse and a Family Member
I have been a nurse for 25 years and have taken care of many patients along with their family members. As a
I Will Care For Her
It was change of shift and the break room was bustling with people. The night shift looked worn out and
Is Your Employer’s Liability Coverage Sufficient?
Even though your employer offers RNs company provided liability insurance, it is worth asking yourself if that is sufficient or
Should you have professional liability coverage?
When you are driving, how much control over other drivers, road conditions, the weather and other factors do you have?
The Man in the Red Hat
A few years ago I lived in a trendy downtown condo on a busy street in Portland, Maine. I loved
Hail to the Male Nurse
I just want to give some recognition to all the male nurses in the nursing profession. I remember back when
A Few Months Into My First Nursing Job
A few months into my first nursing job I met Michael, the patient who put me on the road to
Why didn’t they say it like that? – Health Literacy
I was working at a teaching hospital and rounding with the neurology team when we came into J’s room. The
Remembering the Basics in Home Health Nursing
Home Health Care “breeds” some very special nurses that enter into our community away from the hospital setting. They are
Re-Think Sign-on Bonuses and Wait to Take the NCLEX
Whether you are a new grad or an experienced nurse looking for a new job, or even a savvy nursing
Why Should I Care About Nursing Law and Where Does It Come from?
One of the purposes for the posts on this site is to give you important information that can impact, protect
Are You Up-to-Date on Your Nursing Laws?
Given the pace of advances in medical knowledge and technology over the last fifty years, it can sometimes be hard
Suicide and Picking up on the Signs
There are stories galore that we, as nurses, can tell about our many experiences. Some of the saddest are the
Questions? Ask me 3!
In a previous blog “Why Didn’t They Say it Like That? Health Literacy,” I gave a general overview of Health
Code 5, Room 623!
If you work as a nurse in a hospital, you undoubtedly have a “code” in place for cardiopulmonary arrest. Even
What Happens when Evidence Disappears?
I have a long list of potential topics to write on for this page; and generally, I like to start
Law, Ethics & Conflict Resolution
Ethics may seem an unlikely topic for a column about legal aspects of nursing, but the two are inseparably intertwined.
Team Nursing-Elusive Myth or Attainable Goal?
Teamwork is an intricate process that can lead to positive outcomes in patient care, reduce the cost of healthcare, improve
Safe Staffing: Why Ratios Aren’t the Answer
As the nursing community continues its fight for safe staffing mandates, another concept is being brought to light: acuity-based staffing.
A Journey With COPD
As stated in Springhouse patient teaching, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the second leading cause of disability in the United
The Joy of Nursing
Early in my nursing career, I cared for Betsy Mercer, a young mother of six and seven-year-old boys, who just
A Deceptively Simple Phrase
Every area of expertise has its own words and phrases with meanings specific to that field. Sometimes, however, a term
End of Life
In my job as an Emergency Department nurse, the hardest thing isn’t always when we lose a patient. It’s when
Leading with Reflection
I was working as a hospice nurse and enjoying the freedom of being able to be out on the road
Ellen’s New Journey…..
In my last article, we talked about COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and how it had affected one of my
Nursing 101: Back to Basics
There are two things you learn immediately upon entering nursing school: 1) You’ll never stop learning. 2) Always look at
Abandonment: What It Is And Is Not
Over the years I have seen and heard many nurse leaders threaten to report nurses for patient abandonment. State boards
The Angel in the Room
After multiple cups of coffee and the morning report over, I was walking toward my patient rooms to do a
Nursing: The Art of Making People Feel Better
Every shift isn’t going to be rewarding. Every patient isn’t going to be grateful, or even kind. Every boss isn’t
To Be a Nurse: Mortality, Sadness, and Other Things You Don’t See on TV
Nursing isn’t easy. It isn’t all pillow fluffing, injection giving and comforting people when they’re sick. It isn’t glamorous like
How the Nurse Shortage Will Affect Your Recruitment Process Part 1 of 10
This video article explains the current nurse recruitment landscape based on metrics pulled from various reliable sources. Subsequent videos will
Are You Fit for Duty?
While it may sound like a term out of the military, fitness for duty is an increasing matter of concern
Succeeding in the Time You Have Been Given
Nurses have “experiences” in their career that will stay with them long after their careers are complete. “Seasoned” nurses will
Fit for Duty, part 2
In my latest post, I gave you the definition of “fit for duty” and talked about the trend toward mandatory reporting
A Lesson in Humility
If you ever want to put your life in perspective, become a nurse. There’s something incredibly humbling about seeing people
Update on Ellen…”Life is worth fighting for!”
Many have asked how Ellen has been doing since her lung transplant at Johns Hopkins and the writing of my
It Doesn’t Get Easier
Dear Nurses, It doesn’t get easier to hold someone’s hand as they’re leaving this earth. It doesn’t get easier to
When an Assignment is Unsafe
Imagine that you are a new nurse, about six months out of school and working on a cardiac floor at
The Cat House
At this point you may say, “Well she finally lost it after all those years of nursing!” However, I want
Being a Patient Advocate
In the wake of the Alex Wubbels, RN arrest, nurses everywhere are rallying together in her support. The common issue
Working with Law Enforcement
Several weeks ago news outlets aired video of a Salt Lake City police detective roughing up a nurse in the
Facing Nurse Burn-Out: The Elephant in the Room
With the increase in workplace violence among healthcare workers, nursing shortages and staffing crises, now is the time we need
Is Your Social Media Showing?
Even under the best of circumstances, social media can pose legal and ethical risks for professional nurses. Consider the three
Crossing the Boundary
Have you ever shared personal information about yourself with a patient or known of another nurse who got “too involved”
Are You Aware of Workplace Depression?
Most all of our articles in this publication are about our experiences as a nurse working with our patients and/or
The Voice of the Nurse
Based on True Events, May this Patient Rest in Peace I’m in the back corner of a large emergency department.
Me Too – Nurses and Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment has been a hot topic in the news the last couple of months. It is one that most
When the Nurse is the Patient…..
I literally hate writing in first person, so for this article I will become “Pam,” the seasoned nurse who has
The Angel in the Shed
My hat will forever be off to the pediatric nurse. I knew from my very first pediatric patient while in
Yelling about Yelp (and other review sites)
These days it seems that everyone you do business with wants feedback about their services; healthcare is no exception. (Press
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
When I first started my nursing career, I worked on a busy telemetry unit. I loved the hustle and bustle
Do You Have One?
If you are like approximately two-thirds of nurses, you don’t have an advance directive. Surprising as that number is, even
Résumé Tips for Healthcare Professionals
Résumé Tips for Healthcare Professionals We asked some of our resister nurse consultants to share their tips and tricks with us
For the Love of the Job
By Krystina Ostermeyer – RN, BSN, CDE Let me tell you a story, fellow nurses. I was once a floor
Before the Interview; Designing a Career Roadmap Based on Values
Congratulations are in Order! Congratulations! You made it through nursing school! The octopi-like tentacles of nursing school have loosened their
Interviewing for Your Dream Job? Ask Yourself 7 These Questions!
Most interviewees are so nervous about the prospective employee liking them, that they forget they are interviewing the employers to
10 Questions an Operating Room Registered Nurse Candidate Should Ask the Interviewer
You finally landed the interview for an Operating Room (OR) RN position! While you are probably over the moon, you may
