Clostridium Difficile (C Diff) is an intestinal bacterium that has been wreaking havoc in hospitals and infection control departments. It is what is known as a nosocomial infection – an infection obtained while in hospital from infectious spread from other patients. One of the most significant challenges with C Diff is the delay in detection. Nurses are instrumental in early identification and isolation of infected patients decreasing the risk of transmission to more patients. Many nurses … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Describe the C Diff Smell
Nursing Issues
What You Need to Know About Opioid Induced Constipation Treatment Options
Salix Pharmaceuticals provided me with a stipend and paid for my travel and accommodations related to the event. However, all opinions are my own. The contents of this blog are not medical advice and should not be deemed as such. Finding an opioid induced constipation treatment that provides adequate and quick relief of symptoms may be important for patients and their providers. However, a recent online survey of 441 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older who were living with chronic pain, on … [Read more...] about What You Need to Know About Opioid Induced Constipation Treatment Options
Debunking 5 Myths About Millennial Nurses
Millennial nurses have become the bane of healthcare leadership over the past several years. No matter what generation you are a part of, it's likely you've participated in or been the topic of discussion around those pesky and entitled Millennial nurses. It seems that the latest generation of new nurses has caused quite and uproar in an environment that was already filled with burnout and bullying. Myths About Millennial Nurses Millennial Nurses Job Hop and Aren't Loyal Myth: What's the … [Read more...] about Debunking 5 Myths About Millennial Nurses
Transparency in Healthcare
How can nurses help foster transparency in healthcare? I was very fortunate to attend The National Patient Safety Foundations’ Lucian Leape Institute's 8th Annual Forum & Keynote dinner on September 17, 2015 as one of the nurses selected to represent our organization. Lucian Leape is considered the father of the modern patient safety movement in the US. In 1994, he wrote "Error in Medicine" published in JAMA. This led to the development of The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) in … [Read more...] about Transparency in Healthcare
5 Excellent Books For Nurses By Nurses
With over 3 million nurses in the United States it’s not surprising to hear about ways they practice nursing that are a little less traditional. Nurses are becoming authors at an increasing rate and bringing quality content to a growing library of books for nurses. It’s not surprising that the best nursing books are written by men and women who have actually practice nursing and can identify with other nurses. And these nurse author aren’t just writing text books or “how to” guides for nurses. … [Read more...] about 5 Excellent Books For Nurses By Nurses
Nursing’s Dirty Little Secret: Nurse Bullying, Can Hospitals Resolve the Issue?
Lateral Violence is all too common in the workplace. Thankfully more and more are insisting this issue no longer remain a secret, but instead are doing everything they can to bring this issue to light and make sure that all nurses know how to stop being a victim of nurse bullying. Today's guest post by Marie A. Castronovo MS, RN, FNP-BC proposes to hold hospitals financially and publicly accountable for resolving nurse bullying. Nursing's Dirty Little Secret: Nurse Bullying Nurse … [Read more...] about Nursing’s Dirty Little Secret: Nurse Bullying, Can Hospitals Resolve the Issue?
Nurses Eat Their Young – How to Stop Being a Victim of Nurse Bullying
Nurses eat their young. If you're a nurse and haven't experienced bullying, you likely know someone who has. When I speak about social media and talk about how my bullying experience lead me to find community and connections with nurses online, I always have nurses who approach me after my talk to confide in me their bullying experiences. This happens without fail. I am thankful to make connections with my audience, but it saddens me that this is often the area that sparks a deeper … [Read more...] about Nurses Eat Their Young – How to Stop Being a Victim of Nurse Bullying
Diversity in Nursing
Diversity in Nursing is a popular topic in the world of Nursing. But, why is diversity an issue and what can we do to make improvements? I have noticed people and some nurses; really do not understand the issue of diversity in nursing. In addition, why is diversity in nursing the elephant in the room? There is a need to have diversity in the population of nurses because of the diverse population of patients. Diversity in Nursing Statistics Let’s review the statistics and ethnicities in … [Read more...] about Diversity in Nursing
What Can Healthcare Learn from Toyota?
This post was created in partnership with Toyota. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Toyota. Healthcare facilities everywhere are struggling to do more with less. Patients are getting sicker and reimbursements are getting smaller. Even with new insurance laws on the books, many patients are uninsured or underinsured. Healthcare facilities have struggled to meet the rising demand of patients. For many healthcare organizations, this has created backlogs of … [Read more...] about What Can Healthcare Learn from Toyota?
Can a Nurse Refuse Treatment of a Patient?
The practice of nursing is guided by certain state education laws, rules, regulations, and the code of ethics. According to these, nurses are morally bound to care for and treat all patients regardless of disease entities, socio-economic status, cultural views, religion and sexual orientation, and so forth. Nurses are to care for all people. My nursing school motto was, “Amicus Humani Generis” which translated to be, “ Lover of the Human Race.” Wouldn’t it be ironic to go against the core of … [Read more...] about Can a Nurse Refuse Treatment of a Patient?
Nominate The Nerdy Nurse for the Dr. Oz Show #NurseSearch
I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one. Nurses need a bigger and better presence in the media. The Dr. Oz show is giving us that chance! While there are many nurses who would make great additions to the show, I’m just going to put this out there: I think it should be me. Here are a few reasons why: I am passionate about promoting the nursing professional and expanding our career horizons. Nurses are underrepresented in the media, politics, and even on hospital boards. This … [Read more...] about Nominate The Nerdy Nurse for the Dr. Oz Show #NurseSearch
Reported: Founder of All Nurses, Brian Short, in Murder-Suicide
It has been reported, from multiple sources, that the founder of All Nurses, Brian Short, has been involved in an apparent murder-suicide. The police have not confirmed the victims in the murder, but the home in which they were all found is registered to Brian short. News Articles on the All Nurses Murder-Suicide: https://twitter.com/hannah_petron/status/642098179832283137 Brian Short News - from an Admin on AllNurse.com It is with great regret and a very heavy heart that I … [Read more...] about Reported: Founder of All Nurses, Brian Short, in Murder-Suicide
Minimize the Powerpoint: Utilizing Education to Stop Nurse Horizontal Violence
The history of nursing is a relatively complicated tale filled with twists, turns, and not to mention a few hurdles creating a drastically different landscape from even a decade ago. The lamps have been put away, and white caps are gathering dust under beds. We now wear scrubs made of awesome flexible and stain resistant fabric, obtain PhDs, and travel. Bullying, on the other hand, seems to be cemented into the foundation of nursing. Despite increasing awareness and numerous measures to combat … [Read more...] about Minimize the Powerpoint: Utilizing Education to Stop Nurse Horizontal Violence
5 Reasons Why IV Poles are a Huge Pain for Nurses
IVs allow patients to get medications more quickly and efficiently than the oral route. They are a vital part of medical care, and many patients would suffer without access to the fast-acting medications delivered directly into their veins. In hospitals, IV poles are as common as patients, but, unfortunately, most of them are poorly designed and, in general, are a huge pain. Reasons Why IV Poles are a Huge Pain for Nurses IV Poles are Top Heavy and Difficult to Maneuver Nearly every IV … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Why IV Poles are a Huge Pain for Nurses
3 Reasons Nurses Need to Stand Strong
Before discussing why nurses need to stand strong, we must first examine what it means for a nurse to stand strong. While there are many definitions, I think the one that most accurately captures the message of standing strong is to “do the right thing.” Nurses have the unique ability to advocate for people who are at their most vulnerable. They have the ability to advocate for their profession and colleagues to ensure the nursing profession is well represented. They have the ability to ensure … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons Nurses Need to Stand Strong
