care

Integrity & Clinical Judgement: You Can’t Buy it at Walmart

You expect a nurse to have integrity and use good clinical judgement, but not every one does. It’s even possible that not everyone can. Judgement is subjective, and even though the it is the goal for any prudent nurse to give the same level of care as another, it just doesn’t always happen that way.

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How to Land Your First Nursing Job

You’ve done it! You’ve graduated nursing school, passed your NCLEX and you’re ready and eager to start your first job as a real nurse. You want to be an excellent nurse, and you keep hearing about how nurses are so in demand. There is a massive nursing shortage, right? So why is that you still can’t seem to land your first gig as a nurse? If nurses are so in demand, then why is this so difficult? Many reasons compile, but mostly liability and cost. New nurses naturally carry more risks than seasoned nurses they are also very expensive to

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How Many People Are Involved in Patient Care?

Today when my preceptor was showing me a report for infection control, it made me realize just how many people are involved in the care of every patient that walks through the doors of a hospital. We know that as nurses on the that we can’t take care of our patients all by ourselves. We need the help of doctors, aids, other nurses, and other departments. What I don’t think most nurses think about is just how much goes on behind the scenes to make sure that the patient care a reality.

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When a Nurse Says: I Don't Care - nurse phone

When a Nurse Says: I Don’t Care

“I don’t care. “ Those aren’t the words you want to hear coming from the mouth of a nurse. Now, true, nurses are human, and there are things that we don’t care about, but the phrase itself, while on the job,  just sounds so …. unprofessional. As nurses, we encounter so many challenges every day. Often we have to wait on other departments, facilities, or patients. If we are not waiting on something (a lab, a transporter, a phone call), we rush to do or get something done ourselves. It’s very much a feast or famine profession. Things rarely progress

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Things They Don’t Tell you When You’re In Nursing School: Advice for New Grads

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not one of these people who grew up being a nurse. It would be nice to say that I put bandages on my dolls, and had dreams of nursing since I was a child. But I just can’t say it. It’s not true. I came to the realization that wanted to be a nurse 6 months after passing my NCLEX and working as a nurse. Before then, I knew I could be a nurse, but I didn’t really know I wanted to. I did well in school. I found the best places

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Patient Modesty: Yes, It is Very Important

Let’s chat about something that lots of nurses think, but few say out loud: patient modesty. Is it really important? Is medical nudity something nurses should be comfortable with, in every circumstance? Honestly, it’s complicated. But it needs to be discussed. The Importance of Medical Patient Modesty First, what is modesty? According to the dictionary, it is “behavior, manner, or appearance intended to avoid impropriety or indecency.” Ok, so what is propriety? It is socially acceptable behavior. When someone is in the hospital, do social norms disappear? What about the feelings and values of the nurse – do they matter? I

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They made me put my socks on with a stick

They Made Me Put My Socks On With a Stick

I find it interesting how the most grumpy, disgruntled people react to kind gestures. It’s been my experience that usually someone with an attitude has a pretty good reason for it. There are the occasional crapheads who are just crappy for no reason, but usually there is some sort root cause for most meaness I experience in my nursing practice.

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The Ballet of V-Fib: A Glimpse into the World of a Cardiac Critical Care Nurse

“If you need anything for pain, please let me know. Make sure you keep lying flat, and don’t move your leg Sir. If there is anything you need, I’ll be right outside.” I said pleased with a successful, stress-free admission of a fresh Cardiac Patient with 2 stents. A young man with no health history, aside from being a frequent smoker, admitted for what he thought was stomach upset and indigestion has just has his world rocked, his life saved, and his heart opened by the miracles of modern medicine. The admission assessment completed, he was still in a daze of Versed as he laid with the knowledge

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Why I am thankful I am a Nurse

Everyday presents me with new challenges and the opportunity to overcome them. My growth and development in my profession are limited only by my desire and will. I have the opportunity to be intimately involved in peoples lives and promote health and positive change. I am allowed ample opportunity to be creative and make things work. Every patient interaction is an opportunity for learning for both the patient and I. I get to talk about health, the patients, and often myself, if I like. Almost every patient I’ve had asks me about my child, and wants to hear stories about

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