Again the names of clinical informatics nurses vary. You may be called an informatics nurse, an analyst, a nurse informaticist, information technology nurse support, or any number of titles. Your role in nursing is going to be altered, but still very impactful to the patients in the community you serve.
7 Tips to Be a Successful Clinical Informatics Nurse Read More »
Social media offers many benefits to it’s users. Nurses in particular have the ability to gain many skills that can improve their nursing practice by using social media. While many in healthcare fear social media for various reasons, there is greater good that can come of it for healthcare as a whole.
6 Reasons Why Nurses Should Use Social Media Read More »
I know that many do not share my opinion in this, but I often long for those white uniforms. Though admittedly I became a nurse long after they went out of favor. So I would imagine that if it were something forced upon me as a way to oppress me my fondness would likely drastically decline. As much as I can appreciate having the freedom to choose scrubs in a variety of styles colors, deep down inside I admire the association of wearing white with the nursing profession. But it’s not the oppression or rigidity of nursing days gone by that I romanticized. It’s the image of strong, stoic women with integrity that just leaps off the page of the images of nursing days gone by.
From White to Blue: Nursing Uniforms Evolve Read More »
When a nurse is the patient things are different. Roles reverse and the whole situation becomes uncomfortable often for all parties involved. The nurse that is the patient feels helpless while the nurse on duty may feel nervous.
7 Powerful Lessons Learned When a Nurse is the Patient Read More »
In my years of bedside care I often had to go outside of the 30 minute window for timed medications for the benefit of the patient. Most of the times these times are arbitrary anyhow. If a medication is ordered once per day it doesn’t really matter what time of day the patient gets it. It should fit within their normal routine not within what the pharmacy schedules it. I never once received any sort of reprimand for my medication timing. I often had to request the scheduled times for medications be changed by the pharmacy, but many times I had to give the medication at a different time and documented the reason why.
Is Medication Timing More Important Than Good Patient Care? Read More »
Nursing can be a monotonous and stressful profession. Your daily routine can become so persistent and the appreciation you feel for what you do often seems minimal. While there are some that feel the paycheck should be enough, there are others who picked nursing as their profession because they wanted more than just money in the bank.
Unfortunately, nurses often give of themselves to the point where they may begin to feel defeated. They may start asking themselves “Why did I start doing this?” “What made me want to be a nurse to begin with?” “Does what I do really matter?”
In order to prevent getting to this point as a nurse, it is important that you take steps to prevent burnout. In the process you will also help to improve nursing morale. It’s not hard. It’s just a matter of being proactive and positive.
How to Improve Nursing Morale and Avoid Burnout Read More »
Hospitals and healthcare providers every start shaking in their boots when they think of social media and healthcare. They freak out about the possibility of a HIPAA violation. But the fear that is struck in many of their hearts is really unneeded. There are 18 patient identifiers that are off limits when it comes to blogging and things of the like.
18 Patient Identifiers HIPAA Defines as Off Limits Read More »
Two Utah nurses allegedly taped a patients mouth shut while under their care. Penny Artalejo was in the ICU after taking 20 pain pills due to extreme anxiety related to pain and nausea from a aggravated neck injury. As if living with chronic pain and anxiety weren’t enough, she was basically tortured when she was in the hospital.
This happened about a month ago, but I just noticed in on another bloggers site. Nurse Me | Silence is a Felony
Nurse Tapes a Patients Mouth Shut Read More »
While browsing the Goodwill tweeter @Potato_Chip found a box of Journal of American Medical Associations. A sweet find for an MD/PhD student right? Unfortunately, it turned out to be bittersweet though for the healthcare industry and patient advocates everywhere. In that very same box were discarded drugs, prescription pads, and ultra sound records. Many of these records, including ultrasounds, had patient identifiers or protected health information (PHI) intact.
Why HIPAA Laws Exist: Careless Disposal of PHI, RX pads, and Medications Read More »
I sincerely hope you still feel the rush of endorphins when you get a successful IV stick. I encourage you to smile, be proud, and ask your co-worker for a high five (after a good hand washing of course) the next time you change a particularly challenging dressing. Turn to the side and tell the nurse beside you how excited you are that your patient made the transfer from the bed to the chair successfully. Heck, share with your patient how excited you are that their kidneys produced an adequate amount of volume of the shift. I can’t tell you how happy I’ve had patients get when I complement their kidneys and acknowledge their bodies success and our collective success of a productive and healing shift.
High Fives in Healthcare: Taking Time to Celebrate Your Victories Read More »
