The First Time I Had to Tell a Family That Their Loved One Passed Away

I originally wrote this in my personal journal that chronicled my first year as an RN. I was recently rereading my journal and reflecting on the years since. Nursing school doesn't always prepare you for everything. There were a lot of experiences I had as a new nurse that nursing school simply prepared me for, but did not teach me how to handle. Sometimes you simply have to trust that your heart will pick the right thing to do. Read More

Speaking of tape residue...(and other pet peeves)

I've been noticing that on a lot of our "clean and ready" beds, the nurse that cleaned them seem to think it's ok to have tape residue on the bed...that the bed is somehow cleaned despite their being this gunk all over it. I am not diplomatic enough to address it with the staff, so I've been considering taking it on up the vine. Thoughts? What peeves you? Read More

[Toon] Nurses are Weight Lifters in Scrubs

Who has time to go to the gym? Floor nurses get a work-out during their shift every day......running up and down the halls answering call lights, passing meds. And what about all the pounds they lift as they deal with BIG patients. Have you ever thought about how many miles you walk or pounds you lift in a single shift? Do you think you are in better shape since you are a nurse? Read More

What happens when they leave the ICU?

Has anyone ever thought, what ever happens to their patients when they leave? Do they go on to live normal lives? Do they make meaningful recovery? Did we mentally give up on our patients too soon thinking that's they were lost causes?

Perhaps this is the reason we burn out! We rarely or never see he good that comes out of all the torture we put people though. I want to know that I am making a difference, don't you? Read More

How many patients are you expected to see daily?

I am a fairly new grad. I am working in a clinic where I see newborns to advanced age. The majority are pediatric (about 80%). Today we had a "meeting" where I was told that I need to increase the amount of patients I see per day. I am seeing around 25 pts/day. I often have to work through lunch to catch up and I come in early to stay on top of all the extra's. I feel maxed. I was told that many providers are seeing up to 50 pts/day! I said I can't do it, and I would end up compromising patient safety if I even attempted that.

I would love to hear how many patients you see a day, and what your thoughts are about this issue. Is this a reasonable expectation? Read More

I Completed a Non-Accredited Nursing Program, But Want Higher Education. Help!

What if you are a registered nurse who graduated from a non-accredited associate degree program or diploma school of nursing? Are there any nonprofit, legitimate, nationally accredited schools of nursing that will admit you into their degree completion programs? Yes. I have listed multiple not-for-profit degree completion programs that accept graduates of unaccredited nursing programs. Read More

Laptop / Tablet / COW for electronic flowsheet?

For those using electronic flowsheets in the ICU, I'm curious what people are using for access to electronic flowsheets, particularly when dealing with the crashing patient, admits, or multidisciplinary rounds? What model do you use and do you like it? Do you wish you had a Toughbook or Tablet with a dock? Read More

Can a LPN delegate to RN?

We have a new manager on the LTC unit. She is a LPN. She has been delegating to me and another nurse who is a RN. Is this even legal? How can she delegate tasks that are out of her scope of practice. Read More

Great Apps for Great Nurses

It's no surprise that nurses are taking advantage of all the new technology we have today, including apps. Apps are revolutionizing the nursing profession as we know it. This article gives summaries of five of our favorite nursing apps. Read More

Home from Afghanistan!

I finally arrived home Tuesday evening, after a super-long journey spanning thousands of miles. I left my "home" in Afghanistan on 28 February with multi-day stops in Bagram and Kuwait, then home to Georgia from Kuwait via Germany, New Hampshire, Indy, and Ft. Bliss. Whew. So glad to be home! It's been a long nine months. Thanks to everyone for your support. Read More

How is your ICU staffing done?

With recent budget cuts we are going to an acuity based staffing matrix. Rather than having the straight 2 patients to 1 nurse ratio we are being asked to take 3-4 ICU patients. I work at a small ICU at a community hospital, and I will admit some of the patients we have are floor patients with overly cautious physicians. How do you all staff the ICU? Common 2:1 ratio? Acuity? For those that do acuity based staffing, how are patients assigned? Read More