2013 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition

Earn more than 30 continuing nursing education contact hours at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), May 18-23, 2013, in Boston. Enhance your knowledge, learn best practices, see new technologies, network with colleagues and improve your practice. Learn more and Register Today!

How has "nursing" helped you at home?

Nursing and family life - do the two go together? How has your nursing profession helped you at home with family? How has it hurt? Read More

New Grad RN Angst

Today is my day off after working three days in a row. However, my eyes popped open at 0530 and would not close again. My brain immediately went into review mode. Shoot! I forgot to give that detail in report! Did I do enough with that brand new admission? Should I have done more before handing over care? Did I miss anything with that patient who did not have a great urine output yesterday? My fellow new grad RN seemed so competent when she took that new ER admission. Do I seem that way to her? Read More

Advice on how to get back into a hospital?

I graduated in 1995. I worked in a hospital on long island from 1995-2008. I left after my children were born. At that time, it was not too difficult to get a job. I did also work for a pediatric home care case, since 2002. So I have not had a lapse in nursing job. So currently i work in pediatric home care. I am desperately trying to get back into a hospital setting. I interviewed at 2 hospitals for the NICU only to be turned down due to the reason of being out of the hospital for 4 years. Apparently, hospitals do not see the homecare as being current experience. Has anyone had similar experiences? Read More

I apologize...

To the DON: For giving me a chance to work on your unit. I apologize for the opportunity that was given to me as a new grad. I apologize for giving my notice effective immediately when I know you would be put in a rut with one nurse down on the days I was scheduled. I had tried and tried, I work the best I could. You have to understand, given the circumstances, I am scared of losing my license when every week, an experienced nurse would threaten safe harbor due to high patient loads and no CNA. I tried and really tried hard to withstand it, knowing as a new grad it would take some time to adjust to. I can not admit, discharge and also be the transporter for patients when it is time for discharge. This takes 15 minutes of my time to take them four buildings away and have no one to watch my other patients. First week off orientation, you had given me unstable patients whom I can not handle.

To the patients... Read More

The Corporate Nurse

I started out on this journey to become a nurse to rid the world of illness or at least help in the fight against it. After nursing school, I proudly took a stand alongside my coworkers against the enemy. For every shift I punched in and punched out I gained another morsel of insight. I saw a flicker of possibility. It made sense to me I mean, what other industry, other than healthcare, offers the opportunity to express a love for humanity. One human being helping another who has become downtrodden and sick. To help a person not at ease or in dis-ease. Of course, sacrifices have to be made to get to that honorary position. Read More

Role of a PACU nurse?

I am very interested in becoming a PACU nurse in a level 2 trauma hospital. I am relatively new nurse with medsurg/critical care experience and I want to try something different - something that isn't so much of floor nursing. So, what is the role of a PACU nurse? Read More

Does the ED stand for Emergency Department or the Everything Dumpster?

Why, why, why does it seem like we are the dumping ground for the whole medical community? From primary care providers offices, to nursing homes, to the urgent care it just seems like no one wants to be accountable for taking care of patients, so they dump patients in the ED. It's just very frustrating. It's even going to the extreme where nursing homes are sending dying patients by the transport van, instead of by ambulance. Just a couple of days ago, I had a patient that was sent over to the ED from a local nursing home by a local transport service, for altered mental status. Now why was the patient having altered mental status? Read More

Sometimes it hits you...

I came into a scene all to familiar in my cardiac intensive care unit. A plethora of doctors and nurses, a crash cart, a tiny baby getting chest compression that seem all to brutal on her tiny 7 pound body, and right outside the room is the mom, gripping the wall for support.

I'm too late to join in on the action, but that's not why I'm there, I go straight for mom. It's after hours and the weekend and we are waiting for the on call social worker. She grabs onto me for support. I explain everything that's going on and when the doctor yells out to call for ECMO I ask her if she wants to give her baby a kiss before the room becomes a sterile surgical field. She wants to, the doctor agrees. Read More

Preparing for my first day as a Nurse!!

I am a new grad RN and have somehow managed to get a job on the MedSurg/Tele Unit in an acute care hospital in Southern California!!! WooHoo! My start date is in 2 weeks. Now what?!? School has prepared me for the mechanics of nursing, but they didn't really go into depth on personal preparations/supplies. I don't want to go in looking like Super Nurse reporting for duty, but I also don't want to look like an ill prepared new grad without a clue. Read More

Is your colleague a mind reader? Or just plain lazy

We have high expectations of our coworkers, but are our expectations realistic and have a sound basis? I find that although we have a lot of expectations of those around us, most of us do not know that others have these expectations. Read More