"When was the last time I wow'ed a patient?"

I recently went to a job interview and one of the first questions I was asked is, "When was the last time you wow'ed a patient?" Up until this point I thought the interview was going pretty well. I had worn my nicest suit, shaken my interviewers hand firmly when meeting, smiled when appropriate, and all of the rest of the textbook niceties of the dreaded interview. I'm usually quite calm in situations like these. I have a natural desire to be on stage, to act, to have the attention on myself. When this is the case, I usually perform to the best of my ability, manipulating my audience into loving what I love, hating what I hate, and most importantly, becoming smitten with me. Read More

Poop Free Nursing Jobs in the Hospital?

I started a job right out of nursing school with a hospital. I stayed for a few months, but I literally used to want to cry every day that I went. I wasn't overwhelmed by the responsibility or the new things I needed to learn (I actually enjoyed that)...it was the "cleaning" part of our job description. I know it's part of nursing, and I certainly cleaned my patients quickly and extremely well, but not without gagging. I can't help it. I truly find it very disgusting cleaning someones watery feces off of their back, butt, and bed. Everytime I smelled that horrible smell I became sick to my stomach knowing what I was about to have to do. It controlled my life and I was so unhappy I quit.

Any advice? I really need some help here, not 3-4 pages of insults about how I should just learn to love cleaning up poop. I will never love it, and I don't have to love it to be a good nurse. I do respect all of you that do, however, and I'm sure your patients do too! Read More

Take a 3 hour bath and relax - You deserve it.

We all need to take some time to relax. Don't you agree? Are you a shower or a bath person? Read More

Sepsis Questions

I'm a relatively new ICU nurse and had a few questions regarding sepsis as I see these patients often. I know the SIRS criteria are low/high temp, low/high WBCs, tachycardia and tachypnea but what would cause the low temps/low WBCs vs. high temps/high WBCs? Also, what causes the ionized calcium to be so low in these patients? Finally, our sepsis protocol includes drawing a baseline cortisol level and starting IV steroids - how exactly does adrenal insufficiency play in? I have looked into my critical care texts but haven't found any straightforward answers. Read More

AANA (NON) membership anyone?

Are any of you NOT members of the AANA? if not, why not? Please do not go on and on about how it is my professional organization protecting my scope of practice etc etc etc. I am asking those who are NOT members why they chose to opt out. Are any of you angry enough about the AANAs inaction and abandonment of its members RE the MBCRNAs program for recertification? Maybe it's refusal to admit overproduction is a problem and it's unwillingness to address the problem? Cost of membership vs benefits received? Read More

Any NPs working for the VA?

Are any of you guys working for the VA as NP's? I have just gone through an 11mos process of back and forth with them and just got my offer. I am personally and professionally offended at what was offered. I am so shocked right now at how low they went I cant see anything but red. Please let me know if there are any NPs out there who are happy working at the VA. Read More

The Society of Nursing

When I first started nursing school, I spent the majority of my beginning weeks going through the normal nursing school hazing process: intensely studying, vacuuming down as many carbs as one can humanly acquire, doubting my self-worth, forgetting to blink, and trying to find my bowel sounds with my stethoscope (and subsequently panicking/determining that I was in fact a zombie when I couldn't hear anything). I was constantly nervous, nauseous, and excited (oh, and did I mention thankful for the forgiving elastic waistband of my new scrubs?). However, above all of these emotions, I was ecstatic to finally be at the starting line of nursing after a long path of college classes, program applications, and resume building. Read More...

Most Rigorous NP Programs (worried about NP Curriculum)!

I'm very interested in becoming an NP soon (FNP or PMHNP), but I want to go to a very rigorous program. I'm very concerned with always providing the best care for my patients and so I want to go to a program where I will learn the most. It seems a lot of "diploma mill" type schools have opened for NPs, and I need help weeding them out!

I look through a few curriculums for NP programs and I'm kind of worried I won't learn enough. I see a lot of "fluff" classes on nursing theory/public health type things - and while these are definitely important, I feel that most of the NP program I've found just don't have enough strong science courses. I want to really work hard, take a lot of deep courses on diagnosis, pathophysiology, pharmacology, immunology, etc. Anyone go to a program like that? Read More

Hey Murses.....Murse?

What do you guys think of the term MURSE? Personally I hate it. It sounds stupid, and is incredibly annoying. It designates some difference, obviously gender, but the name is immature and did I mention annoying? Read More!

What you do matters

I know that life in the ER is hectic. I know you, as ER nurses, probably only hear the negative from patients. "What is taking so long?!" "When are they coming to get me?" "I got here before them and they are already going home." But you are changing lives with what you do. Whether it is treating someone medically or sitting with them while they have a panic attack as they grieve the sudden loss of a father, you are changing lives. Thank you. Read More

Can a nurse refuse to participate in a code?

I'm sure many of us have had patients that we felt it was just torture to code the person, but for whatever reason, the patient wasn't DNR.

• We can refuse to hang blood for religious reasons.
• We can refuse to participate in an abortion for ethical/religious reasons.

Can we similarly refuse to participate in a code? Read More

The Male Nurse with Hearing Aids

In most cases today, it is already common to see people with eyeglasses. Obviously because of their poor vision. However, have you ever encountered or worked with someone who has to wear hearing aids especially in the nursing field at a young age? Well, imagine my story. Read More