A Nurse Who Gives Thanks on the Thanksgiving Holiday

Once again, I will be working on this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

However, I do not object to working on Thanksgiving like so many others. First of all, I am a single female with no husband or kids, so I come home to an empty house anyway. Secondly, although I have extended family members, they live halfway across the country and I am not that close to them.

So even though I do not plan to celebrate this holiday in the customary style that involves food, feasting and fun in a house full of loved ones, I remain cognizant that I am thankful for many things as a nurse on Thanksgiving. Read More

Can employer ask for my liability insurance info?

My employer ask me recently for my liability insurance information... I work for a relatively small home care agency. I am responsible for training caregivers and delegating nursing tasks to them. I have recently purchased my own liability insurance policy but I'm not sure that I should be sharing that information with my employer. Is it really their right to know? Read More

[Toon] Happy Thanksgiving!!

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Day! Thank you. Read More

Why did you decide to be a nurse?

What is the thing that made you decide that you wanted to become a nurse? Was there a particular experience or person that helped persuade your decision? Read More

What is the funniest or most embarrassing nursing experience you've had

My funniest was when I had a sun-downers/dementia pt on M/S walking the floor on night shift. I said "come on, let's go to bed...and this senior pt ran back to bed, and said okay you can get on top" LOL Read More

Deployed Army Nursing: Finally, Double Digits!

I have been deployed to Afghanistan with a Forward Surgical Unit (FST) since June 2013. It has been both challenging and rewarding in ways that I never anticipated or expected. As I watch a friend go home early, it makes me think about how I'd feel if I left right now.

I have a countdown app on my Android phone that includes a home page widget you can set to display however many days until a date of your choosing. My widget has a picture of me with my significant other, David, and it is finally down to double digits for days remaining here in our little corner of Afghanistan! Read More

Young women, and societal expectations/professional strangleholds

I am an "old" nurse, and also a returning student. A discussion I had with them in class today got me thinking. Has anything really changed in the last twenty years? I see "me" in them some twenty years ago, thinking I had to be a nurse because it was a natural progression as a CNA, I loved biological sciences and medicine, and the world (society) told me that as a young woman trying to make my own way in the world, nursing was my best chance at job security. Read More

Why did you decide to be a nurse?

What is the thing that made you decide that you wanted to become a nurse? Was there a particular experience or person that helped persuade your decision? Read More

What a Union Can Do For You

There seems to be more than one confusion on how a union can be of benefit to nurses. Especially when the grass seems so much greener on the other side. A union comes to a facility usually due to a group of nurses who decide that they want to have some say in their working conditions. A union will come in and give you a rundown on what they can do for you. A relationship is established. The guiding force of a union is a contract. The contract makes aware the salary, with a scale, and the benefits of nurses. Further, it talks about discipline, and the process that management needs to take. It discusses layoffs. It is a nurse's book of rights. Read More

Marketing as a Legal Nurse Consultant: The Key to Success Part I

Marketing is the key to success for any Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). It is hard and many give up before they even get started. To be successful, you must be persistent, but you must get adequate rest as well. The Attorney-client needs the LNC and we can provide exactly what they need saving them time and money. A hard career choice, yes, but rewarding, intriguing, and something the LNC do for a fellow nurse … serve as their advocate. Read More

Vent settings

Hello, all. I've been looking for a good resource that explains the different vent modes/settings. Does anyone have any favorites? Thanks! Read More

Being Thankful

....is both a noun and a verb. For some nurses, working this holiday means time away from family. The culture may not be great, your co-workers grumpy, it is just not a nice day. Then we remember why we are where we are, and a mood can be lifted....

...and dare I say celebrated? There will be times that we are spending a Thanksgiving with a patient (or 2, or 10). It is not what perhaps we choose to do, but what we do, put in our turn, do out due diligence. Most patients don't relish the thought of being in a hospital for a holiday. An extra kind word or deed could make the day of someone who otherwise can get really bummed, really quickly. Read More