For many, it’s become something of a national holiday. Whether you see it as the pinnacle of an entertaining football season or a chance to see some of the most creative commercials of the year, Super Bowl Sunday has become a full day of fun. This Sunday, in the game’s 41st edition, the Chicago Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts down in sunny Miami. And whether you’re heading out, hanging in, or going to party like it’s 1999 (yes,...  Read More »

In nursing school, you learned that physicians order treatments and medications for their patients. As a nurse, it is your responsibility to carry out those orders. Therefore, it is important that you learn to read, understand, and transcribe those orders so you administer the proper medication and treatment to your patients. Orders are given in many ways. You may be most familiar with the written order, which must be written out in the physician’s handwriting....  Read More »

Many nursing students have had some training with the help of a mannequin. Introduced several years ago, the dummies have found their way onto nursing tables at schools and hospitals across the country. And over time, they have become more advanced. The SimMan has become more lifelike, more sophisticated, and can even give birth to a little SimBaby. But now, a small group–two nurses and a video game developer–is trying to change the way nurses train...  Read More »

It’s Oscar season and nominations for the 79th Academy Awards were released this week, giving us fodder to argue about our favorite movies for the next month. The little, golden men will be handed out on February 25. This year, once again, healthcare movies got snubbed by the Academy. None of the five films nominated for best picture–”Babel,” “The Departed,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Little Miss Sunshine,”...  Read More »

When you enter the nursing workforce, certain realities come with the territory. What are some of the “surprises” new nurses face? Here’s a list you may encounter: Mandatory overtime. Some facilities routinely require overtime. Required floating. Many hospitals require float days, where you are sent to unfamiliar units to cover staffing shortages. No lunch breaks. Eat when you can, because you won’t get a full 30 minutes most days...  Read More »

Picture yourself as a focused, diligent nursing student. You’re preparing for a career in the ER or maybe in the medical-surgical unit. You’re sitting down in front of a professor for the first time to discuss your clinical assignment. You’re intense, serious, and ready to go. Then, the professor brings out a teddy bear. A teddy bear? “At first, there was some apprehension,” says Amy Campbell, RN, BSN, with a contagious southern...  Read More »

A new, 20-month program at Grand Canyon University will hopefully provide some quick help for the nursing shortage in Arizona. Grand Canyon, which is based in Phoenix, will enroll 60 to 90 students in the first year of the program. The students, who will be sponsored by local hospitals who hope to hire them after graduation, need a bachelor’s degree or 90 hours of prerequisite courses to gain admission. The Hospital Council of Southern Arizona is joining...  Read More »

It’s okay to admit it. We all watch them. Guy, girl, old or young, we’re all secretly wondering if Meredith’s snoring will continue. Fine, maybe we’re not all wondering that. But we’re intrigued by Hugh Laurie’s Golden Globe-winning character House. We’re still deciding whether or not we liked the all-musical “Scrubs” and we’re wondering if “ER” will still be on the air when the world is...  Read More »

Today’s workforce has four different generations working together. Each has its own set of values, ideals, traits, and goals. These differences include communication styles, expectations, work ethic, comfort level with technology, perceptions of loyalty, and acceptance of change. If such differences are not understood by all involved, they can lead to a misunderstanding of each other and, ultimately, to conflict. Make it a priority to understand each...  Read More »

Here are some strategies for you to use to improve your critical thinking: Clarify your thinking. Summarize in your own words what others have said. Stick to the point. Look out for fragmented thinking, or thinking that leaps about with no logical connection. Value questions. Listen to how your patients ask questions, when they ask questions, and when they do not ask questions. You must also ask questions in order to understand and effectively deal with...  Read More »