By Karen L. Madsen, MSN, APRN-BC I will not let this happen to me . . . I will not be on welfare . . . I will not let this happen to me.These determined thoughts were why I began nursing school. Mine is not one of those pretty, wishful, Cherry Ames stories. I was never one of those little girls who wanted to be Florence. Nursing was not on my horizons at all when I was a child. No white uniforms and caps for me! I was going to be a great writer like Louisa...  Read More »

By J. Keith Hampton, MSN, APRN, CNS, BCUniversity of Missouri Health Care Healthcare providers have long been using color-coded patient wristbands to alert other healthcare providers to certain patient conditions. However, the lack of standardized colors has led to incidents of confusion and error, particularly among healthcare professionals who work in more than one healthcare setting. Without standardization, colored wristbands may pose a serious risk to...  Read More »

In a new job, you will participate in an orientation program that can last anywhere from three weeks to three months. During this time, you will be guided by one or more preceptors who will serve as mentors and advisors as you transition to the professional role. Some things to keep in mind: Don’t take the criticism personally. It is not you they are critiquing-it is your actions or techniques. They are trying to help you, not discourage you. Listen...  Read More »

I have been given this great opportunity by my friends at StressedOutNurses.com to let other nursing students and nurses hear all about my last semester of nursing school. Here goes: My name is Chelsea. I am a 21-year-old senior at a small liberal arts college just outside of Boston, MA. During the next 14 weeks-the last 14 weeks of college for me-I’m going to give you a sense of how I am feeling and what is going on during this crazy and hectic time....  Read More »

Florida’s nurse employers know what’s causing the severe nursing shortage in the Sunshine State. That doesn’t mean they’ll be able to put a stop to it in the near future. Two surveys recently released by the Florida Center for Nursing show that the shortage is expected to intensify because of a lack of faculty and clinical space. In the first survey, titled “2007 Nurse Employer Survey: Methods and Statewide Results,” nearly...  Read More »

Opportunities for improving communication between physicians and nurses pop up every day. You find them in the irate doctor who belittles a nurse right in front of her patient, or in the physician who refuses to call nurses by name. It is during these unfortunate events that the chance to speak your truth arises. Here are two opportunities. Be part of a zero-tolerance policy A few years ago, the Texas Nurses Association stepped forward and unanimously passed...  Read More »

I have been given this great opportunity by my friends at StressedOutNurses.com to let other nursing students and nurses hear all about my last semester of nursing school. Here goes: My name is Chelsea. I am a 21-year-old senior at a small liberal arts college just outside of Boston, MA. During the next 14 weeks–the last 14 weeks of college for me–I’m going to give you a sense of how I am feeling and what is going on during this crazy and...  Read More »

“He was shadowing one of the nurses this morning . . .” And the winner is . . . (drum roll, please) . . . Michelle Bell! Congratulations, Michelle! Thanks to everyone who submitted a caption. They were all hilarious! And, we’ll be back next week with a brand new cartoon! Will YOU be the next winner?   Read More »

In a hyphenated word, Sicko is eye-opening. It’s also depressing, infuriating, triumphant, emotional, funny, thought-provoking, and memorable. But mostly it’s eye-opening. The Michael Moore-produced documentary from 2007 takes a look at the United States healthcare system in a way few could imagine. Yes, it’s Michael Moore. Yes, it has an agenda. And yes, it’s one-sided. But it’s a side that’s definitely worth 123 minutes...  Read More »

Not everyone who drinks alcohol regularly has a drinking problem, and not all problem drinkers drink every day. Problem drinkers: Feel irritable, resentful, or unreasonable when not drinking. They often justify drinking as a way to calm themselves or to forget about their worries or concerns. Gulp drinks, and frequently have more than one drink a day. They gradually build up a tolerance, and they need to drink more alcohol to achieve the desired feeling. Lie...  Read More »