“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”  Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by the sights and sounds of the holidays. If you’re walking into work, you may see wreaths, holly, and you’re being bombarded by the sounds of Christmas muzak. People seem to get upset a little bit quicker. If you’re new, this may be your first Christmas where you HAVE to work. Such is life when you’re at the bottom of the totem...  Read More »

A nursing school in downtown Atlanta has created a win-win situation for the Atlanta community: Nursing students get practical experience and the residents of a local homeless shelter get medical care. The partnership between Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the Gateway Center in downtown Atlanta provides nursing students with opportunities for service learning and, for more experienced students, hands-on experiences, reports...  Read More »

Record numbers of students are applying to nursing school, but who will be there to teach them? For years, experts have warned of the consequences of healthcare professional shortages, and it should be a relief to see many students interested in nursing programs. However, many facilities, such as Fitchburg (MA) State College, are having to turn nursing students away because there’s no one available to teach them. There are two main reasons nurses don’t...  Read More »

Breast cancer patients at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, CO, now have someone to guide them through any stage of their treatment journey. A grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure has allowed the hospital to hire a “nurse navigator” to work with breast cancer patients throughout the course of their treatment. Melinda McAndrews, who previously worked as an oncology nurse for 13 years, offers information and emotional support to patients when they...  Read More »

In a time of limited budgets, some facilities, such as Inova Alexandria (VA) Hospital, are still willing to spend about $2,500 per bed to be able to locate their nurses at a moment’s notice. According to Medill Reports, a Northwestern University publication, nurse tracking systems are a booming market. The systems work by having each nurse wear a badge that relays his or her location to the front desk. An intercom system is placed throughout the facility,...  Read More »

This past weekend, the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) held its 26th annual MidYear Conference in Reno, Nevada. Here are some of the highlights and lessons learned: University of South Carolina professor Pat Hickey kicked things off with a stirring keynote address on Thursday night. Hickey related the summits he has scaled (including Mt. Everest) to obstacles facing student nurses today. He shared some hilarious stories and inspired everyone...  Read More »

Eighty seats that were once filled by aspiring nurses will be empty at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, AZ, in 2009. Officials say ASU is slashing enrollment for its nursing program as it awaits at least $25 million in budget cuts from the state. ASU, which depends on state funding for about a quarter of its budget, will cut 40 students from each of two campuses. The cuts will not apply to students currently enrolled at ASU. The anticipated budget cuts...  Read More »

Have you heard the new nursing buzzword?  It’s informatics. Just what in the world does that mean? And to be entirely practical, why do we care? Here’s a rough practical definition of informatics from a nursing viewpoint that seems to be commonly shared. Let’s agree that this word describes that phenomenon in which nurses use things like computer technology and communication to assist in nursing practice. Remember those dark pre-world-wide-Web...  Read More »

A pleasant nature, an air of confidence, and a good memory are three qualities a Los Angeles Times reader used to describe good nurses in a recently published letter to the editor. The reader says she has spent a lot of time in hospitals during the past two years with sick relatives and has come to appreciate the effect a good nurse can have on a hospital stay. She says good nurses take the lead with the patient and develop a rapport with the patient and family. However,...  Read More »

A recent investigation done by the Los Angeles Times found that some nurses kept renewing their licenses even after being convicted of crimes such as sexual assault, attempted murder, or Medicare fraud. One nurse was even able to renew his license three times from prison. Following this investigation, the California Board of Registered Nursing unanimously approved regulations requiring all licensees to submit fingerprints. This measure would allow law enforcement...  Read More »