Similar to drilling for oil, global climate change, and political party allegiance, talk of unions in healthcare stirs people’s passions on both sides of the debate. But if you are considering working in a facility where nurses belong to a union, it’s important to understand some of the commonly used lingo and your roles and responsibilities as part of a unionized labor force. Get started by familiarizing yourself with the following terms from...  Read More »

Do find you set New Year’s resolutions that never happen? If so, there may be two reasons for this: 1. You set yourself up for failure by trying to take on too many changes at once 2. You lack a vision that will lead you toward achieving your goals Creating a clear vision before setting goals generates excitement and energy that helps drive you toward completion. It isn’t enough to imagine what you want your life to look like five years from...  Read More »

Are nurses more honest than teachers? Are their ethical standards higher than those of physicians? According to a recent survey, the answer to both questions is yes. Nurses topped Gallup’s 2008 annual Honesty and Ethics of professions survey for the seventh year in a row. More than 1,000 Americans aged 18 or older participated in the survey, rating the ethics and honesty of 21 types of workers. Nurses won the vote of 84% of participants, who attributed...  Read More »

“Now I will read the last policy and your orientation will be complete.” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … John Jackson! Congratulations, John! Thanks to everyone who submitted a caption. They were all hilarious! And, the contests keep coming! In the spirit of the season, we’re asking for you to share the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received. Feel free to include who the giver was and the context...  Read More »

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year—full of parties, dinners, and sweets. Most of us put on a little extra weight and then make New Year’s resolutions to exercise and/or diet. Research shows that eventually there is a return to our normal weight as we return to our normal eating and activity patterns. While this is comforting to know, I prefer to enjoy the holidays without the set back in my health. Here are a few survival tips for the holidays...  Read More »

To cope with the nursing shortage, some hospitals are making ends meet by overworking the few nurses they have. However, a new law enacted in Pennsylvania prohibits facilities from disciplining nurses who do not work past their scheduled shifts. In response, an editorial in FierceHealthcare examines what it takes to find and keep nurses during this time of scarcity. It’s not the money—higher salaries may initially attract nurses, but nothing stops them...  Read More »

The youthful mind often flits rapidly over many options when considering future career choices. But given the right information, a passing curiosity can turn into a long-term passion. Such passion is something that faculty and students at Medcenter One College of Nursing in Bismarck, ND, hoped to inspire in junior high school students during a recent education day. Faculty and students at the college, who already attend career fairs in an effort to familiarize...  Read More »

Through my training and personal pursuit of knowledge, I learned a lot about how to live healthy. But like many Americans, I struggled with translating that knowledge into practice. At only 30 years old, I weighed more than 200 pounds and had developed mild sleep apnea. I finally acknowledged to myself that my life was never going to slow down and I couldn’t afford to put off addressing my health. When I made this decision, I met my health coach and began...  Read More »

Enter any healthcare facility and you will likely be bombarded by the sounds of screeching pharmacy carts, beeping patient-monitoring equipment, and incessant overhead pages. Add in the chatter of staff members, families, and visitors echoing through the hallways, ringing call lights, and rumbling ice machines and it is no wonder the pediatric unit at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA, is embracing  its new daily, one-hour quiet time program. “There...  Read More »

Our first contest on the newly redesigned StressedOutNurses.com was a popular one. The topic? We asked you to share some of the crazy baby names you’ve heard in the line of duty as a nurse. Some were goofy, some were creative, and some were a bit too racy to print. Our panel of judges fought, argued, and pleaded cases for their favorites, but one name stood above the rest: Lae-a. Why did this one take the cake? The “-” isn’t silent....  Read More »