When staff satisfaction is high, staff turnover rates are low, collaboration is more effective, and patient care is optimal. But what keeps staff satisfied is sometimes a mystery—one that can be solved if staff are given the opportunity to voice their stressors and irritants, as big or little as they may be. Such was Trinity Health System’s reason behind forming its multidisciplinary WOW team, which works to reduce staff nuisances and improve the organization’s...  Read More »

“Could you add a cherry pie and a coke to my drip … and SUPERSIZE it?” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Carla Smith! Congratulations, Carla! 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? Looking for a new contest? Are you a stressed out nurse? We are asking you to complete the following sentence: “I am...  Read More »

Burnout is a term nobody wants to hear, see, or experience, but it’s real. Burnout happens for a variety of reasons, but ultimately it communicates a situation where “caring for others has become a chore.” The art of nursing becomes a burden of all sorts. Nursing becomes nothing but eight or 12 hours of tasks that, when completed, will allow the nurse to go home. Lots of things cause burnout, but ultimately it happens when the nurse stops...  Read More »

The competitive spirits of 150 special needs children from the Aiken, SC, school district will be high at this spring’s Special Olympics with some help from area nursing students. Students at the University of South Carolina Aiken School of Nursing recently volunteered to conduct the children’s physical assessments, which are required of anyone participating in the Special Olympic games. The Aiken school district and Bill Boyce, the region’s...  Read More »

Supplements are a great tool for getting all your vitamins and minerals into your diet. Some supplements have even been shown to reduce cholesterol. While there is sound research on the benefits of supplements, purchasing one can be a dicey game. In my article, “Why doctors tend to prefer prescriptions to supplements” I explain how the lack of federal regulation has made the industry vulnerable to snake oil artists. I haven’t heard of every...  Read More »

I have worked in the healthcare industry as a nurse and in the wellness industry as a health coach. While these two different industries have very similar goals, their philosophies and approaches can be quite different. I have found few healthcare professionals are able to combine the best of both worlds for a holistic approach to their practice. And there are several reasons for that lack of crossover. 1.  Education and training. Out of eight years of medical...  Read More »

“I suggest you wear the suit when you show the CEO this month’s budget report.” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Gwen Hubbard! Congratulations, Gwen! 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? Looking for a new contest? Are you a stressed out nurse? We are asking you to complete the following sentence:...  Read More »

The care a nurse delivers is undoubtedly critical to his or her patients’ health. Not so evident is how critical this care is to the economy, but the American Nurses Association (ANA) aims to change this viewpoint with a new study. The ANA has released The Economic Value of Professional Nursing, a study published in the journal Medical Care that calculates the economic worth of nursing. The study was proposed in 2003 in an effort to tackle workforce...  Read More »

Class started back up last week. It’s hard to go back after the long break between semesters, but it is also exciting to know this is my last semester. Balancing work, school, and a personal life is a great challenge, and it’s at times like this that it can be so easy to stop taking care of yourself. However, I can feel the difference between my old life and my healthy life, and I can do more when I take care of myself. I’m a good cook, but...  Read More »