Physicians have donated $350,000 to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston to prevent planned staff layoffs. The organization suffered a $20 million loss this month, reports The Boston Globe, and as a result planned 600 staff layoffs. Thirteen of the facility’s medical department heads announced they would donate the money to conserve coworkers’ jobs. In addition, they reached out to about 1,100 other physicians employed at the organization and...  Read More »

I know this question is very similar to the other debate about family being present in a code, but it is something that really interests me. As nurses, how do we approach the topic of code status? It is something that we have to deal with on a daily basis. When I’m getting report from the night shift, the first thing mentioned is the patient’s code status-whether it is full, limited, or DNR. We deal with family a lot more than the doctors do, so...  Read More »

Many nurses like to expand their minds with further education, and unfortunately that often leads to expanded college loans as well. But a new bill could lift some of the financial weight off those who use their higher education to train future nurses. A bill proposed on March 12 by two U.S. representatives would free nurses who earn a master’s or doctorate degree and go on to teach full-time at an accredited nursing school from repaying student loans....  Read More »

Today’s healthcare workforce is unique. In addition to working with peers from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, you’re also working among four different generations of people. This alone can be a stressor, because each generation has varying values and work principles. Knowledge of and appreciation for each generation can help to bridge the gap, so let’s take a quick glance at the core values that comprise the four generations in...  Read More »

“It’s time to get out of bed now. Your shift is over, nurse Joan!” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Mike Russo! Congratulations, Mike! 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 a stressed...  Read More »

An integral part of handling a patient’s anger is letting the person know you understand the story, letting him or her know that you get it, or showing the person that you empathize with him or her. Recall that empathy means you recognize, perceive, and directly connect with the emotion of another. It is different from sympathy, which means you feel bad because of another person’s situation. Empathy is patient-centered. Sympathy is you-centered....  Read More »

A study recently published in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials suggests hospital phones could be spreading more than information. Medical researchers from the Ondokuz Mayis University, located in Samsun, Turkey, tested samples from the hands of 200 ICU and OR healthcare workers from various hospitals, and performed cultures on 200 mobile phones, and found 95% of the phones were contaminated with bacteria including MRSA. Other microorganisms...  Read More »

Nightshift nurses work hard throughout the hours of darkness to improve the health of their patients, but can doing so take a toll on their own wellbeing? Recent research published in an online issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests yes. Performing shift work—professional labor differing from the typical 9 a.m.-5 p.m. schedule—could result in hormonal and metabolic changes leading to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, according...  Read More »

“I heard they were serving food at this meeting!” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Kristen Sharpe! Congratulations, Kristen! 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 a stressed out nurse because...  Read More »

The term “organic” originated in the agricultural industry. Organic farmers used environmentally friendly and sustainable methods for growing produce instead of relying on cheap pesticides and fertilizers. We now see all kinds of products being labeled as organic because they are free of certain chemicals and/or synthetic compounds. But when it comes to selecting between the traditional and organic brands, there is often a significant price difference....  Read More »