“Sorry, I forgot to mention with the rising cost of healthcare and the unstable economy, we were only able to order 1/2 of an exam table. You’ll have to use your arms to hold yourself up …” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Elizabeth Payne! Congratulations, Elizabeth! After a record number of entries and some serious discussions among our judges, we selected this hilarious caption. Thanks to everyone who submitted...  Read More »

Networking happens every day–at work, at church, at your child’s school, at sporting events, and even when visiting your relatives. People learn you are a nurse and will ask your medical opinion, or ask your advice/direction. You never know whether a chance encounter at the grocery store or a casual conversation at a get-together will lead to an opportunity on the horizon. Watch Out! Even with the best intentions, you must be cautious when giving...  Read More »

Drugs are sorted into classes or related groups, such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, benzodiazepines, etc. One of the cool things about pharmacology is, generally speaking, members of drug classifications behavior in a similar fashion. Let’s consider this list: Pindolol Propranolol Sotalol Timolol Metoprolol We would note a certain similarity in the last syllable of each and suspect they belong to the same family. Learn the characteristics...  Read More »

“Who cares about a lunar eclipse?!?” And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Suzanne Conway! Congratulations, Suzanne! 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 »

Red, green, yellow, purple, and pink—these are the colors of one wristband color system improving patient safety in hospitals across the nation. But the key to success isn’t just the colors; it’s the fact that one particular color-coding system is catching on. It’s common for hospitals to use an array of colors for patient wristbands as reminders for certain conditions, such as allergies or fall risks, but Bonnie Haluska, RN, CRRN, assistant vice president...  Read More »

When looking to develop a critical-thinking process in a facility, it’s best to start with the basics. “Critical thinking has been around for a couple of decades, but applying it in healthcare is something we’ve been looking at pretty closely for the last 10 years,” says Carole R. Eldridge, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, dean at St. John’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. Critical thinking...  Read More »

The nursing shortage places a heavy emphasis on the education and development of competent nurses to provide the safest patient care. A Web site is now offering nursing school educators and students some assistance outside the classroom. Liko North America, a supplier of patient lift and transfer products and resources, recently launched a “Nursing Schools” section of its Safe Lifting Portal Web site to help educators develop curriculum and safe...  Read More »

As a nursing student in the United States, it’s sometimes hard to imagine a world where bandages, stethoscopes, and up-to-date books are rare commodities. Students and professors at Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) in Columbus, OH, took action to bring information and some of those supplies to fellow nursing students in Gambia, Africa. When MCCN graduate Kellie Seelig was finishing up her two-year peace corps duty in Gambia earlier this year, she...  Read More »

Editor’s note: This excerpt is adapted from HCPro’s new book “Nurse Retention Toolkit: Everyday Ways to Recognize and Reward Nurses,” by Lydia Ostermeier, MSN, RN, CHCR and Bonnie Clair, BSN, RN. Leaving nursing school to enter the workforce can be a difficult transitional period for many new nurse graduates. And literature reveals that 57% of new nurse graduates will leave their first position within two years of hire. So, why are they...  Read More »

The reality is that we have operated for years in an environment where people were punished or looked down upon for making errors. Such negative energy around mistakes has decreased our sense of self-esteem. Therefore, many nurses find it hard to receive feedback and even harder to give feedback directly to the person involved. The culture is changing, however, and your response to mistakes in the workplace is critical to creating a safer environment for your...  Read More »