As many nurses are graduating and taking the NCLEX, one question is on many of their minds: How easy will it be to get a job? The standard expectation has been that, as a nurse, you will be in demand and that finding a perfect job should not be a struggle. Recently, however, many experts are questioning whether there still is a nursing shortage due to the difficulty new grads are having with finding work. Rebecca Hendren of HealthLeaders Media explores this...  Read More »

There are a lot of credentials out there to be earned. An interesting article in the Philadelphia Inquirer highlights some of the issues surrounding different degrees for the advanced-practice nurse. Specifically, it explores the new trend of advanced-practice nurses earning a doctor of nursing practice degree (NPD). Enrollment in NPD programs have risen from 70 in 2002 to more than 5,000 last year, according to the Inquirer. To be clear, NPDs are not the same...  Read More »

In protest to the firing of 18 registered nurses who stayed home during the Washington, D.C. area snowstorms in February, Washington Hospital Center nurses have decided on a one-day work stoppage, reports Cheryl Clark for HealthLeaders Media. The decision was made after online voting was made available between July 29 and July 31 to the hospital’s 1,600 nurses. About 42% of nurses voted. Out of that 42%, 80% voted for the stoppage. Nurses United, which...  Read More »

Nurses are well aware of the stress that comes with the job. Taking care of numerous patients atl varying levels of sickness, and dealing with many competing priorities, is enough to make anyone stressed out. Now, with the help of the BREATHE technique, nurses and patients can lower their blood pressure, heart rate, and experience a decrease in stress. The BREATHE technique was developed by John M. Kennedy, medical director of preventative cardiology at Marina...  Read More »

On June 10, nurses from 14 Twin Cities hospitals participated in a one-day strike, the effect of which is still unknown. The disagreement is between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Twin Cities hospitals, and no one is sure who has the upper hand, reports the Star Tribune. Nurses want strict nurse-to-patient ratios, while hospitals want to decide those ratios on an as-needed basis. The sides are also disputing whether nurses should be allowed to float...  Read More »

A 12,000-strong nurses’ strike is planned for June 10. The nurses will represent 13 Twin Cities hospitals. On the same day, 13,000 California nurses will strike as well. The nurses in Minnesota are fighting proposed pension and benefit cuts. They are also fighting for the hospitals to commit to strict nurse-to-patient ratios. Citing economic woes, the hospitals are requesting more autonomy in this area, with the option of floating nurses or sending nurses...  Read More »

If you’re visiting this site, chances are you’re a nurse who has had his or her share of stress. Well, it may be time to focus on incorporating anti-stress methods into daily life. In her blog about workplace reviews, New York Times blogger Tara Parker-Pope mentioned a 15-year study of 12,000 nurses that found nurses struggling with “excessive work pressures” had double the risk of heart attack. So stay healthy and though it may seem...  Read More »

Many nurses already know that as the ones with the most direct contact with the patient, they have a great opportunity to improve patient safety. However, nurses often have a difficult time enforcing and implementing new patient safety initiatives while taking care of their patients and taking care of documentation-especially if those initiatives are constantly changing. A great HealthLeaders Media piece explores what The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas...  Read More »

This may be preaching to the choir, but I thought our readers would be interested: Jennifer Johnson, who will be a guest blogger on the topic of nurse practitioner schools among other hot topics in nursing on The Leaders’ Lounge, a nursing blog for Strategiesfornursemanagers.com, posted about why people decide to become nurses. Her first couple of reasons include: 1. To meet a critical need. There is a great need for qualified nursing professionals to...  Read More »

This contest started at the end of last year, and we had so many great submissions I just had to keep it going! All of your nominations for best nurse mentor were incredibly inspiring. Finally, though, we have picked TWO winners: Bev Perry and Lena New! Here is an excerpt from Jessica Perry, who nominated Bev Perry: “Bev Perry is a nurse whose motto has always been to treat every patient and staff member as she would want to be treated herself. After...  Read More »