Angie Abner, a paramedic and emergency room nurse at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, MO, was on duty when the tornado tore through the city. In an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), Abner shared her story about how she was in the triage department of the emergency room when the storm came. Abner said the hospital informed staff of a “Condition Gray,” which told staff what to do., and they had 10 minutes to get...  Read More »

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has chosen a winner for its first video contest on nurse leadership. The winner, Mandy Mayer, RN, BSN, won with a video portraying her role as a school nurse. Click here to read the ANA’s press release and view the winning video.   Read More »

Today marks National Nurses Day, the last day of Nurses Week, and the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who developed modern nursing. Nurses all over the world have celebrated their profession this week, and the American Nurses Association (ANA) has held a series of events. On May 10, the ANA offered a webinar entitled “Lead from where you stand,” that discussed the importance of nurse leadership, reports an ANA press release. The...  Read More »

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is holding a contest for nurses to make their own videos sharing what leadership means to them. In two minutes or less, the ANA asks registered nurses or nursing students to share what the phrase “I am a Nurse; I am a Leader” means to them. A panel of ANA judges will select the top five videos and then post them online for the public to vote and select their favorite. The contest ends May 1 and...  Read More »

Annual competency assessments can sometimes be a tiresome task for nurses and for educators. Every organization completes assessment differently. At St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, OK, staff were bored of the repetitiveness of annual competency assessment, while managers were frustrated with the lack of staff completing requirements. To get staff interested and engaged in the competency assessment, educators decided to hold a fair around...  Read More »

Many nurses are concerned about the portrayal of their profession in the media and the public’s understanding of nursing’s role. The media portrays nurses in a variety of ways, sometimes positive, often negative. On television, shows like Nurse Jackie and HawthoRNe often feature positive portrayals, while shows like HOUSE and ER show physicians doing nurses’ jobs or just don’t show nurses at all. The public’s perception of nurses...  Read More »

Researchers from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, are looking to use robotic “nurses” in operating rooms by using a hand gesture recognition system. The hand gesture recognition system uses a camera and a formula that finds the location of the surgeon’s head and triggers where the robot’s hands will go, reported Daily Tech. Researchers hope that the new technology will decrease the length of surgeries. Juan Pablo Wachs, an...  Read More »

What’s the difference between a leader and a manager? Nursing blogger The Nerdy Nurse feels that leaders aren’t always the same people who are managers. She finds that managers can be seen as hindrances to change, and concerns with money and budgeting get in the way of creating teamwork and promoting positive relationships with their staff. Read more in her recent blog post ‘What defines a Nurse Manager or Nurse Leader.’   Read More »

What do Oktoberfest beer girls and dental assistants have in common? They both wear the same outfit! At least in one dental office they do. The Austrian Times reports a German dentist has ordered traditional German Dirndl dresses for herself and her dental assistants in an effort to distract patients who are afraid of the dentist. Marie Catherine Klarkowski , came up with the idea after noticing how men looked at the low-cut Oktoberfest...  Read More »

Everyday photographs of nurses doing their jobs and interacting with patients are being displayed January 24-January 28 in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The images portray nurses in their everyday work routine, illustrating the importance of nursing, reported Newswise. The photo exhibit, Faces of Caring: Nurses at Work, is an award-winning presentation from the American Journal of Nursing. The photographs...  Read More »