West Boca (FL) Medical Center’s Jill Wiser, RN, had a unique view of the utility of medicine vial caps, syringe holders, and paint samples. Wiser turned the materials into five mosaic-like abstract pieces of art that are now on display at the medical center, reports Nurse.com. The pieces are made by assembling the caps on a piece of canvas about 3 feet wide. The nurse’s station, CNO office, and nursery are all decorated with...  Read More »

An interesting piece written by Rebecca Hendren for HealthLeaders Media bridges nurse retention and sleeping. The article highlights a new graduate nurse retention program in Lynchburg, VA, that offers a formal sleep education class that explains how to get better sleep and why sleep is important. The program was created after the nurse retention coordinator, Cheryl Burnette, began to see a potential tie between nurse retention of new graduates...  Read More »

Nurses certainly do have a special job—and this is just one story that proves it. Years ago, Claire Thompson, a tiny baby in Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit in Albany, GA, was cared for by neonatal nurse Mattie Willis. (View the video by WALB News, the local NBC news affiliate.) Today, they work side by side. Willis is now a 30-year veteran on the neonatal unit, and says she remembers Thompson as a...  Read More »

Most nurses and physicians are aware of the problems that still exist between the two groups—but did you know the extent? A new December 2009 report by the American College of Physician Executives found that the tension between nurses and physicians is pervasive and affects patient care for the worse. More than 2,100 nurses and physicians participated in the survey–67% were nurses and 33% were physicians. Almost all respondents...  Read More »

When nurses become jaded and angry every day, what are they, and those around them, to do? A new piece in NursesTogether.com says if you’re a jaded nurse, it’s time to reevaluate and ask yourself why you got into the profession, how you have made a difference so far, and what you love about nursing. If these answers are enough to remind you that you want to be a nurse, then reset your attitude and give it your best, columnist...  Read More »

A lot of different reasons bring people to the field of nursing, but for Angela Ronquillo, RN, it was an accident that brought her back to her passion for her career. Ronquillo was already a nurse when an accident left her immobile for months, reports The Times-Picayune, and this accident brought Ronquillo to a place where she was able to discover her true calling. Twelve years ago, Ronquillo suffered a debilitating back injury after a porch...  Read More »

The American Nurses Association’s Nurse’s Career Center has now joined the National Healthcare Career Network. The Network brings healthcare associations together to provide job placement and advancement opportunities, as well as career development tools, training, and possible scholarships. The network currently has more than 136 professional membership and trade organizations. If you’re in need of a nursing job, remember,...  Read More »

An Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) study has found that more than half of emergency department (ED) nurses have experienced physical violence at work, according to an ENA press release. Physical violence includes getting spit on, hit, pushed or shoved, scratched and kicked. The more detailed statistics are just as alarming. One in four nurses have experienced such abuse more than 20 times in the past three years, and one in five nurses...  Read More »

You will find nursing a rewarding profession, but it does have it sources of stress. The key is to get this stress under control from day one. Start out by identifying what areas of your work are causing you the most stress. Is it something you can change? If so, develop a plan and put it into action. There are various ways you can manage on-the-job stressors, such as: Avoiding the stressor (e.g., a nurse who is rude to you) Eliminating...  Read More »

Despite all the talk about critical thinking, nurses operate in a very task-oriented system. In our rush to take care of all our patients’ needs, we are prone to neglect ourselves, which affects not only our own health but also our ability to care for patients. Remember, there are few things that can’t wait five minutes, so take a moment for yourself. Much of my increased efficiency at the bedside results from the way I now manage...  Read More »