The Well blog in the New York Times this week explores an interesting and ever-present topic: why nurses bully each other, or “eat their young,” as many nurses call it. In it, Seattle nurse, consultant, and author Kathleen Bartholomew is mentioned-she literally wrote the book on the topic, which might be worth checking out: Ending Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility: Why Nurses Eat Their Young. The blog explores the reasons behind such...  Read More »

This will be an interesting trial to follow for nurses and all healthcare professionals, sure to set some precedent about nurse and physician reporting. Anne Mitchell, a former administrative nurse at Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Kermit, TX, will stand trial in a week at a state courthouse for “misuse of official information” after she anonymously reported a physician to the Texas Medical Board in April 2009, according...  Read More »

What an incredible story by The Missoulian about nurses’ connections throughout the world. The article tells the story of Michele Sare, RN, founder of Nurses for Nurses International, who arrived in Haiti on January 12with the purpose of teaching a local public health class. Less than an hour later, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck, and Sare’s entire purpose for being there changed. Sare spent the next week side by side with...  Read More »

Communication between staff members in hospitals is a topic that has been studied and practiced in great detail. One particular concern has always been the handoff: when a one staff member leaves a shift and another comes in. How do you ensure that all critical information gets passed along-and is understood-to ensure patient safety? An interesting article from HealthLeaders Media, written by Sarah Kearns, explains how one hospital addressed...  Read More »

A new movement is quietly creeping into healthcare, and its silencing effect is being felt at one New York hospital. Press Ganey reports, which measure patient satisfaction, have long included noise level on it surveys, and some hospitals, like St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica, NY, are working to ensure noise doesn’t disrupt a patient’s stay. The hospital is working to reduce noise levels in an effort to increase patient safety...  Read More »

The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KS, had some work to do in 1998—its patient satisfaction was down and turnover high. To turn things around, the hospital looked in part to the nursing department, writes Rebecca Hendren for HealthLeaders Media. What they did was change a culture. To encourage professionalism, the hospital compensated certification and provided bonuses each year for maintaining them. Nurses were also heavily...  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 »

Hundreds have followed StressedFran on Twitter, and the number of followers continues to grow. Fran tweets about: Interesting news from the world of nursing Jokes, quotes, and sayings that will make you smile Other resources nurses and nursing student may find useful Start following Fran today at twitter.com/stressedfran! As a nurse or nursing student, do you use Twitter? In what ways do you find it most useful? Post a comment and let...  Read More »

We all try to shape up our physical appearance at one time or another. But we sometimes forget to think about the professional image that we present to the world. Our actions, appearance, voice inflection, and ability to convey empathy and concern all play a role in our image. There are four categories we can focus on when considering as image makeover: Professional work environment and interactions Appearance Collegiality/team member role Professional...  Read More »

Two registered nurses from Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Kermit, TX are being prosecuted for reporting complaints to the Texas Medical board about a physician’s standard of practice, according to the local CBS affiliate. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has joined the Texas Nurses Association (TNA) to criticize the state’s response. Both associations worry about the precedent the action sets for future nurse whistle...  Read More »