Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
You want me to what?
At work the other day I was caring for a confused male patient. I was helping him set up his breakfast tray when I asked him what else I could do for him. He replied, "You can spread them for me". I had to chuckle, he was asking me to spread the butter on his biscuit. :)
Share your funny stories with us in the comment section below!
Share your funny stories with us in the comment section below!
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Nurse Practitioner's View: Guest Post: 10 Free Online Tools for Nurse Practit...
A Nurse Practitioner's View: Guest Post: 10 Free Online Tools for Nurse Practit...: 10 Free Online Tools for Nurse Practitioners There are several online sites that offer a wealth of tools and resources for nurse practition...
Job Interviews: What To Wear
Check out this link for advice on how to dress for a nursing job interview from advance for nurses.
http://nursing.advanceweb.com/article/job-interviews-what-to-wear.aspx
http://nursing.advanceweb.com/article/job-interviews-what-to-wear.aspx
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Nice "Off Duty Nurse" Beach Towel Link
"OFF DUTY NURSE" beach towels in four colors. Visit the link below to Advance Healthcare Shop to order!
http://shop.advanceweb.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/88245/s/towel-specialties-off-duty-nurse-100-cotton-large-beach-towel/category/187/
Tips to Share with Caregivers Regarding Heat Wave and the Elderly
TIPS TO SHARE WITH PERSONAL CAREGIVERS RELATED TO THE RECENT HEAT WAVE!! PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL PERSONAL CAREGIVERS YOU KNOW ARE AWARE OF THE RISK OF ELDERLY PATIENTS BEING MORE AT RISK BECAUSE OF THE HEAT!!
GREAT ARTICLE FROM THE FAMILY CAREGIVER ALLIANCE. PRINTABLE VERSION AVAILABLE.
CLICK LINK BELOW TO GET PRINTABLE VERSION AND PLEASE SHARE!
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=871
"Nurse Brain Sheets" aka Report Sheets
The very best "nurse brain sheets" from www.scrubsmag.com
Follow this link to find multiple report sheets, I am sure you will find one to fit your needs!
http://scrubsmag.com/nurse-brain-sheets/
Other useful report sheet related items:
Friday, July 6, 2012
The Code Happy App
code happy app from www.scrubmags.com http://scrubsmag.com/codehappy/
Download it FREE on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device TODAY!
Tripping over the welcome mat: Why new nurses don’t stay and what the evidence says we can do about it
Roughly 30% of new graduate nurses leave their jobs in the first year of practice, and as much as 57% in the second year. Learn how to reduce the turnover and help new grads build their confidence. Read more...
http://www.americannursetoday.com/Article.aspx?id=9168&fid=9138Baby Boomers and Retiring Doctors and Nurses Article
Great article on Baby Boomers and Retiring Doctors and Nurses:
http://www.examiner.com/article/baby-boomer-health-care-crisis-retiring-doctors-nurses
LIST OF BABY BOOM POPULATION FROM U.S. CENSUS BUREAU BY STATE:
http://www.boomerslife.org/baby_boom_population_us_census_bureau_by_state.htm
50 Secrets Your Nurse Won't Tell You
Every nurse should read this article! I really enjoyed this from Readers Digest, nurses can really relate to this article and get a few chuckles!
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-secrets-your-nurse-wont-tell-you/?v=print
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-secrets-your-nurse-wont-tell-you/?v=print
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
4th of July Safety Tips
The Nursing Resource wishes everyone a happy and safe July 4th!!!
Follow this link for safety tips for July 4th fun!
http://bss.fnal.gov/fire/4thofjuly.pdf
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Red Cross Nursing- Get Involved!
RECENT STORMS ON THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S. ARE JUST A REMINDER OF HOW NATURAL DISASTERS CAN PULL A COMMUNITY TOGETHER. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS OFTEN THE MAIN SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE IN THESE SITUATIONS. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO VOLUNTEER YOUR NURSING SKILLS AND HELP YOUR COMMUNITY IN TIME OF NEED.
READ BELOW FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NURSING SITE TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET INVOLVED.
Nursing
Nursing Vision: American Red Cross Nursing...a presence throughout...uplifting lives with compassion and special skills...competent and prepared...strengthening the organization with innovation and support...enhancing the Red Cross.
Newsletter
Nurses have always been a cornerstone for the provision of services by the American Red Cross. Historically, Red Cross nurses have provided their assistance during times of disaster and conflict beginning with the 1889 Johnstown floods and the 1888 Yellow Fever epidemic. The Red Cross Nursing Service was formally established by Jane Delano in 1909. Red Cross nursing has also had a major role in the historical evolution of nursing and nursing leadership in the United States with many Red Cross nurses, including Jane Delano, Clara Noyes, Julia Stimson and others playing strategic roles in the development of American nursing.
Nurse Involvement Today
More than 20,000 nurses continue to be involved in paid and volunteer capacities at all levels and in all service areas throughout the American Red Cross. These activities consist of:
- Providing direct services: e.g. local Disaster Action Teams (DAT), Health Fairs, volunteer in military clinics and hospitals, promoting blood collection team, first aid stations
- Teaching and developing courses: CPR/First Aid, Automatic emergency Defibrillator(AED), Disaster Health Services, Nurse Assistant Training, Babysitting, Family Caregiving
- Acting in management and supervisory roles: including Chapter and Blood Services region executives
- Functioning in governance roles: local board member to national Board of Governors
A National Nursing Committee (NNC) supports and promotes the involvement of nurses, primarily volunteer, throughout the American Red Cross. The purpose of the Committee is to assist the organization in achieving its strategic goals through facilitating effective nurse involvement.
To implement the modernization needed in the 21st Century, the American Red Cross National Nursing Committee developed a Blueprint that draws from the Institute of Medicine report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. The Red Cross document, The Future of Red Cross Nursing: A Blueprint for Action, makes specific recommendations for how nurses can be used more effectively.
The Office of the Chief Nurse is responsible for supporting and strengthening paid and volunteer nurse involvement throughout the Red Cross, maintaining liaison with business lines, the National Chair of Nursing and the State Nurse Liaison field infrastructure (roster). In addition, it represents Red Cross nursing with external professional organizations, educational institutions, and regulatory groups.
The Office is led by the Chief Nurse and the National Chairman of Nursing.
For more information, visit the Student Nurses section or contact:
Sharon A. R. Stanley, PhD, RN, RS
Chief Nurse and Director, Disaster Health and Mental Health Services
OR
Vivian Littlefield, PhD, RN, FAAN
National Chair of Nursing
Mailing address:
American Red Cross, National Headquarters
2025 E St., NW
WashingtonD.C. 20006
Monday, July 2, 2012
Healthcare Reform and Changes for Nurses
Does healthcare reform affect nurses? Absolutely!
You see it in the news and everywhere you look right now. Healthcare is changing so fast that we can't keep up. It is wise for nurses to keep up to date with changes and be a voice in your local and state government to ensure that nurse's rights are protected.
There are rumors flying around about all sorts of healthcare reform. It is rumored that hospitals will be required to eat the bill if a patient develops a staph infection in the hospital, if wounds increase in size in the hospital, or if patients develop UTI's while having catheters in hospital. We have included some articles for you to view that discuss some of these issues. Please visit these articles and forward to colleagues.
http://www.bna.com/split-supreme-court-n12884910441/
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/05/healthcare-reform-affects-nurses.html
http://www.hospitalinfection.org/cost_of_infection.shtml
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/80074.php
This is also a great article to read about how nurses can have a voice in policies. We encourage all nurses to get involved. Follow the link below.
http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume122007/No1Jan07/tpc32_216091.html
Saturday, June 30, 2012
FDA approves new drug for weight management | National Nursing News
In the news...
FDA approves new drug for weight management | National Nursing News
What are your thoughts on weight management drugs? Please share you comments with us!
FDA approves new drug for weight management | National Nursing News
What are your thoughts on weight management drugs? Please share you comments with us!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Fate of Affordable Care Act to be decided Thursday | National Nursing News
In the news...
Fate of Affordable Care Act to be decided Thursday | National Nursing News
Fate of Affordable Care Act to be decided Thursday | National Nursing News
What are your thoughts and feelings on the Affordable Care Act? Please share your comments with us! How do you think it will impact healthcare and the nurses role?
FREE NURSING CE COURSES
Check this link out for free nursing CE's
http://ce.nurse.com/FreeCE.aspx
CE Requirements by State
http://ce.nurse.com/state-nurse-ce-requirements
http://ce.nurse.com/FreeCE.aspx
CE Requirements by State
http://ce.nurse.com/state-nurse-ce-requirements
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
9 free apps every nurse should have
Follow this link for the list of free apps for nurses http://scrubsmag.com/free-apps-every-nurse-should-download/
FREE EDUCATIONAL TOOLS FOR NURSES
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This information obtained from:
http://www.cdc.gov/DES/hcp/resources/tools_nurses.html
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Career resources for new nursing graduates
According to research done by the National Student Nurses Association, about 45% of the 2010 nursing graduates still don't have jobs because of cutbacks in hospital hiring of new nursing grads. We've organized career-related resources from across the Web to help new nursing grads find jobs in today's competitive job market. Learn more.
This news summary appeared in ANA SmartBrief on 06/22/2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Helping Nurses with Finances
Check out this blog, The Millionaire Nurse: Helping nurses build and grow wealth.
http://blog.themillionairenurse.com/
Other books that may be helpful...
A Practical Guide to Finance and Budgeting: Skills for Nurse Managers, Second Edition (Core Skills for Nurse Managers)http://blog.themillionairenurse.com/
Other books that may be helpful...
Free Magazine
Check out this website to request the free magazine: Avoid Medical Errors Magazine
http://www.avoidmedicalerrors.com/
http://www.avoidmedicalerrors.com/
Friday, June 22, 2012
Vital Signs by Phone, Then, With a Click, a Doctor’s Appointment
By EILENE ZIMMERMAN
Published: April 11, 2012
If ever an industry were ready for disruption, it is the American health care industry. Americans spend about $7,600 a year per person on health care, one in two adults lives with a chronic disease and the average wait time to see a doctor in a metropolitan area is 20 days. Entrepreneurs have responded by starting health care technology companies that are changing the way we interact with the entire system.
Dave Chase, who founded Microsoft’s health platform business, helped create electronic medical records software to give patients a place to manage their health information.
They are also responding to an evolving model of health care, which will ultimately be focused more on outcomes than on services, and to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program, which, in an effort to improve the coordination of care, gives providers financial incentives to adopt electronic health records and report how they use them. “We are about to see a fundamental transformation in the way care is delivered and the way patients are engaged with that care,” said Frank Moss, head of the New Media Medicine Group at the M.I.T. Media Lab. Here is a sampling of the innovative companies pushing that transformation:
Airstrip Technologies, San Antonio
THE BIG IDEA In 2005 Stephen Moore, software engineer, asked Dr. Cameron Powell, an obstetrician, to describe an ideal mobile app, one that would make his job easier and improve the quality of care. Dr. Powell suggested an app that would let him see on his smartphone — even when he was not at the hospital — the fetal heartbeat and mother’s contractions in high-risk deliveries. That idea prompted the partnership between Mr. Moore and Dr. Powell that became AirStrip Technologies. Its first product, the AirStrip OB, was introduced in 2008.
HOW IT WORKS AirStrip’s technology connects a hospital’s various bedside devices — an E.K.G. machine, a ventilator, a fetal heart monitor, for example — to its server and then transmits the data to a smartphone or tablet. It can also transmit data from monitors in an ambulance to the emergency room, so the staff is ready to treat patients as soon as they arrive, said Alan W. Portela, the company’s chief executive. Airstrip’s three products, for obstetrics, cardiology and patient monitoring, have been cleared by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
HOW IT WILL MAKE MONEY Organizations are charged an annual fee that varies with the products used and the volume of data. In November the company signed a three-year, $4.3 million contract with Catholic Healthcare West (now Dignity Health) to use Airstrip OB. In February, Airstrip received an investment of an undisclosed amount from the Qualcomm Life Fund.
Avado, Bellevue, Wash.
THE BIG IDEA Dave Chase, who founded Microsoft’s health platform business, helped create Avado to give patients a place to manage their health information. “It’s like a mint.com for health care,” said Mr. Chase, who founded the company along with Bassam Saliba, a software developer, in February 2011.
HOW IT WORKS A doctor subscribes to Avado and gets a suite of tools that enable the easy creation of a Web site where patients can fill out intake forms, schedule appointments, ask for weekly medication reminders and track symptoms for chronic conditions. Patients and doctors decide together which metrics they will track — blood sugar, blood pressure or frequency of asthma attacks, for example — and that information is shared. Avado, Mr. Chase said, “considers the patient a partner in the process.”
HOW IT WILL MAKE MONEY The founders put in half a million dollars. Avado operates on a subscription model — $100 per month per clinician, although there is a free version that includes the Web site and secure e-mail.
ClickCare, Vestal, N.Y.
THE BIG IDEA A nurse practitioner who had worked with Dr. Cheryl Kerr, a pediatrician in Binghamton, N.Y., got a job in a low-income school in upstate New York and was confronted with a rash she had never seen before. This was in 1995, so the nurse used an early version of e-mail to transmit a photo of the rash to Dr. Kerr, who helped her make a diagnosis. It was an early example of telemedicine, and it gave Dr. Kerr and her husband, Dr. Lawrence Kerr, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, the idea for ClickCare, which they founded in 2006.
HOW IT WORKS Doctors and nurses post a photo of and information about a patient’s problem on ClickCare’s secure Web site. Then a link is sent to a consulting physician who logs in, looks at the data and photos and responds. “This increases a doctor’s ability to collaborate with other physicians quickly, even if they are in very different places,” said Lawrence Kerr.
HOW IT WILL MAKE MONEY The Kerrs initially financed the business and received federal grants for their work in 2003 and 2005. They charge $99 a month per user for the service. Sales have doubled in each of the last two years.
ZocDoc, New York City
THE BIG IDEA In 2007, while Cyrus Massoumi was landing on a flight to New York, his eardrum ruptured. He did not have a primary care doctor to refer him to a specialist and when he tried to find one on his insurance company’s Web site, he found mostly inaccurate information. “It took me four hours over the course of four days to find a doctor with an open appointment,” he recalled. Later that year, he and two friends started ZocDoc, a site that allows users to find a doctor, spot open appointments and book them.
HOW IT WORKS On ZocDoc’s site, consumers can see a doctor’s qualifications, read patient reviews, check the insurance plans the doctor accepts and look at photos of the offices. “We know about last-minute cancellations immediately,” said Mr. Massoumi, now the chief executive. “You can usually get in to see a doctor within 24 hours.”
HOW IT WILL MAKE MONEY Mr. Massoumi and his partners initially financed the company. In 2008, they won a $100,000 prize in the Forbes Boost Your Business competition, then raised $5 million in a Series A investment round. In 2010, they raised $15 million in a Series B round, and Series C closed last summer, having raised $75 million. Doctors pay $250 a month to be listed on the site, which is now available in 16 cities; more than 1.2 million people used ZocDoc in March.
Telcare, Bethesda, Md.
THE BIG IDEA When he was chairman of the health care committee of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee from 2003 to 2006, Jonathan C. Javitt led the development of the policy to adopt electronic health records. What was missing from those discussions, he says, was a direct connection between patients and their health information.
HOW IT WORKS Telcare’s first product is an F.D.A.-approved glucose meter that transmits each reading to the cloud, where it can be read by a group of people preselected by the patient. Feedback is sent back to the patient’s meter from a diabetes educator, for example, or a pharmacist, nurse or parent. “What we are doing today, essentially, is enabling the mother of a diabetic child to know what’s happening when her son is at school,” said Dr. Javitt. “We can put an app on mom’s iPhone and send an S.M.S. for every reading her child takes. Achieving this type of feedback may be critical, because even a 10 percent improvement in glucose control reduces the likelihood of diabetes complications — blindness, amputation, stroke and heart attack — by 40 percent.”
HOW IT WILL MAKE MONEY Telcare raised $7 million in a combination of debt and equity. The company began shipping the product in February. Revenue comes from sales of meters, which cost $150, and test strips, which have a list price of $72 for 50 strips. Cellular connectivity, back-end server service and smartphone apps are all included in the meter price.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
NURSES NEED VACATION TIME!
TOP 5 REASONS NURSES NEED TO TAKE A VACATION!
In recent news coverage there have been several segments on vacation time and how the United States compares to other countries in amount of vacation time taken. It was even noted that the USA has become the "no vacation nation".
For a recent news segment on CNN on Americans and vacation time compared to other countries visit http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-23/travel/vacation.in.america_1_vacation-germans-long-holiday?_s=PM:TRAVEL.
We believe in vacation time and believe that NURSES SHOULD TAKE THEIR VACATION TIME!!! In almost every nursing shift that a nurse works he/she will experience almost every emotion known to man and work hard physically as well as mentally. Because of the nature of the business nurses are the first to forget about themselves and worry about taking care of others, allowing themselves to become tired and worn down. It is important for nurses to take a break so that they can continue to provide excellent care and have compassion.
Here are the top 5 reasons we think NURSES NEED VACATION!!!!
1. Nurses are required to be quick thinkers. In a constantly changing environment their brains are working all the time. Their BRAINS need a break.
2. Nurses are physical work horses. They lift, pull, push, walk, run, and are in constant physical motion. This means their bones and muscles need time off. They need a PHYSICAL break.
3. Nurses experience every emotion under the sun with their patients, families, coworkers, employers, and anybody they come into contact with. Nurses have HEARTS that need time off to heal.
4. Nurses often work holidays, weekends, and nights while others are off so that they can take care of others loved ones. They often miss out on their own family events to perform their duty. This can cause tension and be unnerving. Their NERVES need a vacation to refuel.
5. Nurses are required to be adapatable at all times. They have to be adaptable to situations with patients, coworkers, and employers. This means their "ADAPTORS" need time off to rest so they can be ready for the next situation they will have to adapt to.
SO GET YOUR FLIP FLOPS ON , GET YOUR CAMERA READY, GRAB YOUR BEACH TOWELS, OR DO WHATEVER "TRIPS YOUR TRIGGER" AND TAKE THAT VACATION!
Here are a few items we found that might interest you to use on your vacation.
Nursing golf towels
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086GDPCK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=soyothyowatob-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0086GDPCK
A carry on
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006X17AVC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=soyothyowatob-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006X17AVC
A night shirt
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L82TG2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=soyothyowatob-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002L82TG2
"Monitor Alarm Fatigue: Lessons Learned"- Sign up for this webcast!
Register here for this Webcast: June 25, 2012
http://www.npsfstore.com/products/Webcast:-June-25,-2012.html
Triage Nurse Prediction of Hospital Admission
View This Abstract OnlineTriage nurse prediction of hospital admission.
J Emerg Nurs. 2012; 38(3):306-10 (ISSN: 1527-2966)
Stover-Baker B; Stahlman B; Pollack MINTRODUCTION: Numerous factors affect patient flow in the emergency department. One important factor that has a negative impact on flow is ED patients waiting for an inpatient bed. It currently takes approximately 5 hours from triage to a request for an inpatient bed in our emergency department. Knowledge of patients requiring admission early in their ED evaluation could speed up the process of securing a bed. The objective of this study was to determine if an ED triage nurse (TRN) can determine at triage if a patient will be admitted to an inpatient unit. A secondary objective was to measure the confidence of the TRN prediction.
METHODS: A prospective, non-consecutive study was conducted during an 18-day period in 2010 in a community hospital emergency department treating 76,000 patients. Experienced TRNs were trained in the evaluation tool. Immediately after the initial TRN evaluation, a determination was made in writing by the TRN regarding the likelihood of hospital admission and level of confidence in this decision. Patients who did not enter the emergency department through triage (ambulance) or were younger than 18 years were excluded.
RESULTS: A total of 3514 patients approached triage. Of these patients, 1866 were eligible for the study and 1164 (62%) were enrolled. We excluded 25 subjects because of missing data, resulting in 1139 subjects. Missed subjects had the same baseline characteristics. A total of 287 (25.2%) hospital admissions occurred. TRN predicted 217 admissions, with a sensitivity of 75.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.3-79.5) and a specificity of 84.5% (95% CI 83.1-85.8). The TRN reported being extremely confident in the prediction 50.1% of the time. In these cases, the TRN demonstrated an admission sensitivity of 81.6% (95% CI 76.5-85.8) and specificity of 93.1% (95% CI 91.8-94.3).
CONCLUSIONS: The TRN demonstrated a high sensitivity and specificity in admission prediction at triage and could potentially save many hours in requesting an inpatient bed. This increased efficiency could result in a more rapid ED throughput and decreased ED boarding.
- PreMedline Identifier: 22464226
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
What Shoes Do YOU Wear?
The majority of nurses and certified nursing assistants work twelve hour shifts,
and we all know its really more like thirteen hours, it is important to have a
good shoe!
Here is a wonderful article on taking care of your feet!
The Right Foot Care and Wear- Getting nurses through the busiest 12-hour shift
Dansko- You either love or hate them. I personally LOVE them! Dansko's are the only shoes I can wear to work for twelve hours and my back and feet aren't killing me at the end of the day. They have tons of colors and patterns, very cute style that you can wear outside of work too!
You can find Dansko's here http://www.dansko.com/Womens/Footwear/Styles/Clogs/
Tennis Shoes- A lot of nurses wear nike, reebok or new balance. You have to find what works for you.
Discounted Nike http://www.discount-nike-shoes.com/
Discounted New Balance http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com/
Discounted Reebok http://www.shoesontheweb.com
Nurse Mates- Another popular brand in nursing is Nurse Mates.
http://www.nursemates.com/
CROCS- Many nurses also wear CROCS, but check your hospital dress code policy, in some facilities the CROCS are against hospital policy.
Find CROCS for healthcare professionals at
http://www.crocs.com/nursing-shoes/nurse-shoes,default,sc.html?adid=google_ppc_Footwear-Branded-Terms-Functional_Hospital&gclid=COe84bSZvLACFYR9OgodkX1doQ
Hospital staff banned from wearing Crocs on health and safety grounds
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/09/13/crocs-ban-for-hospital-staff-91466-29410378/#ixzz1x76VC4SA
Here is a wonderful article on taking care of your feet!
The Right Foot Care and Wear- Getting nurses through the busiest 12-hour shift
http://www.workingnurse.com/articles/The-Right-Foot-Care-and-Wear
What shoes are nurses wearing?Dansko- You either love or hate them. I personally LOVE them! Dansko's are the only shoes I can wear to work for twelve hours and my back and feet aren't killing me at the end of the day. They have tons of colors and patterns, very cute style that you can wear outside of work too!
You can find Dansko's here http://www.dansko.com/Womens/Footwear/Styles/Clogs/
Tennis Shoes- A lot of nurses wear nike, reebok or new balance. You have to find what works for you.
Discounted Nike http://www.discount-nike-shoes.com/
Discounted New Balance http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com/
Discounted Reebok http://www.shoesontheweb.com
Nurse Mates- Another popular brand in nursing is Nurse Mates.
http://www.nursemates.com/
CROCS- Many nurses also wear CROCS, but check your hospital dress code policy, in some facilities the CROCS are against hospital policy.
Find CROCS for healthcare professionals at
http://www.crocs.com/nursing-shoes/nurse-shoes,default,sc.html?adid=google_ppc_Footwear-Branded-Terms-Functional_Hospital&gclid=COe84bSZvLACFYR9OgodkX1doQ
Hospital staff banned from wearing Crocs on health and safety grounds
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/09/13/crocs-ban-for-hospital-staff-91466-29410378/#ixzz1x76VC4SA
Get Nursing TEXTBOOKS Cheap or FREE!
So do you have to spend full price to get textbooks?
Not NECESSARILY!! It all depends on what
school you are attending and the books that are requested by your instructors.
Find out what books are required and DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Here are some sites that you can check on how to get cheap/free textbooks and links to get there.
www.freeonlinetextbooks.net/nursing-textbooks
nursingtextbooks.net
www.freebookcentre.net/medical_text_books_journals/nursing-books.html
www.textbooks.com/Catalog/P0/Nursing.php
www.amazon.com/Nursing-Medicine-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=491540
You should also check craigslist.com, and your local nursing schools for other ways to get nursing textbooks for cents on the dollar.
Happy book shopping!
Nurses, Patients Voice Frustration Over Avoidable Hospital Staffing Crisis
In the
news...
Very interesting article about "Nurses, Patients Voice Frustration Over Avoidable Hospital Staffing Crisis"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-chen/nurses-patients-voice-frustrations_b_1561426.html
Please comment and tell us what you think about this situation!
Very interesting article about "Nurses, Patients Voice Frustration Over Avoidable Hospital Staffing Crisis"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-chen/nurses-patients-voice-frustrations_b_1561426.html
Please comment and tell us what you think about this situation!
Stay Up to Date: Free access articles to nursing journals
Managing fatigue in patients with multiple
sclerosisNursing2012, June
2012Free access will expire on July 2, 2012.
Depression in Hospital-Employed
NursesClinical Nurse Specialist: The Journal for Advanced
Nursing Practice, May/June
2012 Free access will expire on June 18, 2012.
TRANSITIONS: CPR in older adults: What's the
evidence?Nursing2012,
May 2012 Free access will expire on June 18,
2012. Impact of Electronic Health Records on Nurses'
ProductivityCIN: Computers, Informatics,
Nursing, May
2012Free access will expire on June 25, 2012.
The importance of the preoperative
history and physicalOR Nurse
2012, May 2012 Free access will expire on June 25, 2012.
Practice Pointers: Avoid the
perils of social mediaOR Nurse
2012,May 2012 Free access will expire on June 18, 2012.
A Creative Way to Avoid Nursing Burnout by Keeping a Journal
Does this look familiar? Keeping a journal about your favorite nursing experiences can be a fun technique for stress management before your shift begins to get you started off on the right foot!
Why keep a journal? Because regardless of how horrible a day in the world of nursing can be there are those certain patients and experiences that make it worth the while and keep you coming back for more. The key is to remember those patients and experiences and keep them fresh in your mind. This can help to avoid the feeling of dread before a shift and help you to go in SMILING so that you rub off on your environment and peers and give better patient care.Here is the idea:
Designate a place to record your journals. Keep it in a place that is handy to you before and/or after your shift. When you have an experience during your shift with a patient, coworker, etc. that is heartwarming or simply just makes you laugh out loud (LOL) jot it down. Once you get a steady flow of heartwarming and hilarious journals going keep this journal with you where you can read it when you need to. This can be just before you go into a shift, during your shift, on your breaks, or after your shift- or just WHENEVER YOU FEEL BURNOUT.
Instant SMILE guaranteed. It may not last your whole shift but it will get you started on the right foot. Spread the word to your peers about this idea and encourage each other to share stories and experiences and journal them. You will be amazed at the difference you can make in a 12 hour nursing shift.
Good luck and happy journaling! For more tips on journaling visit journalforyou.com.
For other tips on how to manage and deal with nursing burnout visit
www.nursingburnout.net.
Nursing Shortage
"The United States is projected to have a nursing shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to expand enrollment levels to meet the rising demand for nursing care."
Read more:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
The development of advanced nursing roles
The development of advanced nursing roles
"Advanced nursing practice has led to innovation in nursing but also to confusion. This article focuses on its progress from its early days in the in the 19th century to the present day."
Buying A Stethoscope and Types of Stethoscopes
Types of Stethoscopes and How a Stethoscope Functions
A type of stethoscope that is used widely today is the acoustic stethoscope. It consists of hollow tubes that lead down to a two-sided chest piece. It is a combination stethoscope with a bell, plastic disk, diaphragm, hollow cup and chest pieces. Through the diaphragm portion, sounds from the chest vibrate the chest piece, creating acoustic sound waves that travel up to the physicians' ears. Using the bell end, vibrations from the skin are what are used to create the acoustic sound waves. One issue with acoustic stethoscopes has been that they have a low sound quality.
Another type of stethoscope that is used today is the electronic model. Electronic stethoscopes amplify sound waves, which are converted from acoustic to electronic waves. These stethoscopes are similar in appearance to acoustic models except that they feature microphones attached either inside the bell or behind the diaphragm chest piece that convert sound waves. They were designed for cardiologists and doctors who need to hear specific sounds in the chest more clearly, such as those produced by the respiratory system.
My personal favorite is the Littman Cardiology III. Littman stethoscopes are durable and very reliable. They are also latex free and lightweight. You can find Littman stethoscopes at the following affiliates. They also have some really attractive new colors and styles!
You can also find 1000's of stethoscope
brands, colors, and styles at www.allheart.com/stethoscopes.html and www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A3777201&page=1
Pros and Cons of the Electronic Health Record System
The Electronic Health Record or Electronic Medical Record is a practice that has become common
in medical facilities all over the world in the last decade. It is a system
where patients information such as medical appointment notes, vital signs,
billing information, allergies, health history, etc. are recorded electronically
and can be shared between medical facilities. Some systems also allow patients
a log in and password where they are able to view their own medical information
online.
So how is the EHR/EMR being received across the board? For employers it is a costly venture however from a corporate standpoint it helps to improve billing practices. From an employee standpoint it often slows patient care upon initiation due to the learning curve and implementation process of the computer system. Patients who are able to access the internet seem to appreciate the availability of seeing their lab results and medical information at their fingertips as opposed to having to physically go get a copy of their medical record.
There have been some instances of breaches in confidentiality with medical records, many of which are still under investigation. Another question that has arisen is what will our long term plan for storage and preservation of these records be and how long will we be able to store records in this manner?
For more information on Electronic Health Records please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_health_record
patients.about.com/od/electronicpatientrecords/a/EMRbenefits.htm
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/08/opennotes-access-medical-chart-important.html
***AS ALWAYS WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR RESEARCH AND GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS SUBJECT***
So how is the EHR/EMR being received across the board? For employers it is a costly venture however from a corporate standpoint it helps to improve billing practices. From an employee standpoint it often slows patient care upon initiation due to the learning curve and implementation process of the computer system. Patients who are able to access the internet seem to appreciate the availability of seeing their lab results and medical information at their fingertips as opposed to having to physically go get a copy of their medical record.
There have been some instances of breaches in confidentiality with medical records, many of which are still under investigation. Another question that has arisen is what will our long term plan for storage and preservation of these records be and how long will we be able to store records in this manner?
For more information on Electronic Health Records please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_health_record
patients.about.com/od/electronicpatientrecords/a/EMRbenefits.htm
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/08/opennotes-access-medical-chart-important.html
***AS ALWAYS WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR RESEARCH AND GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS SUBJECT***
A blog about a blog
This is
a quick thank you to each person who is reading our blogs. The nature of this
page is to pass along information between nurses, nurses to be, or anybody with
questions regarding nurses. We encourage you to add your feedback or any
interesting information that you can pass along to others as there is no better
advice than advice from people with real experiences and expertise.
If there is anything in particular that you would like to read a blog about regarding nurses please send us that feedback as well and we will try to include it. If we don't know the answer we will try our best to find it!
Please feel free to add comments, refer this blog to your friends, like us on facebook, or share this information with anybody you see that needs it.
Thanks again to every person who is reading and sharing!
If there is anything in particular that you would like to read a blog about regarding nurses please send us that feedback as well and we will try to include it. If we don't know the answer we will try our best to find it!
Please feel free to add comments, refer this blog to your friends, like us on facebook, or share this information with anybody you see that needs it.
Thanks again to every person who is reading and sharing!
A Nursing Student's Prayer
Thank you Lord, for helping me through
The hours of study and training I'll do.
Give me a keen mind and healthy body, too,
So a nurse's career I can pursue.
Thank you for placing in my heart
Compassion for other to impart.
May my hand be instruments of love
As I seek your wisdom from above.
Guard my thoughts and my tongue,
So words of encouragement are sung.
Give me strength wherever you lead
As I lean on you for my every need.
May nursing never be just a job that I do,
So lives I touch will be a ministry from you.
Help me submit to the Great Physician's commands,
As I remember life and death are in your hands.
And through it all, may I learn and grow,
For these lessons of life I need to know.
Lord help me be persevering too,
And give me courage as only you can do.
Lord, please keep me from all harm
For I know I'm safe in your sheltering arm.
And Lord how I pray you and others will see,
The kind of nurse you'd have me to be.
Janyce C. Randall
The hours of study and training I'll do.
Give me a keen mind and healthy body, too,
So a nurse's career I can pursue.
Thank you for placing in my heart
Compassion for other to impart.
May my hand be instruments of love
As I seek your wisdom from above.
Guard my thoughts and my tongue,
So words of encouragement are sung.
Give me strength wherever you lead
As I lean on you for my every need.
May nursing never be just a job that I do,
So lives I touch will be a ministry from you.
Help me submit to the Great Physician's commands,
As I remember life and death are in your hands.
And through it all, may I learn and grow,
For these lessons of life I need to know.
Lord help me be persevering too,
And give me courage as only you can do.
Lord, please keep me from all harm
For I know I'm safe in your sheltering arm.
And Lord how I pray you and others will see,
The kind of nurse you'd have me to be.
Janyce C. Randall
HOW ARE NURSES LICENSED?
Licensing Nurses from Ehow
-
After completing a nursing program at an accredited college or university, a nursing student must pass state boards to obtain a nursing license. The student will apply to the state government's licensing body and receive an application packet. The student will complete the application and submit it to the state with the required registration fee. (These fees vary in each state; see the link in Resources for specific information.) The student will then receive a test date to take the national licensing exam, the NCLEX. Before passing the state boards, a nurse may not work as an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) or RN (Registered Nurse). A student who fails the licensing exam must wait 6 months to retake the exam.
Read more: How Does the Government Affect Nursing? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4607847_government-affect-nursing.html#ixzz1wZTHCLbH
RN or LPN?
In my opinion it all depends on what your plans are for your nursing career. It usually takes a year of study to become a LPN, and a diploma or certificate will be issued. It takes anywhere from 2 to 4 years to become a RN depending on whether you choose to get your Bachelors or Associates degree.
As far as pay scales go there are many sites you can go to research pay rates however RN's typically have higher pay rates than LPNs. You can visit sites such as www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Licensed_Practical_Nurse_(LPN)/Salary and www.aboutnursing.com/jobs/rn-lpn-nurse-salary.htm to get an idea of pay scales.
In my experience working side by side with LPNs in the hospital I felt that they were not paid fairly because the majority of the time they were doing the same job as the RNs. If you are planning to work in the hospital I would recommend getting your RN. In my experience in home health LPNs are paid very fair as they are not required to do the amount of paperwork that the RNs are required to do when nurses are paid per visit. RNs are also required to supervise LPNs in home health.
The advantage to getting your LPN is that the training is shorter and you can start your career sooner and always further your career after you start working. The advantage to getting your RN is that you start out at a higher payscale and you will only have to worry about going back to school if you want to advance in your career or specialize.
I have had many LPNs tell me that they had planned on going back to get their RN but got very busy with life and were not able to go back to school. If your definite plan is to get your RN and you have the time and resources I recommend getting your Associates in Nursing to begin with.
Again, it all depends on what your plans are and what company you work for.
You landed a nursing job! Congratulations! Now, you must make sure that you get
the most our of your job orientation. This is your chance to gain the knowledge
to either float or sink when it is time to fly on your own! Below are a few tips
that will help you get the most out of your orientation.
"Many nurses point to stress, lack of supervision, and poor on-the-job training as their reasons for leaving the field." Follow this link to read the rest of this article- http://www.newamerica.net/blog/new-health-dialogue/2009/quality-job-training-lowers-turnover-rate-nurses-10151
- If your nursing preceptor/mentor is negative, lazy, incompetent, hateful, etc. PLEASE go to your nursing director/manager and request a new preceptor/mentor immediately! This is YOUR job orientation and it is imperative that you get the most out of it! Do not accept less!
- It may help to keep a journal of the things you are seeing and learning each day during orientation and post orientation. This may help you put the BIGGER picture together.
- Ask lots and lots of questions! Ask multiple nurses the same questions. Everyone has a different perspective. Don't forget to ask doctor's, physician assistant's and nurse practitioner's questions. They serve as a great resource with a wealth of knowledge (most of them will not hesitate to take the time to answer your questions).
- Sometimes you don't always have time during work hours to get the full answers you are looking for. If you have questions or would like more information about a specific disease process, procedure, etc. Write your question down and look it up at home that night.
- Subscribe to a nursing journal. Nursing journals are full of useful and up to date information.
- If your orientation is nearing an end and you truly do not feel prepared, share this with your nursing director and request more orientation time.
"Many nurses point to stress, lack of supervision, and poor on-the-job training as their reasons for leaving the field." Follow this link to read the rest of this article- http://www.newamerica.net/blog/new-health-dialogue/2009/quality-job-training-lowers-turnover-rate-nurses-10151
Nursing- to be or not to be? That is the question!
So you think you want to
be a nurse? Thinking is always the first step. Hopefully you have started
doing your research on what the word "nursing" entails and have a career path
in mind. If not, you had better start working on it.I have been a registered nurses for 13 years and when I made the decision to go to nursing school there were not many resources out there to help me make decisions. I was on a wing and a prayer and thankfully I attended a nursing school that helped me acheive my goals and enter into the wide open world of nursing. It is a constantly changing career path that has the opportunity to take you many places if you so desire.
With the invention of blogging and the internet we have the ability to research many sites and review the experiences of nursing students, new nurses, old nurses, and get a look into nursing careers all over the world. I encourage each and every person who is considering becoming a nurse to DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Visit websites, research schools, research career paths, research companies, research student loan facilities and grant availability, research the good, the bad and the ugly. In other words RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!!!!!
One recommendation is to start out with a career path survey to see if your interests and talents reflect that of what is required in the nursing field. Some examples of these surveys can be found on sites like www.careerpath.com and www.myersbriggs.org. These sites have career path surveys that will help you distinguish your strengths and weaknessess and help you determine if nursing may be the correct path for you
A second recommendation is to sit down and write a brief summary of why at this moment you think you want to be a nurse. Just simply do a rough draft starting out with "I want to be a nurse because......" and see where this leads you. You will also eventually be able to use this in an essay that may be required by the nursing school you plan to attend to get accepted into a program. An example of nursing essays can be found at www.allfreeessays.com/topics/why-i-want-to-become-a-nurse so you can see how just writing a rough draft of why you think you want to be a nurse may be beneficial to you in the future.
There are many, many resources on the internet that can help you decide whether or not to make this career choice and help you decide what path to take. Our advice is simple: DO YOUR RESEARCH! You may find that your original plan can take you in 1,000 different directions!
New Grad Nurse Panic
I am here to tell you, everyone feels this way. The truth is you learn the basics in nursing school, however, you don't really learn until you start your first job and you are actually taking care of patients. You cannot possibly put together what COPD looks like from a book, you have to see it. Once you see many of the things you will encounter as a nurse, you will not forget it. You will recognize it immediately the next time you see it. Do not feel overwhelmed (easy for me to say, right?). Take each day in stride and put those fears and anxiety's aside. This will assure that you can learn as much as possible each day during your job orientation.
Check out this site http://www.nursetogether.com/Lifestyle/Lifestyle-Article/itemId/2663/6-Tips-on-Stress-and-Anxiety-Management-in-Nursing.aspx for 6 Tips on Stress and Anxiety Management in Nursing.
Another great article is at http://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/anxiety-and-work/ . Article excerpt, "Her initial observation was that the work of nursing is itself exceptionally anxiety-producing. Nurses work with people who are ill or dying. Wrong decisions can have devastating consequences. Nurses must respond to the distressed family of the patient. Many tasks are distasteful or repulsive."
****To
be a nurse you must be prepared and open to a career long learning
experience.****
Today's Nursing Quote
Nurses dispense comfort, compassion,
and caring without even a prescription. ~Val Saintsbury
Types of Conflicts in Nursing
Read more: Types of Conflicts in Nursing | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5630265_types-conflicts-nursing.html#ixzz1xWOUvdN9
IMPROVING WAIT TIMES- URGENT CARES GROWING FAST
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is the fastest growing segment of our healthcare system. This growth is directly related to the desire of patients to have easy access to quality medicine provided by informed and connected medical providers. Urgent Care has demonstrated to be both convenient and cost effective.
Largely, urgent care providers specialize in treating a disease, illness, or injury when presented on an episodic basis. The disease, illness or injury which is treated in the urgent care setting is usually acute, and with treatment, is fully corrected in seven to fourteen days.
Because of the focus on only episodic problems, the urgent care providers generally do not provide obstetric services, in-hospital admission, long term management of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or other conditions requiring long term medical management. However, we do have a large network of specialty physicians that we will refer you to for continued care.
Many emergency medicine trained physicians are shifting to an urgent care medical practice in order to escape the overcrowded hospital emergency departments, which have proven to be the least desirable venue for ambulatory care patients to seek immediate care.
Urgent Care Medicine provides services to 85% of the population who do not suffer from a long-term chronic disease, or require the services of a hospital.
90% or more of all encounters at urgent care centers are episodic and acute, including, minor lacerations, fractures, bumps, sore throats, ear infections, and other "just don’t feel good" conditions.
It is documented that one of the leading causes of waiting in MD offices and Emergency Rooms is due to unneccessary visit reasons many of which can be managed at Urgent Care facilities.
FOR INFORMATION ON ER VS. URGENT CARE VISIT www.health.com/health/article/0,,20456481,00.html
www.urgentcare.org/UrgentCareDefined/ERvsUrgentCare/tabid/253/...
For information on employment at an Urgent Care facility visit www.urgentcareemployment.com
Urgent care is the fastest growing segment of our healthcare system. This growth is directly related to the desire of patients to have easy access to quality medicine provided by informed and connected medical providers. Urgent Care has demonstrated to be both convenient and cost effective.
Largely, urgent care providers specialize in treating a disease, illness, or injury when presented on an episodic basis. The disease, illness or injury which is treated in the urgent care setting is usually acute, and with treatment, is fully corrected in seven to fourteen days.
Because of the focus on only episodic problems, the urgent care providers generally do not provide obstetric services, in-hospital admission, long term management of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or other conditions requiring long term medical management. However, we do have a large network of specialty physicians that we will refer you to for continued care.
Many emergency medicine trained physicians are shifting to an urgent care medical practice in order to escape the overcrowded hospital emergency departments, which have proven to be the least desirable venue for ambulatory care patients to seek immediate care.
Urgent Care Medicine provides services to 85% of the population who do not suffer from a long-term chronic disease, or require the services of a hospital.
90% or more of all encounters at urgent care centers are episodic and acute, including, minor lacerations, fractures, bumps, sore throats, ear infections, and other "just don’t feel good" conditions.
It is documented that one of the leading causes of waiting in MD offices and Emergency Rooms is due to unneccessary visit reasons many of which can be managed at Urgent Care facilities.
FOR INFORMATION ON ER VS. URGENT CARE VISIT www.health.com/health/article/0,,20456481,00.html
www.urgentcare.org/UrgentCareDefined/ERvsUrgentCare/tabid/253/...
For information on employment at an Urgent Care facility visit www.urgentcareemployment.com
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