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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

"Monitor Alarm Fatigue: Lessons Learned"- Sign up for this webcast!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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!

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

"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."

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.

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.

These tips not only apply to new graduate nurses, but to anyone starting a new nursing position. Congrats on your new position and good luck!

"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

New Grad Nurse Panic

While in nursing school I just couldn't wait to graduate, then graduation was finally nearing and I distinctly remember feeling panic setting in. What! Graduating? I can't graduate! I don't know anything!

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.****

Types of Conflicts in Nursing

By Abby Hall, eHow Contributor

"Conflicts are common in all workplaces, including nursing departments in medical facilities. The conflicts can be stressful and escalate, so it's important for nurses and their supervisors to learn how to manage them."

Read more: Types of Conflicts in Nursing | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5630265_types-conflicts-nursing.html#ixzz1xWOUvdN9