Nursing school can be a difficult time.
For most nursing students, nursing school means studying for exams and turning in papers. There is a lot to learn and so much information to absorb. No wonder nursing school can be tough. Continue reading
Nurse practitioners teach health. In fact, as nurses know this is true of nurses and nursing students in all settings and levels of experience. Nurses advocate for well-being, teach healthy behaviors, and literally assist people back to their level of optimal wellness. Continue reading
Somehow the old adage still rings true. Nursing students are often told after graduation they need to get 1-2 years of medical-surgical nursing experience, before entering the nursing career of their dreams. Not only does this burst the new graduates’ hopes and dreams metaphorical bubble… but these days… this is next to impossible to happen! Continue reading
While we are often reminded of the current nursing shortage, this does not mean are jobs are always guaranteed. In today’s ever-shifting healthcare environment, many factors can create unpredictability in the workplace. Continue reading
Nurses and nursing students alike often share an important attribute. They tend to be life-long learners.
With the desire to stay up-to-date on professional skills and the drive to engage in a profession influenced by evidence-based practice, many of us set professional goals for further education. We look to develop both personally and professionally to stay ahead of the healthcare curve. And with this nature of curiosity and continued learning, comes goal setting.
For how can a nurse or nursing student get where they want to go in their nursing career without a plan? Continue reading
For the most part, the month of February makes people think of ‘love’. With the Valentine’s holiday, whether you view it as hallmark or not, we are reminded of relationships and the values of caring and love. While it is certainly nice to bring flowers home to your spouse or candy treats into the workplace for your colleagues, what about the most important person in your life? You! Continue reading
This time of year has us do one of two things (or both). We reflect back on the past. You know, how far we’ve come. What’s working (and what’s not). Which leads us to do the second. Think about what needs to change. Continue reading
Nursing is certainly one of the busiest professions. Not only do we work our own shifts, often we are asked to cover for our colleagues. Making shift switches, working overtime and coming in for on-call can add to the time you spend on the job. How can a busy nurse have a life when constantly at work?
Many nurses may want to run for the hills when they hear the term ‘work life balance’. Before you stop reading this post, I do want to put you at ease. Balance certainly is something we may never fully achieve. And guess what? That is OK, even normal. In reality, balance is something we are continuously working to maintain. Continue reading
These days nurses work at an extremely fast pace. During most shifts, it feels as though we don’t even have any time to sit down… let alone take a break to eat lunch!
Nursing leadership wants us to participate in shared governance, conduct nursing research and continue with professional development. But how can we do this when we’re faced with so many competing priorities at work. How can we better manage our day so that we have time for our patient care (and ourselves)? Continue reading
Healthcare is ever-changing. There are policies to review, electronic systems to learn and patients to keep up with. Add to this fast pace of nursing, the diverse personalities we find ourselves working with, a nurse’s job can be challenging (to say the least).
As a nurse practitioner, you work with a wide array of professions and interact with individuals on many levels of the career spectrum. A difficult co-worker, disgruntled family member or even an irate patient can muddle up the work day. So what can we do about it? Continue reading