If you deal with daily staff meetings and interactions with doctors and patients, you know just how important it is to speak assertively and get heard! But what exactly does “assertively” mean and how do you speak your mind without coming across as rude? These are important questions, as communicating effectively — not to mention politely — is pivotal to your ...

I don’t care. Those aren’t the words you want to hear coming from the mouth of a nurse. Now true, nurses are human, and there are things that we don’t care about, but the phrase itself, while on the job, just sounds so… unprofessional. As nurses, we encounter so many challenges every day. Often times we have to wait on other ...

How does "liking" my patients affect my nursing care? Well, frankly, it doesn't. I'll admit that in my new job, because I am working with such a different demographic of people, I have been struggling to "like" my patients. For some reason, liking my patients and feeling needed has provided a lot of job satisfaction for me. Because I am an ...

As if nursing wasn't stressful enough, some patients make it a point to make your jobs even more difficult. Whether they are ungrateful, disrespectful, or just plain clueless, these annoying patients tend to grate on your last nerves. Unfortunately, most of the time, there's not much you can do about it, save calling security if things get really out of ...

1. Why do you want to work in this industry? Bad answer: “I love to talk medical jargon. Even as a kid, I spent hours flipping through medical dictionaries and pretending I was a nurse.” Don’t just say you like it. Anyone can do that. Focus instead on your history with that particular industry, and if you can, tell a success ...

If you’re a newcomer to healthcare or are considering entering it, you may think your job history and experiences outside the field are irrelevant. You’re wrong. Many of your strengths and skills - whether they include customer-service expertise or the ability to multitask under pressure - are probably more relevant and transferable to healthcare than you realize. A healthcare professional and ...

Did you know that anyone – your employer, a co-worker, a patient, even a jilted lover – can file a complaint against your practice? Handle it well, and you could turn it into a valuable learning experience. Handle it poorly, and you could lose your license. NursingLink spoke to a Sheryl Oakes Caddy, a nurse, nursing faculty instructor and an attorney ...

Across the country is seemingly a contradiction of needs. Projections point toward a nursing shortage while in reality at this time, hundreds of nurses are graduating from nursing school and cannot find a job. I read story after story from new nurse graduates who cannot find employment and desperation is setting in. As a former nurse manager I read these stories ...

Shirley sat in the front row of new hire orientation. Her face beamed with the enthusiastic glow of a new nurse. She eagerly asked questions, scribbled notes and participated in group discussions. Shirley is not your average graduate nurse…she was 60 years old when she graduated from nursing school. Her childhood dream had always been to become a nurse. However, her ...

As much as we may like nursing and the fun parts of our jobs, like talking to patients and getting to do procedures (yes, this is fun for us students!), there are the parts that make us feel sort of like the “Dirty Jobs” guy. Cleaning up after our patient’s is definitely low on my list of “why I love nursing,” ...

The idea of quitting a terrible nursing job must be pretty tempting. You're thinking of all the perfect ways to tell your supervising nurse to shove it — but have you thought about the consequences? Do you know what you’re going to do after the big event? Are you prepared to just walk away from your patients as you leave ...

With the downturn in the US economy, workplaces are becoming more and more diverse age-wise. Older workers are working alongside younger workers as people at every stage in their nursing career are getting laid off. With this generational gap among health care workers widening, there’s a lot of potential for miscommunication or differing perspectives. Though many people will absolutely deny ...

It's no secret that nursing is dominated by women; as of 2010, only 5.4% of nurses were male. However, in a female-heavy industry, male nurses are often not given the appreciation they deserve. This may not be the popular opinion, especially when so many women these days go with the, "I don't need a man" attitude, but this nurse really appreciates ...

Look at this lucky man: He has a whole flock of young student nurses standing by to meet his every need. I bet this gentleman loved every single nurse in that picture. Enjoy his adoration, ladies; sometime during your nursing career, someone isn’t going to want you as their nurse. It happens to everyone and it feels like a slap in ...

Are you considering a new career? Did you always want to be a nurse, but took another route? Or are you dissatisfied with your present career and its lack of personal touch? Nursing as a second career is becoming a very popular move. Second career students are popular with nursing schools and faculty as these students are more mature and frequently ...

Don't just sit there, basking in your continued employment... Phew. You survived the culling. Or maybe your hospital has managed to avoid a mass layoff. Either way, you're one of the lucky ones. Unlike so many of your friends and family, you won’t have to deal with the unemployment office or cancel your cable — yet. But instead of sitting ...

I have heard that it takes only thirty seconds for the average person to decide if they like someone they just met. If we are picking out friends, great, no need to waste time on somebody you don’t like right from the start. But in the workplace, that first impression is key in setting the stage for developing a professional relationship ...

I must confess: I love being a nurse! I have been a nurse for 21 years now. Funny, I completed nursing school when I was 31 (with three children, a husband, and a very busy life). I remember when contemplating finishing school as a nurse I thought briefly I was too old to go back to school. (I was 28 at ...

Every nurse (and student nurse!) carries around the essentials, here’s my “Top Ten” pocket-essentials for nursing and clinicals! 1. Pens – There’s something magical about nursing – nurses can make pens disappear into thin air! Make sure you keep extras near by, but always have a black ink pen on hand. Even if your hospital has gone paper-less, you’ll need it ...

The role of "patient advocate" is new and evolving. As the importance of patients' rights gains momentum, a group of healthcare professionals has banded together to stand up for the best interests of their patients. Because patient advocates are a new career path, many healthcare professionals declare themselves "patient advocates" after extensive experience in the fields. However, degree programs focusing on ...