Working conditions have always been a big issue for nurses. Floating to another unit can be one of the most irritating things nurses have to deal with on a fairly regular basis. Itʼs not just hospitals where nurses are most likely to float. Nurses in home health, clinics, and other ambulatory settings may also need to help cover other nurseʼs responsibilities ...

As unemployment continues to rise, everyone is looking for other ways to bring in some money while still searching for another job.  Although a job is the conventional way to earn money, sometimes you need to think outside the box or search outside your comfort zone in order to try something new and bring in a little bit of money to ...

Telling the whole truth about yourself in a job interview may mean losing a position to a better-qualified candidate. But the alternative -- lying about your degree, qualifications or experience for short-term gain -- inevitably will come back to haunt you. Still, there are gray areas in which a small fib -- or embellishment -- could go a long way toward ...

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 ...

One of this summer’s hottest concert series is by two 80’s boy bands. Yes, The New Kids on the Block (NKTOB) and the Backstreet Boys (BSB) are hitting the road and selling out places like Chicago. Now, if these guys can come back with a vengeance, then so can anyone out there who is feeling like their career is in the ...

How does one go about getting the name of someone in human resources or the name of a hiring manager? Job listings posted all over the place simply read: No phone calls and direct résumé to BD or some other letter combination at some post office box or no-reply e-mail address. Getting a name is like pulling a needle from a ...

In preparing for a job interview, you've probably practiced a firm (but not too firm) handshake, rehearsed answers to tough questions about your background, and polished up your lucky interview shoes. But many job hunters overlook a crucial part of the interview process: the very end. As you finish an interview, you have one last chance to sell the interviewer on ...

The current economic climate doesn’t exactly lend itself to asking for a raise. With all the talk of bailouts, budget cuts and layoffs (not to mention undue bonuses), many an employee is wary of asking for more money. But what if you deserve a raise? According to some experts, you are in luck. Now could actually be the best time to ...

A great resume and solid interview skills may place job seekers in the running for a position, but a new survey conducted by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service, finds that the results of a reference check can really be what makes—or breaks—a job search. Hiring managers interviewed for the survey said they remove about 21 percent of candidates from consideration after ...

Perhaps it is because nurses are consistently voted as the most trusted profession, but some patients and their family really do let it all hang out. Not that I don’t want my patients to be completely comfortable with and all procedures that we encounter together, but there is something to be said for an effort to maintain modesty. We owe it ...

As a nurse, one of the most unsettling things one can face is seeing a doctor do something incorrect, incompetent, or unethical. Luckily, the vast majority of doctors don't cause a problem in this area. They're well educated, conscientious, and completely trustworthy. But doctors are human, and there are situations when nurses see things from doctors that trigger the questions no ...

To most people, doctors are usually considered to be respectable, knowledgeable, impartial, and — above all — healthy. Patients go to doctors hoping to have their questions answered, their ailments fixed, and — most importantly — for peace of mind. When doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, they are promising to serve to the best of their ability but, at the ...

I’ve always envied those who can flip flop back and forth between day shift and night shift. How do they do it? I think I’ve nailed down some of their secrets, and in so doing have been able to work both day shifts and night shifts in succession. Happily! Nights are often a more peaceful time in the hospital and it’s ...

You spend countless hours taking odd shifts every week, so you can assume that that nature will call at least once during your day (or night) shift. Besides your patients' hospital rooms, the bathroom is where you might spend the most time during the workday. You deal with a lot of unsanitary situations as a nurse. Why take that to the ...

For almost everyone, having a job means working on teams. But not all team leaders know how to create successful teams--by building consensus, setting agendas, meeting deadlines, encouraging good ideas, and so on. In fact, many team leaders are thrown into the role without training in any of these areas. If your leader seems to be less than fully competent, there ...

Nurses love telling stories, don't we? If I didn't know any better you'd think we were all serving in the military in some fashion the way we tell stories of days long ago. If it isn't an incident that happens at work, it's something someone says or does. Or maybe it's something you see at the bedside. A lot of times ...

Peer review: an evaluation tool that gives you an idea of what your co-workers (peers) think of you as a fellow co-worker (and nurse). The concept of the peer review is a relatively new concept for me. I think I was introduced to peer reviews approximately four years ago. It was used as a monitoring tool during my orientation on a ...

Patients come in all shapes and flavors. Sometimes that flavor is ignorant. America is a layered, cosmopolitan country comprised of people of various faiths and ethnicities. Most Americans would agree this is a positive and enlightening thing, but there are a few bad apples out there. Sometimes a closed-minded or culturally illiterate patient is going to wind up in one of ...

Any nurse who has been rejected by a nurse clique or has been the victim of another nurse’s malicious gossip wonders, “Weren’t we all supposed to grow out of this?” Unfortunately, no. According to one study, 38 percent of working adults have experienced bullying at work and 42 percent have witnessed bullying behavior. And while most workplace bullies are men, women ...

Crazy is as crazy does sir. You know crazy don’t you? It’s a garden variety day for most staff nurses. ‘Crazy’ is probably the only constant thing that happens at work. It’s a guarantee that the ‘you-know-what’ will hit the fan inevitably. The question isn’t ‘if’ it will happen, the question is ‘when’ it will happen (more than likely at the ...