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 ...

Celebrities. We love to hate them. We also love to watch their every move, laugh at their mistakes and scrutinize their decisions. Like them or not, their celebrity status means not only have they achieved career success, they’ve also got a hell of a lot to lose. And sometimes, whatever actions have helped catapult them to fame or rendered them ...

Have you heard of the value of networking but don’t know how to get started? Do you consider yourself shy and uncomfortable striking up conversations? Then join the crowd. Most people feel exactly as you do and dread going out in public and meeting new people. However, once you learn a few practical tips on how to get started and get ...

Now that Spain has won and the World Cup is over, this is a good time to look at other aspects of South African life, such as what it's like to be a nurse in that country. From job satisfaction, working conditions, and a different medical system, nursing in South Africa is a whole other experience. Risk of Violence Violence occurs ...

When it comes to your career, do you lie to yourself? The answer is most likely ‘yes.’ In an article I read by Sam Sommers, a professor of psychology at Tufts University, he explains how and why we like to kid ourselves. He explains: “People do this all the time. We bend the facts to fit our self-image, perpetuating a ...

For healthcare professionals and aspirants, 2011 will be a building year. Healthcare hiring may pick up a bit after slow growth in 2009 and 2010, but several factors will continue to constrain the creation of jobs and limit career mobility. Still, healthcare continues to be the countercyclical career success story of the great recession. From the start of the downturn ...

One of the hard parts about being a nurse manager is evaluating another nurse’s performance. Looking another nurse in the eye, who is your co-worker and sometimes even friend, and telling them how well, or bad, they perform can be difficult. I am working on two evaluations right now. One is an excellent nurse. She was hired as a new graduate ...

Maybe it’s the whiny colleague who makes your 12-hour nursing shift seem twice as long or the turf war raging between the nurses, physicians and technicians in your department. Or maybe you’re just tired of feeling overworked and underappreciated. Whatever the scenario, you sense that changes are needed before you lose your sanity or start looking for another nursing job. Whether ...

Critical thinking skills are an important aspect of nursing. The concept can be a nightmare for some nursing students who struggle to understand. It’s a popular topic for many a nursing thesis or publication which many times only serves to further confuse the students. It’s not really that complex of a concept if one takes the time to break it down ...

Nurses can now become expert witnesses, a field previously dominated by physicians. All nurses, regardless of education or specialty, interested in expanding their career options to be nurse expert witnesses will learn skills for this new career at a two-day legal nurse certification course in four locations this spring which are offered by Jurex Center For Legal Nurse Consulting, www.jurexnurse.com. The ...

Healthcare is one industry where good employees are always in demand. With the aging Baby Boom generation expected to stretch the healthcare system to its limit, hospitals and other healthcare employers have a continuing need for workers to fill a variety of entry-level roles, such as dietary aide, admissions representative, administrative assistant, medical records assistant, housekeeper, patient technician, unit clerk and ...

We all have dreams and goals for our personal life and career. Whether you are a brand new nurse straight out of school or a seasoned nurse looking toward your future, we all need a little bit of help and guidance. That is why a mentor is so important. Not only to help you as a nurse just managing like I ...

It is official…3 West is closing permanently. During an emergency meeting, the staff was informed that the neurosurgical floor will close at the end of this month. One of the neurosurgeons has retired and the other two are leaving to start a practice in another state. The patient census has been consistently down over the past year…the unit is simply losing ...

The adage says, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and its wisdom is applicable to job seekers. It is usually far easier to find another job if you're already employed. But how can you ensure that the worst never happens to you -- that you're never left without a job and possibilities for your next opportunity? ...

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 ...

As the fields of nursing and medicine become more demanding, the number of medical and nursing malpractice lawsuits are on the rise. As a result, the need for nurse experts to help with these lawsuits is becoming equally more demanding. In many states, medical malpractice cases require the use of expert witnesses. This includes nurse experts. Often called legal nurse consultants, ...

You’d think it would be easy. At lunchtime you get hungry, so you grab some food from the hospital cafeteria and go on with your shift. However, lunch at the hospital is rarely that simple. What you eat, where you eat and whom you eat with are all things your coworkers are paying attention to. This doesn’t mean every lunch has ...

Nursing today is definitely a highly skilled, high-tech profession. Smartphones, tablet computers, and a variety of easily accessible apps bring the world of technology to our fingertips, increasing the amount of information we can access and share in a very short time. But the so-called "little things" – listening to patients, touching them, spending time with family – still make a ...

When you’ve worked so hard to get that first job after college, the last thing you want is to screw it up. Sadly, new grads do it all the time. The problem rarely stems from lack of knowledge or poor technical skills. It often goes back to something simpler: Your persona in the workplace, particularly during your first few weeks on ...

You did everything right. You were accessible, you met every deadline, you handled every task and you even boosted the company's bottom line. That promotion you've been eyeing should be yours. Well, maybe not. Nearly everyone has been passed over for a job they "deserved." If and when that happens there are five important steps to take, according to career counselors. ...