When President Obama campaigned for the presidency, he was endorsed by the American Nurses Association because he took the time to listen and understand the role of nurses in health care today. He listened to the struggles and challenges of nursing, and promised that if elected, he would address and help resolve these issues. The result of this promise is the ...

1. Learn About Industry Trends and Breakthroughs Social media is largely about learning. While some of us are leveraging social media as marketing or micro-blogging tools, many nurses are banding together and sharing important information about trends happening in their industry today. Great ways to learn about what’s happening in healthcare now: • Follow and fan professional organizations like the ...

Ever had dreams of leaving it all behind to volunteer your skills in another country? More importantly, have you thought of all the lives you could improve with your nursing skills? Whether you’re clearing debris from a storm or volunteering in a medical clinic, the actions that you take while volunteering can make a big difference. So why not explore it? ...

One in six Americans was living in poverty in 2008, and that number has risen in 2009. Many of these people have gone without—and continue to go without—health insurance. We asked Jane Dellert, a nurse of 41 years who has treated uninsured children at low-cost clinics since the 1990s, what she thinks about the current healthcare crisis and what nurses can ...

I thought I’d share an old blog post concerning new versus experienced nurses and where they ‘should’ work fresh out of nursing school. Of course I’m now a 5 year veteran, but the blog post still holds true for me. I think today’s economy has definitely impacted the amount of nursing jobs out there for new graduate nurses, but I still ...

What would a Halloween party be without a naughty nurse? What porn movie isn’t complete without the rather large-chested and always available nurse? And then, of course, there are the soap operas (and seemingly legit evening medical dramas) with the pouty-lipped nurses who are out to nab Dr. Right. Is it any wonder why nurses are fed up with how we’re ...

You can never be too safe. In no industry is that more true than in healthcare. No matter your job title, you are impacting patients' lives every day. You may think that medical malpractice insurance only applies to physicians and nurses, but in actuality, almost every healthcare professional can obtain some form of malpractice coverage either through your employer, a professional ...

Over the past several months there have been murmurs of budget problems at your facility. You are not overly concerned, having survived hard times in the past. The department director has requested a meeting with you for this afternoon. Upon entering the conference room, you are greeted by your director and the manager of human resources. There is a stack of ...

With the various corporate scandals of recent years, we've seen plenty of headlines about whistleblowers in the business world. Now, the nursing industry is bringing us its own front-page cases that could see more medical watchdogs come to the fore. Legal experts say the number of whistleblower cases in the healthcare field has been on the rise since 1999, when the ...

Despite the downturn in the economy, nurses have been repeatedly told that their careers are recession-proof. Proponents of this outlook site statistics about the healthcare industry adding jobs each month and the increased demand for RNs, LPNs and medical assistants. But healthcare hasn't been immune to the recession. Healthcare professionals have been laid off - and you might be one of ...

One of the most important roles for all nurses is patient education. As we move forward with the healthcare reform, that role is going to continue to expand in action and importance. A big concern plaguing the new reform act is the high cost of medical care. Through education and information, nurses can help patients learn more about their health status ...

If you're an adrenaline junkie seeking a lifetime of adventure, look no further than emergency nursing, where you could work to save lives in high-pressure situations. Here's a look at some of the aspects that set this niche apart. The Thrill According to Carol Howat, RN, BSN, a nurse in the emergency room of Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Nurses are supposed to be compassionate caregivers. So why are so many scarred emotionally from the gossip, backstabbing, second-guessing and other abusive, demoralizing or hostile acts nurses inflict on one another? If you've had enough of the fighting, read on. Veteran nurses explain why such horizontal hostility occurs, revealing the true price it exacts, and share tips for creating a more ...

As "graduation season" approaches once again, another class of nurses will be looking for jobs and many will be disappointed that there seem to be no jobs available which is not what they expected when they became nursing students. For years we have experienced and heard about this terrible shortage of nurses and if you want to walk out of school ...

Nurses are discovering how to transform their frustrations into accomplishments by participating in a form of leadership known as shared governance. "Shared governance recognizes the professional status of the nurse," says Kevin Hannifan, vice president and chief operating officer at Hartford Hospital, where shared governance started to take form at the end of 1999. "Instead of having guys like me or ...

Recession-Proof Industries The rate of job openings and new hires has steadily decreased since 2007, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And unemployment rates are holding fast at 10 percent, which also doesn't bode well. According to the December employment report, 6.1 million people face long-term unemployment. Even though experts are hollering about the impending end ...

Many people are surprised to know that the first nurses throughout the world were actually men. The first nursing school was in India in about 250 BC and only men were felt to be pure enough to be nurses. During the Black Plague in the 1300's, a group of men formed one of the first hospitals to care for the victims. ...

*Q: How can I be responsible for a bad patient outcome when I barely knew the patient? Am I responsible for a patient's bad outcome when several others also took care of the patient? Why am I being sued when the patient was well and discharged from my floor a week ago? I am only the HMO "Call A Nurse", how ...