This article originally appeared in Scrubs Magazine. In nursing, like all vocations based on serving others, the best practitioners are those who do it not for recognition or financial gain, but rather out of a sense of responsibility. As a young girl in upstate New York, Pattie Jakel felt the calling. At the age of 15, she found herself caring ...

Alzheimer’s doesn’t play favorites. The soccer mom who was president of a neighborhood volunteer organization in years past may now be an angry woman, pacing the floor, trying to “escape” from the facility where she now lives. The professor who held court in front of thousands of students over the years may now be unable to lift the spoon to his ...

Working with doctors is a major part of being a nurse. There really ought to be a whole course devoted just to the subject! It's usually expected that students will learn how to work with doctors as they progress through their clinical rotations even though they may rarely interact. Next: Rule #1 >> [photo:169836] Featured Author: Kathy Quan Kathy Quan, ...

Congratulations, you landed the job! The hard part is over, right? Not exactly. Your first few weeks in a new company are crucial — they can determine whether your future is paradise or purgatory. And we're not talking only about mastering the technical aspects of your new job. How you behave in your new work environment is just as important — ...

Have you ever seen anything so big? James is 87, the sweetest of patients, one of nature’s gentlemen. Just the other day when I was giving James a sponge bath I stood him up next to the bed so I could wash his privates when he looked down and said, “Have you ever seen anything so big?” I didn’t know what ...

The stresses and strains of working in the nursing industry can take their toll on even the strongest personality. From persistent patients to strict regulations, nurses are constantly facing challenges both big and small, physical and emotional. At some point, it is more than likely that the pressures of your job will get to you and you will wonder, "Is ...

The hospital can be a political minefield. While you may all work as a team, you're all most concerned with your own job, right? How your supervisor sees you can determine a raise, a promotion — or even if you keep your job. Navigating hospital politics is not an easy task, but avoiding potentially negative situations should be your first priority. ...

Few things are more frustrating than working with a charge nurse who just doesn’t get it. But before you blow up, take a deep breath. Then ask yourself: What exactly is the problem? Are you frustrated because your charge nurse asks you to do one thing, then complains because you haven’t done something else? Do they refuse to help out on ...

It happens every year. Nurses must write a self-evaluation when it's time to get their raise. No worries, right? Wrong! What you write can affect what your boss is willing to shell out of his or her pocket at the beginning of the fiscal year. Learn how to write a self-evaluation that will make your boss think you're the greatest nurse ...

Everyone has something (or someone) that annoys him or her at the hospital. It could be faulty medical equipment or nurses who don't pull their own weight. But nobody's complaining about you, right? Not so fast. Even though your mom, friends, or significant other may worship the ground you walk on, there could be some people you work with who ...

As a nurse, you’ll be expected to deal with various kinds of situations and many emergencies. However, while you might be prepared to deal with emergencies, dealing with difficult patients is what will tax your resources. You’re not alone in this. Every health care facility has its share of difficult patients. You dread seeing their names on your nursing schedule. The ...

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 ...

In work, as in sports, it’s not enough to know your position – you must be able to work with others. In any medical office or environment, doing your specific job well is expected, but you work as a small part of a much larger whole. What does “teamwork” actually mean, and how can you help turn your hospital or clinic ...

My apologies to James Carville. I plagiarized his tagline because the insurance industry has forgotten about sick people during our national healthcare debate. I remember when nurses and insurance companies use to get along with each other. Back in the 1960s, these nurses even took time out of their busy schedules to pose for one of their ads. We took care ...

It’s said that ignorance of the law is no defense—but how do we know we’re breaking a law if we don’t know it exists? Luckily, we do know the serious laws, particularly those that have to do with practicing nursing. We know about HIPAA, that diverting narcotics is a Bad Thing, and that we can’t strangle a visitor who is getting ...

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 ...

All workplaces have people that you might not get along with. Hospitals and care centers are no different. The only difference is the stress levels can be even higher because you're dealing with actual life and death situations. For nurses who already have their hands full with multiple patients, long shifts, and the inevitable unexpected situations, the last thing they ...

In the health care setting, life-or-death situations can spell high-flying emotions — not just from patients, but from team members and your nurse manager. This guide to body language will help you “read” what a person may not necessarily be telling you. For example, want to know the secrets that your manager’s body language may be telling you? The nonverbal cues ...

Patient teaching and patient education are big topics in nursing. Good preventative health education helps keep people from becoming patients and good patient education helps patients from getting worse or helps them manage their condition or illness. It used to be that nurses had time to sit down and discuss various issues with their patients, answering questions and generally providing support. ...

Last week I spent four days at Disney World with my family. It was amazing see the magic of it all though my four year old’s eyes. One of the biggest things I was amazed by was how friendly everybody was. And their friendliness made even waiting for over an hour for a three minute ride tolerable. I saw people yelling ...