We’ve all had bosses that we’ve either loved or hated. The boss who helped you get that promotion, or the one who clipped her toenails at the nurse's station. Some help us advance our career, while others seem to hold us back. Different leadership styles can lead to different results for each nurse. But certain styles seem to be good ...

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 ...

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 ...

"Everybody lies" is the mantra of Dr. Gregory House, and it's not just true on a fictional drama like House. Are your patients lying to you? As a nurse, you've come across your fair share of fibbing cases, and you know some patients will go to great lengths to cover up something they don't want you to know. Fortunately, nurses are ...

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 ...

Providing excellent patient care is the most important aspect of nursing. Moreover, taking credit for the care given is also an important responsibility. Most nurses hate the paperwork more than any other aspect of their job, but it’s critical that it be done, and be done well. As with every aspect of quality patient care, charting should be exceptional; it should ...

[photo:168642] If you’re a seasoned nurse, you may be wondering: How can I be more efficient at my job? Have I really found the best pair of shoes? And if you’re a nursing student, you may be thinking: Can I get away with a cheap stethoscope? How do I shop for my first real set of scrubs? Get the tips, tricks ...

Are you one of the 6 million Americans that work on the night shift? I am! My usual routine is EVERY Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from 6:45 PM to 7:15 AM. Recently, I added a contract nursing job on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM. The contract nursing job is only temporary, and believe it ...

Let’s face it: We’ve all doubted certain patients’ complaints of pain. We’ve all wondered whether their “pain” was really a not-so-cleverly disguised cry for a cheap fix. So how do you know if your patient is in pain—or just wants drugs? In Part I and Part II of our Pain Management series, ER doc Brady Pregerson and Nurse Rebekah Child examined ...

More thoughts on orientation because, as I’ve stated before, I am about to be an orientee again, and am trying to psyche myself up so I can survive! I walked away from my last stint as an orientee with this thought: there is not a formula for the perfect preceptor—perfect preceptors do NOT exist! Through experience I adopted a healthy ...

Our Favorite Mistakes Made in the Pursuit of Care 1. Discharge status: Alive but without permission. 2. The patient has no previous history of suicides. 3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital. 4. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night. 5. Patient has chest pain if ...

Men and women are feeling the squeeze: on one end from child care, for which, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 15 percent of workers had access to employer assistance in 2006, and on the other end from elder care as demographics shift toward an aging population. With these dual responsibilities in mind, some are looking to flexible ...

Night shifts, be they 12 or eight hours (1900 to 0700 or 2330 to 0730) are tough to work, even if you work them regularly. It's just not natural for our body to be up and alert all night, only to (hopefully) be refreshed during the day. It seems that no matter how well you think you sleep during the day, ...

Do you recognize anyone in this picture? The one wearing the nurse’s cap is yours truly. The cute little gentleman was my patient. This picture appeared in my nursing school yearbook, circa 1977. (Did we all have bad hair like that back then?) I remember loving my little geriatric patients. Yes, all patients need support and understanding, but nurses must know ...

Many nurses might regard a patient who refuses to take a certain medication, constantly has a roomful of visitors or demands that a family member feed him as noncompliant. However, nurses who dig deeper may discover these behaviors are a product of the patient's cultural beliefs and values - deep-rooted ideologies that nurses can preserve or accommodate. "To be a true ...

For a New Year’s treat, we asked Head Nurse Jo to give us the lowdown…and the highlights…of the people that you meet each day. She advised us, “These are in no particular order.” So, draw whatever conclusions you wish! Without further ado, THE LIST. Next: Attending Physicians >> Featured Author: SCRUBS MAGAZINE Scrubs Magazine is a lifestyle website 100 percent ...

The night shift is a beast of sorts that many nurses need to conquer fresh out of nursing school. This is because new-grad day shifts are usually hard to come by (think specialty nursing). Also, many nurses end up working nights at some point in their career. Fresh out of school, I dreaded working nights, and while I would still like ...

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 ...

As a nurse, do you find yourself getting asked to do pretty much everything? There's a reason for that, besides nurses generally having a ton of work to do (which they do): There's no other profession that asks its employees to wear more hats every workday. Why is this? What makes nursing such a multifaceted job, one that requires the people ...

Starting a new nursing job is a time filled with promise and expectations, but it's also tinged with uncertainty. To help assure your success, heed the advice of experienced nurses. They can help you steer clear of potential missteps and suggest strategies that can help ensure a smooth transition to your new environment. 1. Leverage Your Orientation Take advantage of every ...