NursingLink

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 ...

Nursing can be hazardous. There are infectious diseases, blood-borne pathogens, chemical exposures and workplace violence, not to mention the fact that caring for patients is just plain exhausting. How can you minimize the job's physical demands? Susan Randolph, MSN, RN, president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, offers some healthy reminders. Recognize the Risks Put Yourself First Use Proper ...

Telecommuting provides an attractive option for nurses seeking flexibility and work/life balance. Many large companies hire nurses to work from home doing a variety of jobs. Here's a look at three options: triage (also called telehealth), medical transcription and case management. Telehealth Over the past three years, McKesson Health Solutions, a healthcare services and IT provider, has increased its at-home worker ...

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 Ready for Anything The Know-How Demanding and Rewarding Got What It Takes? [page] The Thrill According to Carol Howat, RN, ...

Surviving your first year as a nurse will likely be one of the biggest challenges you will face in your career. Almost universally, first-year nurses have days, weeks or months when they feel overwhelmed, inadequate, disillusioned, stressed out or all of the above. If you’re thinking, “Was I really cut out for this job?” these tips can help you get through ...

They complain, criticize, shout, swear and may even try to hit you. Difficult patients are an unfortunate fact of life in healthcare. But knowing how to identify, understand and respond to them can make your work life safer and less stressful. *+Identify Difficult Patients+* It's sometimes possible to predict which patients will likely become difficult, abusive or violent. Alzheimer's patients, for ...

Want better patient outcomes, more patient cooperation, fewer errors, greater job satisfaction and more effective use of your time? It's all possible by improving one key skill: Patient communication. "Communication is the most important medical procedure that anyone in healthcare can do," says Maysel Kemp White, PhD, president and CEO of Healthcare Quality and Communication Improvement, an educational and consulting group ...

Interested in combining personal training with nursing? Fitness nurses can work in cardiac rehab, surgical recovery or in health clubs and spas. Some run health fairs or screenings. Others work in hospitals’ own gyms and fitness centers, doing assessments and providing personal training. Sample job description: “Functions as an advisor and resource for Fitness Techs as a member of the patient ...

Do you like to measure progress? Are you the one who keeps score in the Scrabble game? If so, outcomes management may be the nursing specialty for you. Measuring quality – length of stay, quality of care, and utilization – can get you a job working for a health insurance company or hospital system. Sample job description: “Develop ongoing quality measurements ...

Is CSI your favorite TV show? Then forensic nursing may be your calling. This broad field includes death investigations, sexual assault victim examinations, trauma centers, or child advocacy. The common denominator is being part of law enforcement. Sample job description: “Provide physical, forensic, and emotional evaluation of sexual assault patients without physician presence...available as needed for courtroom testimony.” More: What About ...

Do you like your computer? Does order make you happy? Geeks need nurses to help design new tech tools to help hospitals and medicine run more smoothly using digital gear and information systems. Nurses in this specialty can provide real value by knowing nursing processes and skills and helping IT designers create IT that works in real-world, healthcare settings. Sample job ...

Does massage turn you on? Mind-body medicine? Stress reduction techniques? If your idea of self-care is another latte, and you’d like to trade in your high-stress work life for a soothing nurturing atmosphere, then consider holistic nursing, a specialty now for 4,000 nurses. Holistic nurses provide both conventional and complementary medicine, often training in alternative, high-touch modalities in addition to their ...

Is answering the ask-a-nurse advice line your strength? Or perhaps you’re into writing wellness newsletters, running education programs for insurers, or monitoring outcomes data. If so, then insurance nursing offers a lot, including opportunities for growth. Sample job description: "Reviews inpatient admissions to assure appropriate level of care. Coordinates with physicians, staff, and facilities regarding patient care." Related: Managed Care Nurse ...

If faith is a sustaining and central part of your life, consider parish nursing. While once only chaplains provided spiritual counseling to the ill, now nurses can deliver both practical and spiritual care. Parish nurses visit and treat sick patients as well as pray with them, integrating treatment in healing and spirituality. Sample job description: “Christian, wellness centered, body-mind-spirit opportunity…function autonomously ...

Nurses with experience in chemical peels, botox, collagen injections, laser therapy and spider vein treatment can work with a licensed medical director to directly provide medical aesthetics treatments. This field is hot. Sample job description: "Growing business seeking RN to manage a medical spa…Must have experience in lasers, injectables, more." Related: Plastic Surgery Nurse *Next Exciting Career*: *#8 - Faith-Based Nursing* ...

Nursing gives you valuable and marketable experience to offer businesses. Examples include CPR training, adult day care, staffing agencies, educational companies, and more. Being a nurse entrepreneur is a broad field that is constantly changing and growing. Full day seminars on how to start a home study program are available to help nurses think through various business ideas. More: Become a ...

Gone are the days when long term care was just for those in their final years. Today’s shorter in-patient hospital stays put many patients – young or old – into 30-day stays in long term care facilities. Nurses who enjoy spending more than just a few days with patients in a hospital setting may find that long term care offers higher ...

Every healthcare professional encounters patients who are short-tempered, belligerent or just plain rude from time to time. But the frequency of these encounters may increase as the stress level rises among patients and providers. Experienced physicians and nurse practitioners offer five tips on keeping your cool when tempers flare: +*Give Patients the Benefit of the Doubt*+ +*Be Up Front and Sincere*+ ...

If you're a trained nursing professional, you can afford to be a discriminating job seeker, thanks to the nursing shortage. But you still need to prepare thoroughly for every job interview. Part of the process of getting ready for an interview is knowing the questions you want to ask a potential employer. These questions should demonstrate your interest in the opportunity ...

Nursing, especially in the hospital setting, is physically demanding -- and nurses’ backs bear the brunt of their jobs. Just how prevalent are back problems in nursing? According to an American Nurses Association fact sheet: p((. • RNs ranked sixth among occupations most at risk for strains and sprains -- higher than stock handlers and construction workers. p((. • Studies of ...