Shortness of Breath | Is There a Certain Patient Population That Gets to You?
If you were to be completely honest with yourself…is there a certain patient population that causes you angst, disgust or fear, without really knowing why? I had some reflection exercises recently in my Senior Seminar class that have caused me to look inside of my […]
Hard Lesson Learned | Self-Care
I was supposed to fly to Virginia on Jan. 13th with my son to be with my daughter, her husband and baby, (my 7 week old grandson) BUT I contracted strep throat and became quite ill rather fast on Jan. 12th. By 8pm on the […]
A Chance to Give from the Heart | The Importance of Bedside Manner in Health Care
The ER was in a rare state of calm…several patients being tended to but NO chaos!! I was assigned to the patient coming in by Delta~ I prepped the room and waited. The patient arrived, awake but tearful. His wife was with him. It seems the patient was having […]
A Heavy Heart | Where’s the Moral Compass for Informing End Stage Patients?
I cannot get into specifics but I have a question for all of you fellow nurses. What do you do when you have a patient that is young, experiencing end stage metastatic cancer and they do not know it. The oncologist has not given them […]
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas and The Nurse is at Work
‘Twas the night before Christmas and the nurse is at work Many a creature is stirring, including a jerk. All the IV’s are hung by their poles with care In hopes that 7am would soon be there. The patients are snuggled all safe in their […]
Trip Down Memory Lane | Take Time to Connect with your Love for Nursing
I had the awesome privilege of being able to speak to an Associate RN class on my experience with nursing, burn out, self-care and Reiki the other day. As I stood in front of the class and reflected on my 21 years of experience it […]
Biting the Hand that Heals: Patient Violence on Nurses Gets Worse
Occupational violence is not a new concern here in the nursing world but it is getting worse. The dept. of labors 2011 report states that being a nurse in the ER or in the mental health unit or community is ranked top highest job for […]
Being a Preceptor to New Grads is an Honor | Love Your Nursing Life | Bobbi McCarthy
When I graduated nursing school wayyyyyy back in 1991, I was hired immediately by the hospital I currently work for. I began my nursing career on a med-surg floor working the day shift alongside the nurse who was chosen to be my preceptor, Laverne Pellitier. […]
Through the Eyes of a Patient | What Will Your Patients Remember?
How many of us nurses have been patients a time or two? What do you recall from your experience in the hospital? I have been a patient only a handful of times in my life~ thank you Jesus! I have had 2 children that were delivered […]
