Nursing Journels

Thinking About Plan B? - Nurses in Business It is an exciting time to be a nurse! There are so many options for nurses including owning a business. Although most nurses do not see themselves as entrepreneurs, nurses are educated in a scientific method of problem solving and resolution that equips them for a successful transition into an entrepreneurial role. It is an exciting time to be a nurse! There are so many options for today’s nurse and one area that is growing is nurses interested in becoming business owners. What is creating this need for  Plan   B usiness? Well one thing is that the number of nurses employed by hospitals is decreasing from what it has been for decades. Today, about 58% of nurses are employed by hospitals compared to 68% in 1980. Many nurses, over 30%, report being burned out and highly dissatisfied with their jobs. The dissatisfaction relates to feelings of frustration, being overwhelmed with new technology (equipment and EMRs) and overworked du...

There is so much stress that nurses deal with everyday: Sick people, administrators, family issues, getting angry, etc. This article talks about the reason why nurses get burnout. It deals with the stress related to the nursing profession. Nursing is a highly stressful profession. Yet still, there are millions of people who opted to be in this path. Some are lured by high job compensation while other individuals have no choice but to become nurses just because it is in their blood line.  Real nurses bear the passion of caring. They are the people who stick with their job because they wanted to save other people's lives and to care for the sick ones. It is sad to say that there is quick turnover of nurses these days. Some nurses try their luck in different industries. There are nurses who shifted careers and became entrepreneurs, nurse educators and even company nurses too. Based on research findings, stress is the main factor why many nurses quit their hospital jobs. There are ...

This is Part II of the difficult discussions we must often have with our patients and/or families. This never gets easier and in reality, should it?  These discussions should be difficult as they are often the catalyst to pursuing advanced care, resuscitation and/or placing a patient on life support. These are some how to's for discussing these topics. This is a continuation of my last article and these are tips that have worked for me.  Some of my patients are homeless and illiterate and drug or alcohol addicted.  They need to know that I value them as humans  with a medical problem and that I will do everything in my power to help them. I try to use the language and verbage that they give me. If they say "vomicking" or "I fell out" I know what they mean. Conversely, I have patients who are physicians who want to feel in control of their care as much as possible. I explain everything in medicalese and offer as many choices as possible. In either example, my go...

Welcome to the ICU. We're happy to have you here, and we know you want to be a great ICU nurse. That's going to take a long time, but you can be a great colleague in the mean time.  When you encounter someone new -- or anyone, really -- smile, say hello and introduce yourself.   Do this as many times as it takes. Some of your new colleagues will remember you the first time. Others aren't so blessed with name/face memory. Some will remember your name or face but not what you're doing in the ICU. Introduce yourself to the secretary, the tech, the housekeeper, the pharmacists, the providers and the consulting services. Those who are shy or find it difficult to introduce themselves will be grateful to you for making the first move. Be up front with what you know and what you don't.   If you're transferring in from Med/Surg, you already know how to put in an IV, NG and Foley but may not know how to set up the monitor. If you're transferring from the SICU across ...

What is Trauma Nursing? Trauma nurses specialize in caring for patients injured through trauma, be it accidental or intentional. Trauma nurses must be well versed in stabilizing patients and rapidly recognizing impending life threats. Patients will range in age from neonates to centenarians. Care of these patients can range from short-term in the emergency department (ED) or dedicated trauma unit to long-term in ICUs and rehabilitation units. When these patients enter the system, they don't necessarily arrive with an obvious diagnosis and can benefit from the clinical acumen of experienced trauma nurses. This specialty also requires close coordination and communication with members of the treatment team, ancillary services, and family members. Education Requirements Trauma nurses comes in many flavors, including LPNs, ADN-prepared RNs, BSN-prepared RNs, MSN-prepared RNs, and Nurse Practitioners in mid-level provider roles. Not all types of nurses will be present in all trauma unit...

After I get report on my two patients, I print and interpret my telemetry strips and verify their alarms on the monitor. I then decide which one is less stable (or more labor intensive if they are both stable) and start there.  At 0730, I complete a full assessment, turn, mouth care, check my drips for appropriate concentrations and rates, check lines that need to be changed, tuck and fluff them. Then I hop on my EMR and check out all of my active orders. I chart my assessment, vitals, and work lists, and give my 0800 meds. I order more drips, if needed. I check what's going on for the day by looking at any radiology/special procedures/tests scheduled and then peek at the latest MD note. Then I talk with the patient and family and let them know what's up for the day.  Side note: families of patients in critical care are naturally very emotional and concerned. I always make sure to over communicate with them about plans for the day. This establishes a professional relationship...

If you haven’t already read or heard about it, the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine have released a new document called Sepsis-3 otherwise known as the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock in late February 2016. As members of the healthcare team, we all strive to improve the prompt identification and treatment of sepsis as it continues to be a leading cause of mortality and ICU admission. Those on the financial end of healthcare are just as involved because sepsis accounts for a large cost of in-hospital care. Because there is no single diagnostic test that identifies a patient as septic, previous definitions of sepsis relied heavily on the systemic inflammatory response that patients with sepsis exhibit. The Systemic Inflammatory Response (SIRS) Criteria were widely used as a screening tool to identify those patients who may have sepsis. Under the definitions we have been using, patients who meet ...