Nursing Blogs

from VivaLasViejas - Since I've presented my top 10 list of the things I love about nursing, it's time now for a visit to the darker side. Here are some decidedly UN-lovely thoughts I've entertained from time to time: 1) If you yell "HELP!" one. more. time. without a really, really, REALLY good reason for it, I am going to come down there, shut the door, and...

from SteveRN21 - So today I was wondering..... how well do we as NICU nurses best represent what NICU really is to nursing students? Too often, nursing students are abruptly dropped off at the NICU door, handed a scrub sponge, and abandoned by their nursing instructor, who is equally petrified of what lies beyond the glass-paneled door... We all know that...

from VickyRN - Gladys* was a senior nursing student, in her fourth semester (out of five) in the rough and tough ADN program. She was very insecure and it showed in her demeanor. She had self-esteem issues and sometimes came across as “goofy.” She was middle-aged and morbidly obese, with an awkward air, and was clumsy. She had a loud, booming voice with a thick...

from VivaLasViejas - Yes, I know there are still approximately 75 shopping days till Christmas, but at this time of the year, time flies so quickly that before you turn around twice, Santa's on his way. So if you have a nurse on your holiday gift list, here are a few suggestions.........and no, I'm not fussy about brand name OR color. 1) A heated shiatsu foot...

from VickyRN - The following are an assortment of free materials on the Internet I have compiled over the years. These excellent materials will be of great assistance to you in nursing school, as you learn to perform accurate head-to-toe assessments. Enjoy! Taking a Detailed Health History Head-to-Toe Physical Assessment – Vital Signs The...

from traumaRUs - How to become an advanced practice nurse in ten easy steps! My very different educational path has probably furnished some professor with a new BMW or Lexus. I am not endorsing this route but rather explaining why you should look before you leap…we have to start in the beginning… I am now middle-aged (ouch, even hurts to type those...

from VickyRN - A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about individual, family, or community responses to actual and/or potential health problems or life processes. A medical diagnosis, on the other hand, is the identification of a disease based on its signs and symptoms. The professional practice of nursing is the diagnosing and treatment of these...

from VickyRN - This is an example of a head-to-toe narrative assessment note. I have my first semester nursing students start by writing out a narrative assessment on the clinical floor, before proceeding to any facility assessment flowcharts. Excellent resources concerning nursing documentation: Interactive Exercises on Assessment Charting from...

from VickyRN - Accelerated BSN programs are an innovative approach to nursing education, available for individuals who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s or higher degree and who are interested in moving into the field of nursing. Approximately 205 of these type programs are currently available nationwide. Direct-entry MSN programs in nursing are also available...

from VivaLasViejas - As a nurse of some years' duration, I've often been accused of harboring a rather warped sense of humor. I'm not sure what happened, or when I devolved from a normal person who laughs at knock-knock jokes and funny animal videos to a degenerate who cackles madly at bodily functions and the infinite variety of stupid people tricks. All I know is,...

from VivaLasViejas - We've all heard them.............those hackneyed phrases and dopey questions people often direct at nurses because they truly do not understand what we do. 1) "You're so smart, you should have gone to medical school." I AM smart---that's why I became a nurse instead of enduring 80-hour work weeks and giving up sleep for eight years. 2) "It...

from VickyRN - Direct entry masters in nursing programs offer a rapid entrance into both the profession of nursing and advanced nursing practice. These unique programs are also known as entry-level or alternate entry nursing masters programs. This type of education is specifically tailored for people with a baccalaureate or higher degree in another discipline...