Nursing Network for Nurses and Nursing Students - Latest Articles Page 2

Nursing Judgement does not equate a Nurse's judgement

By jadelpn - Nurses are human. We all have our own thoughts on our patients, each other, our units, our systems. Some can be positive, enlightening, and even help us to build a better practice. Others, become character contests that in my opinion have no part in nursing practice. I am not for a moment suggesting that a nurse ever be unethical in the care they provide. Never cross the boundaries of practice that would ever put your license in danger, your life in danger, knowingly or unknowingly do stuff that you know is unlawful. But what is worth exploring is the thought of practicing good... Read More →

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I ask for "nothing".

By CheesePotato - When it comes to nursing, I respect the profession for what it is, what it has been, and where it is headed. Am I proud to be part of the profession? Sure, in a subtle, I'm proud my hair is long kind of way. I own no nursing paraphernalia. I do not announce what I do readily at meet n' greets or reunions. I prefer to refer to myself as a Frustrated Carpenter or a Confused Ninja. Ever since stepping foot into the profession, Nurse's Week has always been a tough pill for me to swallow. You see, I'm used to flying under the radar. I do what I do because it needs to be done. ... Read More →

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Mental Illness: A Family Affair

By NurseDirtyBird - I was born into a tumultuous family. My father, scarred by his own childhood and my mother, a survivor of her mother's suicide and abuse at the hand of her father, met, married, and I came along soon after. During their brief marriage, my mother was admitted to a psychiatric unit three times, and released with a diagnosis of Manic Depression and Borderline Personality Disorder. She refused to believe either of these diagnoses and was noncompliant with her treatment. She said she'd "just had a nervous breakdown." My parents' marriage was rocky, to say the least. My dad tried to hold on to... Read More →

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When is it appropriate to share faith at work?: One nurse's story

By nursefrances - As nurses, we wear many hats. To name a few: we are caregivers, providers, assessors, comforters, encouragers, teachers, an ear to listen. Are we to be evangelists or preachers? In my opinion, no and....yes. I believe that it is appropriate to share my faith when the patient has already started the conversation and I am adding to it. Here are a few stories to make my point. It was 6:40 pm. Twenty minutes left until shift change. (At last!) Of course, this is when my new admit wheels down the hall. I knew she was coming so I was able to finish my other duties and check on other patients... Read More →

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Nurses - The Unsung Heroes

By tnbutterfly - Once again it is National Nurses Day and the start of National Nurses Week, which always begins on May 6 and goes through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. This is the week set aside to recognize the contributions and commitments nurses make, a time to educate the public about the significant work they do, and a time for showing appreciation to all the nurses. There are many types of activities planned throughout this week which include banquets, recognition dinners, and lunches. Nurses are honored with gifts, receptions, cards, and flowers by friends and family members, and... Read More →

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Advice for First semester nursing students!!!!!!

By tabz4u2 - I am going to give a little advice and maybe it will help me, and future nursing students... First, when they say you don't have to read all the chapters, you should really read the chapters. Just try to put things in your own words so you can understand it better. Buy some little help books such as Nursing fundamentals Demystified ! My teacher always had outlined the power pts with the chapters, so I would write a few more notes than ususal. Second, do the practice NCLEX style questions at the end of the chapters, so you have somewhat a feel of what the questions are like. Third,... Read More →

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From Raised In America to Nursing in the Philippines: The Discipline of a Lifetime

By lyly - Once upon a time, I encountered the most unexpected milestone of my life… I still find it a blessing that after 4 years, I was able to sacrifice my time and effort to leave California and adjust to life in the Philippines. I still remember my first day as a college freshman. I was sitting in the little wooden desk, waiting for my first subject, Psychology to start. It was a noisy environment. The other students in the room seemed to know each other by name. I anxiously sat as I pretended to mind my own business. I did not understand everything they were saying to each other.... Read More →

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Mental Illness--Debunking the myths/sharing some insight..

By jadelpn - Mental illness is a most misunderstood illness. The brain is an interesting organ, and reacts differently to/or lack thereof chemicals to make it work properly. Mental illness can be a difficult thing to treat. It can be equally challenging for a nurse to provide care. However, here are some common myths/insights surrounding the mentally ill that will perhaps make a nurse take pause the next time you are given an assignment of someone suffering from mental illness. 1. Schizophrenics ABSOLUTELY believe their delusions to be true. They don't make this stuff up. They believe that the... Read More →

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I Hate Being Bipolar. It's AWESOME!

By VivaLasViejas - We've been talking a lot about mental illness during this early part of May, which has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. Nurses and students with all sorts of psychiatric conditions have been coming "out of the closet" and sharing their stories with candor (and not a small amount of courage). We've welcomed several new members who joined in order to comment and, in some cases, tell a little about their own experiences. And so far, readers have been very gracious and even curious about the various disorders presented here. As many Allnurses members are aware, I've been very... Read More →

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Tips for surving the 1st Semester of Nursing School

By man-nurse2b - I can't believe I made it through finals week and my first semester of nursing school is done. I was totally exhausted with several days of 3 hours of sleep and 5 straight exams. Anyways I'm like a straight B student, that's not bad considering I have a family and lots of distractions at home...for me that not where I usually am, so I wanted to offer up some tips on how to survive the first semester of nursing school. 1. READ your books. this is probably the most annoying thing especially for those like me who learn visually or auditory, so I ended up having to rewrite my notes ( because... Read More →

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To The Beginning

By SoldierNurse22 - It was 1998, and as far as I knew, the world was perfect. I was ten years old and the reality I perceived was viewed almost exclusively through the protective eyes of my parents, who deftly maneuvered between telling me enough to allow me to grow up while simultaneously protecting me enough to allow for a safe, peaceful, beautiful childhood. I was born curious according to Mom, asking questions as soon as I could talk, and by the time I was ten, I was starting to realize the world wasn't perhaps as safe and rosy as my parents had allowed me to believe. I was cresting the hill of... Read More →

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Out With It

By wish_me_luck - I sat there in library working on one of my many papers and projects that I had due. I was exhausted--exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally; I was done with it. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind to kill myself. I finished what I was doing and packed my materials up for the day and went home. I grabbed some money, told my mom I was going to study with a friend for a test I had (I put some books in a bag to make it seem realistic), and drove to the store. I picked up some duct tape, wine, beer, and cups. I went to pay for it and the cashier made a comment something to the effect of... Read More →

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Getting back in the saddle again

By dolcebellaluna - After being bitten by a patient with no concern or debriefing from my nurse manager, I made plans to high-tail it out of that unit as fast as I could because my mental health was already a little fragile and there would be no accomodations made for me. I have a 20 credit post-baccalaureate certificate in Nursing Education from my alma mater, so I thought it might be a smart decision to try my hand at teaching. I should have known that it was a bad idea from the fact that I was hired mid-year with no practical teaching experience but I saw a way out and wanted to take it. I was given next... Read More →

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For Whom The Bell Tolls

By VivaLasViejas - As my favorite author, Erma Bombeck, once said: "There is no way that your foot will ever get well as long as there is a horse standing on it." In my case, that means I won't get well until there is less stress in my life, and the only way to have less stress in my life is to get away from its source. Today, I finally came to understand that my once-loved job is that metaphorical beast, and it's not only standing on my foot but grinding it into the dirt, crushing the delicate bones to powder and causing wounds that will take much time and care to heal. Today, I feel less like Erma and... Read More →

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Death is a journey

By jadelpn - It is always a good thought when one decides they would like to die at home. Surrounded by loved ones, in their own beds. But as the time grows near, many decide that they would rather be in a hospital room, surrounded by loved ones, with a nurse who gives the medical care so that the patient and the family can connect, remember, and say all of those things that they ever wanted to say in a focused way. The job of the nurse needs to be non-obtrusive, but consistent. Which is not always an easy task. Often, nurses are the "control" in what is otherwise a non-controlled... Read More →

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