Please meet llg, our allnurses Nursing Career expert!

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

please meet llg our allnurses nursing career expert! since 2002, she has been adding sage advice regarding nursing career planning and landing that first position. her experience in staff development and nursing education shines though in her posts. she has truly enriched the bulletin board with her wisdom and wit. karen

current practice setting -- i work at a children's hospital, focusing on special projects related to our nursing workforce.

bio/nursing background -- i grew up in a very small town in pennsylvania, where my father was the only doctor. i like to think i have maintained a certain small-town, common sense approach to health care in spite of having migrated to large cities and tertiary care centers. i got my bsn from duke university at the age of 22, worked 2 years as a nicu staff nurse, and then moved to indianapolis to get my msn in perinatal nursing with a minor in nursing administration. after several jobs as a neonatal cns/staff development educator, i went back to school in denver and got my phd in 1997 at the age of 42.

my dissertation work utilized philosophical inquiry to develop a nursing perspective of information technology. finding no job market for nurse philosophers -- and after a miserable year teaching in an undergraduate program -- i returned to a nicu setting, taking a job as a neonatal cns/staff development educator at my current hospital on the east coast. that was 9 years ago. about 5 years ago, i left the nicu and created a new role for the hospital, working on projects related to nursing recruitment, retention, career-planning, student clinical activities, and a lot of other miscellaneous stuff.

most memorable nursing event: -- evacuating the hershey medical center nicu during the 3-mile island nuclear reactor incident. i learned a lot about myself and the qualities i respect in other people.

answer the question. nursing is…. "informed caring for the well-being of others." that's from the work of kristin swanson. it's my favorite definition of nursing because it is so clear and concise -- so full of meaning, yet brief. i could spend a lifetime exploring the complexity of that definition. i would also say that nursing is ... complex, evolving, and often misunderstood and under-appreciated.

favorite allnurses forum: the general nursing forum. however, i don't look at individual forums: i just pull up all new posts since i last logged on, which is usually a few times per day.

allnurses members who’s advice you follow: -- i respect so many people on here i am afraid to answer because i know that i will think of more people to add to my list tomorrow and feel bad that i forgot them at this moment. but, the first names that come to mind include: tweety, rn/writer, daytonite, and traumarus

members signature or avatar that tickles your funny bone: i rarely notice them. i am trying to cover so many posts, that i am skimming rapidly and usually focusing on the message of the post, not the periphery.

if i was a tree, i’d be a _________ because: i would be a lemon tree because i am not big, strong, or impressive to look at and i bear a fruit that is bitter/sour at first bite. however, if you know how to cook, you can use my fruit to make many wonderful things to eat.

what is your imprint on the nursing profession? -- i challenge people around me to think. i trust that if most people can think things through well, they will do good work. my imprint will be the accomplishments of those people i teach and stimulate. my imprint will also be some of the programs i have established and the people who have benefited from them -- most notably an extern program and a scholarship program. hopefully, there is more to come.

advice for bb members: be both rigorous and flexible in your thinking. too many people are locked into old ideas -- or latch too quickly onto new ones -- or allow personal self interest to bias their opinions. few people analyze things rigorously enough to form truly great judgments. thinking deeply and analyzing critically is not easy, but it is worth doing.

post sampling:

re: inconsistencies

re: thinking out of the box re: nursing education

re: what would your requirements be for nursing school?

re: clinical instructor drunk or on something

re: how do you get "experience" when no one will give you a chance?

re: i never thought the adn/bsn fight would happen in my own family

re: advancing in nursing

re: what can i do with a msn degree?

re: how do you know when it is time to quit your job

re: advice on how to quit professionally

re: need advice re pay rate inequity

re: staffing issues

re: charm school for new rn?

career information:

nurse educator:

http://www.nursesource.org/nurse_educator.html

nurse mentoring: creating a professional legacy

http://www.nnsdo.org/pdfs/nursementoringarticle.pdf

organization:

national nursing staff development organization

publications:

journal for nurses in staff development

http://www.nursingcenter.com/library

journal of continuing education in nursing

http://www.slackinc.com/allied/jcen/jcenhome.htm

journal of nursing education

http://www.journalofnursingeducation.com/about.asp

journal of professional nursing

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/jpn.htm

nurse educator

http://www.nursingcenter.com/library

nursing education perspectives

http://www.nln.org/nlnjournal/index.htm

[pickledpepperRN]

I have learned from and thought llg's posts were honest, educated, and thoughtful, and memorable. Now I have more of a picture of the nurse.

I especially though a lot when reading the post on staffing. Excellent advice, I think.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

llg is one of my favorite posters too. Her advice is always well-thought out, concise and intelligent. Her passion for nursing is always evident in her posting style. Thanks very much for being part of our community.

[CHATSDALE]

very impressive, i know that credentials like these do not come without hard work and dedication . plus a lot of smarts

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

There are a few posts llg's made in Gen. Nursing that have stood out to me.

I remember those posts very well because when I first read them, my instinctual response was "What the deuce?! Are you kidding me??!! How can you say SUCH a thing?!!!"

After a few hours of careful thought and consideration - and a month or so later - I came around to the sobering conclusion that my initial reaction was way off the mark and that I did, indeed; agree strongly with her initial PoV.

I've learned much from - and hope to continue learning from - llg.

You deserve every accolade! :)

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

We are all very lucky to have llg here on allnurses. I appreciate her posts very much and I have great respect for her.

It is nice to read more about her background - I'm even more impressed now.

steph

[llg, PhD, RN]

There are a few posts llg's made in Gen. Nursing that have stood out to me.

I remember those posts very well because when I first read them, my instinctual response was "What the deuce?! Are you kidding me??!! How can you say SUCH a thing?!!!"

After a few hours of careful thought and consideration - and a month or so later - I came around to the sobering conclusion that my initial reaction was way off the mark and that I did, indeed; agree strongly with her initial PoV.

I've learned much from - and hope to continue learning from - llg.

You deserve every accolade! :)

Thanks, Roy. I have always respected the fact that your discussions and debates are in the true spirit of exploration and that you are not closed-minded. I can enjoy a good discussion like that and I have learned a few things from some of your posts, too.

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

llg, I echo what the others have said. Your advice, counsel, wisdom is invaluable and has helped me successfully navigate some very difficult choices in my nursing career. Thank you so much :)

[Grace Oz]

Congratulations! Spotlight on a most deserving member.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It is an honor to have llg on the forums sharing her immense wisdom. She is one of a few posters I read word for word, and practically stalk because I need to hear what she has to say. I am always impressed with her insight and advice.

[pickledpepperRN]

Just today is an example of excellent sensible advice in post #2:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/teamplaying-enabling-206879.html

[kontakt]

I enjoyed reading your bio!