Melissa Mills BSN

Workforce Development, Education, Advancement

Melissa is a nurse with over two decades of experience in leadership and workforce development. She loves to help other healthcare professionals advance their careers.

Workforce Development Columnist

All Content by Melissa Mills

  1. Melissa Mills

    Washington Nurses Celebrate House Bill 1155

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    Nurses Celebrate Nurses across the state of Washington celebrated last week when House Bill 1155 passed, creating new break and overtime laws for nurses and other healthcare professionals across...
  2. Melissa Mills

    The Art of Telling Patients Bad News: One Physician's Story

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Difficult conversations are part of healthcare. However, when the news is that a patient is terminal, it might be a bit harder of a conversation than others. One physician found himself on the...
  3. Melissa Mills

    Nurse Beaten by Patient Denied Request for Unpaid Time Off and Fired

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    In 2018, TIna Suckow, a 49-year old nurse, was brutally beaten by a patient at a state mental facility in Iowa. Suckow had been employed there for over 4 years when the incident occurred. A "code red"...
  4. Melissa Mills

    4 Reasons Nurses Need Mentors

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    I remember my first nursing mentor like it was yesterday. Her name was Della. She was my preceptor during my preceptorship at the end of nursing school. She was smart, sassy, and offered so much...
  5. Melissa Mills

    Nursing Uniforms: From Skirts to Scrubs and Beyond

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    A sick patient enters the emergency department. Feeling faint, he looks for a nurse. As he scans the room, he notices men and women in colored scrubs. He looks again, trying to find a female in...
  6. Melissa Mills

    To ChatBot or Not to ChatBot: That is the Question

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Mobile Health According to Statista, during the second quarter of 2019, there were nearly 50,000 health apps available in the iOS app store. By 2020, the mobile health market is expected to be...
  7. Melissa Mills

    11 Postpartum Nursing Diagnosis, Care Plans, and More

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Students

    For new mothers, the postpartum period comes with significant changes as they adapt to their new role and heal from giving birth. Potential mental health challenges exist as hormonal changes and other...
  8. Melissa Mills

    Nurse Practitioner Called a Drug-Dealer at Sentencing

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    On May 29th, a Montgomery, Alabama judge sentenced former Nurse Practitioner, Lillian Akwuba to 10 years in federal prison. Akwuba was found guilty on 23 counts of healthcare fraud and drug...
  9. Melissa Mills

    7 Tips for New Nurse Leaders

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Florence Nightingale once said ... "To be 'in charge' is certainly not only to carry out the proper measures yourself but to see that everyone else does so too.” This is a perfect...
  10. Melissa Mills

    Six Pieces of Advice for New Nurses

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in First Year After Licensure

    I recently chatted with a soon-to-be nursing school graduate. She asked many questions about my nursing journey. She was interested in the type of unit that provides the best experience for a nurse...
  11. Melissa Mills

    5 Ways Nurses Can Support New CNA's in Long-Term Care

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    What are CNAs? Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are the backbone of long-term care. They are the eyes and ears of the nurse and fill a critical part of the care continuum that you may not think...
  12. Melissa Mills

    5 Ways Nurses Can Support New CNA's in Long-Term Care

    Melissa Mills replied to Melissa Mills's topic in General Nursing

    @Bloop41 Yes! Being a CNA before ever being a nurse taught me how to be a better nurse & lead a team. Listening to the CNAs and helping them provide patient care will make you a valuable team...
  13. Melissa Mills

    Six Pieces of Advice for New Nurses

    Melissa Mills replied to Melissa Mills's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Excellent point,
  14. Melissa Mills

    Six Pieces of Advice for New Nurses

    Melissa Mills replied to Melissa Mills's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Thanks so much for your experiences @emmasuern! It is def more challenging start in a more specialized unit. If a new nurse knows where they want to work, I say go for it! I worked on a...
  15. Melissa Mills

    Six Pieces of Advice for New Nurses

    Melissa Mills replied to Melissa Mills's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Awesome additions @Lane Therrell FNP, MSN, RN! It seems that nursing schools are not putting enough emphasis on some of these basic skills that can make or break a new nurse when looking for a job....
  16. Melissa Mills

    Bringing in the Boys: How to Attract More Male Nurses

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Men in nursing - it's a simple phrase that can bring many emotions to the surface for nurses of both genders. You might feel that we need more men to level out the amount of estrogen on units across...
  17. Melissa Mills

    Nurse Accused of Taking Naked Photos of Nursing Home Patients

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    Elder abuse comes in many forms. However, most people believe that patients are safe at the hands of their nurse. This might be why the story out of Pennsylvania feels so jarring. Ashley Ann Smith, a...
  18. Melissa Mills

    It's Official: Workplace Burnout Gets an ICD-11 Code

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    You’ve probably felt the effects of workplace burnout at least once in your nursing career. As of this week, burnout has officially been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a formal...
  19. Melissa Mills

    Five Ways to Reignite Your Passion For Nursing

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Going to work should not be dreadful. However, for many nurses, the stress, burnout, and culture can sometimes make it downright painful to get dressed and head to work. After days, weeks, months, or...
  20. Melissa Mills

    5 Reasons Nurses Get Fired and How to Avoid Them

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    "You're Fired!" Those words might make you queasy at the thought of hearing them directed at you. Many nurses get fired every day for reasons that range from legitimate to downright ridiculous. And...
  21. Melissa Mills

    Nursing Home Resident Taunted by CNAs

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    Leaving your mother or grandmother in a long-term care facility is challenging. For one Illinois family, it turned into a nightmare. A video taken in December of 2018 showed two certified nursing...
  22. Melissa Mills

    Safe Staffing in Illinois: Not Over Yet

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    Legislation to set maximum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios is a hot topic these days. Currently, California is the only state to enforce a staffing ratio mandate. However, several other states have...
  23. Melissa Mills

    It's That Time of Year Again: Preparing for Influenza Season

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Nursing News

    Ah....fall! That time of year where we start to prepare for Winter. Autumn brings leaves, pumpkins, and warm sweaters. Everyone heads outside for bonfires, football games, and trick-or-treating. Yet,...
  24. Melissa Mills

    My Body Is Not My Resume: Exploring Nursing Dress Codes

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in General Nursing

    Let's talk dress code. I am certain that everyone has an opinion on this topic. We can discuss nursing whites versus colors or clogs versus gym shoes, but that is just too mundane! Let's dig deeper....
  25. Melissa Mills

    The Trouble with Work-Life Balance in Nursing

    Melissa Mills posted a topic in Health, Stress Management

    Have you ever seen a double-pan balance scale? It's a scale that has two pans that are balanced against one another. As you put weights on one side, you must counter it with weight on the other to...