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

Blog

Would you endure a nine-hour surgery to give your uterus to a complete stranger?
Headlines

Nurse Donates Uterus to a Stranger

by Melissa Mills, BSN

One nurse did. Learn more about her story and the work being done at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas.

10 replies 4,182 views
Should the union and the employee have more rights in this situation?
Headlines

Nurse Beaten by Patient Denied Request for Unpaid Time Off and Fir…

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Imagine being beaten on the job, needing multiple surgeries, and then being told that you can't have more time off and ultimately being terminated. This isn't...

57 replies 40,803 views
What do you think should happen to Akwuba, and where did this situation go wrong?
Headlines

Nurse Practitioner Called a Drug-Dealer at Sentencing

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Nurse Practitioners in Alabama are required to have physician collaboration. However, at Lillian Akwuba, skirted this law and others when she prescribed...

28 replies 10,497 views
Did you know that until this week workplace burnout wasn't considered an actual diagnosis?
Headlines

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

by Melissa Mills, BSN

The World Health Organization made the change this week by adding it as an occupational phenomenon in ICD-11. Discover more in this article.

14 replies 19,269 views
How would you feel if your facility was continuously understaffed, but the use of per diem staff was busting a
Union

Nurses March into Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Health…

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Find out how unionized nurses in San Francisco are making their feelings about this exact issue known in significant ways.

7 replies 9,550 views
What would you do if the law stood between you and the life of your patient?
Headlines

Saving Lives and Changing Laws: The Story of One School Nurse and …

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Two Illinois nurses faced this exact situation last year. Find out what they did and how one has been working to change the law so that this doesn't happen...

10 replies 6,058 views
Does nursing practice impact the care physicians deliver?
Headlines

Behind Every Great Physician is Excellent Nursing Care

by Melissa Mills, BSN

A recent Press Ganey survey reports that nursing excellence improves the patient's perception of their care experience. Discover the connection here.

2 replies 5,017 views
What will it take for safe work conditions?
Union

Illinois Nurses are Banding Together For Safer Work Environments

by Melissa Mills, BSN

As House Bill 2064 remains with the governor, five union nurses are stepping out to share their stories about high patient acuity, violence at the hands of...

5 replies 4,569 views
What happens to patient care during a strike?
Activism

When Nurses Strike: Ohio Hospital Fails to Come to Agreement with …

by Melissa Mills, BSN

One Ohio hospital is finding out as their nurses have continue into the first week on their labor dispute. Find out the details and how it might impact care.

10 replies 5,909 views
Will Nurses Remain the Most Trusted Profession?
General Nursing

Nursing: The Most Trusted Profession

by Melissa Mills, BSN

For the 17th consecutive year, nursing was named the most trusted profession by the annual Gallup poll. While it might be easy for you to understand why your...

3 replies 4,470 views
What do you think should happen to Smith? Should she lose her job?
Headlines

Nurse Accused of Taking Naked Photos of Nursing Home Patients

by Melissa Mills, BSN

How would you feel if a nurse took pictures of your mother, father, or grandparents in various states of undress? Learn about the case against a Pennsylvania...

51 replies 15,913 views
Is violence an expected and tolerated job hazard in nursing?
Headlines

Workplace Violence: Is it Just Part of a Nurses Job?

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Some Texas nurses are turning to lawmakers for help to create and enforce new rules. Learn what's being done to protect nurses.

2 replies 4,127 views
Is the union the answer for nurse-to-patient ratio?
Union

Staffing and Unions: Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak

by Melissa Mills, BSN

All nurses want safe nurse-to-patient ratios. But, what if it comes in the form of a union? Would you be ready to join the union to have a seat at the table on...

9 replies 7,123 views
Did you hear that the state of Washington passed House Bill 1155?
Headlines

Washington Nurses Celebrate House Bill 1155

by Melissa Mills, BSN

This bill places mandatory meal and rest breaks for nurses and will extend to other healthcare professionals by 2021. Discover what this bill is all about.

12 replies 6,283 views
What is People First Language?
General Nursing

5 Tips For Using People First Language in Your Daily Practice

by Melissa Mills, BSN

How we talk or chart about our patients is just as important as how we speak to them. Using people first language places the person ahead of the diagnosis or...

5 replies 6,638 views
Do you have other phrases you use as a leader?
Management

6 Phrases Every Nurse Manager Must Learn to Say

by Melissa Mills, BSN

As a nurse leader, you walk a fine line between upper management and those who report to you. It isn't always a comfortable or easy place to navigate. You might...

5 replies 10,456 views
Why is Medication Reconciliation Important?
Home Health

The Essentials of Medication Reconciliation in Home Care

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Medication reconciliation is one of the most critical tasks that home care nurses complete. Learn the three-step process of medication reconciliation in this...

5 replies 14,222 views
How do you Safeguard Against Abuse and Neglect?
General Specialties

Protecting the Vulnerable: How Nurses Must Place Patient Safety at…

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Nurses work with many vulnerable populations. It's our job to care for these patients with sensitivity, skill, and above all use - protection. Discover the...

3 replies 6,446 views
Have you ever left a job without notice?
General Nursing

4 Reasons Ghosting an Employer is a Bad Idea

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Ghosting is a term usually used in online dating to describe "standing up" a date or connection. However, it's been used in the job market when employees...

18 replies 7,447 views
Can being certified in a specialty help my career?
General Nursing

Understanding the Power of Nursing Specialty Certifications

by Melissa Mills, BSN

Healthcare faces many challenges, such as cybersecurity and payment models. However, nurses are likely to ponder on problems of patient care and experience and...

10 replies 7,732 views