NurseHeart&Soul MSN

JNcCole15~ Certifications: CEN and CPEN ... they make you study! Classes: ENPC, TNCC, and numerous continuing education courses from documentation to active shooter, trauma etc... Free webinars are available if you are an ENA member. You can earn c...

Bo.RN~ Sounds like you need a serious process improvement plan in your department. There isn't much to say to a patient in that position. I have definitely been there and it's plain awful. What do you think about making some process improvement ...

al3x117 ER with out a doubt meets the criteria you describe. No two days are the same. Assignments can fluctuate from an ER patient load to trauma to triage to FastTrack (within the ER) to float/break relief to charge nurse in time. The different ...

al3x117~ Thank you for commenting. You made me smile and warmed my heart. Much appreciated! Best of luck with your nursing journey!

In my experience I completely agree about the appearance of the phone coming before the patient. Just curious for my own knowledge what apps are out there, who is using them, and/or who CAN use them. Thanks for your input! Much appreciated!

Euro-Sepsis~ Sounds like a cool app. THANK YOU so much for sharing. I will definitely check it out.

Thank you for sharing your story. I have no doubt you will inspire many who pass through these boards. In my opinion those experiences of being on the other side of healthcare bring us as nurses to a whole new level in the delivery of care. Don't f...

amyzyRN~ Great tips already given. Another completely different angle to consider are vein finders. (I have no partnerships with these companies). I personally found that using vein finders began to increase my understanding of the anatomical locat...

Hi Students near and far! I wrote an article earlier in the month posted in the General Nursing section titled "5 Things I Wish I Knew as a New Grad" (see below), but after some conversation with nursing students who found value in it, I thought I ...

amyjm333~ I believe culture varies ED to ED and floor to floor. Finding the department with the right fit sometimes takes works. ED tends to attract stronger personalities in that you need to be assertive, think on your feet etc... Most of the E...

I found in my very large book pile today one other book I really like. It's a little less textbook like than the other ENA book I suggested. All depends on your preference. You can't go wrong with any of the books I suggested. Sheehy's Manual...

FrequentFlyER~ I am a fan of the ENA Sheehy's Emergency Nursing Principles and practice. No question it is a textbook and for some feels like "school" but I find it to be a great reference. Also, Springer Publishing has a good series called Fast F...

Sorry no one has responded to you yet. Three years off can definitely feel like starting like new. You need to invest in yourself stat. I would definitely keep the lines of communication open with the management team about how you are feeling, th...

You have a challenge on your hands but no challenge is too great with the right mindset and passion. Sounds like either your organization and/or department needs a focus on nurse bullying/horizontal violence/burnout etc... I would encourage you to c...

Super valuable info. Thank you for sharing! I'm going to check it out.

msancheeze, I am so sorry to hear that. I can imagine what a disappointment that is, yet see the extra time as an opportunity to be even more prepared. TNCC would be an awesome addition to certifications. Other certifications that are helpful incl...

Canche, Emergency nursing is a TEAM event. It's okay that you ask for help. Be gentle on yourself. My personal opinion is that you will never be completely comfortable with everything. Weird never seen before cases come through the door and they ...

CONGRATULATIONS!! Run toward experiences not away from them. This is your time to soak it all in, get as many opportunities as possible, see and do as many things as you can, and spend a lot of time critically thinking. Tell all your colleagues (lu...

High risk for turning septic due to the comments already given and just plain no reserves. I made this mistake as a new graduate nurse in triage. Fortunately the error didn't impact the outcome, but it was a teaching moment I will never forget. I'm...

lucypear, You are at a great advantage that your facility waited two years before orienting you. Add to that another 3 years of experience. You're off to a good start! You will at times feel overwhelmed.....breathe and do the best you can. Even t...

Carol, nicely written article. Delivering bad news is such a fragile thing. I will never forget the time an ER physician and I went to tell a family member their loved one had died. As the ER physician was explaining what happened, he took the fa...

The basics need to be available in triage... Some of these sound so obvious but are not always available. Blood pressure cuffs in all sizes Pulse Oximetry in all sizes Delivery kit C-collars in all sizes Backboard EKG machine and plenty of stickers...

msancheeze~ Thank you for checking in. Your words totally warm my heart. CONGRATULATIONS!!! I love supporting nurses of all ages and in all stages. We need to lift each other up as a professionals. Best of luck with the transition. Will look fo...

It sounds like Donation after Cardiac Death where you were in the OR with him. These are very different cases than after the determination of clinical brain death where for the ICU staff it's much more of a hands off approach to donation after the p...