dwoodruff RN

Certification is a personal and professional accomplishment. According to a research study by the ANA, certified nurses reported: -More confidence -Better collaborative relationships with physicians and peers -Fewer errors and adverse patient effect...

Ether, SpO2: what you read off the pulse oximetry machine (pulse oximetry oxygen saturation). Normal is 95-100%. SvO2: oxygen saturation in central venous blood (it's like the SaO2 of venous blood). Normal is 75%. If you subtract the SvO2 from the...

I taught students that ranged from 18 to 65 years-old. "Too old" is an excuse for not pursuing your goals. Some of my best students were over 40. If this has been a dream of yours, do it no matter what the obstacles. There are plenty of great care...

The only advantage I can think of is to be able to care for the patient who drives up to the ER with injuries requiring spinal stabilization. Nurses are not taught to extricate patients from vehicles, so there might be an advantage there. However, t...

Frankly, I'm surprised. I've heard of flight nurses needing EMT training. That makes sense, since they do scene runs. But ER nurses needing EMT training??? Get your resume together and focus on your rapid assessment skills (that you may have learn...

Its terrible to be stuck in a job you hate. Nursing has SO much to offer, I saw go for it! You definately will not be bored, and the opportunities for lateral moves or advancement are endless. I never regret my decision to go into nursing. Good lu...

I've heard that nurses only get continuing education to meet state requirements for licensure. I don't think that this is the case, but I wanted to ask others. Why do you pursue continuing education?

Are many nurses certified in their specialty area?

If it is not too much trouble, I would recommend keeping the Paramedic Certification. It won't help you get into school, but it leaves doors open to other job opportunities (ie. flight nursing, critical care transport, monitor tech, etc) I let mine ...

I have been asked to put together some educational materials about how to handle common emergencies in long-term care. However, my current practice is hospital-based. Can any of you folks help me out here? I would like to know "What are the 5 most ...

I don't think that walking off a job is very professional. Next time, follow standard procedure of two weeks written notice, etc. However, are you lost forever? NO! Spend some time thinking about what things you like about nursing and be more care...

Thanks for sharing another great story of the care provided by a loving professional. There are still many nurses who provide kind and respectful care to all their patients. I know some nurses are burned-out and rude, but so are cashiers, lawyers, ...

My personal philosophy is to continue my education until the day I die. I am currently working on my PhD, but will continue to persue education beyond that. I got the BSN for a job. I got the MSN for a different job. Now, I am completing the PhD f...

eddy, I want to thank you for doing the best you could do in that tough situation and for reporting that nursing home. I was always taught to consider: If it were my father in that home... Though your actions were tough, and may get tougher. You wi...

What are the most common emergencies in long term care? Please post your responses in the poll above or e-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance. David Woodruff, MSN, RN, CNS, CCRN Ed4Nurses, Inc. Nursing Continuing Education

Here you just rephrased what I said. Experience does not replace knowledge. I didn't say that one is more important than the other. Rather, if I want respect from my peers, I had better seek out the knowledge to be able to articulate my findings a...

The original post was quite informative for me. It kind of gave me an outsiders view of what many of us are all too used to. A couple of points should be reiterated: 1) many nurses don't think of themselves as nor act as professionals. 2) many nurse...

Actually using research is a tough one for nurses. I've foune that many nurses do what they've always done, because that's how they were taught. Some suggestions: Work with your manager to develop a "Tips & Timesavers" bulletin board where you c...

What type of patients do you care for? Med Surg is the title given to general hospital nurses. Really, this is no longer valid. Most Med Surg floors have some sort of specialty (vascular, urology, plastic surgery, etc.) Nurses who work in hospitals a...

Nursing is a great profession, and the only one I know of that has SO MUCH flexibility. Staff nursing is just the beginning. There's also home health, school nursing, parish nursing, cruise ship nursing, and flight nursing to name a few. But, with...