PathFinder

I couldn't agree more with Molly! I've been in several organizations that have put together support or discussion groups for nurses. What is most required for their success is a group leader (a Mental Health/Psychiatric CNS is great!) who can facilitate the discussion and manage the bounaries of the group! Good luck in your pursuit of this project. You might also visit with some of the constituents (go ask questions at a few staff meetings) and learn what the nurses believe they most need help with. You might discover that there could be more than one group, depending upon the focus that the nurses identify. Examples: * A group for "co-dependent" nurses * A group for "single-mom" nurses * A group for "back-to-school" nurses * A group for "conflict resolution" * A group for nurses seeking certification * A group for nurses who want to publish These are just my ideas, your nurses will have great ideas of their own, but finding a skillful facilitator is CRUCIAL to the success of such an effort!

This is not my original idea -- I read it a few years ago in Nursing Management (I think). But I thought it was such a good idea, I'll pass it along here. Instead of GIVING the nurses some little trinket (it's always something you really don't need, a cup, a bag, a pen, etc.) this hospital picked a charity that the NURSES CONTRIBUTED TO!! They happened to select a women's shelter. Each nurse and unit put together the sorts of supplies that women need -- toiletries, cosmetics, pantihose, sox, pajamas, etc. and on Flo's birthday (the focus of Nurses' Week) they sent a delegation over to the shelter with cartons of supplies at their way of celebrating the week!! I thought it made a great statement about the generosity of nurses. I always wished I could have been working at that facility when they made that loving gesture. No matter what you buy for your nurses (cookies, dinner, trinkets, etc.) it will not have anywhere near the impact as what you invite them to DO as a demonstration of all that nursing is and can be in our communities! Good luck as you make your plans!

Hey Kathy -- Saw your post and couldn't resist. What is the point of report? Do we offer report to parrot back a set of facts that are already on the Kardex or in the chart? Do we do report in such wrote fashion that ANYONE could offer report without having anything really "new" or "thoughtful" to offer? Here's what I think -- Anyone can give report (it is not a sacred duty) if s/he knows what is going on with the patient! Our job (as the RN) is to MANAGE THE PATIENT'S CARE and if report doesn't activate that skill set, probably something is wrong with the report system, not the person rendering the report! Think about the information that actually moves from care-giver to care-giver in your report format. Is it valuable? Is it news? Does it help you make care-management decisions for your shift? Does it help you steer the patiet toward goals or outcomes? If it doesn't do any of this, who cares what the title is of the individual who mouths the words? Think about it!

Over 40? Girl, nearly everybody is over 40! The average age of the working nurse in the USA is 43, so YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY! It's never to late to set a goal and go for it -- your make your life and your practice what it is, have a great adventure!!