Brenda F. Johnson MSN

Gastrointestinal Nursing

Gastrointestinal Columnist

Blog

Cervical Spine Instability Can Cause Several Digestive Issues
Gastroenterology

Neck-Stomach Syndrome: What is it?

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

I have been in GI since about 1995, and I have never heard of a connection between cervical issues and colon problems. It certainly piqued my interest, and it...

0 replies 15,453 views
What can we do when doctor is negligent?
General Nursing

What Can We Do About a Negligent Doctor?

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

As a nurse, how can we protect our patients? As a patient, how can we know what we read in the reviews is true when there are websites that can be used to erase...

9 replies 3,310 views
Informatics

I Did It! I Earned My Master's in Nursing Informatics

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

The struggle is over, and I now have my Master’s degree in Nursing Informatics. In my previous article "Getting My Graduate Degree: Is it Worth It?", I...

20 replies 11,224 views
What is a GI Nurse?
Gastroenterology

Gastrointestinal (GI) Nursing

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Everything you ever wanted to know about the role, requirements, certifications, and salaries of the Gastrointestinal Nurse in the GI lab.

12 replies 9,334 views
Are Nurses Punished for Being Sick?
General Nursing

Setting the Precedent: Nurses Fired for Being Sick

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Nurses spend their day taking care of patients, helping them get on the road to better health. But what happens to the nurse if she/he gets sick? There have...

28 replies 12,451 views
Violence in the Workplace
General Nursing

Workplace Violence in Healthcare: Nurses, What is Being Done to Pr…

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Violence at work can be common in certain professions and nursing has one of the highest percentages. This article is dedicated to a young nurse who lost her...

4 replies 3,892 views
Nurses Changing US History
General Nursing

How the U.S. Cadet Corps Changed Nursing History

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Nurses have had an intimate part of shaping America’s history. We, as nurses, have participated in every aspect of our communities by helping, teaching, and...

2 replies 2,687 views
Should I pursue a career change in Nursing Informatics?
General Nursing

Getting My Graduate Degree: Is it Worth It?

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Life is built on the decisions that we make. Circumstance often limit our options, but how we respond is up to us. Other times, what we would like to do is...

28 replies 9,845 views
How can nurses improve retention?
General Nursing

The Future of Nursing Retention

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

There are many reasons why nurses leave the bedside and go into other areas or leave nursing altogether. Some reasons are due to patient level of acuity, long...

26 replies 9,206 views
What is Nurses Week?
General Nursing

Why We Celebrate Nursing - History Behind Nurses Week

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Nurses have a lot to celebrate. We are at the bedside, in the home, insurance company, behind the computer, in the lab, supervising, teaching, in any capacity...

2 replies 8,039 views
Why is colon screening is so important?
Gastroenterology

Have you had your Colonoscopy? March is Colon Cancer Awareness Mo…

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

As nurses, we understand the importance of health screenings. We check our eyes, do blood work, and get pap smears, but over the years we have added...

25 replies 7,361 views
What can we do about bad management?
General Nursing

Over 70% of Nurse Staff Turnover is Due to Bad Leadership

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

We all have had bad managers and good managers, but there is a phenomena regarding the bad ones. How do they get into management? How are they able to keep...

20 replies 28,464 views
Advanced

National Conference for Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care (NPAC)

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Earn up to 48 contact hours at the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care (NPAC) 2018. If you are a Nurse Practitioner who rounds in a...

1 reply 9,643 views
Have you had any patients with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?
General Nursing

Investigating Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Not too long ago, I took care of an 18 year old young man. He was admitted under a diagnosis that I had never seen before, "Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome". I...

24 replies 77,651 views
Have you ever wondered what books nurses studied to pass their NCLEX exam when it was first began?
General Nursing

Personal Hygiene: An Era Gone By

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

In my previous article, “What is Nux Vomica? State Board Questions From the Turn of the Century: An Era Gone By”, we began our journey into the past. In...

14 replies 8,037 views
Anyone know any NCLEX state board questions from the 1900's?
General Nursing

What is Nux Vomica? State Board Questions From the Turn of the 20t…

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Have you ever wondered what the early NCLEX exams looked like? We will be exploring a sample of questions taken from a first edition Lippincott (1917 edition)...

17 replies 6,942 views
General Nursing

Tryptophan and IBS: The Connection

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

One day it may be possible to find a more permanent relief for IBS patients. As they do further research and find a way to give people the right balance of...

3 replies 8,164 views
General Nursing

Under the Covers: My Experience With Post-op Pain Control

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

You have to have surgery. Surgery is scary. From the moment it is scheduled there is a lot of planning to do. I recently had surgery, and being in the hospital...

36 replies 11,010 views
General Nursing

Do You Have a Toxic Boss? (eyeroll)

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

Most of us have experienced good and bad managers, whether that was at a fast food restaurant, retail, or in our present jobs as nurses. I know that in my...

16 replies 20,367 views
General Nursing

Injection Gone Wrong: Part 3

by Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

This is part 3 and the final entry for Susan’s story. Her story gives us pause and makes us feel her pain and frustration. I want to take this opportunity to...

30 replies 42,987 views