Communication is the foundation of excellent patient care. Whether it is nurse-to-nurse, nurse-to-manager, nurse-to-patient, or nurse-to-physician, each form has a tremendous impact on healthcare everyday. What type of communication stresses you out most? Well, according to last week’s poll on stressedoutnurses.com, nurse-to-physician communication is at the front of your minds. A whopping 64% stress most about dealing with docs, with nurse-to-manager...  Read More »

The nursing shortage in Idaho is well known, but the solutions are not. With only one school in the state that has a master’s program for nurses, finding competent educators has been a serious challenge. Boise State University is hoping to help out a bit. The school will soon enroll its first class of master’s degree nursing students. Those 10 individuals, it is hoped, will be able to teach new nurses in the state in a couple of years. Within...  Read More »

Roses smell a little sweeter. Chocolates taste a little better. And Cupid, one of the symbols of the heartwarming holiday, is a busy, busy man. Valentine’s Day, our nursing friends, is almost here. February 14 has been circled on many a calendar for months and planning has been going on for weeks. Today, we’re here to provide some help. We’re going to give you some creative ideas that can make this a Valentine’s Day to remember. We hope...  Read More »

The goal, of course, is to document perfectly every time. In an ideal nursing world, every patient’s chart would be an unblemished work of art. But, this is reality. As nurses, and as humans, we are prone to make mistakes. So what do we do when this happens? What are the appropriate steps to fix a charting error? Medical records, in hard copy or computer/digital form, are legal documents providing proof of the care patients received and their responses...  Read More »

If you’ve switched on a TV, a radio, or the Internet in the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard of “American Idol.” Now in its sixth season, the ultra-popular show displays the talented (and not so talented) who want to become musical stars in America. So, what does it have to do with nursing? What do singing and syringes have in common? Probably more than you think. In New Lebanon, NY, there’s a group of singing and acting nurses...  Read More »

Are you familiar with the medication the physician has ordered? If not, look it up! You can double-check the order and ensure that the order is appropriate for your patient. A drug guide or handbook is also invaluable in assisting the nurse in administering the medication correctly. You might find that you need to give the medication in a certain way or at a particular time for it to be most effective. Source: Stressed Out: About Drug Math, HCPro, Inc., 2006....  Read More »

Many nursing students have had some training with the help of a mannequin. Introduced several years ago, the dummies have found their way onto nursing tables at schools and hospitals across the country. And over time, they have become more advanced. The SimMan has become more lifelike, more sophisticated, and can even give birth to a little SimBaby. But now, a small group-two nurses and a video game developer-is trying to change the way nurses train forever....  Read More »

With plenty of applicants and few seats, many see luck as a factor in getting into the nursing school of choice. Some colleges are now making it the only factor, using a lottery system to pick its future nurses. Modesto Junior College in California is one of those schools. In hopes of increasing diversity among its nursing students, Modesto will be choosing its nursing students based on randomly generated numbers. According to the Modesto Bee, nursing students...  Read More »

Communication is the foundation of excellent patient care. Whether it is nurse-to-nurse, nurse-to-manager, nurse-to-patient, or nurse-to-physician, each form has a tremendous impact on healthcare everyday. What type of communication stresses you out most? Well, according to last week’s poll on stressedoutnurses.com, nurse-to-physician communication is at the front of your minds. A whopping 64% stress most about dealing with docs, with nurse-to-manager...  Read More »