It’s no secret that a lack of instructors plays a big factor in the growing nursing shortage. RP-7 hopes to help fill the void. RP-7, a teaching robot that was recently introduced at Wright State University in Dayton, OH, allows a remote instructor to communicate with students (and vice versa) through live audio and video. The 5-foot-6-inch, 200-pound robot is part of a one-year pilot program to see if this type of distance learning is an effective way...  Read More »

Actors can participate in their own stunts and become characters in their own fantasy worlds, improvising with intuition and creativity. But nurses must be grounded in sound practice performances based on scientific evidence and cutting-edge research. No one wants a nurse who is like Alice in Wonderland. Clients expect nurses to be knowledgeable, safe, and have expert clinical and communication skills. Take a few minutes and put your skills to the test. Nurses...  Read More »

As part of its journey to elevate the professional role and recognition of the RN, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) in Bennington–a 99-bed community hospital in rural Vermont–undertook an ambitious campaign to decentralize the nursing department and empower the direct-care RN. One step in that process was the development and implementation of a shared governance model of professional practice. In 1994, SVMC formed a shared governance...  Read More »

When should you speak and when should you be silent? What conversations should you engage in and which ones should you let slide? Are you taking something too personally and being too sensitive, or is another nurse attacking your integrity? Nurse-to-nurse communication must sit within some framework. The first step is to define your boundaries. Having a code of conduct sets a clear picture of your own personal boundary line. Any step across this line requires...  Read More »

Only you can determine what stress management techniques work best for you. Even finding one thing that will assist you with coping with the stressors of life will be of benefit. Consider changing the bad habits that increase your stress and concentrate on some new everyday things that can help you stay in control. Here are some stress busters you can practice: Watch people who seem to “have their act together.” Ask them how they do it. Focus...  Read More »

The transition from nursing school to the halls of the hospital can be quite difficult for many young nurses. There are stones to be uncovered, discoveries to be made, and tricks to the trade. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone to fill you in on some of the secrets before your first day of orientation? One of our nurse friends from Ohio is going to do just that by listing the top 10 things she wishes she knew before she became an RN: My name is...  Read More »

In an effort to increase the number of highly trained nurses in the state, several schools and universities in Pennsylvania are teaming up to help licensed practical nurses become registered nurses very quickly. A new fast-track program takes LPN graduates from Wilkes-Barre Vocational-Technical School and guarantees them placement in Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, the University of Scranton, or Wilkes University. From there, students...  Read More »

Simple strategies can be used to help you cope with the stress of being a nurse. First, you need to take an inventory of how much time you devote to yourself each day. If it is not enough time to help you decompress, then you need to make a commitment to yourself that you are worth spending time on. Use this time to get yourself back on track and focused on the future, not what has happened in the past. Remember that caring for yourself is first and foremost,...  Read More »

Are you stressed about how to balance work and family while becoming a nurse? For all you non-traditional nursing students, nursing student wannabes, and everyone else who could use a time management tip or two, this article is for you. Heather Grondin, RN, a nurse from New Hampshire, provides some tips and tricks on how to balance it all, maintain your GPA, and maybe even get involved in student government. So you have decided to go to nursing school, but...  Read More »

“Remind me to submit his name for the ‘random’ drug screen this week.” And the winner is . . . (drum roll, please) . . . J.R. McLain! Congratulations, J.R.! Thanks to everyone who submitted a caption. They were all hilarious! And, we’ll be back next week with a brand new cartoon! Will YOU be the next winner?   Read More »