A while ago, we gave you a list of the top 10 things to do in Kansas City during the National Student Nurse Association Convention. Now that the big show is less than a week ago (where did that time go?), we’re going to walk you through the one thing we’re definitely going to find some time to do next weekend. In K.C., chow means barbeque. And although our options are plentiful, we’re going to settle on the most well-known place: Arthur Bryant’s....  Read More »

Stressed Out columnist Heather Grondin, RN, has guided us through some intriguing topics in the past few months. She’s taken us into the world of nursing portfolios, given us some guidance about financing college, and provided tips on how to balance a nursing career with a personal life. Now, she brings us into a sticky, difficult situation. Fortunately, she also shows us how to get out of it: I’ve had various people from many fields ask me how...  Read More »

by Diana Lang The breath is a cycle. Inhale . . . exhale. The breath teaches us about cycles. It teaches us that if we inhale, we must exhale. That something has a beginning and an end. It teaches us that life goes on, that even after we exhale, another breath will be taken.  Everything breathes. People, animals, and everything on Earth breathes in and breathes out. In a sense, even the Earth has a breath. Think of the ocean tide coming in and out, like...  Read More »

Let your manager know ASAP. There is a lot of turnover and transition on the units these days, and if your manager knows that you need another shift, that knowledge will help him or her when making hiring decisions. For example, your manager may be able to put a traveler temporarily in that position. Here are some other tips: Give the shift a fair shot (six months). Let your manager know you want another shift as soon as possible. Reach out to your peers...  Read More »

On Halloween, they left their homes as a firefighter, a flamenco dancer, a scarecrow, and a blow-up pig, among others. Consequently, on their holiday break, they’ll leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to work with AIDS patients in Maseno, Kenya. If you’re having a tough time seeing the connection, it’s understandable. Meet Danielle Zolnik, AKA the blow-up pig. She and eight of her classmates in the nursing program at the University...  Read More »

States across the country are going to great lengths to try the curb the critical nursing shortage they are facing. Tennessee is going online. The Tennessee Board of Nursing recently approved a Board of Regents program that will offer an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree as early as next spring. The program will be offered at nine community colleges, and will include 360 online hours and 630 on-campus hours. The hope is to have 150 new graduates...  Read More »

Here at StressedOutNurses.com, we try to provide you with a little stress relief on an ongoing basis. We start with some interesting, entertaining, educational, and sometimes even humorous articles. Then, we add in some fun polls that ask you about everything from food to nursing books to text messaging. We even sprinkle in some YouTube videos, Quick-E’s, a MySpace page, and have plans to add even more. But stress is a multi-edged sword and often needs...  Read More »