Obsessive-compulsive behaviors are most often seen in one of the anxiety disorders, called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The etiology behind these behaviors is different, in that anxiety is its root. People with OCD develop rituals that need to be completed in a certain way each time. When caring for people with OCD: Work under the premise that anything that increases anxiety will increase the likelihood of needing to participate in rituals. Know...  Read More »

By Kathy Garrison, MSN, RN Everywhere you turn today in healthcare you see the phrase “patient safety.” The media thrives on being able to spotlight individuals who have suffered bad outcomes at the hands of unsafe practioners or health systems. Numerous public access Web sites report quality data from hospitals for patients and families to examine. It seems like all of what happens in healthcare is under a microscope. As a new graduate of an...  Read More »

Wal-Mart stores have already changed the way America thinks about shopping. Now, they’re making strides to change the way we think about healthcare. Last week, the store announced plans to open walk-in clinics under the name The Clinic at Wal-Mart in cooperation with local hospitals and the RediClinic LLC chain. The first clinics are slated to open in April in Little Rock, AR, and Atlanta. There, patients at least 2 years of age will receive immediate...  Read More »

By Karen L. Madsen, MSN, APRN-BC Versatile: with many uses; able or meant to be used in many different ways; moving easily between tasks; able to move easily from one subject, task, or skill to another. Synonyms: adaptable, flexible, resourceful, multi-purpose, multi-talented, all around. When you think of a nurse, don’t you think of someone doing several things at once and doing them well? That’s what nurses do because nursing requires it. As...  Read More »

In her last installment, fortunes had quickly changed for our friend, Joye. She went from the pain of a rejection from nursing school to sheer happiness brought on by a surprise phone call. Now, with emotions swirling in her head, she must face the first day of the rest of her life. Let’s join her. It’s August 18, two years ago at 7:02 a.m. . . . Oooooooh! The alarm cuts through the air like a knife. Not a butter knife, but one of those Ginsu knifes....  Read More »

The medical record doesn’t just convey the truth about the patient’s care-it also illustrates the level of competence of the healthcare provider (you) and the truth about your commitment to safe, quality care. A complete medical record will: Tell the story of the patient’s care Reflect the documentation of high-quality, non-negligent, competent care Serve as the best defense against allegations of negligence and fraud Although nurses often...  Read More »

A couple of weeks ago, we introduced you to Joye. Our new friend is like many of you-or at least in a place where many of you have been in your lives. She is a new nursing graduate. In the first chapter, Joye took us back in time a couple of years. She had just found out she didn’t get into nursing school and was turning to a brownie for some comfort. Now, let’s rejoin her: It’s 8:30 a.m. on March 16, two years ago . . . So the brownie didn’t...  Read More »

A state grant of $298,411 in Texas will help create a program that will match nursing students with vacancies at various schools. While the name-West Texas Nursing Education Portal Project-sounds complicated, the idea is quite simple. Hopeful nursing students fill out a common form and select three or four schools they’d like to attend. Then, a computer database matches the students with vacancies at schools such as Midland College, University of Texas...  Read More »

By Kathy Garrison, MSN, RN Everywhere you turn today in healthcare you see the phrase “patient safety.” The media thrives on being able to spotlight individuals who have suffered bad outcomes at the hands of unsafe practioners or health systems. Numerous public access Web sites report quality data from hospitals for patients and families to examine. It seems like all of what happens in healthcare is under a microscope. As a new graduate of an accredited...  Read More »

Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, TX, took a creative approach to cut down on medication errors when it created a “no-talk zone.” “Distractions were definitely becoming an issue with medication errors,” says Gail Martin, MBA, RN, quality analyst at Citizens Medical Center. The main problem was that two of the facility’s busiest and most critical floors had Pyxis medication dispensing machines located out in the open–next...  Read More »