“Poor dear. She’s been like this since taking her nursing boards last week.” And the winner is . . . (drum roll, please) . . . Colleen Zahs! Congratulations, Colleen! 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 »

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...  Read More »

There are times when nurses do not put their best foot forward, when drugs are not properly researched, and attempts are made to cut corners in drug administration. When a client asks the nurse about his or her drugs and the nurse clearly doesn’t know the answer, the client loses faith in the nurse-not only in his or her ability to administer medications, but in all areas. You must practice safety through SAFE: Safe Administration of drugs through Foundation...  Read More »

I will not let this happen to me . . . I will not be on welfare . . . I will not let this happen to me.These determined thoughts were why I began nursing school. Mine is not one of those pretty, wishful, Cherry Ames stories. I was never one of those little girls who wanted to be Florence. Nursing was not on my horizons at all when I was a child. No white uniforms and caps for me! I was going to be a great writer like Louisa May Alcott or my heroine, Laura Ingalls...  Read More »

Nationwide, about 85% of students who take the NCLEX exam pass it. In West Virginia, that number drops to 81%, which ranks as the lowest of the 50 states. A combination of a shortage of qualified faculty, low salaries for nursing faculty, and admission requirements contribute to the unenviable ranking, officials said. According to The Charleston (WV) Gazette, 23 full-time nursing faculty positions were vacant as of last week. Several schools fell below the...  Read More »

So I have survived my first week back of my last semester. Last Friday, we met with our professors and discussed what this semester was going to be like. According to them, it’s not supposed to be too hard on us. Then they got to talking about the NCLEX and that got me a little worried. This test is going to give me acceptance into the nursing world. We had to decide what state we wanted to be licensed in, and for me, that was easy because all I want...  Read More »