A dirty look from a physician. A rude comment from a colleague. An outburst by a nurse manager. All are viewed as hostile behaviors and none will be tolerated by The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) starting on January 1, 2009. The accreditation organization recently released a new Sentinel Event Alert, requiring healthcare organizations to create a code of conduct by next year that defines acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the workplace. Organizations...  Read More »

“You kept canceling your appointments. I had to get your attention, so I decided to deliver the test results myself . . .” And the winner is . . . (drum roll, please) . . . Janet Rossi! Congratulations, Janet! 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 »

By Richard Freedberg, RN, MSN, MPA I teach in a community college that offers four different nursing programs designed to build on the past experiences and accommodate the busy lives of our diverse students. There are differences among the entry and upper levels of students in all of the programs, but there are also some striking similarities. One common thread shared by all is the question: “When will I feel like a nurse?” This seems to bother...  Read More »

Are you nervous about your senior year of nursing? Are you busy studying feverishly for the NCLEX exam? Could you use a little refresher on some nursing skills you haven’t used lately? No matter where you are on your nursing journey, our Quick-E clinical pocket guides can help. We just published 12 new editions a couple of weeks ago and we’re already hearing great reviews about the glossy covers, the tabs for easy navigation, and, most importantly,...  Read More »

Last week, we shared a Q&A with a recent college graduate who had just passed the NCLEX®. Today, with help from our Last Semester columnist, Chelsea, we’ll touch on some of the fears and anxieties leading up to the big day. And, as an added treat, she lets us inside her mind for a glimpse at some NCLEX dreams. Or are they NCLEX nightmares? D-day is approaching! I can’t believe I am actually taking the NCLEX. What a weird feeling. Every day,...  Read More »

Restructuring your priorities will help you shift the balance from stress-producing to stress-reducing activities. You will never be able to completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control and reduce it by striking a balance between work and fun. Think about what activities make you happy and try to build them into your schedule. Here are some examples: Take a long weekend Plan a special vacation each year Take a break from a stressful work...  Read More »

Summer has just begun and already, recent Curry (MA) College graduate Julia Tenuta has thrown "RN" after her name. She took the NCLEX-RN® exam last Thursday at 8 a.m. and found out on Monday that she passed with flying colors. She’s obviously very, very happy. But Julia managed to break her permanent grin for a few minutes and chat with us about the test. We asked her about some study tips, the questions on the exam, and her exciting future...  Read More »

As the saying goes, never judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. For nurses, about six miles is more like it. At two Maryland hospitals—Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie—nurses are wearing pedometers to measure how far they walk during an average shift. Most nurses average about six miles for an 8-hour shift and more during a 12-hour one—one nurse trudged...  Read More »

On Wednesday, we shared the first part of our conversation with recent Curry (MA) College graduate Julia Tenuta. She found out she had passed the NCLEX® and gave us some helpful hints and tips that brought her to the big day. Now, we’ll take a closer look at the exam itself. SO: Okay, back to the test. What did you do that morning? JT: I got up at 6 to leave by 6:30. On the way there, I ate peanut butter and graham crackers. SO: Did you drive yourself? JT:...  Read More »

Summer has just begun and already, recent Curry (MA) College graduate Julia Tenuta has thrown “RN” after her name. She took the NCLEX-RN® exam last Thursday at 8 a.m. and found out on Monday that she passed with flying colors. She’s obviously very, very happy. But Julia managed to break her permanent grin for a few minutes and chat with us about the test. We asked her about some study tips, the questions on the exam, and her exciting future...  Read More »