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When most people think about the leading causes of death in the United States, they think of heart disease, cancer, and accidents. What they usually do not think about is medical error. That is part of the problem. A widely cited 2016 BMJ analysis estimated that medical error may account for more than 250,000 deaths annually in the United States, […]

  A performance review is one of the few documents your employer creates that formally evaluates your competence, behavior, and overall practice as a nurse. And yet, most nurses sign it, maybe skim it, and never think about it again. That’s a mistake. You should always keep a copy of your performance review—because it can protect you, support you, and, […]

There is a moment on night shift that almost every nurse recognizes. The hallway lights are dimmed, the call lights are quiet, and the steady hum of monitors fills the silence. The rest of the world is asleep, and the hospital feels like it has slowed its pulse. Somewhere around three in the morning, the body feels it. Eyelids grow […]

Recently, MultiCare Health System made headlines after discontinuing its use of Moxi service robots at Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. The robots were introduced with big promises: reduce nurse walking time, transport supplies, handle specimen runs, and free nurses to spend more time at the bedside. On paper, it sounded like the clinical equivalent of calling in […]

  When a nurse decides to start her own business, something subtle but powerful happens inside her. The confident clinician who can manage a crashing patient, juggle five priorities at once, and advocate fiercely for her license suddenly feels… new. Unsure. A little wobbly. And instead of recognizing that feeling as normal, she often interprets it as a sign she’s […]

Nurses understand accountability. It is part of the profession. Licensure exists to protect the public, and disciplinary action is appropriate when patient safety is at risk. But what happens when harm to a nurse has nothing to do with patient care — and everything to do with how regulation is applied? In Kansas, lawmakers are grappling with that question in […]

In the intensive care unit, we measure pressures, saturations, reflexes, and responses. Outside the hospital walls, we measure trust, influence, reputation, and the sacred bond between nurse and community. When one of our own—like Lexi Lawler—becomes wrapped up in polarizing, harmful speech online, it’s not primarily a First Amendment issue. It’s a professionalism and ethics issue. Lexi Lawler, a former […]

If you’ve ever worked a shift so short-staffed that you skipped water, skipped the bathroom, skipped your own humanity—while being told, “There’s just no money right now”—this one’s for you. Because here’s the uncomfortable diagnosis healthcare doesn’t want to chart: The problem isn’t a lack of money. It’s a failure of distribution. This isn’t a revenue issue. It’s an ethical […]

  (A nostalgic, slightly alarming walk down memory lane) I jokingly say I was practicing nursing when the dinosaurs roamed the earth but here are some things we did that we no longer do. I am sure you have some examples on your own. 1. Unclogging G-Tubes with Coca-Cola For years, Coca-Cola was treated like a medical device hiding in […]

Here’s something no one tells nurse business owners early enough: There will be parts of this journey you do not want to do. Not because they’re wrong. Not because they don’t work. But because they’re uncomfortable. And nurses? We’re very good at confusing comfort with commitment. The plane ride of business ownership looks like: Learning sales when you’d rather perfect […]