Category: Empowered Nurses

You graduated from nursing school and passed the NCLEX and now you have your first job. The excitement is rampant. You want to be successful but how do you know if the unit norms are in compliance with the Nurse Practice Act or even the facilities policies and procedures? For many new nurses, entering the clinical environment can be an […]

  The healthcare industry is facing a perplexing and unfortunate contradiction: hospitals are laying off nurses even as a nationwide nursing shortage continues to worsen. For those of us who live and breathe nursing, this seems illogical—how can hospitals justify layoffs when they struggle to staff their units adequately? Let’s dive into why this is happening and what it means […]

The healthcare field is no stranger to professional turf battles, but few are as heated or impactful as the ongoing conflict between anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). In California, this battle over roles and responsibilities continues to raise questions about autonomy, safety, cost, and access to care, shaping the future of anesthesia services in the state. At the […]

A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that restricts you in some manner. I had a limiting belief that I was not smart enough to go to medical school, so I became a nurse. Many nurses experienced these limiting beliefs without realizing it. Limiting beliefs are learned from our parents, media, our environment even though […]

As nurses, we’re used to managing chaos, making quick decisions, and handling life-or-death situations. But what happens when you start feeling stuck in a rut? The excitement and passion that once fueled your every shift begin to fade, and you find yourself going through the motions. It’s a place many of us have been, yet few talk about openly. So, […]

    The South Carolina state legislature has pumped $30 million into collegiate nursing programs over the past three years. It is anticipated that the Palmetto State has the seventh largest shortage of registered nurses in the nation which leaves one-in-five (20%) positions unfilled due to nurses retiring and current low staffing levels. An article published in Becker’s Hospital Review […]

“The best defense is a good offense” is a maxim that everyone has heard. But a better position to come from is to never have the problem in the first place. How do you do this? By being proactive. Proactive means that if you smell the handwriting on the wall: leave! Leave before you get fired. As I often say, […]

According to Indiana Code § 25-23-1-19.8, before December 31st of every even numbered year, the Board is required to randomly audit at least one per cent (1%) but not more than ten per cent (10%) of the APRNs with authority to prescribe legend drugs. This was enacted last year, and the board is still in the process of auditing. Currently, […]

As a nurse, we’re trained to handle emergencies in various settings—from the controlled environment of a hospital to the unpredictable chaos of an accident scene. However, one of the most challenging and unique situations I’ve encountered happened not on the ground but 35,000 feet in the air. Imagine this: you’re seated comfortably on a plane, finally taking a break from […]

  Little Rock, Arkansas nurse Amber Nelson had been caring for a patient she had previously known when, for some reason, she chose to reveal the patient’s MyChart on the social medium, Snapchat. There are all kinds of misinformation out there about this case, including the patient whose confidential information was disclosed. I’m not sure exactly when this happened and […]