Category: Empowered Nurses

One of the great truths in life is that things don’t always go our way.  When we find ourselves at the place of disappointment, anger, resentment or frustration, we have to press a “reset” button to overcome the situation.  The reset button is for a multitude of reasons.  We have to press it to not overeat, not to yell at […]

2016 is like all the past years and no New Year officially begins without the creation of New Year resolutions!  Millions come up with these gems at the beginning of each year and a lot of those folks also are probably like most of us and will fail to keep those resolutions. We all have a comfort zone and we […]

I have pondered this question a lot recently: is nursing is in one’s DNA? I’ve come to the conclusion that it really is. When you look at an acorn, you realize that it has the DNA to become an oak tree.  It cannot become anything else; it has no choice but to become a leafy giant if all goes well […]

Every nurse and health care provider knows that it is important to maintain patient confidentiality.  We are required to care for patients while respecting their privacy.  With that in mind, here are some tips on protecting patient privacy: Do NOT provide patient information to anyone. Even if a patient’s family or friends ask you for information, do NOT provide it.  […]

I remember when I was practicing that I would come to work and find almost everybody complaining.  How sick the patients were, about their assignment, what the previous shift didn’t do, difficult patients, that the family wasn’t there … and the complaints would go on and on.  From my clients, I also find occasional negativity about their workplace. Unfortunately, negativity […]

Nurses are the heart and soul of the health care team. Health Care Facilities would not exist without nurses.  Nurses are the eyes and ears of the physician and the lifeline of the patient. After I graduated from nursing school, some friends would ask “why didn’t you go on to medical school?”  Well, the public doesn’t understand how nurses are […]

During this license renewal season, I have helped several nurses who were working at a place they knew was not the right fit for them, but continued to work there anyway. I call this “the square peg in the round hole”.  The fit could be with your coworkers or with the type of unit and type of patients.  No matter […]

Health care providers are some of the key people who should be able to identify domestic violence and provide the appropriate assistance and referrals.  But what if the domestic violence is happening to that health care provider?  What if one of our own nurses is the victim?  What if YOU are the victim? As nurses, like all health care providers, […]

Recently I was on an airplane when a passenger became very ill and went to the restroom.  A flight attendant asked if there was any health professional available to provide help. My first thought was “Oh, no.  I haven’t practiced in years!  Do I really want to get involved?  And, if I do, can I get sued if I try […]

As a nurse or other health care professional, we have a special relationship with our patients.  People expect a nurse to act in the patient’s best interest and to respect their dignity. It is extremely important for a health care professional to maintain a therapeutic relationship with the patient.  A therapeutic relationship is one where the nurse can apply her […]