Category: Empowered Nurses

As a nurse, our identity is so tied with our profession.  If there is any question about how we are doing our job, we take it personally.  If you have been written up or have been disciplined as a nurse, I would encourage you to look at things differently.  View it as a learning opportunity. If you recall, I’m sure […]

I guess I’m a little bit of a techie and just got a Fitbit which monitors my steps and activities. I enjoy watching my number of steps throughout the day. When I was a nurse, I would spend my time walking down large halls to see my patients and back to the nurse’s station to chart. Once I became an […]

It is really sad to listen to the stories I hear from some of my clients about communications in nursing. Nurses talk behind each other’s back, complain about each other and, sometimes, have no hesitation in putting down others, right in front of each other. It’s sort of like middle school. I know I used to be quiet and keep […]

As a registered nurse, do you know the scope of practice? Have you reviewed the Nurse Practice Act of your State? Even with the Nurse Practice act, what does failure to keep abreast of current theory and practice mean? The policies and procedures of the facility at which you work are your guiding source. If your policies and procedures covers […]

It’s that time of year in Indiana, license renewal of the State’s nurses. If you’re not in Indiana, I am sure that you have a similar renewal process so check these out; I think these tips will be very helpful! The Board asks 6 questions in the renewal process because they want to know that you are safe to practice. […]

As many of you know, I have been working a lot on my personal growth for some time. I recently discovered something about myself that I want to share with you in hopes that it may help some of you as well. It’s hard for me to believe that I never put this together until after many decades of soul-searching […]

A recent publication reported the story of a nurse who was still working in an emergency department after 23 years of dedicated service. During that time, she frequently experienced being spat upon, bitten, punched, slapped, cursed and even splashed in the face with bodily fluids. One of her latest encounters was the worst. Her patient was a man who had […]

Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Our society as a whole is so focused on things that go wrong rather than appreciating all the things that go right. When I was practicing nursing, I worked agency and would work at any hospital or unit where there was a need. Immediately, when I walked on to the unit, I could […]

Recently I read an article about a nurse who was the beneficiary of a deceased couple’s estate. I may not be recalling the facts exactly but the lesson of my message is what’s important. The nurse provided for an elderly husband and wife for years up to the point where the home care could no longer provide for their needs. […]

Have you ever headed somewhere and took a shortcut only to wind up taking more time than had you taken the original route? Well, the same is true in nursing. Some nurses take shortcuts to expedite their work load. Shortcuts can include pre-documenting, medication administration, setting up medications early or even ordering items well before the physician arrives because you […]