Category: Empowered Nurses

Many nurses incorrectly believe that the only nurses who end up before the Licensing Board are impaired.  This is simply not true. An impaired nurse is someone who uses alcohol or a controlled substance on a regular basis and to the extent that it interferes with their work.  And here’s a sad fact, many of these nurses don’t know that […]

By Elizabeth Scala These days the new catch phrase is ‘self-care’. We hear it all of the time; what are you doing to take care of yourself? How are you making your own health a priority? When do you exercise? Eat right? Meditate? It can get a bit overwhelming, even exhausting at times. As nurses we ‘know’ what we ought […]

I frequently get panic calls saying “HELP!  I just got a letter that I have to appear before the Board.” The first thing that I would suggest is to take a deep breath and read this. There are two types of communications you may get from the Board.  The first is an investigation letter and the second is actual charges […]

The basis of empowered nurses is that when nurses use their GIFTS they are able to protect their license and make changes to improve patient care. The GIFTS system means: “G” stands for giving “I” stands for Integrity “F” is Focus and Follow through “T” stands for trust and “S” is Source. There are five GIFTS and you have to […]

The GIFTS are my secret to helping you thrive in your nursing profession and when you use the GIFTS, you’re able to protect yourself and protect your license and make the changes necessary to improve patient care. Let’s go through the GIFTS again. “G” stands for giving “I” stands for Integrity “F” is Focus and Follow through “T” stands for […]

One of the most important parts of nursing is to be focused and to follow through.  With the nursing process: assess, plan, intervene and evaluate, our job would not be complete unless we followed through and evaluated how our interventions worked.  Focus and follow through is from the letter F in GIFTS.  GIFTS are an acronym that if used, allow […]

  Nursing has consistently been voted the most trusted profession.  People are trusted when they are in integrity.  They say what they are going to do and do it.  They can be counted on.  They are their word. When empowered nurses use their GIFTS, they can speak their mind, stand in their powers and, of course, be a change agent […]

It is just one of the truths in this world that when you give, you get.  When Empowered Nurses use their GIFTS, they can protect their license and make changes to improve patient care.  This article will discuss the “G” in Giving.  As a nurse we are naturally Giving in our profession.  Giving is not just about giving, it is […]

I can imagine how awful it might be to get fired from a job.  You know, with many of us, our life is our profession.  We really care about our patients and want to do the best job for them.  So, when we do get terminated, it is a huge blow to us both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, if you […]

Employment law is not my area of expertise but if you do have an employment situation that can result in a Board matter, that’s where I come again.  With that in mind, I want to share these tips with you to help you protect your license and to provide you with some information on what to do if this should […]