Category: Workplace Issues

When I was a nursing student, I thought for sure I wanted to be either a labor and delivery nurse or a pediatric nurse.  During my clinicals in obstetrics, I had a patient whose baby died in utero and she delivered the baby knowing that it would not be born alive. That was so emotionally difficult for me that I […]

When we were living in caves thousands of years ago, there was a real fear of becoming an animal’s main dinner entrée.  When faced with that possibility, the fight or flight response kicked in. But today, while we can feel safe in our homes, we still can push the so-called panic button for any fear response any time we want. […]

What is the first thing that a physician orders when you work night shift and have trouble sleeping during the day?  The physician orders Ambien! Maybe you’ve been working long hours; walking the hard floors of a hospital and it’s taking a toll on your back and other joints.  If you have pain, which cannot be controlled by non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, […]

The electronic health records are here to stay.  You may love it because they save time or you may dislike it.  Regardless of your opinion, we have no choice about it. The government now requires that healthcare providers adopt and demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records to remain eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. “If it is not documented, […]

It seems that the theme for nurses this week is how do we resolve problems.  Many of us approach problems from a reactive stance, that is, we tend to respond by getting upset, angry and feel indignant that this is happening. Stepping back from the situation, we can get clear on what is really going on and what it is […]

Many nurses stay in their job because of their comfort zone.  They are comfortable with where they work, the policies and procedures, the staff, the routine, etc.  But things may not be clicking just right.  Maybe you’re getting write-ups here and there and talked to frequently.  Perhaps you may not fit in with the other staff and all these other […]

Frequently I hear nurses saying that we don’t have enough staff to take care of the patients.  The patients are too sick.  We have too many patients.  There are not enough supplies to care for the patients and we don’t have enough time to do everything we need to care for the patients.  These conversations are based in scarcity and […]

It may not feel like it but, from what I hear, nurses are having trouble finding employment.  When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, hospitals got scared and were concerned whether they would be able to stay in business with the reimbursements provided by the ACA.  So, it appeared the nursing shortage went away, but hospitals were only waiting […]

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 […]