Category: Workplace Issues

Substance abuse is one of the most important issues in nursing because access is so easy. Even with Pyxis machines that distribute medications with a thumb print, there still are ways that a determined nurse can divert medication. According to the Indiana State Nurses Assistance Program [ISNAP]: Impaired nurses demonstrate mood swings and irritability. He/she may seem depressed for no […]

What would you do if your supervisor asked you to do something that you think may be questionable? Would you follow the order or would you question it? Let me give you some examples to consider: You work homecare and you never see your supervisor. She tells you to sign her name on your time card so you can get […]

A nurse, Maria, was working in the ICU. There were 8 patients with 4 nurses. The acuity was very high and for everything that needed to be done for each patient, they needed more staff. One patient coded and 2 nurses were assisting with the code while the other 2 nurses were caring for the remaining 7 patients. One of […]

The definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting to get a different result. Sometimes I feel like a hamster on a wheel – I try to escape the wheel but it keeps going round and round. I also am thinking that if I keep going on this wheel, I’m going to get somewhere, […]

It’s estimated that almost ten percent of all nurses are males. And, for whatever reason, I represent more males in my practice than in the general nursing population. I don’t know whether it is because men more readily hire an attorney than do women. I’m not really sure. But what is interesting is the male perspective on the practice of […]

Guest post by Caroline Porter Thomas Hello & Thank you for reading! A special thanks also to Lorie, for having me. My name is Caroline Porter Thomas and I’m so excited that you are reading this! I believe that you can truly be happy in your career as a nurse, but, it does take a little work. The nursing job […]