Category: Workplace Issues

As of today, California is the only state requiring mandatory minimum nurse staffing.  However, in November, Massachusetts citizens will vote on a ballot question as to whether mandatory nurse staffing should be required in that commonwealth. There are vehement forces on both sides of this referendum question.  One physician wrote an article published in Becker’s Clinical Leadership and Infection Control […]

Today, September 28, 2018, The Indiana State Nurses Association is hosting among its keynote speakers a nurse who was in the national spotlight late last year. You may remember the July 2017 story about Alex Wubbles, RN, the Salt Lake City nurse who was caring for a patient in the University of Utah emergency room when a detective entered the […]

  Recently on “Show Me Your Stethoscope” Facebook group for nurses, I said, “Let’s spread some positivity!” and asked, “What do you love about your job?” I received almost 400 comments and what was most surprising to me was that the majority of the responses noted that their favorite part of their job was their co-workers.  I realized that in […]

  In the midst of the nursing shortage, nurses have authorized, by an overwhelming majority, a strike against 15 facilities of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Texas. Nurses are in dispute over pay, staffing and security.  Their goal is to provide excellent patient care and they’re taking a stand to have this happen. […]

A study was released last year that found nurses are 23% more likely to take their own lives than the general population.  Adding to that shocking statistic is that nurses are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than people working outside of the medical field.  This is all so tragic and sad. Nurses have access to lethal medications, which […]

  Years ago, when I was practicing nursing, I had a young patient who said she “didn’t feel quite right.”  Her vital signs were good, and her assessment was normal, but I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was going on.  I knew in my gut something was wrong.  Then she started screaming, “God, I’m coming!” as we rushed […]

  I have wanted to write an article on this for a while.  I was surprised to learn that the government has chosen to include patient satisfaction into the mix of hospital reimbursements! Let’s realize that we are dealing with a population (patients) comprised of individuals who are ill to begin with.  When one is ailing, they are distracted by […]

On May 13, 2017, an inmate at the Kane County Jail in Illinois was taken to Delnor Hospital after he ate a jail-issued plastic sandal and drank a liquid cleaner.  He had surgery to remove the plastic and liquid from his stomach and was recovering when the guard left him unshackled after the inmate had used the restroom. After being […]

For the 16th consecutive year, the Gallup Poll found that the most trusted professionals are … nurses!!!  Nurses surpassed military officers by 11% and doctors by 17%. I love seeing these statistics because they are true.  Nurses are amazing in that they take care of people’s health, well-being, psycho/social needs and even their property. Interestingly, pharmacists have declined some this […]

In 1964, the American Nurses Association supported the position that all nurses should have a B.S.N.  However, nothing really became of it until the State of New York made the bold move last week by passing legislation requiring all New York State nurses to have a B.S.N. within 10 years. New York encompasses 8% of all R.N.’s in the United […]