Related: Caring, Patients, Spirituality

The patient who had just had a D&C after a miscarriage. The little girl dying after a failed liver transplant. The man headed to surgery for a colon resection to treat his cancer. The wife whose husband just died. The father who called to tell us his daughter had just been diagnosed with cancer.

These are all people who [...]

Related: Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Embarrassing Moment, Humor

We've shared our most embarrassing moments in nursing. We've shared our funniest nursing stories. Now it's time we turn the tables on the docs.

Though usually professional, respectful, and brilliant, even our highly esteemed doctors occasionally misstep. It's only fair we take a little time to share their stories. Here's my favorite.

One Tuesday morning this summer, a patient came into the clinic [...]

Related: Anxiety, Confidence, Fear, Feelings, New Nurse

It's been 25 years and 1 week since my first day on my first job.

It was in a community hospital on an ortho unit that saw an equal amount of med/surg patients (cause let's face it, how many ortho patients can one small community hospital actually have). As I recall, we had 30 beds, each of which had traction bars and trapezes. The [...]

Related: Attitude, Confidence, Expectations, Perfect Nurse

All the patients love her.

She has beautiful handwriting. Her charting is always current. She is never behind on her own work and even helps out her coworkers. She easily communicates with the doctors. Her scrubs are starched and pressed. She never makes an error in judgment. Her clinical technique is flawless. She's liked by everyone--patients [...]

Related: Attitude, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Mindset

In the gazillion years I've been a nurse, I'm happy to report that I've learned a lot. Some from nursing school. Some from other nurses. Some from study. Some from patients.

And hard as it may be for you to hear, lots has been from my docs.

I call them "my docs" because I've spent most of my career in a family practice [...]

Related: Embarrassing Moment, Humor, Patients, Student Nurse

Poop and mental confusion: Those are the common denominators in the stories you shared with us.

As I read through all the entries, I realized what a quirky profession we are in. We see people in their rawest form. Sometimes it makes us recoil. Sometimes it makes us sad. Sometimes it makes us pee in our pants in laughter. This [...]

Related: Addiction, Anxiety, Drug Addiction, Embarrassing Moment, NCLEX, Stress

Google is a wonderful thing.

I had been having this weird gunk in my mouth for a few weeks and had no idea what it was. Nor did I want to mention it to anyone because it seemed so bizarre and embarrassing.

So I went to Google. I typed in "white stringy mucous in mouth." (Too much information, I know, but hang in there with [...]

Related: Confidence, New Grad, New Nurse

I just got back from a family reunion where I passed out several of my business cards. Sounds tacky, I know. The thing is, I'm related to all these new nurses! Three of them are in their 20's, one is in her 30's, and one is 52. We add to that the three of us who have been doing this for [...]

Related: Anxiety, Attitude, Emotions, Expectations, Fear, Feelings, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Student Nurse, Success

I do my best thinking in the shower. I should probably take more. Yesterday I was thinking about a friend who got married over the weekend and the new season of life she's entered. New nurse, new bride, new stress.

Here's the thing about seasons. They come and they go. That's important to remember. Especially the going part. Some [...]

Related: Career, Confidence, Fear, Feelings, Job Search, Quitting, Seasoned Nurses, Stress

So I have a question for you. When is the right time to quit your job? When do you just take a deep breath and start the process of moving on?

I was never one of those people who kept one eye on the want ads. Maybe you're one of those who do. I've always been content with where I am; I'm not fond [...]