A few years ago a physician with whom I’ve worked approached me about using my skills on a service trip to Africa. I jumped at the chance, despite the $2800 price tag. After sending out 100 support letters to friends and family, urging them to help the people of Africa through me, I raised a little over $1000. Luckily, the deficit was met through my [...]

Ever felt like you were stuck in a bad situation and could do nothing about it?

Sometimes it’s the little things that can really help to turn things around. While there are many things that may be outside of your control, sometimes all it takes is one person choosing to focus on creating positive change to really get the momentum going

A few ideas on how to [...]

You’ve heard the stories about over-the-top interviewing gaffes. Like the applicant who smelled her armpits as she walked through the door. Or the applicant who answered a personal call and asked the interviewer to leave the room for a few moments. Or the applicant who asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.

Most of us have enough sense to not make these blunders. [...]

I have first-hand experience with “sticking it out” in a bad job situation. However, there are also benefits to seeking out change. If you can no longer thrive in the environment you are in, move on. But how do you know when to stick it out or start looking for a new job?
1. Gauge your feelings over a long period of time (six months or [...]

Recently, Jessica inquired about advice for new nurses seeking jobs.

I’d recommend a few steps:

1. Take a personal inventory of your needs, wants, and desires to determine the kind of community that’s going to be a fit for you. Quality-of-life should play a role in your career search. There are lots of ‘best-places-to-live’ lists on the Internet that can help narrow the field. Here are some [...]

Sticking out that first job as a new nurse even when you feel like quitting can be one of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face.

As a new nurse grad you’re pumped up and ready to change the world. You’ve learned all about treating the whole patient; he’s a person not a room number or medical ID number; her family affects his condition, and her care [...]

Nurse X was the most clever nurse I've ever met. She used to work in a New York hospital, a real big trauma hospital, in the ER. Working with her was almost always an education, as she was always up to date with the latest techniques/procedures and was always happy to lend a hand. Then the incident happened.Mr. Smith was a student at a boarding [...]

From my observations, men below the age of 25 are reluctant to enter the field of nursing. The trend remains that more men between the ages 25 and 30, who have been working in other fields, are filling the ranks.

Unfortunately, male nurses entering the field have to deal with the press' portrayal of them - that all male nurses want is a "free show." But, [...]

I put a lot of effort into my work today. But I wondered if it was worth it.

I gave my first official drug education talk to teenagers. I 'unofficially' have talked with kids about drugs, but this was in front of three classes of students.

The social studies teacher asked me to give a presentation, because the students finished a week studying drugs. At the end [...]

Once upon a time—straight out of college—I suffered from Doctoritis. I blame it partly on my youth. But the rest of the blame lay with Dr. Steele.

You see, I was an impressionable young man and Dr. Steele had it all: he was 29, handsome, worked out at the gym and had the muscles to prove it. He also had every woman in the hospital in [...]

Schools are teaching it across the country: Character Counts. And traits like trustworthiness, caring, responsibility, and respect continue to count—and have far-reaching implications—when you become a professional.

Yet, we hear repeatedly from nurses on this site that nurses are bereft of respect.

Guess what? You need to stop pointing fingers. Creating a respectful working environment starts with you.

If I don’t act respectful towards other people, or if [...]

I often struggle to remember the good days at work. But the good outweighs the bad, otherwise I wouldn't still be a nurse. One of the more memorable, feel-good stories goes like this:

At 41, Mr. Jones was too young to need vascular surgery, especially since he wasn't diabetic, and as far as he was aware, he didn’t have a family history of circulation problems. But [...]

If it feels like a cold front has hit your unit—cool looks and frosty comments are the norm—then be the one to bring some life into the unit.

Some of the best bad-mood breakers are embarrassing moments. And, boy, do nurses have a ton of crazy stories. It is freeing when you can laugh at those moments that make you want to crawl under the gurney. [...]

I broke the C law--not on purpose. And what is the C law? Let me tell you a story. Early one morning I received a letter, which read:

"Dear Nurse,

Thank you for your email, but we feel our son needs to see a doctor as his cough sounds terrible. He complains of being constantly tired, unable to sleep, and states that you do not let him [...]

When you’re having a conflict with a co-worker, you may consider the advice a mentor once passed on to me: What might feel personal is not personal at all.

Think of it. When you’re crabby or stand-offish at work, it’s usually because you’re under a lot of stress. You’re tired. Work is demanding. Your schedule is overflowing. There’s been a death in the family. Your kids [...]

I talked with one new nurse who said that 50% of the time she was really good at delegating. The other 50%? She admitted, “I end up doing the task that a CNA should be doing—because I’m not strong enough to insist upon it. And then I beat myself up, because I realize I should have persisted. I wouldn’t fall behind on my work if [...]