The New Zealand health system isn't immune, and I bet the States isn't either, or the Australian. You see, we've all got something in common. We've either got an indigenous people, or at the very least a group of people who migrated to our respective countries before us white people did. This means you probably have a racist healthcare system. At least that's what the [...]

Related: Caregivers; Patient Advocate, Caregiving, Confidentiality, Perception of Nurses

I recently watched Fox News for the first time. I was disgusted by how biased and uninformed their reporting was. Here's the scenario, it painted all nurses in a bad light.

A 14-year-old girl rings up an abortion clinic and says she wants an abortion. She lets slip that her partner is 30 years old. The girl asks the nurse, "Will you tell my parents?" The [...]

Related: Boundaries, Bureaucracy, Management, Patient Advocate, Patients

A nurse never wants to face a HIPAA violation.

I've never experienced the ramifications of such a violation personally, but I have seen the aftermath when others have been suspected.

Often the violation stems from one of man's greatest assets: curiosity.  We're geared for acquiring knowledge; yet some things we might be better off being unaware of completely.

Once on the unit I was working, a staff [...]

Related: Nurse, Patients, Support

What was I thinking?

What is the point of getting my Masters? After one class and I was ready to tell the tutor where to go.

"You haven't learned how to think critically," said Mrs. Crump.

"Ah, I'm still not sure what you mean by thinking critically," I said.

I'd been working in an east London hospital on an agency shift. I'd been left with eight acute [...]

Related: Anxiety, Exam, Failure, Fear, Feelings, Learning, NCLEX, New Nurse Tips, Success

So how many times will you take the NCLEX?  Most all of you will surely answer at least once.  But for some of us-those select few who no matter how hard we try just can't excel at a nursing exam-it might be a few more.

I'm fessing up: I did not pass the NCLEX the first time.  I had heard from teachers and nurses alike that [...]

Related: Boundaries, Conflict, Inappropriate Relationships, Nurse Relationships, Problem Solving, Professionalism

I knew a male and a female nurse who labored alongside one another, day-in and day-out.  They learned the sounds of each other's voices and nonverbal cues, they laughed and had fun together, and they even shared some tragic moments that strengthened their bond.

Their relationship was close, and rightly so.

At work, the emotional bond between this man and this woman grew.  Before long, it appeared [...]

Related: Career, Caregiving, Male Nurse, Motivation, Stereotypes

I'm sure many of you, like me, have been asked this very same question: "So, what made you go into nursing?"

Now there are a bevy of responses you could come up with.  There's the traditional response: "I want to help people!"

Then there is the spiritual response: "I felt called to it!"

I was asked this question at least a billion times during my time in college. [...]

Related: Anxiety, Career, Communication, Failure, Fear, Felony, Job Search, Mistake, New Nurse Tips, Nurse History, Problem Solving, Professionalism, Truth, Weaknesses

I understand those of you who are worried about losing your license after a conviction-and wondering about how to appeal the board of nursing. I know what it is like to worry for months and months, because there are no clear cut answers out there.

I am an RN who has been licensed since 1990. In 2008 I got arrested for petite theft, a Class 2 [...]

Related: Career, Compliments, Conflict, Education, Feelings, Nurse Relationships, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Trends

"Such a waste!"

Those were painful words to hear from a colleague after she learned that I was using my nursing degree in a new way.

For the past year, I've been working in Nursing Informatics at the hospital where I am employed.  It embraces where nursing is headed in the 21st century.

I'm excited about the direction of my career-even if it isn't where I slated it [...]

Related: Career, New Nurse Tips, Organizational Skills

Nurses may not feel well paid all the time, but a few simple strategies can turn even the most meager salary into actual wealth-and help you survive tough economic times now and in the future.

The first step is to take advantage of your 401(k) or another retirement fund. Most employers will match up to 3 percent of your salary in a 401(k), but if you [...]