Related: Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors

My brother-in-law is not a fan of RealityRN. I'd feel bad about that if he were a plumber or banker or especially a nurse. Instead, his dislike helps me know we're right on track. He's a doctor.

He doesn't like the cartoons. He doesn't see the humor. He doesn't like the comments about doctors making mistakes or being mean to nurses. I guess he thinks we're [...]

Related: Boundaries, Communication

You've just finished your fourth twelve-hour shift. You're exhausted. You're looking forward to a few days off. All you can think about is sleep. After a day of unconsciousness, you'll try to catch up on laundry, errands, and friends. The hours off already feel too short.

That's when you see her.

Your supervisor is headed your direction. She has that "I need a favor" look in her [...]

Related: Boundaries, Fraternizing with Residents, Inappropriate Relationships

One of my favorite shows is Grey's Anatomy. I'm not sure if I watch it because of the medical stuff or because of the relational turmoil. Either way, I'm hooked. I tune in to see if Izzie and George are going to end up together or if he's gonna stick it out with his new wife, Callie. I want to know if Derek and Meredith [...]

Related: Doctors, Embarrassing Moment, Learning

Ever have a Most Embarrassing Moment (MEM) in your role as "Nurse: Healer of All Things"?

My problem is narrowing the possibilities to only one.

The one that makes me laugh the most (and turn red at the same time) is one I can share only with other nurses. No one else really sees the humor in it.

I was (newly) working at a Family Practice office with [...]

Related: Attitude, Caregivers, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Mindset, Patient Advocate, Teamwork

Why, as caregivers, do we often assume we are the only ones doing the caring, and the rest of the medical staff shows up only to collect a paycheck?

We nurses often see ourselves as the only patient's advocate and turn advocacy into an "us vs. them" tug-of-war. What happened to the team approach to patient care? Don't think it's only "them" that are responsible for [...]

Related: Boundaries, Communication, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Learning, New Nurse, Respect

I was a Family Practice nurse for a doctor just out of residency. She was young and sweet (just like me), still had some learning to do (okay, just like me). We had three exam rooms, and her office was in one of the hallways, and my work area was in another part of the small building.

When the doc would finish with a [...]

Related: Conflict, Drug Addiction, Nurse Relationships

Is it your job to be the moral conscience of your floor/unit/clinic?

A nurse recently wrote, “I caught a co-nurse slipping drugs into pocket for personal use. What should I do?

I prefer the gray answer of “it depends.” If he or she is taking Lipitor, Zyrtec, or a Z pak, I would let it go. If, however, they’re taking narcotics, that’s a different story. [...]

Related: Balance, Energy, Healthy Living, Night Shift

I’m not sure you can make nights fit with the rest of your life.

“I love the idea of working nights—the pace is great,” writes a recent grad. “But it’s wreaking havoc on my personal life. Working three 12-hour nights and then having four days off sounds great. In reality, I’m always exhausted. How do I make nights fit in with the rest of [...]

Related: Expectations, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Organizational Skills, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Time

It takes time to look like you have it all together.

“I’m frustrated as I watch the more seasoned nurses find time to take breaks and read magazines,” writes a new nurse, “while I can’t even find time to take a bathroom break. They appear to have it all together, but I never seem to get all my charts and reports updated before the next [...]

Related: Anxiety, Career, Fear, Mistake, New Nurse, Quitting, Stress

There may be times when we need to take a turn as the patient – and let somebody help us.

A new nurse recently wrote, “I’ve been having anxiety attacks. I’m wondering if I’ll make it another week—let alone another day—in my job. My patient load is overwhelming. I can’t, in good conscience, handle the number of patients I’m charged with. I’m [...]