Related: Confidentiality, Conflict, Patients

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 [...]

Related: Conflict, Feedback, Nurse Relationships, Problem Solving, Respect, Stress

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 [...]

Related: Communication, Delegation, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Relationships, Respect, Teamwork

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 [...]