Caring for the sickest and smallest patients in the hospital not only takes a special level of knowledge and a unique skillset but also requires a great deal of compassion and personal strength. Becoming a NICU nurse is often not something one chooses directly out of college. However, some hospitals do hire new graduates. In [...]
Today, the majority of nurses, particularly newly licensed nurses, end up working 12-hour shifts rather than the traditional 8-hour shift. This often makes staffing easier in hospitals, and hospital managers argue in favor of the great continuity of care for patients. However, even though some love the flexibility of the 12-hour shift, it is not [...]
The human heart has a unique electrical system that signals different parts of the heart muscle to move. When there is a disruption in the electrical pathways, your patient may develop chest pain, decreased perfusion and life-threatening pumping interruptions. One of the most concerning and oft-confused issues is heart block. Heart block refers to any [...]
As a health care worker, one of the most stressful situations you can ever face is a code blue. Whether your own patient is coding or you are called to a code somewhere else in your facility, the fact that a patient’s life is in your hands is a weighty realization. No matter how many [...]
Anyone who has spent a few months working in the health care field knows how mentally and physically stressful this job can be. Long hours on your feet, heavy loads to lift and the burden of caring for very sick and possibly dying patients can quickly wear on you. This is why great self-care is [...]
As a neonatal intensive care nurse, you are in charge of an extremely fragile population of the smallest patients in the hospital. Working in this unit requires a certain amount of determination and perseverance as these patients are critically sick, especially if they were born preterm. In addition to your physical and mental determination to [...]
Today, many of the largest organizations and businesses have incident response teams that are designed to respond to unusual and dangerous situations quickly. Some businesses may have incident response teams to deal with unexpected computer system failures or major electrical outages. Large hospitals should also have carefully planned teams that can deal with mass injuries [...]
Nurse burnout is a very real problem often complicated by factors outside a nurse’s control. For example, many nurses deal with stressful work situations, which could include unsafe work environments or poor staffing ratios. Other causes of burnout may be based on personal feelings, such as a sense of isolation or difficulty in dealing with [...]
If you have committed to a career in emergency room nursing, you may want to improve your skills and prove your dedication to your field with an additional certification. One of the best ways to do that is with a certification specifically geared to your daily work and knowledge level. The Certified Emergency Nurse Examination [...]
While nearly any nurse will tell you how important continuing education is to a healthy nursing practice, not all states have the same requirements. In fact, most states differ dramatically from nearby states in their requirements. Therefore, as soon as you receive your initial license, you must know what you will have to do in [...]
