Being Active for Stress Reduction....

Being active sets a positive tone for the week ahead. Whether it’s going for a run, hiking, biking, or engaging in a group sport, the benefits are numerous. Physically, exercise helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and boosts endurance. Mentally, it can elevate your mood due to the release of endorphins, reduce stress, and enhance focus and clarity.

In addition to traditional workouts, exploring new activities can also be a refreshing way to spend your Sunday. For instance, you might consider trying yoga, joining a dance class, or even participating in a community sports event. These not only provide a great physical challenge but also a chance to meet new people and socialize, which can be equally rewarding.

                                  Source Link and Credits for Video

Moreover, integrating nature into your active days can further enhance your experience. A leisurely walk or jog in a local park, or a hike in a nearby nature reserve, allows you to reconnect with the outdoors, which is often energizing and refreshing. The sights and sounds of nature can elevate your mood and make any physical activity feel more enjoyable.

One of the best parts of being active is that it gives you a sense of accomplishment. After dedicating some time to yourself, it’s often easier to transition into the week with a clear mind and a more positive outlook. You may find that you are more productive at work or in other aspects of your life after a refreshing weekend.

Additionally, creating a routine around your workouts can help establish a lasting habit. Maybe you’ll invite friends to join you, turning it into a social event. Or perhaps you’ll set specific goals to achieve each week, such as improving your running time or mastering a new skill in your chosen sport.

Credits-https://nurseslabs.com/fit-nurse-5-types-workout-exercises-nurses-need/

So, whether it’s hitting the gym, participating in a recreational sports league, or simply enjoying an active day outdoors, embracing this approach can significantly benefit both your physical and emotional health. Keep prioritizing those active moments—you'll definitely feel the difference!

***What are some of the ways you keep active and energized?

Resources:https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/combating-stress/

https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/stress-management-for-nurses/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4664060/

https://online.qmu.ac.uk/blogs/what-are-the-effects-of-stress-on-nurses/#:~:text=High%20levels%20of%20stress%20is,can%20greatly%20strain%20health%20services.

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/news/burnout-and-stress-continue-to-plague-the-nursing-profession/

How to create focus in the chaos.....

While driving home today, I was distracted by the commotion outside my car. Tractor trailers were banging and clanging quickly past me. On the sidewalk, construction workers were shouting to one another. Radios and car horns were invading my quiet space. I was having a hard time concentrating and my mind was racing. Then I realized it: This reminded me of a busy day on a nursing unit!

We’ve all had experiences like these: getting interrupted while calculating medication dosages, being called to the telephone during patient teaching, or hearing a bed alarm and rushing away from talking to a family member about a loved one. And it can get a bit chaotic and stressful!

One way to decrease distraction is through positive affirmations. Stating positive declarations can create greater focus and concentration, and give you a sense of balance. Taking time out each day to sit quietly, breathe and state mantras to yourself can have a deep impact on your happiness, peace of mind and health.

Research has shown that stating mantras has positive effects on stress reduction. In a 2007 study conducted at Duke Medical Center, researchers found significant reductions in stress and negative emotions in participants who used meditation techniques that focused on mantras.

When you do this, you quiet the mind. You create a space that is free from disruption. And then, with practice, you can call upon this state of mind at any point during a busy shift.

Picture this: You have been running all day. Patient after patient needs you. The older gentleman in 312A fell down. Your chronic pain patient in 316B will not lay off the call bell. Any time you think you have five minutes to sit down and chart, another person is calling your name. This has been the longest shift of your life.

Instead of creating more stress, anxiety and disappointment by focusing on the hours ahead, try something different. Take a deep breath and say to yourself: “I have the strength and energy to see this through. I enjoy helping others.” Repeat this until you stand up, ready to give that final medication and discharge that last patient—feeling revitalized and ready to go!

Make time each day, either in the morning or the evening, to quietly state affirmations. Take a slow and deep breath in and out through your nose between each of the affirmations. Become aware of how you feel and start to notice any shifts in energy, mood or stress levels.

Here are some statements I use that can help you get started:

• I am exactly where I need to be as my journey in life reveals itself to me.
• I honor my mind, body and soul and treat each aspect of my being with respect.
• I am a confident, knowledgeable and successful role model as I inspire others to be the same.
• I know great joy and peace and therefore have wonderful energy.
• My speech is a form of love.
• I am limitless in my capacity for joy, healing and happiness.
• I will achieve perfect balance and be successful in all that I take on.
•  

You can add some of your own affirmations as you become comfortable with the process.

Taking the time to sit quietly with your own positive thoughts will greatly affect your life. You’ll create a way to cope with distraction during your busy days. You’ll generate a calmer presence by slowing down and breathing with yourself. You deserve great happiness, peace and love in your life. Make room for yourself!

 Source Link-How to create focus in the chaos....

Elizabeth Scala, MSN/MBA, RN, is a health and wellness coach who owns Living Sublime Wellness, a company that provides holistic coaching for mind, body and spirit. She coaches nurses and caregivers who are stressed, burned out and overwhelmed to make time for self-care and healthy balance in their busy lives. Scala offers a holistic newsletter and supportive monthly calls. Visit livingsublimewellness.com for more details.

Nursing Tribute: Why Is It So Difficult? ......

This article is dedicated to those nurses around the world working in the trenches; working tirelessly for the good of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who are entrusted to your tender, loving and skillful care.
Why is it so difficult... this being a nurse? I mean, in what other profession do you:

• Make life-and-death decisions for 7 people based on a 5-minute shift report?
   
• Get get berated by a physician for forgetting one thing when you have remembered 100 other things?  
• Think about what you are going to have for lunch while cleaning an emesis basis or a bedpan?
• 
   
• Have to know the etiology, classification, dosage, side effects, contraindications, and compatibility for 18,000 different medications?
• 
   
• Need to know the significance of obscure lab results and whether the doctor should be awakened at 3am because of them?
   
• Have to obtain a physician's order to give a patient a Tylenol but have the authority to float a Swan-Ganz catheter through a patient's heart to measure central venous pressure and pulmonary artery pressure?
• 
   
• Coordinate respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, dietary, social services, consulting specialists, and wound care nurses for 7 patients but somehow forget where you put your car keys?
   
• Spend 12 hours on your feet only to be told by your personal physician that you need to get more excercise
• 
   
• Own 20 sets of scrubs and own zero sets of scrubs without a stain on them?
• 
   
• Have to learn a new corporate computer system when you are 55 years old, and you don't even own a computer?
   
•  

• Find yourself choosing a personal physician based on how nice he or she is to the nurses?
   
• Go to work when it's still dark outside and leave work when it is again dark outside?
   
• Get floated to some random area of the hospital where you have received zero training and be expected to carry the load of a nurse who has worked the unit for 20 years?
   
• Consider a chair at the nurses station as something worth fighting for?
   
• Learn about research findings because the administration taped them on the wall of the ladies' room across from the toilet?
  
• Know your patients by their diagnoses and/or their room numbers rather than their names?
   
• Feel naked without a stethoscope and a pen hanging around your neck?
   
• Learn how to take a manual blood pressure in 15 seconds flat?
   
• Remember your worst nightmare was when you dreamt that the doctor called and you couldn't find the patient's chart?
   
• Feel guilty when you leave your patients for 30 minutes to have lunch?
   
• Learn to read physicians' handwriting that resembles the graffiti on the dumpster behind the local Wal-Mart?

Why is it so difficult? And why is it so difficult imagining myself ever doing anything else? And why is it so difficult to explain why I love it so much...this being a nurse?






About the Author: Susan Kieffer, RN, MSN/Ed., is a fulltime faculty member with the Kaplan University School of Nursing online.  Her current position involves orienting and training new faculty members in their transition to online education.  She is a busy pastor’s wife, worship leader, a mother of two, a grandmother of six, and pet owner of a Great Dane, Pomeranian, a Himalayan cat, a snake, and other multiple critters.  She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in E-Commerce.

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Nursing Career Outlook for the next few years......

Keeping up with job market news in the nursing field can quickly make you wish you had a career advisor to untangle the mixed messages—a tough job market, yet understaffing at hospitals and clinics; a looming shortage, yet potential students being turned away from schools.

Here, we throw the word “crisis” out the window and provide some quick, simple facts and projections about the job market today and tomorrow, along with answers to the questions you’ve been asking.

What will the job market look like in 10 years?

The need for both RNs and LPNs is expected to grow like never before—by 21 to 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. What is particularly interesting is that these jobs will be in various fields, not just in long-term care and geriatrics. As medical procedures advance, nurses are needed to care for patients who are recovering from previously fatal diseases and conditions.

How does the current shortage compare to ones in the past?

The last time the United States experienced a significant nursing shortage was in 1965. It’s predicted that in 2025, there will be a shortage that rivals that of the one in 1965. In fact, it’s estimated that we will be short twice the amount.

How is the nursing field faring in the recession compared to other job markets?

Healthcare facilities across the U.S., including hospitals, long-term care and clinics, added 21,000 jobs in November 2009. In that same month, 85,000 people in other fields lost their jobs.

Why can’t some new nurses find jobs?

Currently there is a job vacancy rate of more than 8 percent, and yet some nurses can’t find jobs. One reason may be that these nurses are new and inexperienced. Will the powers-that-be invest money into orienting them and accepting them into the fold? Seems the smart ones will, considering these nurses are going to be an essential part of the team 15 years from now!

Why are people being turned away from nursing school when there’s a significant shortage looming?
Almost 50,000 potential nurses were refused entry into BSN and graduate nursing programs in the 2008-09 academic year due to the lack of resources


—instructors, space and clinical sites. If you’re a seasoned nurse, what this means is that if you’ve been harboring a secret desire to go into teaching, there’s no time like the present. Instructors are needed in the classrooms and in the clinical areas.


Can I still be a bedside nurse while teaching?
Some nurses work part-time as floor nurses and part-time as clinical instructors. These nurses get paid to help educate the next generation of nurses while maintaining the job they’ve always loved.
Why are some hospitals struggling with staffing problems?


The nurse staffing problem isn’t just the lack of new nurses, but the mobility of the new graduates. Apparently, 13 percent of new RNs change jobs after just one year and 37 percent would like to. Considering how much it costs to recruit nurses and to teach them the ropes, this could result in significant dings in the annual staffing budgets. According to a 2005 report, it costs almost $3,000 to hire a new nurse.

Why is it important to find the right job and stick with it when there are so many specialties to explore?
Above all else, it’s best for the patients. For example, good staffing increases a surgical patient’s chance of survival by 7 percent. There’s no better reason out there for nurses and administrators to work toward maintaining a good staff.



What can nurses do to help fill the ranks?
Don’t feel helpless—speak up. If you feel you would make a good teacher, don’t keep wondering if you should do it—do it! There are various ways to add to your education, from going to a traditional classroom to taking online courses. If you work in a hospital that doesn’t offer clinical space for nursing students, propose it. The more students we have out there, the better it will be for all of usReferences:
Originating Source and full owner of this article from:http://scrubsmag.com/
http://centerforamericannurses.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=20

8 nurse-y resolutions that will stick..........

It’s the time of the year when you are reflecting on those promises you made last month. You know – what you vowed, promised and declared you were going to improve.

These proclamations ranged from the smallest to the largest feats.

We all know the most common resolutions have to do with your health in some way.

Why do we poke fun at this habit of yearly resolutions? Mostly because the yearly resolution has become somewhat of a bad omen (sort of like saying the Q-word on a nursing unit). Your resolution is almost never completed in its entirety.

Here’s what I think about making resolutions as a nurse and (ahem) keeping them!

Nurse-y resolutions!

For nurses looking to improve their overall well-being in 2012, here’s a list of resolutions that can very easily apply to most nurses:

1. Bring my lunch to work (more often or a certain number of times per week)
2. Stop snacking on goodies at work
3. Stop bringing money to buy vending machine food
4. Stop feeling guilty about not picking up extra shifts (or calling off for being sick)
5. Be more of a team player (help one person each shift )
6. Stop feeling guilty about leaving tasks for the next shift
7. Cut back on coffee and/or fast food
8. Quit smoking
9.  

Here are some tips to help you stay on track:

Since when do you need a date on a calendar to start a goal? Pick an arbitrary day and commit. Just because you chose a goal at the start of the new year does not guarantee its success. That said, what better time to start than the new year?

Too much

For some reason, people “go big or don’t go at all.” The best goals are made in small increments. Baby steps forward are much more effective than backpedaling.

Too little

Your yearly resolution doesn’t need to be accomplished in a set time frame. There is nothing wrong with completing your goal later in the year. Just be sure to set a due date! It’s there to motivate you and serve as an evaluation tool along the course of the year.

Peer pressure

Nothing brings out the best in you like some friendly competition. The competitive spirit is inside all of us–sometimes we just need a good push. Just be sure to remind yourself that your goals are unique, and so are your accomplishments. So quit drawing expectations from others.

8 nurse-y resolutions that will stick...... 

Torture

A resolution is about improving your life, not making it worse. Try your best to keep a positive attitude. We all know that making changes to accommodate a new workout regimen or wean off of stimulants like coffee or cigarettes can feel like hell. Be sure to keep going. Imagine the reward for all your hard work and sacrifice. That thing you call torture will eventually become a habit and then a part of your new, healthier lifestyle. YOU DESERVE IT!

Top 5 Ways Nurses Can Promote Well-being for Themselves and Others.....

 

Nursing can be a stressful profession as we all know. Nurses must deal with different personalities of patients and colleagues, patients’ significant others, difficult situations, emergencies, life and death, and disease processes. Just reading this sentence made me feel stressed and overwhelmed. So why would someone choose to go into the nursing profession?
Nurses are those people who feel confident knowing how to work with different personality types. They want to help others and assist in overcoming challenges. They make a positive impact on someone’s life and feel excited having made a huge difference, which is extremely rewarding. Of course we have heard the saying that the most treasured thing we have in life is our health. When people are sick, they can only think of the value and significance of health and nurses are there to assist them in regaining their health, making them more comfortable by being there.
So how do nurses cope? I know that there have been times when I have felt stressed and overwhelmed, wanting to be able to do more, wanting to have more time, wanting to have more assistance and wanting to reverse the circumstances and make it ‘all better’ for someone. I am sure there are a myriad of reasons why people go into the nursing profession. As nurses, we have seen things that some people never see in their lifetime. So how do we cope? I have learned that a very important point is to be “selfish”! Now please look at this word in a positive way. I want to say that we must take care of ourselves and then we are able to care for others. So what things can we do for ourselves to promote our own well-being?

1. Have Fun! Take the time to enjoy yourself on your time off. What do you enjoy doing? Do you enjoy hiking, skiing, biking, walking  your dog, working out, reading, movies, plays, playing with your children or grandchildren, swimming, dancing, art, jewelry making or other hobbies or activities?
   
   Schedule activities for yourself just like you do your work. You deserve it!
    
2. Practice positive communication in your thoughts and in your verbal and written correspondence. When you frame sentences in a positive way, it will have amazing results in how you feel and even in outcomes. A client of mine says that whenever she is running late to an appointment, she now says to herself that she is going to be there on time, safely, and even have a few minutes to spare. She tells me she is early most of the time.
    
3. Laugh on purpose. Find the funny things in life. Just last night a friend of mine started laughing because I had a piece of popcorn in my hair. I laughed along with her.
   
   Watch funny programs and do fun activities that promote laughter. We can make our own circus.
    
4. Enjoy every moment and live in the present. This means focusing on the here and now and forgetting about worrying about the future, because worrying is actually focusing on what you don’t want to have happen. Focus on what you do want to have happen. You can talk about what you want, visualize what you want, make a collage of what you want in your life, write in your journal and read books about people who have done what you want in your life. This makes it more real for you. When you know that it can happen for someone else then you know that it is possible.
    
5. Tell yourself that amazing things happen every day and they can happen for you as well.
   
   Celebrate little things. I received a free cup of coffee, a free doggie wash, a free lunch and a free 2 hour CEU class just last week. I am abundant I say to myself and I know more will continue to happen. We must celebrate for ourselves. It is fun. It brings laughter and a smile. Keep a journal of all the wonderful things that are happening in your life and then when you need to, you can go back and read and remember all the fun things that happened and will continue to happen.
   
   You can have a new motto, I am Abundant! I Celebrate every day. People around you will notice how much fun you are to be around and they will tell you that they like being around you.
   
   HAVE FUN! SMILE! When you smile more, others will smile more also.

About the Author: Joyce Hyam, RN, BSN, PHN, MPA/HSA, is a certified trainer/speaker/coach/consultant/author who teaches Positive Mindset-Positive Communication-Positive Culture-Positive Rapport Building-Happiness strategies to promote wellbeing. Joyce uses accelerated learning techniques so all communication styles will relate to the material and can begin to use it immediately. She has a BSN from the City University of New York and a Masters in Public Administration with a specialty in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She founded a successful organization which was sold to a venture capital firm.

A New Nurse for a New Year...

 

 

According to the American Psychological Association, weight loss, smoking cessation and increasing exercise are the top three New Year’s resolutions in America.
But do New Year’s resolutions really work and change unhealthy behaviors in individuals? Sometimes they do. Those who make resolutions are ten times more likely to successfully change their behavior than those who do not partake in resolutions. Even though that means about 60 percent of people drop their resolutions by the six-month mark, some come back to the resolution in the following years to finally achieve success.
Nurses, are you planning on making a New Year’s resolution this year? If so, here are five tips to increase your chances of success.

1. Have a clear objective. Examples of clear objectives are: “Lose weight for my vacation in March” or “Increase my energy level so that I can play more with the kids.
    
2. Make your goal realistic. “Lose 2-3 pounds every week” or “Eat 5 fruits and vegetables servings a day” are realistic goals, while “Lose 20 pounds in two weeks” would be an unrealistic goal.
    
3. Enjoy what you choose to do to meet your goal. If you don’t enjoy the process to reach the goal, chances are that you will quit. For example, choose healthy foods you enjoy and participate in an exercise program that you look forward to, not dread.
4. 
    
5. Remove the obstacles and make it convenient. For example, pack healthful foods in your bag for when you get the munchies and might be tempted to grab unhealthy foods or a cigarette, or pack a pair of tennis shoes in your bag for impromptu opportunities to walk.
   
6. Expect setbacks. Make a pact with yourself that if you stray from the plan, you will jump right back into it, and will not get overly discouraged. Remind yourself that it’s more important to stay on the plan “more often than not”, than to stick with the plan 100% perfectly.
7.  

May this year be your year to succeed in all you set out to accomplish!
Happy 2012, Nurses!


About the Author: Alice Burron is an affiliate spokesperson and highly successful personal trainer for the American Council on Exercise. She earned a master’s in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology from the University of Wyoming and is a leading national fitness and wellness program expert.

BREATHE: A Short Guide to Self-care for the Caregiver

 

 

Nurses are notorious for giving of ourselves until we can’t give any more. We are still mostly women and we are mostly mothers, which even compounds the ‘caregiving’ overload. We have to find ways to care for ourselves so we can re-energize and have the capacity to do the things we do. Every time I sit on an airplane and listen to the flight attendant instruct me to place the oxygen mask on myself first, before assisting others with their masks, it reminds me that I need to carry that advice into all areas of my life, especially my role as caregiver. When I take care of myself and find ways to renew my energy and unwind, I can return to my caretaking roles with less fatigue and maintain my inner calling to the profession and the way I treat others. It starts with taking care of myself. We need to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves and that looks different for each of us, but using the acronym BREATHE, I’ve come up with some thoughts about getting away and renewing your own air supply:
Be proactive. Plan ahead. If you see that you have a demanding week, plan to take rejuvenation breaks. You know the things that do it for you. For me, some of those things are a running, hiking, a shopping trip, a nice meal, a pedicure, a hot bath by candle light, a romantic evening with my husband, a drive in the country, a massage, a movie at the theater, blasting music on my drive home and singing along. Create a list of your things that bring you pleasure and before you get tired or overwhelmed, look at your list and your calendar and schedule a break to catch your breath.
Recognize your own limits. A co-worker may be able to run before work, work a 10-hour shift and stop for drinks on the way home, but I know that will send me over the edge. I like being home before and after a long work day. Being away from the comfort of my home and the refuge that my own space provides is a sure way to send me looking for my broom - and no one will want to work with me the next day! Know yourself and your limits and don’t compare yourself with others.
Examples. Find examples of other caregivers who know how to care for themselves. More experienced nurses, social workers, doctors, or therapists who seem to maintain balance between work and personal care are great resources for developing your own breathing techniques.
Ask! When you find a good example ask him or her how they care for themselves and what activities seem to replenish them. What do they do at home, outside of work, or even during a brief break during a work day that allows them to catch their breath and recharge? I once asked our social worker at the cancer center what she does to care for herself. She told me she gets up early each morning and with her cup of coffee sits in a big comfy chair with a large picture book of amazing photography and works of art. She explained that the beauty in the book sets her mind in the right place so she can address the pain she sees the rest of the day.
Treat yourself. Find a handful of things that help you feel cared for and then do them, buy them, experience them. A romance novel, a decadent dessert, a stroll by the river, a foot massage, a kite, something that reminds you of childhood or being taken care of and go for it without guilt. Too often we put our own needs on hold because we think we are too busy to take a moment to treat ourselves. Treating ourselves has become a focus of great guilt. Treating ourselves, if done in moderation with the intention of returning us to responsible adulthood, should be absolutely guilt free! Get a second scoop of your favorite ice cream then cherish every bite.
Help! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have met nurses who never ask for help and view it as being fragile or inadequate for the role of caregiver. Perhaps we don’t feel we deserve help. We may feel it is unfair to ask for help because our own needs don’t compare to the needs of our dying patients or the suffering we witness every day. We may feel weak asking fellow caregivers to switch hours with us or our parents to watch our kids while we get a night out.  Again, I draw on the analogy of the oxygen mask and the idea that self-care is the only way we have the reserves to meet the endless needs around us. If we all ask for help appropriately and show compassion to each other, there will be no guilt, only healthy team members and teamwork.
Envision the nurse you want to be. Remember why you became a nurse. I chose nursing because I love being allowed into someone’s life at a vulnerable time and having the skills and knowledge to take care of them. After more than 24 years as a nurse and 19 as a mother, I have to remember my calling and continue to envision myself acting in ways that allow me to carry out my mission. I do love taking care of people and it is a privilege I don’t take lightly, but I have found that if I am not taking care of myself, I am not ‘breathing’, and I need to remind myself to ‘breathe’ and remind those around me to find those things that re-energize them and give them the life they need to sustain a life of care-giving.

About the Author: Katherine is an oncology nurse and writer. She has been a nurse since 1987, married the love of her life in 1989 and became a mother in 1992. She writes about balancing life with career, family and adventure and finding joy in the journey. She recently moved from New Mexico to Florida and works for the University of Florida.....Click Title for the Source Link

Effective Study Tips for Online Nursing Students....

 

 

Having earned my MBA online, and being both a resident and online professor at Southwest Florida College, I am familiar with the study skills necessary to be successful in the online learning environment.  I hope the tips I outline below will help you as well!

If you follow the tips below, you WILL be successful in your online education:

 

 

1.    SYLLABUS = "A":  The syllabus in an online course IS the outline of the class expectations.  Everything you need to succeed is contained in this document.  Take the time to read and understand it.

 

2.    MAKE A CALENDAR:  Make a school calendar and mark due dates of EVERY assignment.  Also, take the time at the start of the course to schedule your study time.  This study time on your calendar is as important as any other appointment you have.  Don't deviate from your study schedule once you make it.

 

3.    READ AND WRITE EARLY AND OFTEN:  Most online classes require a great deal of reading and a weekly paper.  The papers involve research and well thought out answers.  You can't wait until the last minute to start the reading or writing assignments.

 

4.    KEEP UP:  One of the fallacies of online classes is, "I can wait until the weekend to start working on my class since most of the requirements are due by Sunday at midnight.”  ABSOLUTELY not true.  Most online classes have deadlines throughout each week for certain requirements.  If you miss those deadlines, you may get a zero for that assignment or a reduced grade.

 

5.    DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK:  EVERY online class has a professor monitoring the class.  He/she is THERE FOR YOU - just as a resident professor is.  Your professor is an email or phone call away.  If you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask.  Many online classes also have weekly chat sessions where you can e-speak to your professor in real time.  Take advantage of the professor – he/she is there to help you learn. 

 

6.    STUDY FOR YOUR QUIZZES:  Many new online students think that since the quizzes are online, he/she can use the book while taking the quiz.  This is usually not the case.  Most online quizzes are timed and you do not have ample time to look up all the answers.  

 

7.    LEARN FROM YOUR PEERS:  One advantage of the online learning environment - believe it or not - is that you have more interaction with your peers.  Most online classes have a discussion question/interaction assignment each week.  These are the same types of questions that would be brought up in class.  However, in the online environment, EVERYONE has the opportunity (ok, requirement) to both "speak" about the topic and comment on his/her peers' discussion input.  You learn not only academic tidbits that may not be in the "book" or in your research, but you gain the knowledge of real life experiences from others.  You do not have this type of discussion opportunity in resident classrooms.

5 Tips for Working with a Difficult Physician

 

 

Working with a difficult colleague is tough enough – but when the colleague is a physician, it can be all that much harder.  For the most part, doctors are great colleagues, and when doctors and nurses work well as a team, the best of care can result.  But, as much as some doctors are fantastic both personally and professionally, others, well, they can leave a lot to be desired.

First, we need to define what we mean by “difficult.”  If we’re talking about a physician with a rough bedside manner, but who is still doing his or her job and isn’t causing too much uproar in the nursing station or on the floor, I don’t think I’d call that difficult.  If the patients are happy with the care, and you’re getting what you need in terms of orders and support when you need it, I’d probably let that pass.

Second, we need to separate “difficult” from difficult for us as colleagues or difficult with the patients.  When a physician is difficult with the patients, then we have an obligation to step in; we are the patients’ advocates, and we can’t allow less than professional behavior from the physicians towards our patients.  When we have a physician who is difficult to work with, we have to decide how and when to deal with the situation.

5 Tips for working with a difficult physician:

1.  Own your reaction:  How you react to the physician is your own action. You can choose to react calmly or angrily; you can choose to walk away or confront. Which ever you do choose, it is your choice.

2.  Examine why the actions of the physician are difficult for you:  Is it because he or she reminds you of something; is he or she being difficult to just you or to the whole floor?

3.  Refuse to accept bad treatment:  You can choose to do this in a few different ways:

   •  Say calmly, “I don’t appreciate you speaking to me like that."

   •  Walk away without saying a word.

   •  Walk away while saying, “Please come speak to me when you can speak to me respectfully.”

   •  Stand there and don’t say a word.

4.  Document:  You have to document bad behavior.  If you have a paper trail of the behavior, you can back up your claims if you choose to go on to the next step.

5.  Report the behavior:  Often, a physician with a bad attitude or who behaves badly gets away with it because he or she is not reported.  When someone does get fed up and does report it, the administration says that they can’t do anything because there haven’t been any previous complaints.

None of the above tips may be easy; there are lot of work dynamics that differ from institution to institution, and even from floor to floor.  But a work environment has to be comfortable for everyone, and if you work with a bully, be it a fellow nurse or a physician, it must be dealt with before it goes too far.....

Tools of the Trade....

Simplify your study time. Use drug dosage calculators, medical mnemonics, clinical drug databases, ABG and EKG tutorials, among other tools and resources to help you better understand what you've learned in lecture and read about in your textbooks.

Drug Dosage Calculators

Though most professors and teaching faculty will likely expect you to figure out drug conversions and dosage calculations the old fashioned way-using a pencil and paper-these calculators can be helpful for checking your work. Keep in mind that all calculations must be confirmed before using them and that suggested doses should not override clinical judgment:
Nursing calculators

Medical Mnemonics

Mnemonics, which simply means "memory aid" in Greek, is a quick and significant means to enhance your memorization skills. Unlike acronyms and other means of learning by association, using mnemonics is an effective way to remember hard-to-retain lists of facts. Check out these mnemonic aids:
World's Database of Medical Mnemonics

Clinical Drug Databases

Not familiar with what prescriptive drugs are available? Use a clinical drug database. Though they vary in their offerings, you are likely to find that they provide information on up-to-date pharmaceuticals on the market, as well as off-label uses and dosages, herbal supplements and nutritional products. Some clinical drug databases also list new drugs on the market and drugs being tested. Here are a few databases to explore:
Infectious disease clinical drug downloads
Rx List

Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs)

Evaluating arterial blood gases (ABGs) means determining the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, as well as the acidity of the blood shortly after it leaves the heart. Use these ABG online tutorial tools to help you assess the oxygen capacity of the lungs, the oxygen pressure in the blood, respiratory adequacy and acid-base balance:
General Information about ABGs

EKGs

With so many different types of cardia arrhythmias, learning what the electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) rhythms mean can be confusing. Use the following links to help you interpret, study and improve your ability to recognize EKGs:
The EKG Tutorial
Normal and Abnormal EKGs and Heart Sounds

Virtual Stethoscopes

Use these virtual stethoscope sites to help you decipher normal and abnormal cardiac and respiratory sounds:
Habits of the Heart
McGill University Virtual Stethoscope

Other References

Want to know more? Check out these general references for all of your study needs:
Free Health Care Data
MedicalMatrix
National Library of Medicine: Visible Human Project
Loyola University Medical Center: Structure of the Human
University of Washington Muscle Atlas

What Nursing Students Can Do Today to Help Land that Future Job....

We all choose to go to nursing school for one simple reason – to become a nurse. So while you are in nursing school the job market becomes a very important and real scene as you begin to scope out you future career.......

Use your preceptorship and internship as a method to land a job on that unit. Be professional and as excellent as you can be while you are there, because the nurses will take notice and most managers prefer to hire nursing students they know rather than complete strangers. Don’t be afraid to talk to the nurse manager about upcoming positions. They usually know well in advance if they will have an opening, and you could have an “in” before the job is actually posted.

Working as a certified nurse’s aide, patient care technician, etc., while you are in nursing school is a great way to get into the hospital. Most hospitals prefer to hire from within their own hospital rather than looking outside of it. It is also a great way to supplement your nursing education by working within the healthcare field while you are in school.NurseZone Page Link Here...

I have talked extensively about doing a nurse-residency program in other blog posts, but again, that is a great way to get your foot into the door of the hospital and unit where you want to be. Remember that it is okay to pay your dues on a unit that is not your first choice. Although your dream job may be in a different unit or field, take this opportunity to improve your nursing skills and build your resume up with experience. You may even end up liking the area and changing your career goals. Take it as an opportunity and not a disappointment.

Finally, use your contacts. If you have friends (nurses or not) who work at the hospital where you want to land a job, talk to them about how they got their job and what potential interview questions will be asked.

What experiences have you had in trying to find a job as a nurse? Have you used any of these tips? Do you have any others to add?

During the Interview...

Interviewing Tips for Nursing

Sample Nursing Resume

NurseZone Page Link Here...

18 Rules for Living ......

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

25 Google Tips and Tricks for Healthcare Professionals | Nurseblogger

25 Google Tips and Tricks for Healthcare Professionals | Nurseblogger

Top 10 Qualities of Allied Health Professionals....

Allied health professionals, from medical coders and billers to physician's assistants and doctors, all play a vital role in the field of health care. The best of those professionals display a number of qualities that make them valuable in the profession. Such qualities are:

1. Excellent Communication Skills: Strong communicative skills are important so that complex terminology can be explained to patients in plain language; also it is important that healthcare professionals be excellent listeners.
2. Good Bedside Manner: "Good bedside manner" pertains to more than a doctor visiting his patient in the hospital. Having a "good bedside manner" applies to any health care professional who comes in contact with patients; it means making patients feel as comfortable as possible at any stage of exams and treatment, even as early as sitting in a waiting room.
3. Good Problem Solver: Medical personnel must be problem solvers that quickly come up with solutions to problems, be it involving the human body or insurance paper work.
4. Empathetic: Health care personnel must have a sense of empathy towards patients; they must understand that people have feelings and they must be supportive to patients.
5. Complete and Thorough: The most minor mistakes can create a ripple effect in consequence. For this reason, medical personnel must be thorough in all that they do.
6. Commits Time to Patients: Medical professionals must always be patient and ensure that adequate time is given to patients, whether to properly fill out medical paper work or to diagnose and treat medical problems. For this reason, they always must commit adequate time to patients.
7. Continues Education: As technology and techniques are constantly evolving, health care professionals must always continue their education, be it via reading medical journals or going back to school for remedial classes involving computers.
8. Strong Medical Knowledge: Medical professionals should have at least some medical knowledge. When they are unsure of the facts, they are always ready to admit that they are unsure and refer the patient to someone that is better informed.
9. Supports Patients Wishes: Decisions regarding health must always remain under the control of the patient. This is their right, and health care professionals must respect that, regardless of their personal opinion.
10. Possesses Strong Sense of Ethics: Individuals working in healthcare must be ethical; they always hold true to a value system that thoroughly respects patients dignity and privacy.

Nurses, Who Says You Have to Smile? 

 

I do not think of myself as a smiler.  It’s not that I am unhappy all the time, or that I dislike smiling, I just don’t make a conscious effort to do so.  I have other things which I consider to be a priority, but I do laugh easily and quickly. Even at work.  Apparently the fact that I don’t have a smile or any variation thereof plastered on my face all of the time earned me the nickname “Nurse Frowny Face” from one of my patients, who was offended by my lack of smiling.  Well, that wasn’t the only problem, as I had asked her to please keep her voice down in a hallway that has acoustics better suited for a concert hall than a psychiatric unit, when she wanted to know if everyone had gone out to smoke without her.  Sigh.  This earned me a meeting with a supervisor about being rude…

I am all for maintaining a professional demeanor but I absolutely refuse to put a smile on constantly for anyone, including the patients.  I believe that if you maintain such a demeanor all the time and without variation, you come across as superficial, annoying and insensitive to patients, among others.  It is ok to cry with them, to feel anger and annoyance for (and even with) them, and definitely ok to laugh with them.  However, to insist that a nurse be smiling and sweet all the time to “cheer up” the patients, especially depressed ones, is asinine.  We are not robots who are programmed by those around us to function at what they perceive to be an optimal level; we are only human.  Having been a patient, I would not want a bubbly nurse when I am in physical or emotional agony.  I want one who can introduce him or herself, look into my eyes, and empathize with me without being swallowed up by my pain.  If he or she can “mirror” my emotions, I am convinced that he or she is following how I feel without taking on my problem.  I believe that, above all, being genuine and kind facilitates the healing process, not the expression on my face.

Being a good nurse requires excellent psychosocial skills, in particular mastery of your interpersonal skills.  “Enhancing your calm” is essential.  It is also important to not be a doormat, as you are an individual just as worthy of kindness and respect as the next person.  You have the right to ask to be treated as such.  But, there are also going to be times when you slip, times when you let ‘er rip and say something which you may regret later.  All you can really do then is apologize and acknowledge that you were out of line.  In the meantime, and hopefully prolonging this event until your very last working day before retirement, I believe it is important to spend some time reflecting on what or who pushes your buttons.  Come up with some strategies for coping with these.  It might be a matter of taking a course in assertiveness to help you communicate in a way that is both pleasant toward others and protective of your feelings.  It might also be a matter of knowing when to stop trying to be Super Nurse on the Unit, asking for help, and/or taking a break when things are particularly rough.  Sometimes you should just let things slide, as we have a lot to worry about as it is.  Either way, setting limits with patients, co-workers, physicians, and families is important.  I find that when I can strike a balance with this, the expression on my face doesn’t matter.  My eyes sparkle, my voice is warm and pleasant, and I am able to remain totally enthralled with the growth I witness within my patients because I can help nurture it.

About this Author: Rachel E. Clements is one of those "second winders" who began training in one career field and chose nursing instead; she has been a nurse for 5 years in May.  Rachel lives and works in Boise, Idaho, and is currently enrolled in Montana State University's online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.  In her spare time, Rachel enjoys hiking, savoring the sunshine with her two kitties, and tending to the yard of her relatively new house!

Source Page borrowed from.... nursetogether.com: