Maybe you feel pretty comfortable in your role. Here are some simple things to consider when you want to know how to become a better nurse.
how-to
SMART Goals Examples for Nurses
Goals provide a keen sense of motivation, direction, clarity, and purpose, they are critical to the success of every nurse.
What Is Holistic Nursing Care?
The recent demand for healthcare services have lead to the adoption of holistic health care programs. But what is holistic nursing care?
How to Stand out as a New Grad Nurse
Learn key tips and skills to ensure you know how to stand out as a new grad nurse. Resumes, Networking, Experience, Volunteering and more!
Neuro Assessment: How to Assess An Unconscious Neuro Patient Like a Neuro ICU Nurse
A neuro assessment is a critical skill for any nurse (not just neuro ICU nurses) This goes beyond simple neuro checks. If you’re interested in improving this nursing skill, this article is for yo
How to Start a Nursing Blog
This post contains affiliate links I get quite a few emails from people looking to start their own blog and looking for some tips and advice. Below is my advice on how to start a nursing blog! Before I start, I want to say one very important thing. If you’re doing this for the money […]
How to Deal with Verbally Abusive Patients
We’ve been there. The patient is incredibly rude, demeaning, or even saying sexually explicit things to you. Patient satisfaction has been preached to you constantly.. but what do you do when the patient crosses the line? I’ve had quite a few experiences of all of the above. I felt helpless until I figured out the […]
Perfecting Your Craft – Week 2, ICU Time Management Tips
These ICU Time Management Tips can help if you are adequately staffed, have an appropriate assignment, and nothing happens that changes your plan
When Your Patient Starts Crying
One of the first questions you may ask yourself in your nursing career is “What to do when a patient starts crying.” Everyone has their own forte’, and for some, providing emotional support to people in crisis can be an OMG WHAT DO I DO moment. It can be uncomfortable. It can be weird. It […]
Meal Planning Tips and Tricks for Nurses, Part II
Being a nurse, working shift work, it can be tough making sure you eat appropriately. A few years ago, my husband and I got into a pretty regular routine to offset the nutritional challenges that shift work presents. This is my second post regarding this topic. Please click here to read the first post explaining […]
Meal Planning Tips and Tricks for Nurses – Part I
Learning how to get my meals together was a challenge when I was adjusting to working three 12-hour shifts per week. I always waited until I was hungry, never had the food in the house to make something yummy and quick, and then would either go to the grocery store last minute and spend way […]
Nursing Time Management for When You’re Totally Overwhelmed
This post contains affiliate links It never fails. You start your day with the best nursing time management intentions. You started your assessments and meds on time (woo hoo!), and then all of a sudden three doctors round at once and expect you to implement their orders immediately. One patient needs to pee, one needs […]
Delegation Tips for Nurses
Delegation is a tough thing to master as a new nurse. While the NCLEXNCLEX tells you which tasks are appropriate to delegate, it doesn’t exactly outline how to go about doing it. I realize that not all units have certified nursing assistants (CNAs) or patient care technicians (techs), but many do. This post is for […]
Noticing Subtle Neuro Changes for Nurses
Neuro changes are tough! It is really hard to know if someone is truly changing or if they’re just exhausted because we keep waking them up. Here are some of my neuro nurse tips.. Neuro nurse tips for newbies If your patient is in the intensive care unit, intubated and sedated on propofol, and you […]
Tips for Switching From Night Shift to Day Shift – From a Nurse!
Many nurses start out on night shift but then transition to day shift. While the work is technically the same, the flow of the day is quite different. Here are some tips/tricks for the nurse transitioning from night shift to day shift. #1 – Pay attention to meds with meals Insulin is the major medication […]
Guide to Calling Doctors at Night
I decided to reblog this post about Guide to Calling Doctors at Night for all of you that just graduated nursing school, getting ready to start your first real nursing job (probably on nights) that have never had to call a physician in the middle of the night. The first time you do it, you’ll […]
How to Manage Your Time in Critical Care for Nurses: Part II
This post contains affiliate links One of the most important things to master in critical care is prioritization.. what do you do first? It’s kind of like prioritization on the floor, except the stakes are higher. Instead of doctors rounding, patients being hypertensive, patients in pain, families wanting you to discharge them 10 minutes ago, […]
How to Manage Your Time in Critical Care For Nurses: Part I
I’ve worked on both the floor and intensive care. In both units time management is absolutely essential. However, time management on the floor is very different from time management in critical care. I’m going to go through some tips to help you appropriately managing your time in a critical care setting. I know it […]
Heavy Scrub Pockets – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That!
A question I am frequently asked is “what do you keep in your scrub pockets during your shift?” I used to keep them full just in case I needed something. I used to have any and everything in there. I have since figured out that my scrub pockets are prime real estate. Only the most […]
Nursing Time Management Scenarios
Something that is essential in your development as an efficient and safe care provider is appropriate time management. Below are some sticky situations and the safest and most efficient way to address them. Q: You’re assessing your new admission. She’s crying in pain. Her blood pressure is 162/38. She needs an IV. There are pended […]
