The idea of being recognized for performing a job above the level of the expected competencies is relatively common. In the general business world, it seems as if any Joe Schmoe can sharpen a pencil and end up with an extra framed certificate for the wall and a congratulatory slap on the back. In the … Continue reading Forget the flowers… I’d rather be a cactus. Analyzing the flawed system of recognizing nursing skill.
Today was the day. The day you felt the overwhelming urge to be done with this life. Suicide felt like the right decision. As a relief from pain you have been desperately trying to escape. There was a flaw in your plan. Fear, family, friends or fate caused a pause in the plan you were … Continue reading As an inpatient psychiatric nurse, I’m glad you’re here.
Christmas tree, presents, cookies, vomit, boogers, and fevers. All of these things describe Christmas traditions in our home. Since having children we have not experienced a holiday season without a gross illness sweeping through our household. It's as if my family's immune system takes a holiday during Christmas break. Our home echoes with sneezes, coughing, … Continue reading It wouldn’t be Christmas without sick kids.
I have never been a person who sought out being a member of a peer group. I identify as an extrovert loner (shut up, that's a thing). Every aspect of the nursing profession has challenged my typical social position. Once I entered nursing school I was forced into becoming a member of a very elite … Continue reading The Nursing Club: Trial by fire.
The nursing profession is complex. We do try to be the people our patients need and deserve but we are only human. There were plenty of examples of RNs showing their humanity... here's a few. - We probably don't practice what we preach. An RN has the responsibility to promote the highest level of health … Continue reading Confessions of an RN: We are only human.
Mental healthcare is a topic that is widely talked about but limitedly understood. I by no means claim to have all the answers but as a mental health nurse I do have some insight. We do not become mental health nurses by accident. No one just falls until mental health nursing. Pursuing a career in … Continue reading What a mental health nurse wants you to know about mental health care.
You tell anyone that will listen about your new adventure, including the poor deli lady that just wants to know how much ham you want.
The forecast said 9-13 inches snow. In Wisconsin that's considered a moderate amount. What was different was this storm was armed with strong winds and was coming for us from mid-morning through the late night, peak travel times. I'm a nurse in a hospital. There is no "calling in" for a snowstorm. If the patients … Continue reading I turned a blizzard into a mini vacation
Working in the field of nursing is challenging. Constant changes are just part of the job. One thing that never seems to change is the family atmosphere of the nursing profession. It only makes sense. Staff spend late nights, weekends, and holidays together. Often times we see each other more often than many of … Continue reading RN Culture: One Big Dysfunctional Family
Tired Not Dead 