International Nurses Association

Isn’t it strange that when someone speaks of a male nurse, they almost always specify that he is a male nurse?  Well, if we are talking about a male nurse, the part goes without saying.  The fact is more male nurses are entering the work force than ever before, and slowly the mindset of all nurses being females is being diminished. Statistics There were 3.5 million employed nurses in 2011, about 3.2 million of whom were female and 330,000 male. Of the nurses, both makes and female, 78 percent were registered nurses, 19 percent were licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, 3 percent were nurse practitioners, and 1 percent were nurse anesthetists. While most male registered nurses left home for work between 5 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. (72 percent), a sizable minority (19 percent) worked the evening or night shifts. The majority of male registered nurses worked in hospitals (64 percent). The majority of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses worked in nursing care f

Maybe you are considering a career move, whether it is a lateral move from one hospital to another, or to a private practice. It is a decision that most nurses face at some point.  So, sit down and make a list comprised of the good and bad in changing jobs. Reasons to Consider a Career Move -       You have reached your full potential in your current job, and you want more. This would be rare in a hospital setting;however, it is possible.  If you have a strong desire to climb a career ladder, and in your current job there is no chance of advancement, it might be time to consider exploring options.  -       You have reached a point that you are simply unhappy in your current job. Everyone has times that things just don't go well, there is more or less a slump, at work.  In some cases, the feelings may pass, so waiting a little time may be in your best interest. If things don't improve, start researching new positions.  -       Financial gain is often a reason to conside

In most cases, everyone would enjoy the holidays off. However, in a hospital or nursing home that is not possible, for patient care does not stop for the holidays. So how is it decided who works holidays? Holiday Schedules Some nurses will volunteer to cover Holidays in order to get extra pay. When there are no volunteers, there has to be a fair schedule made so that every worker is treated fairly. Different medical facilities handle holiday scheduling in different ways. -       Some facilities ask for volunteers that want to work the holiday.  Depending on the number of volunteers, the final selection of employees will be added accordingly. -       Seniority may dictate holiday Schedules in some cases, however, this is becoming less popular.  -       The most popular means of scheduling for holidays is to do a routine schedule. This entails everyone taking turns covering holidays. This way no one is exempt from working a holiday, but no one employee will work every holi

Pre-packaged food is quick, convenient, easy, and full of preservatives in most cases.  So why not make you own small sacks or containers of snacks so they are ready to go when you are?  Breakfast            ·           Yogurt – but don’t just settle for plain yogurt.  Add some cereal such as grape nuts to give it a crunch.  Add chia seeds for health benefits, and to keep you full longer            ·           Breakfast burrito- it may seem like a lot of trouble, but it does not have to be.  Lightly stir an egg with a fork and place a microwave safe bowl in microwave for 50 seconds, more or less depending on cooking speeds. Lay 1 flour tortilla out and place cooked egg on tortilla. Add a little cheese, cottage or other, ham if you like, or even chopped veggies. Wrap securely, and you can eat on the run.            ·           Oatmeal- not much beats oatmeal for a healthy breakfast. Just forget the sugar and add Splenda and cinnamon, it will fill you up and keep you going for h

Are you a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse?  Maybe you are content in your current position, but have you ever considered furthering your career and knowledge? If you are an LPN, perhaps continuing education and becoming an RN would be something you would love to do. Or an RN to a Nurse Practitioner. It may seem like the whole process is too much, but it is certainly an attainable goal that with some planning can happen for you.  Considering Additional Education If you think that furthering your area of expertise is something you would like to do, then perhaps it's time to evaluate the idea of returning to school. There are some things to consider prior to actually checking into pursuing more education, and the first thing is, do you really want this? Most often when someone else has expressed a desire for you to return to school, you may feel an obligation to move forward. The fact is, there are great and valuable nurses at every level, including RN, and LPN. I

All personal stories are told by Susan, a retired nurse. Some people enjoy a celebration, and they don't need an excuse to have one.  Workplace celebrations are not uncommon, although at times they can get slightly out of hand.  At one point, you can have a birthday, good-bye-good-luck, and congratulations celebration all going on at one time. I once worked for a hospice company that employed about 100 people, 7 of whom worked in my area.  My first day at work I was informed one employee was getting married, and they were collecting donations for her honeymoon. I didn't even know this person yet, but I'm a team player, so I contributed $20. Two days later I was handed a tin can with birthday candles on it.  My co-worker explained it was a birthday, and a collection was underway for a gift card.  Again, I went along; after all, I was new.  When the birthday came, we all went out to lunch to celebrate her birthday, and everyone chipped in to buy her lunch, and then a cake

We all know the importance of a flu shot, and that goes without saying, especially as a nurse. The thing is, not every flu shot covers every type of flu, so, and ultimately, you could still come down with a strain of flu that you were not vaccinated against. If you have a patient from a different country, or even outside your local region, and they have the flu, be extra careful. The vaccinations for flu can be generalized to your local area. This means that a patient from another region could expose you to a flu that you have no antibodies against. When working with a patient under these circumstances, take extra caution, masks, protective gown, and be sure to wash hands when leaving the room. Tips for Avoiding Flu - During flu season, be sure you get plenty of rest. It can be difficult to always get 8 hours’ sleep, however, during times that there is an outbreak of flu, and you work in a hospital where flu patients are all around you, it's essential. A proper amount of rest

A Saturday night shift in an emergency room can be very busy, and a great learning experience for a new nurse. Working in an E.R. will allow you to help patients in need of emergency care, critically ill patients entering the hospital, and trauma patients, some near death. It will also provide valuable experience and knowledge in the care and treatment of a variety of emergencies and conditions. Example of a nurse diary: Start of shift 7:00 p.m . -       A five-year-old boy was admitted to the E.R. with a burn on his forearm and upper leg.  The family was eating at a restaurant, and the server accidentally dropped the coffee pot, spilling hot coffee on the boy.  He was screaming, some from pain and some from fear.  Mom was crying, and dad was trying to keep it together.  The young man received treatment for the burns, his arm was wrapped, and after 4 hours he was released. -       An 88-year-old woman was admitted after her neighbor found her lying on her kitchen floor.  The

All personal stories are recounted by Susan, a retired nurse. You arrive at work at 7:00 in clean scrubs and by 9:00, your scrubs are almost ruined. That is what happens when a sick patient attempts to ask for a pan, and you can’t get it to them fast enough. Lucky for you, it was smart thinking when you packed an extra set of scrubs for days like this.  Then your tablet that you use for patient charting stops working. You are forced to chart the old-fashioned way for the day, so figure an extra hour there at least. While on break, a child running in the cafeteria bumped the table and knocked hot coffee all over you, so there goes scrub set number two.  The remainder of the day is spent in scrubs that must be tied and even then, continue to need to be re-tied all day.   Your newest patient refuses to communicate, but is excellent at hitting the call button, so you spend half of your time trying to determine what the patient needs. Then the family of another patient requests

Infections can range in severity, and depending on the patient, and their overall medical condition, they can easily be fought off, or take a strong course of antibiotics to treat them.  Nurses should be aware of which viruses and infections are highly contagious, and take extra precaution when working with infected patients. Protective gowns, masks, and gloves are essential.  Another consideration is the length of sleeves worn. Many nurses wear a long-sleeved shirt under their scrub top to stay warm. If you opt to do this, be sure to pull sleeves up when working with patients, some bacteria can live on those sleeve sand be transferred.  The rate of nurses getting infections or virus’ from their work environment is actually very low. It is presumed some of this is because nurses buildup immunity after some time, similar to receiving a vaccination. Certain highly contagious strains of bacteria are resistant to treatments, and special procedures and protocols must be followed to

All nurses will have a patient that is embarrassed, and it can originate from a variety of reasons and conditions.   Some of the most common embarrassing conditions are- -       Gas, beyond the normal amount passed by everyone on a daily basis. On average, a person should expel gas 14 times per day. Some patients report releasing gas up to 75 times per day, this is not normal. For a patient coming to a medical office or hospital, this can be quite embarrassing to discuss. In addition, as the patient is probably uncomfortable with the discussion, their intestines can tense, which in turn releases more gas, creating even more embarrassment. Try to be professional, yet keep the mood light by saying something like, you can't do anything we don't see every day, etc. Making the patient feel as though this is something you see often, and you understand, can put the patient at ease. -        Sexual problems  are often very difficult for males or females to discuss. A male pati