International Nurses Association

Have you ever thought of continuing your education? Perhaps moving into the role of a nurse practitioner? Or maybe earn the title of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse? An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, often referred to as APRN, has 3-4 years of education beyond that of a registered nurse.  Roles of APRNs Most APRNs pursue an area of specialty- -           Clinical specialist- in this field, the APRN generally works in a medical clinic.  They see patients just as doctors do, and can diagnose and prescribe medications. As health care laws are undergoing major changes, many insurance companies now encourage patients to see APRNs rather than a physician, to help keep cost down. APRNs are allowed to work in a clinic without a physician on site, provided they still operate under the guidance of said physician. Many health departments now employ APRNs to oversee the needs of the public and supervise registered nurses within the department.  -           APRNs can specia

Actually, it's probably impossible to hide the fact that you are upset, but you can conceal it somewhat. Patients look at the faces of their nurse and doctor more than you realize. In fact they observe your expression. If you are upset over another patient or situation entirely, but walk in their room, your look may alarm this patient for no reason.  A patient shared a story with his nurse, that while he was waiting for pathology reports on a tumor he had removed, he was in mental torment. He suffered anxiety attacks and he could not control the excessive fear he was going through. It was getting late and still no doctor, so he resigned himself that it would be the morning before he found out. Then, in came his nurse.  His nurse had just been yelled at by a family member of another patient, and she was visibly upset. Her coworker advised her to take a break, but she continued working, and it was just too soon after being upset.This very observant, patient asked if she knew th

When a patient has a facial injury, it can be devastating for them. If a face is disfigured or has a problem, there is essentially no way to ignore it. T he face is the first thing you see when someone approaches you.  Facial Wounds The good news is that in today’s world plastic surgeons are able to repair facial injuries to the point that most will become unnoticeable. There are multiple options to heal facial scars, even without a surgeon’s aid. If someone was involved in an auto accident or a similar situation that injures their face, here are some suggestions to offer- -           Be sure to keep the wound clean and moisturized with vitamin E oil -           Rub E oil on the scar 3-4 times per day, this helps avoid a scar that is raised off the skin. -           For multiple scars, a dermabrasion, or several dermabrasion treatments can reveal fresh healed skin.  -           If the scars are significant, a chemical peel may be the answer, however be sure the actual wou

When should you alert child protective services?  Essentially, if you have a question on whether you should, always err on the side of caution and contact them. Better to have a fit parent investigated, then to have a child continue to suffer abuse or neglect.  A Saved Child A mid-size hospital had a 7-year-old female admitted to the emergency room on a Friday night. The girl had a very concerned mom and step dad with her, in addition to her 3-year-old brother. The nurse asks how the little girl got the huge gash on her forehead, and the step dad quickly answered that her brother hit her with a metal toy truck. The nurse turned to the little girl, and she answered that he didn’t mean to do it. The nurse had an odd feeling, and stepped out of the room to alert her supervisor.The supervisor visited the room, interacted with the child and the parents, and returned to say everything appeared to be fine to her. The doctor did a complete examination, and also said she felt the family w

Do you ever wonder what your patients actually think of you or the other nurses? A survey was done to ask that very question of patients in various hospitals around the country. Answers are by patients. Do you think most nurses enjoy doing what they are doing? -           I think about 80 percent do. I think a few are burnt out and should consider retiring.   -           I think about 60 percent do. I think some nurses have a desire to be a doctor instead, but needed to cut the education time down. -           I believe 95 percent of all nurses love their jobs. Would you rather have a male or female nurse? -           Being female, I always preferred a female nurse.  As I’ve gotten older it does not matter. -           No difference to me at all -           I think because I’m male, a male nurse would be more in touch with my issues. When hospitalized, how would you rate your treatment by the nurses on a scale of 1-10, 10 being highest? -           9- The nur

Some hospitals require the occasional ride along with paramedics, depending on what area of nursing you work in.  For emergency room nurses, the ride along can be very beneficial. It provides insight into the world that paramedics and EMT’s work in. You can see and experience first hand what it is like to treat the patient prior to arriving at the hospital.  A typical Ride Along I’m not sure there is such a thing in medicine as typical, however the description is one ride along, from 7 pm until 3 am. Jamie never gave much thought about the people that delivered her patients to the emergency room.  They were doing their job and she was doing hers. However, all of that changed after her ride along, she learned just how valuable everyone is in the role of medicine. The Friday night ride along went at a very pace, the first call coming in 15 minutes after the shift began. The call was an emergency for a private residence where a baby was burned. A 3-year-o ld pulled a pan of hot greas

As people are living longer than ever before, it will lead to nurses working longer than ever before. Exactly what this means is that at any given time there could be 3, and possibly even 4 generations of nurses working side by side.  Is it possible they could work together without complications? After all, they are from totally; different era’s and things are very different today than they were 30 years ago. Social Differences A hospital post op floor has a diverse group of nurses working, Paige is 24, Miranda is 38, Bart is 49, and Louise is 68. Both Bart and Louise have worked as mentors with new nurses for years, and worked closely with both Miranda and Paige when they first began their nursing career. Working closely with the two experienced nurses, Paige and Miranda got to know them, and they became not on coworkers but good friends. Louise, who is almost 69 is still very active and the patients love her. She has a world of knowledge and experience that has proven to be very v

Have you ever considered being a travel nurse, or just practicing in another state?  If so, maybe it’s time you act on it, and the first step is getting a multi state license.  NLC Nurse Licensure Compact or NLC states allow you to use a multi-state nursing license, and practice nursing in that state without obtaining a new license within the state. There are some rules and regulations you must go by to obtain multi state licensing. -           You must legally reside within one of the states that is an NLC state. Currently there are 25 NLC states, with more possibly added in the future.  You must have a current and active registered nursing license, or licensed practical nursing license. The license you have must be in good standing with no limitations. -           You will need to declare a NLC state as your primary residency state. -           You will need to meet the requirements for licensing within your state. You will need to meet the licensure requirements within

The United States recognizes nurses as an LPN, licensed practical nursing, BSN, master of science in nursing, and doctoral of nursing. There are seven layers of nursing in the inter states, all connected, and all essential for the care of patients. Currently Australia is number one in doctorate of nursing graduates.  Canadian nursing is divided into stages, 3 years of education in a technical nursing program qualifies you as an assistant nurse only. 3 years in a college and you can become a registered nurse, after taking the examination.   China has ample opportunities for those to attend vocational schools for nursing, however few educational schools offer masters degree or doctoral programs.  For this reason, most nurses in China have licensed Practical or Registered Nursing licenses. It is almost unheard of to continue education in this field within China. Britain trains nurses heavily in the area of pharmacology, with education of treatment more as a secondary study.Th