Keep your eye on the prize.

That’s what I told myself during my marathon BSN program.

But there is no prize unless you start the process.

In part 2 of my discussion on graduate nursing education with blogger and Nurse Practitioner student Sean Dent, we talked about the difference between graduate and undergraduate education.

How does grad school differ from undergraduate education?

Be sure to follow the link and read the original post…

Talking MSN: Desire and Discipline | Masters in Nursing Blog

In this installment of the interview, we talked about Sean’s motivations for returning to school, the type of program he chose and the characteristics that he found important in choosing his program.

Why did you decide to return to school?

….follow the link below to read the entire blog post!

Talking MSN: Sean Dent | Masters in Nursing Blog

Nurses go clique-ety clique

Heard at the lunch table on campus the other day, “I sometimes miss working in the mill”.

This spawned quite the conversation, I must tell you. The conversation topic involved the ‘pulse’ of the nursing profession and its  sometimes palpable cut-throat atmosphere. I think you’ve heard it before. Nurses can be ‘catty’, and cliques seem to be a very common occurrence on nursing units.

“We need more men in nursing”

(I must say I wasn’t expecting this statement). When I inquired as to why we need more men in nursing, the response was not what I expected (or hoped).

“Most men confront you when there is conflict. They tell you how they feel right to your face. They speak their business and move on.” “Women do just the opposite”

Catty: Subtly cruel or malicious; spiteful (Free Dictionary)

As you can tell this was quite the venting session amongst a small group of nurses. It seems that a lot of nurses feel that the majority of nurses are following a horrible stereotype. Apparently most women can be quite mean?

As you can see I’m writing this blog post with a lot of question marks. I’m wondering just how true these opinions really are. Or should I say, how common are these feelings outside of my lil’ world of nursing?

I have to bashfully admit something though. I found great humor in this conversation. Mostly because I’ve heard this before. But more specifically, I found it highly entertaining that I was the only man in this conversation.

I for one think that there is a shred of truth to these thoughts, but I’m not so convinced that they are gender specific. I’ve met a lot of cruel men and women in my professional career thus far. I don’t think the ‘meanness’ trait has some strange exclusivity to the X chromosome. But it sure makes you wonder.

So folks, what do you think?

Are most nurses catty?

If they are, why? And what the heck can we do about it?

Nurses go clique-ety clique | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles

What It Takes To Be A Nurse

If you’re wondering “should I become a nurse,” you’re going to want to make sure you like science, have good communication skills, are detail-oriented and can problem solve, multitask and handle stressful situations. In today’s episode, Kim McAllister, an emergency room nurse with over 30 years of experience, tells us that it takes a lot more than caring about people to be a good nurse. Kim shares great career advice and all kinds of information about nursing careers.

 

 

…Kim tells us what schooling is required to become a nurse. She advises taking lots of science classes in high school and then, because so many nursing jobs are looking for a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, Kim suggests going for the 4-year degree today. Kim spent most of her nursing career with a 2-year Associate’s Degree in Nursing and from her experience believes another great route is to get the ADN to start your nursing career and then, while getting real life work experience, keep going to school on the side to earn your BSN. In addition to this great advice, Kim walks us through a typical day and provides an ER nurse job description.

Way to go Kim! Be sure to check out the original post in its entirety!

What It Takes To Be A Nurse | Careers Out There

My first job fair

In all my years of professional employment, I’ve never attended a job fair. Not that I wasn’t interested, I’ve just been lucky enough to have a job lined up each time they were appropriate. I already had a job in an ICU 2 months prior to graduating nursing school. I was into my 4th year as an employee when I graduated with my BSN. So up until now they really didn’t make much sense for me.

Fast forward to the present. I’m just completing my first year in my ACNP program with 4 more semesters to go (yes, there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel). While I’m a little bit ahead of slope, I thought I’d attend the job fair that was offered recently just to see what to make of it. I must say, prior to making my way there, I was actually quite nervous?? Not sure why, since I’m not even close to that stage in my new role!

In my current ACNP program we had the unique opportunity to attend a job fair geared for physicians. It seems to be the new trend in health care since the allied health care professionals, sometimes called physician extenders are being utilized more and more in a wide variety of settings (PA’s & NP’s)

It was surreal to be walking amongst the ranks of physicians. Once again I’m still getting used to this new advanced role (not that I’ve even got my hands dirty yet!).

This particular fair you could pre-register and upload your CV and/or resume via their website. They also had the option of bringing them with you.

The fair was a smörgåsbord of gifts, sales pitches, shoulder rubbing and networking! Everything and anything was on the plate. It was a pleasant surprise to see so many recruiters excited and interested in potential Nurse Practitioner hirees! I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback and encouragement all the recruiters showed, not to mention all the cool gadgets and free pens (you know how we nurses like our pens)!

The purpose of me attending a job fair an entire 18 months too early was just to learn what to expect from one of these shindigs, get a sense of what employers are looking for, get my name out there, and ultimately start the career ball rolling as soon as possible.

Mission accomplished.

I learned a couple things about job fairs:

• Come prepared with a sense of what you are looking for. ( I honestly wasn’t)
• Ask and answer as many questions as possible. (ask specifically about the job and all it entails)
• Sign up for any and all lists that are offered – can you say networking?
• Don’t be shy – enjoy the free stuff while it lasts!
• Be careful – some recruiters can be like used-car salesmen/saleswomen (need I explain that one?)

I must say, after this experience I am even more excited to get my hands dirty and jump head first into my advanced practice career. The sky being the limit isn’t just a saying anymore!

My first job fair | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles

It takes a village

 

… to raise a nurse (HAH – got ya!)

The old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” resonates loudly with the growth and maturation of any nurse. I’m not talking just new nurses or new grads. This applies to all levels of experience and all levels of skill & education.

I think, at least for me, that the old proverb means simply that we are a product of our environment. It’s never just ‘one person or persons’ responsibility or ‘fault’ (although I hate using that word in this reference).

To make the comparison. While the child’s parents have the majority of responsibility in ‘raising’ their child, the parents are not with them 24/7. The child’s life is a sum of their experiences in and out of the home.

The same goes for a nurse. While the nursing school instructors / preceptors / managers / leadership team members have the majority of the responsibility ‘molding’ and ‘shaping’ the nurse, they are not with them 24/7. The nurse and their progress in their career is the sum of their experiences.

Now, this isn’t a discussion about blame or a debate on quality of care and responsibility. I’m simply bringing to light the obvious nature of our profession. We not only touch (impact) every walk of life, but those same foot steps touch (impact) us.

Here’s a personal story to help deliver this message.

In my previous career I was attending a sports banquet. The guest speaker was a home time ‘hero’ of sorts. He was a local success story that had was quite the success story in his chosen career path. He was the token guest speaker that night, and I cannot ever forget the message he relayed to the crowd.

He told the story about how great it was being successful, but that the road to success was littered with failures, falls and restarts. It was a great story about how he overcame the odds (I won’t bore you with that part of the story).

The ‘take home’ point of his story was that every night he goes home, on his way out of his place of business, he makes a conscious effort to seek out environmental services personnel. He greets them and thanks them for their hard work on an almost daily basis.

He not only does this, but he knows their names. All of them. He greets and thanks them all as a person.

The oh-so vague point of this story is that no matter how successful a man he is, he never forgets how he got there and how he continues to be there. If the environmental service team doesn’t excel at their job, he cannot excel at his.

He wrapped up the story by asking a simple question. Do you know your environmental services / house keeping personnel’s names? Why not?

Do you know the names of these awesome people where you work? Why not?

It takes the concerted and focused efforts of all members of your team to deliver high quality care. Everyone from the physician, the nurse, the aides, the secretary, ancillary staff, transporters, and volunteers play an integral part in the success of your career (no matter where it may take you).

Let’s put it in more simple terms, have you ever had to do their job? ‘Nuff said.

It truly takes a village to raise a nurse. To think anything less is robbing you of some of the greatest moments as a nurse.

It takes a village | Scrubs Magazine

A hardcore nurse is not hard like a wall, they are hard like a birth.
A hardcore nurse gives all their attention and energy to the task and challenge before them.
Through careful reflection, introspection, and interaction, the hardcore nurse has penetrated the power and importance their work. They know the very real difference they can make to both their colleagues, and those they care for.
They do not squander this response-ability.
They do not come to work just to socialise, or to provide the bare minimum standard of care, or to whine and bitch about their lot.
They are not just a nurse, and it is not just a job.
No, a hardcore nurse wields  fierce compassion, uncompromising professionalism and aggressive sensitivity.  They wade assuredly into the midst of it, embracing the  joys and embracing the sorrows.
They strive to bring out the best in themselves and those they work with.
They are not to be fucked with.

….. continue on to read the rest

hardcore nursing revolution | Impacted Nurse

Top 10 reasons you SHOULD NOT be a nurse

We’ve been talking a lot about lists lately. Lists on specific types of nurses. Everything from specialty nurses, student nurses, and even a couple lists on being a male nurse (yeah, had to include that one).

But, on the flip side, not everyone can do what we do. In fact there are certain things about our job that should deter nurse-hopefuls from even making the attempt.

So, here is a list of who shouldn’t be a nurse, become a nurse, or even pursue a career in nursing. I call it the ‘Nursing is not for you’ list.

Who should not be a nurse?

If you are doing this for the money.

While some areas of the profession get paid very well, others are borderline free-labor.

If you are doing this for the fame.

Just as a nurse about this one. We are the last person to get credit when and where credit is deserved. A very thankless job.

If you faint at the sight of blood.

I see blood more than I see water most shifts.

If you have a sensitive sense of smell.

We nurses can predict our day and describe our day just with one smell. And we experience some of the worst!

If you like sitting down for your job.

While this doesn’t apply to every nurse, any nurse who works on the clinical floor can’t remember when they actually got to sit down during a shift!

If you have a small bladder or cannot hold your water.

This ranks right up there with sitting down.

If you don’t like change.

It truly is the only constant thing in our profession. I’ve only been doing this for just shy of a decade and wow. So many things have changed and are changing. Some simple, and some much more complex.

If you don’t like continuing education and/or continually learning.

This is part of being a health care professional. You need to keep your knowledge and skill level at par with the innovation curve. If you don’t you risk harming those you care for.

If you don’t have good personal skills (people skills).

You need to be socially competent in order to provide the very best care possible. Skill and knowledge will only get you so far.

Finally, saving the best for last. If you don’t know how to care about your care.

Caring about your care is not something that can ever be taught or learned. You either have it, or you don’t. It’s that simple.

There you have it, a list that has equal parts humor and professionalism.

So, should you be a nurse?

Who should not be a nurse? | Scrubs Magazine

Why did you become a nurse?

Or, alternately, “Why do you want to be a nurse?”

This is one of those ‘character’ entrance questions most of us get when we apply to nursing school. I’m pretty sure every school has some version of it. Some have you answer the question on paper, while others will ask you a version of this question during that ‘fateful’ interview. You know, that pressure cooker of an interview in front of ‘the panel’. Either way, the question tries to dig deep into the ‘why’ you are pursuing a nursing career.

I thought I’d share my story.

Rewind 10 years (approximately). I, like the rest of society (still does), thought nurses were poop scoopers and pill pushers. Why in the world would I want to do THAT for a living?! I was already in the health care field, but I just wasn’t happy – or should I say it wasn’t ‘it’ for me. I felt I wanted more from a career, and to simply do more. I had heard rumors that nursing was more than meets the eye, but I unfortunately did not know any nurses that I could talk with to get that kind of information.

As ‘fate’ would have it, I suffered a pretty serious injury that landed me in the hospital for a couple days. The care I received during those two days did not differ in the least bit. My plan of care, diagnosis and treatment plan was identical for those two days. Yet, my experiences as a patient during those two days were complete opposites.

Day 1 with my assigned nurse (let’s call her nurse A) was rather miserable (I’m being kind with my description). She was non-existent most times. When I asked for assistance, it seemed as if it took hours to at least answer my calls. When she did bedside care, it seemed as if she was ‘put off’ by me. I was taking up her time. She wanted to get in the room, do her thing, and get out as fast as possible.

Day 1 = Nurse A did not help my situation at all.

Day 2 with my assigned nurse (let’s call him Nurse B) was amazingly refreshing. His presence was noticed. He was in my room more often, even if it was just to poke his head in to ‘check’ on things. He performed the same ‘duties’ as Nurse A from the previous day, but I was not miserable. I felt important enough that when I had a concern or called out for assistance I didn’t feel like a burden. When he was in the room with me, he gave me his undivided attention. I don’t think he knew anymore about my situation than Nurse A did, but he put me at ease.

Day 2 = Nurse B helped me feel better.

So, if you’ve paid attention to my grammar you’ll notice Nurse A was a female, and Nurse B was a male. I like to think there was some sort of divine intervention at work during my stay, since I’d been curious about men in nursing, but as I admitted earlier, I was just as ignorant as the rest.

During the end of Day 2 with Nurse B, he poked his head in one last time to ‘check’ on me. It was the end of his shift, so he was wrapping things up with me. When he asked if there was anything I needed, or did I have any questions, I jumped at the opportunity. I asked him about his job, men in nursing, and what he thinks of his career.

He spent almost an hour or more talking with me about the nursing career. He told me stories about his own experiences and his career choices. And he emphasized at the unlimited opportunities nursing has afforded him.

I went home from that hospital admission with this burning in my belly. I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience. I was in awe at how much of an impact the care of one nurse made on me. It didn’t matter if I got better, healed, or fixed whatever ailed me. What Nurse B provided for me was immeasurable, intangible, and indescribable, yet it was the most important part of my care.

That was when I realized I wanted to do that. I wanted to be that.

I too wanted to impact lives.

The rest, as they say, is history. I continue to impact lives every day as a nurse, and I don’t foresee any end in sight.

Why did you become a nurse? | Scrubs Magazine