Category: Nursing

Happy Valentine’s Day! I know some people think it’s corny or a “fake” holiday, but I always have had a soft spot for all the pink and love involved on February 14. This post is my virtual Valentines Day card to all you amazing nurses, nursing students, and PCT/CNAs out there (and you amazing non-nursing peeps who support my blog)! THANK YOU for all you do and the love you provide!

Ten Reasons I LOVE Nursing <3

1. Flexibility of Scheduling

There are so many scheduling options available for nurses! Day shift, night shift, M-F, 12 hour shifts, 10 hour shifts, 8 hour shifts, weekends. There are endless possibilities to find a schedule that works for you! I currently work 3 12 hour shifts and I love it! Yes, they are long shifts. Yes, sometime nights leaves me feeling exhausted (and it may not be the shift of choice for me forever.) However, I love having my four days off and being able to have 3-7 days off at a time without using PTO!

2. Find the Job You Love

There are SO many jobs and different specialties/facilities nurses can work in- it allows everyone to find their niche and a place where there are happy! It also allows for nurses to change jobs to allow for growth, you are not stuck in one exact job forever. Hospitals, doctor offices, clinics, home health, various specialties and jobs- so many opportunities!

3. Nurses are the BEST people

I LOVE nurses! They are some of the best people. Nurses are kind, caring, funny, resourceful, smart, and bad ass people. The nurses in my life have helped me to grow as a nurse and better care for my patients. There are also nurses in my life who have become family. They have shown me love and support in both my nurse life but also my personal life.

4. No Humor Like Nurse Humor

If you have ever worked as a part of the nursing staff, you know. Nurses have some of the most out there humor- but it is how we cope and get through the day! Laughing with you coworkers or patients is one of the best parts of the job.

5. You Become Resourceful

How much of our jobs is simply trying to make things work!? Even a job where you have allll the resources and the best equipment, you still have to be resourceful from time to time. It may taping blankets to side rails for seizure precautions or getting creative with how to keep a confused patient calm and content, nurses are resourceful and know how to get the job done!

6. Forever Learning

I love to learn, and the beautiful part about nursing is the learning never ends! College and nursing school is honestly just the beginning to a life long journey of learning. Every shift I work I see and learn about a new diagnosis, medication, procedures, nurse hack, or even culture/way of life.

7. Scrubs are like PJs

If you have to change out of your yoga pants or pajamas, at least you get to throw on a pair of scrubs! I love wearing scrubs because I don’t have to stress about what I’m going to wear to work, they are comfy, and make for all the bending, moving, and walking you do in a shift that much easier!

8. Opportunity for Growth

I think Grad School is the number one way people think about growing and moving up in their career as a nurse- but there is so many ways that you can grow in your nursing career! Becoming a preceptor, joining the leadership team, becoming charge nurse, obtaining certifications, the list goes on for ways you can grow in your career without even returning to school.

9. Life Lessons & Gratitude 

Through nursing, you get to meet people of all different ages and walks of life. I have learned so many life lessons from my patients, their families, and even my coworkers. Everyone has unique experiences and you can learn a lot through talking with your patients and coworkers. Through nursing you also are have the privelage to be there for the best and worst moments of people’s lives. Through these moments, you gain gratitiude for the things and people you have in your life.

10. Nurses are the Heart of Healthcare <3

Nurses are the heart of healthcare. Nurses coordinate the care of our patients and facilitate communications among all the specialties involved in the patient’s care. We give medications, assess, and intervene when we find life threatening changes. We save lives. But we also care for the whole person. Not just the body or the disease process. We are nurturers. We help someone to feel less scare and alone, or a family member to feel like they can rest because their loved one is well taken care of. It’s amazing and a privilege to care for the whole person.

Thank you again for all the hard work you do. Thank you for the love and care you show your patients, families, and fellow nurses. Send this post to a special nurse, nursing student, or PCT/CNA in your life and wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day! 

In honor of Black History Month, I am sharing three nurses who contributed greatly to the nursing profession. These nurses, along with countless others, overcame oppression and prejudice to break down barriers for nurses of all backgrounds. They lead the way to move our profession forward and for nursing to become inclusive of all people. Let us all take a moment this month to appreciate the amazing African-American nurses who came before us, and to continue to grow the nurse profession.

Harriet Tubman (1819(?)-1913)

Harriet Tubman is well known for her work in freeing slaves through the Underground Railroad, but Tubman also acted as a nurse for the Union in the Civil War. Tubman used home remedies she learned from her mother to treat dysentery, smallpox, and other diseases. In 1862, Tubman went to South Carolina to nurse and teach the Gullah people who had been abandoned. In 1865, she was appointed matron of a hospital in Virginia, where she cared for sick and wounded black soldiers.

Tubman never received pension for her time as a nurse. Despite the U.S. Secretary of State, William H. Seward, petitioning to Congress for Tubman to recieve a nurse’s pension for her work during the war- her claim was denied. Her widow’s pension was increased due to her personal service, but this was the extent of acknowledgment for her work as a nurse in the war. In 1908, the Harriet Tubman Home for the Elderly was built on property next to her farm in New York. Tubman cared for the residents until her death in 1913.

Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926)

Although there were many African-American nurses before Mary Mahoney, she was the first African-American to graduate from a nursing program and hold a professional nursing license. 42 students, including Mahoney, were admitted into the New England Hospital for Women and Children Training School for Nurses. Mahoney was one of only three people in her class to complete the 16 month program and graduate in 1878. Mahoney became a private nurse and also was an early member of what would later become the American Nurse Association (ANA.) In 1908, she co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. Outside of nursing, she was a supporter of women’s suffrage and was one of the first woman to register to vote in Boston at the age of 76.

Goldie Brangman 

Goldie Brangman, CRNA, MBA was a pioneer of the Nurse Anesthesia profession. Brangman founded the Harlem School Center School of Anesthesia and was the program director for 34 years. While working as a Nurse Anesthetist at Harlem Hospital, she served on the surgical team and delivered anesthesia to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after he was stabbed in New York City. She later became the first African-American CRNA President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists in 1973. In 2008, Brangman retired and was a volunteer for the American Red Cross for over 25 years. She also was a guest speaker for the Diversity CRNA Information session encouraging woman of color to be active in the state and national nurse anesthesia associations and to purse doctorate degrees.

References:

https://nursing.jnj.com/advancing-culturally-competent-care/african-american-nurses-who-paved-the-way

https://dreemcoalition.org/pioneers

https://www.nursing.virginia.edu/news/flashback-harriet-tubman-nurse/

In my bachelors program I did a lot of research papers and my final capstone on nurse burn out and retention. It is something that has interested me since I first became an LPN in 2012. Through my research in my BSN program (and career as a nurse), I quickly realized that nurse burn out and retention were even bigger issues that I could have imagined. The problem is a systemic one and there are many factors that need to be looked at and discussed to truly make nursing a sustainable career. In my little corner of the internet for the time being I want to focus on fostering community and self care to help nurses cope with burn out (myself included), although I will discuss other factors from time to time.

What is Nurse Burn Out?

Nurse burnout is a mental, emotional, and physical state cause by chronic overwork, lack of job fulfillments & support, and continued stress. A 2001 study showed that 43% of nurses working in hospitals reported symptoms of emotional exhaustion and burn out.

Signs & Symptoms of Burn Out

Constant Fatigue

Fatigue and exhaustion is expected when working long hours caring for patients. But when a nurse begins to live in a permanent state of emotional and physical exhaustion and it begins to effect their life outside of work, this can be a sign of professional burn out.

Feeling Overworked or Unappreciated

Feeling like your work is not appreciated or goes unnoticed can lead to feelings of burn out. We can help each other feel more appreciated in what we do by showing appreciation for our coworkers- both nurses and other staff.

Lack of Enthusiasm about Work

We all have days where we don’t feel like working, but a constant state of dread and anxiety surrounding work is not normal or healthy.

Irritability/Lack of Patience

Becoming easily annoyed, lacking patience, both inside and outside of work is a common effect of burn out.

Mentally “Checked Out”

Feeling “numb” or disengaged both in and out of work is a common sign of burn out.

Battling Burn Out

Say no to overtime

I have said yes to overtime plenty of times, both to help out my fellow nurses and to help out my bank account (just being honest.) However, I have seen and felt the toll constant overtime can take on people and the burn out that can follow. As nurses, we love to help and we know the struggle of working short. However, it is not your job to burn yourself out to staff the unit. No one will care about your mental health or well being as much as you. We HAVE to take care of ourselves to take care of others. This means saying no to overtime, switching shifts, or staying over when we need too.

Talk to Someone

Find a friend, fellow nurse, family member, or leader that you can talk to about your feelings. I have a nurse friend who has been a nurse longer than me, and talking to her has been so incredibly helpful. She has encouraged me to deal with my stress and take time for myself- through using PTO and saying no to overtime. You also can consider professional councilors, they can help you work through your emotions surrounding your burn out and help you decide what the best plan of action is for you to recover.

Self Care

We all have different ways we like to rest and recharge. Bubble baths, massages, time outdoors, time with loved ones, Netflix on the couch, are all ways you can practice self care. Find whatever works for you and make sure you take time every week to do it. Also, remember the basics of caring for yourself. Eating well, moving your body, and sleep are all important to being a happier, healthier, less stressed nurse.

Stress Reduction

Meditation, yoga, exercise, and journaling are all ways that we can work to reduce stress and deal with emotions that come with our job and life in general. It’s important that you find what works for you and again, do it regularly.

Burn out is something that is extremely prevalent among nurses (and nursing students) and is something we should be talking about- in nursing school, the workplace, and our nurse social circles. We should discuss recognizing signs of burn out so we can intervene and get help before we hit rock bottom. I recently wrote about my own Burn Out & Journey to Recovery . Just because you are burnt out, doesn’t mean you are a bad nurse or that you don’t care about your patients. We need to let people know they have a safe place to talk about their thoughts and feelings and offer the encouragement and support they need.

Are you currently dealing with burn out or have you in the past? What did you do to help yourself recover?

References: Avoiding Burnout as a Nurse- Nursing.org

How to Detect and Avoid Nurse Burnout- USF Health Online

Hello! I have officially been back to blogging consistently for a month and I have to say it feels good to be back! I graduated Medical University of South Carolina’s RN to BSN program in August 2019. I loved the program and had a great experience there and I am proud to call myself an MUSC alum! I did a LOT of research of different programs before I started MUSC so I wanted to share some general information on RN to BSN programs that I found in my research as well as a little bit of my experience in one to anyone who may be thinking of taking this path. Sorry this post turned out to be longer than anticipated, but I was trying to answer a lot of the questions I know I had before starting this journey. Let me know if you have any questions!

What is a RN- BSN Program?

A RN-BSN program is a transition program for Associate of Degree Registered Nurses to become BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) prepared nurses. The actual program is typically one year if you go full time, although part time and self paced programs are also an option. Upon graduation, you will be awarded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Classes include gerontology, physical assessment, leadership, and research.

Are prerequisites required?

Yes. Most bachelor degrees require at least 60 hour of core classes- math, science, english, arts, etc. I completed my classes at the community college I attended for my ADN (RN) program. I was able to earn an Associate of Science Degree and complete all the pre-requisites required for my program. Make sure you check the program you are interested in for required pre-reqs before you start taking classes! Most have specific classes that are required. Part of the reason I chose MUSC was because I had all the classes and wouldn’t need to take any more. A lot of the other programs I looked at I would have had to taken an extra semester of classes because I needed a specific science, math, psychology, etc.

What type of time commitment is required?

RN to BSN programs vary in what type of classroom attendance is required. The program I attended was 100% online and did not require any specific check in times, which I really liked. Some programs are hybrid, where you attend class or lab weekly/biweekly and the rest is online. Other, may be 100% in seat, although I don’t think those are as common. As far as coursework and studying, I would say I spent at least 10-15 hours a week completing assignments.

What was the coursework like?

Papers, papers, and discussion post. You will write, “Great post! Thanks for sharing!” more times than you can count. And you will spend a lot of time researching, writing, and editing papers. HOWEVER. Don’t be afraid. I personally like to write and research and don’t mind papers, but I know not everyone is this way. Even if you don’t like writing papers, it can be done. If you are super worried, look to see if you program provides any type of writing help or resources. Also, Purdue OWL APA guidelines + an APA manual are absolute MUST.

Do I have to take the NCLEX again?

Nope! An RN is an RN, whether BSN or ADN prepared! No more NCLEX!

Why should I get my bachelors?

I think their is a lot of disagreement on if nurses should have to obtain their BSN or not, especially with the push for programs to only be BSN, magnet status wanting hospitals to house 80% BSN prepared nurses, etc. I think it’s a very personal decision to go back to school and varies among the individual. It is a big financial and time commit to return to school, but you can find ways to help with that. My hospital reimbursed me for part of my tuition in exchange for me staying one year as a RN. Going online and having a flexible class schedule allowed me to work and live without school (completely) ruling my life.

Most hospitals are requiring nurses to complete BSN to keep your job unless you are grandfathered in, I had to sign a contract I would have mine within 5 years of hiring. BSN also opens up a lot of job oppurutnies both in and out of the bedside/hospital. Things like case management, leadership, program coordinations, public health, education, etc. all either require BSN, or you will be more likely to get the job with the added boost. It also sets you up for grad school and continued education if you decide that is the route for you.

What was your personal experience with the program? 

First day of “class”

I really did love my BSN program and had a good experience. It was all online and didn’t require any set log in times so I could keep my schedule and not make any changes at work. I went to school full time and worked full time and still felt like I had time for fun and hobbies. A lot more time than I ever had in my initial licensure program. I understand the exhaustion and burn out that follows completed nursing school, but honestly, RN-BSN is not nearly as stressful. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of papers, discussion post, and research- but the stress and amount of work is way less. I was busy but it was manageable.

I will be honest and say that I do not feel the program necessarily helped me grow a lot clinically as a nurse- all of that growth has come from my time as a nurse. However, the research and discussions I engaged in really helped me to see nursing in a big picture kind of way. And to be honest, it made me see a lot of the issues with nursing. Systemic issues involving leadership, staffing, burn out, disparities in healthcare, and more all came to light and really changed my perspective on some things. It could be discouraging at times but it also helped me to grow as a nurse and person and helped to shape and guide my beliefs and passions as well as career goals and aspirations.

Have you or do you plan to attend an RN to BSN program? Do you have any questions for me?