When in nursing school beyond, nurses learn a myriad of skills. From early skills such as handwashing and transfers to the later skills of IV insertion and central line care, there is much to learn. Product development in healthcare is a constant. The nurse must always be learning new techniques. But there is one skill […]
A Nurse’s Most Important Skill Read More »
In programs focusing on multiple-choice testing, test anxiety can be a real problem. Nursing is one of these programs with “high stakes” testing. Nursing students also learn a variety of complex skills. These include injections, managing IV’s, and insertion of catheters. Many of the other aspects of nursing are tested through multiple-choice exams. Some courses
Overcoming Test Anxiety: You Can Do It Read More »
Proning has been mentioned in many nursing journals of late due to its effectiveness in treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS.) This is the life-threatening respiratory condition developed by those with severe COVID-19 lung inflammation. Early in the pandemic, besides ventilators, proning was one of the few treatments available for those with ARDS. Why is
Proning and COVID-19: What is it All About? Read More »
During a recent break from courses, I have been building my cooking skills. I recently reviewed a cookbook called “Basic to the Basics.” I realized that this was an important concept for nursing students as well. Nursing students are getting ready to head back to school for the next semester. Most are looking forward to
Success in Medical-Surgical Nursing: Get Back to the Basics Read More »
All nurses have a topic or two they didn’t understand well as a new nurse. (Well, maybe more than a couple!) As a med-surg and CCU nurse, I found I really didn’t understand the IV fluid choices for my patients. Why did some have normal saline while others had ½-normal saline (0.45%) or ¼ normal
Fluid and Electrolyte Focus: What is the Right IV Fluid for My Patient? Read More »
As a nursing instructor, I have seen hundreds of students progress through nursing school. I have been very proud of their successes in all specialties of nursing. Common to many students was the stress of difficult courses and time commitments. A few students worked hard to pursue a healthy lifestyle while in school. But, I
Tips for Staying Healthy in Nursing School Read More »
The title of my blog is Nursing Priorities but I have yet to address this topic for nursing students. In this post, I will explain what I feel are the basics of setting priorities. Safe decisions in nursing show an understanding of appropriate prioritization. These decisions are also the focus of nursing questions in on
Nursing Prioritization: An Important Skill Read More »
How many nurses belong to a professional nursing or healthcare organization? There were approximately 183,000 new RN’s joining the professional in 2020 (NCSBN, 2021). Many nurses do not choose to become members of a professional organization, however. There are many organizations to choose from today. They vary from general organizations for all nurses, such as
Why Join a Professional Organization? Read More »
As you are preparing for starting a nursing program, consider you are on a journey. The journey can be compared to what has been called the hero’s journey. Author Joseph Campbell described the “Hero’s Journey” in his 1949 book. It is a pattern followed by most novels and movie plots. Think of the journeys taken
Are You On A “Hero’s Journey?” Read More »
When you began your nursing education journey, you probably wondered about the strange word mentioned frequently by your instructors. The word, “n-clex,” was strange. But, then state board licensure was mentioned and soon you understood that strange word was an abbreviation: NCLEX. Short for National Council (of State Boards of Nursing) Licensure Examination, this is
What is the NLCEX and How to Prepare Read More »
