Nursing – The Nurses’ Lounge

Give up the “guts and glory”?

It is time to make a decision. Money and back-breaking ICU work in an intermittently unsafe environment? Or 7000 dollars less a year in a safer, happier, place? That is a huge salary chunk for a single mother with a deadbeat ex. What to do, what to do….

Lanyard, or badge-reel?

I see both types. Personally, I feel like the lanyard drops into the bed and can be used as a weapon. I like the badge-reel, but the strings break a lot. I also have to wear a shirt underneath my uniform as I am allergic to some metals and the clips of the badge reelsContinue reading “Lanyard, or badge-reel?”

Nurse Managers, be careful of your response

A very dear nurse friend of mine reached out to her manager for support and guidance during this latest spike in the epidemic. Her unit has been short-staffed for several months, and keeps getting worse as each day goes by. She confessed her frustration, anxiety, and how much she cries on a daily basis dueContinue reading “Nurse Managers, be careful of your response”

Restoring your peace, a perspective from a front-line nurse.

We can all agree that the past 18 months has been the most awful time in our lives regarding the covid-19 pandemic. There have been so many deaths among the inpatient population, that even the most hopeful nurse I know has confessed that she feels as if she cannot pray for the patients anymore becauseContinue reading “Restoring your peace, a perspective from a front-line nurse.”

Enamel pins!

These may not be new to you, but our hospital is going through an enamel pin obsession. These little gems are different from the old, tried-and-true button pins, and will give your badge a little more personality and flair. Some of the pins out there are really clever! **I am not affiliated with any ofContinue reading “Enamel pins!”

New nurse anxiety

I hope you get a good laugh out of this post – and some hope for your own journey. Today I found something I lost 6 years ago. I will show it to you at the end of this post and you will feel so much better. I am snickering at myself already. When IContinue reading “New nurse anxiety”

Pulling into the Frustration Station!

I had a patient recently that had an interesting hospital course of action. To the nurses, it was clear what was going on. The residents and MD disagreed – and did not share this information with the nurses. This patient, who was an octogenarian, was Covid-19 positive. She was admitted for altered mental status andContinue reading “Pulling into the Frustration Station!”

Wherever you are in your nursing journey – I want to encourage you –

I have noticed a running theme in the last 9 years I have been in the nursing world. And that theme seems to play out in everyone I meet: you must be better than all of your peers. I see this time and time again. Almost every nurse I meet feels like they must impressContinue reading “Wherever you are in your nursing journey – I want to encourage you –”