Improvements in healthcare technology are often met with high praise, but a recent presentation by Marge Funk, RN and nursing researcher at Yale-New Haven Hospital suggests that nurses maintain their caution—and common sense—when adopting new techniques and technologies. When approaching technology, Funk advocates four guidelines to follow. Use technology appropriately. Just because a new technology […]
Nurses will be critical to meeting the increased healthcare demands that insurance reforms bring in the coming years, writes Deloras Jones, RN, in a recent article. While California has seen increases in nurse school enrollment and increased its nursing workforce, the state is still “ranked 47th in the nation for RNs per capita.” Increased insurance […]
“‘What are we seeing today, and what can we do to make it better?’” These are the key questions that Joy Jacobson suggests that nurses ask themselves every day in an effort enact positive changes at their facilities. In her article for the American Journal of Nursing, Jacobson reviews examples of how nurses can be […]
In an earlier blog post, we addressed compassion fatigue, and now we’re back with more suggestions for preventing and alleviating this common problem. Compassion fatigue is “a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion” that can strike nurses and other caregivers. While compassion fatigue absolutely impacts nurses on a personal level, it also has an […]
Upon discharging a patient, health care professionals may provide verbal or written at-home care instructions; however, not all patients respond well to these types of instructions. A recent article in the American Journal of Nursing analyzes the outcome of a nurse providing innovative care: the nurse created step-by-step visual instructions for a patient by taking […]
Mental Health Month is observed each year in May, but nurses around the world are continuing to make an impact on mental health care every day. In the article, “Nurses Improving Mental Health Care” Nurse Zone features nurses who are positively impacting psychiatric patient care. The article discusses how nurses approach psychiatric patient care. One […]
Listening, continuing education, and networking are a few of the tips provided by several accomplished nurses asked to discuss their experiences in the article entitled, “The Secrets to Achieving Excellence in Nursing”. With a combined 118 years of experience, these men and women share their guiding philosophies, advice on nursing skills and tips for moving […]
While health technology enhances patient care and improves efficiency, there are also risks in using these devices that all nurses should know. The ECRI Institute, a non-profit that provides research on health care, publishes an annual list of the top 10 health technology hazards to raise awareness in hospitals of technological dangers. The parts of […]
For the Vocational Nursing students at Stanbridge College, learning proper communication is a major emphasis in their curriculum. When the nursing students of cohort FTQ ran into a challenging situation communicating with a non-English speaking patient their solution was to go beyond the textbook and demonstrate their personal dedication to ensure the highest level of […]
Most nurses can be trusted when it comes to patient care and acting ethically at work. Taking responsibility for your own actions is one thing, but when it comes to reporting or ‘tattling’ on a nursing colleague who may be less responsible it is not always easy or appropriate. In this article, on NurseConnect, veteran […]