Advice for Transition From Nursing Student to Professional

Last week RealityRN.com asked me to respond to a new nurse’s post about the difficult transition from student to professional … More

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Of Med Errors and Brain Farts

I read the physician’s order carefully, looked up the medication in the nurses’ drug book, and consulted with our pharmacist before … More

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I Wish I’d Said It

“As a nurse, I am the patient’s last line of defense.” -Lee S. Shulman, President Emeritus, The Carnegie Foundation for … More

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Learning to Observe, Observing to Learn

Here’s a collection of loose observations I made last week: People who lie or cheat believe that everyone else in … More

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Let Me Tell You One More Thing You Already Know

Maybe it happened because I was tired after working a string of long, busy shifts. Maybe Mercury, the communication planet, … More

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Whistle Blowers & Patient Advocates: When the Nurse Stands Alone

A colleague and I discussed the Winkler County Whistle Blowers case and our admiration for Registered Nurses Vicki Galle and Anne Mitchell. They brought the nurse’s role of … More

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Advanced Precepting, Part II

In my last post, I promised to tell the story of another preceptee who didn’t remain in the PICU after orientation. A new … More

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Advanced Precepting: Helping Preceptees Find Their Fit

I had the best preceptor in the history of nursing. She facilitated my transfer to Pediatric Intensive Care, plucking me from a high acuity pediatric unit, … More