On April 16, 2019, Washington State Senator, Maureen Walsh, disparaged millions of nurses with her comments that “nurses probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.” These comments not only maligned our entire profession, but they also displayed an enormous amount of ignorance from Sen. Walsh. Nurses don’t “play cards.” We aren’t lounging… Read More Nurses Don’t “Play Cards”
April is National Donate Life Month. It has been celebrated in April since 2003, and during this month, Americans are encouraged to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors. But April is also set aside to celebrate those heroes who have saved lives through their gift of donation. Did you know? 113,000 men, women, and… Read More Life is Beautiful
I distinctly remember my first day in the O.R. Even now, when I think back on it, I still remember feeling excited and amazed, yet also overwhelmed and scared to death. Everything was so different than what I had always imagined the operating room to be! Then you add in the strange equipment and thousands… Read More Real-World Advice for New O.R. Nurses
Would all of the certified nurses please stand up? Ok, you can sit back down now… Did you know that today is Certified Nurses Day? Certified Nurses Day began back in 2008 as a way to bring public recognition and appreciation to all of the nurses who choose to pursue certification in their specialties. Margretta… Read More Certified Nurses Day
Today is a hard day for me. I’m reminded that life is fleeting. That tomorrow is never guaranteed and we never know what day will be our last.… Read More Remembering a Friend
I haven’t answered a call light in 12 years. The most use my stethoscope gets is when my kids pull it out to play doctor. I don’t spend an entire shift assigned to the same 4-5 patients and I don’t know what they love, what they hate, or what they plan to get back to… Read More Patient Care in the OR is Different – not Non-Existent
It’s February – the month of love and all things sappy and romantic. Can you tell I’m a fan? Ha! But, since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, making a list of things we love seems appropriate. Don’t you think? On any given day, I can think of a million different reasons why working in the O.R.… Read More 7 Reasons to Love the O.R.
Halloween is next week! How did it get here so fast? Yesterday it was July, I just know it. And after Halloween it’s the downhill slide through November and December with all of the shopping, holidays, parties, eating, and celebrating before suddenly it’s January 1st and a New Year is here. Why does it always… Read More Halloween, Busy Days, and Late Nights
My day began like any other day… Six months ago, I went to work like normal. And like most days, I probably overslept and flew out of my house in a rush without much thought as to what the day would hold – other than that we had a huge caseload and there was potential to be stuck at work late… Read More Healing In The Heartbreak
The Joint Commission (JC) surveyed my hospital last week. What a stressful week! Management was in a tizzy, running around making sure that everyone was obeying every rule at all times. We were quizzed on our policies and procedures, and reminded about everything leadership thought we might get asked about. I guess they might say… Read More Surviving The Joint Commission: 4 Helpful Tips