Life at Work

A critical Pathway to Excellence® standard

Initiatives promote nurses’ well-being during the pandemic.  Ensuring nurses’ well-being isn’t just a concept for healthcare systems and organizations that have—or want to gain—the Pathway to Excellence® designation.…
new generation nurses, study, young nurses, american nurse, healthcare

A new generation of nurses is here

Strategies for working with Generation Z. Takeaways: Generation Z nurses, born between the mid-1990s and 2012, are now entering the workforce and they bring with them distinct generational…
patient-care-above-and-beyond

Above and beyond bed bath

The first time I heard “It’s not in my job description” invoked was during an interaction with a colleague in my very early days as an RN. Although…
nusre-health-safety

ANA advocates for nurses’ health and safety

Collaborating in the new year to address pandemic challenges together As nurses contend with the pandemic and its multi-layered effects into 2021, the American Nurses Association (ANA) continues…

Becoming a nurse investigator

As a board of nursing investigator, you protect patients and the public. Takeaways:  Careers in nursing regulation are a meaningful way to contribute to the protection of the…

Black Americans in nursing education

Reflecting on the past and looking toward the future. Takeaways: There is a need for increased Black nursing faculty and students in an effort to promote diversity within…
confidentiality

Confessions of an accidental eavesdropper 

Thoughts about confidentiality and respect. Takeaways: The design of hospitals means that we frequently overhear private conversations between clinicians and patients. What can these overheard conversations teach us…
poster presentation

Creating a compelling poster

Use poster presentations to spread the word about your study or project.  Takeaways: Effective posters convey key information and provide presenters with an opportunity to share their research…

Digital dissemination platforms

Use social media and news sites to promptly share your scholarly work.   Takeaways Social media platforms and news outlets contribute to the swift and vast dissemination of scholarly…
Documenting Dilemmas

Documenting dilemmas via email

Use this simple acronym to get results.  Takeaways: When faced with a workplace dilemma, communication is key to achieving resolution. Clear communication requires emotional intelligence. Documenting communication should…

Embrace the power of virtual

Use technology to support bedside nurses, increase care access, and expand education. The big experiment of providing services via virtual platforms, necessitated by the pandemic, resulted in positive…
EI

Emotional intelligence takes practice

Implement the four pillars to reduce burnout. Takeaways: Emotional intelligence (EI) promotes considering our own and others’ emotions before responding to conflict In nursing, can elevate professional practice…
workplace violence

End workplace violence

Charting a path to zero tolerance April 16, 2021, marked a key milestone in the journey to end workplace violence in healthcare, when the Workplace Violence Prevention for…

Exploring nurse case manager practice

As healthcare delivery evolves, the case manager role expands. Takeaways: Case management is seen as a solution to lack of access to healthcare and limited resources. Case management…
mourn-dead

How shall we mourn our dead?

Take your time and follow the path that’s right for you. Since May 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have required nursing homes to provide data…
individual-nurse-liability-Insurance-Risk-sued

Individual nurse liability insurance

Understand your options Takeaways: Nurses are at risk for litigation or state board of nursing action against them. To protect themselves, nurse should learn about personal professional liability…
Life after retirement, healthcare, registered nurse, nursing, nursing journal

Life after retirement

Planning for what lies ahead. Takeaways: According to the American Nurses Association, 500,000 experienced RNs are projected to retire by 2022. Retirement is a major life transition that…
Micro-credentials and Badges

Micro-credentials and badges in healthcare

An opportunity to highlight your skills and experience.  Healthcare evolves continually, and our knowledge base is always expanding. With each new treatment discovered, intervention pioneered, and virus encountered,…

Mitigating the threat of lost knowledge

A looming shortage of expert nurses requires strategies to accelerate knowledge transfer. Takeaways: Healthcare organizations are facing the challenge of retaining expert knowledge as the nursing workforce transitions…
nurse-suicide

Navigating the loss and grief of a nurse suicide

With employer support, nurses can help each other after a colleague’s death. Takeaways: The bonds created among nurses make the loss of a colleague difficult but also provide…
_NurseFatigue

Nurse fatigue: The silent epidemic

Are you getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period? According to ANA Enterprise’s new Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation® survey results, 40% of…
nursing contracts

Nurses and contracts

Understanding basic terminology, the pitfalls you may encounter, and the relationships among parties to a contract can help you protect your self-interests and ensure a successful experience.

Nurses rising

Recognizing, elevating, and caring for RNs during a pandemic As we celebrated the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and person of…
school nurses

Nurses struggling on the frontline of COVID-19

Innovation is important in maintaining an open-minded perspective on the frontline of healthcare, particularly in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a practicing ICU nurse, I know…
obstetric-complications

Obstetric complications: Debrief the grief

Nurses’ physical and mental health require support after a traumatic event. Editor’s note: This is an early release of a web exclusive article for the April 2021 issue…

Podium presentation tips

Your professional organization has accepted your abstract for an oral presentation. Now what? How do you prepare? The following tips will help ensure an organized presentation that engages…

Promote effective nurse-physician communication

Consider evidence-based strategies. Takeaways: Hectic healthcare settings and lack of understanding of colleagues’ roles and skills can contribute to miscommunication between nurses and physicians. Several evidence-based strategies—for individuals,…

Promoting nurse mental health

An urgent call to shift from crisis intervention to long-term prevention Takeaways: Nurses are experiencing an unprecedented amount of burnout, depression, and anxiety. Stressful work environments, workplace bullying,…
quality-improvement

Quality improvement training: A simplified approach

How a correctional facility engages all staff in QI Takeaways: The purpose of continuous quality improvement (QI) programs is to improve healthcare by identifying problems, implementing interventions, and…

Radiology nursing: A growing specialty

Find out if you have what it takes to pursue this fast-paced career path. Takeaways:  Radiology nursing is a little-known specialty that’s not always an obvious career option…
toxic-work-relationships

Septic relationships

In the emergency department, we’re well trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of serious infections—infections that start from an infinitesimally small and undetectable microorganism and grow into…
seven-steps-conversations

Seven steps for having difficult conversations

An integral part of being a nurse is engaging in difficult conversations. Important nurses in history—Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, Mary Eliza Mahoney, Florence Nightingale, Mabel Keaton Staupers, and…

Standardizing handoff communication

An electronic tool helps ensure care continuity and reduces miscommunication. Takeaways: Using a standardized electronic handoff tool improves nurse-to-nurse communication. It ensures care continuity and reduces adverse events.…

Starting a nurse-owned business

Follow these tips for success. Takeaways  Nurses have unique skills—critical thinking, prioritizing, organization, and emergency management—appropriate for starting their own businesses.  Business success involves choosing something you love,…

The BON discipline cascade

Understanding that disciplinary action can be complex helps nurses protect themselves. Takeaways: Nurses facing licensure investigation/discipline must be represented by attorneys with expertise in disciplinary defense. Licensure discipline…
safety-culture

The Culture of Safety: Huddle and Muddle

The notion of culture of safety implies not merely the absence harm, injury or preventable death, but also the unmeasurable feeling that one is in good hands, even…
oncology

The journey of oncology navigation

Nurse navigators help avoid care fragmentation and support shared decision making. Takeaways: Patient navigation aims to increase health equity among patients with cancer and can be applied in…
unplanned-unforeseen-unemployment

Unplanned and unforeseen unemployment

 Prepare now so you’re not caught off guard.  Takeaways: Most nurses never expect to be terminated from their jobs. Preparing for unexpected job loss can help you navigate…

Uplifting nurses

Associations respond to member needs in a pandemic. In 2020, what kept me up at night was nurses’ well-being and how they’ve been dealing with the impact of…
Violence should not be part of the job

Violence should not be part of the job

Universal violence precautions in acute care Takeaways: Workplace violence can surprise and overwhelm nurses, leaving them unable to safely provide patient care. A multi-component intervention is needed to…

Visual abstracts maximize interest and impact

Clarify your message to enhance your reach. Takeaways: Visual abstracts provide a short graphic synopsis of key points contained in your scholarship. A visual abstract can be used…
what if youre the bully

What if you’re the bully?

 Self-awareness and honest feedback can help you make a change. Takeaways: Bullying and incivility are prevalent in the nursing profession, so we each need to determine if and…
correctional-nursing

What to expect from correctional nursing

Takeaways: Correctional nursing is a growing specialty that’s evolving to meet the needs of incarcerated populations in a variety of settings. People who are incarcerated need compassionate nurses…
Writing For Publication

Writing for publication: Strategies for success

Follow these tips to improve the chances your article will be published.  Editor’s note: Dissemination 101 is a series designed to help nurses share their expertise. To read…

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Test Your Knowledge

Which of the following is correct about the stages of sleep?