A house divided
When it comes to our jobs as managers and department heads, we can’t hide. Nor can we go left or right. We have to walk that middle line and make sure we build a cohesive team, not do stuff to tear it apart.
The Real Nurse Jackie
The Real Nurse Jackie
Rural American nursing ‘homes’
Like many people, I reminisce about our great country (I’m not trying to be political at all, but I think we are already a great country …). This was especially true last week on the anniversary of 9/11.
Round and round and round we go . . .
Hey, I get it. Sometimes we are doing so much we feel like our head is spinning. But, guys, you can’t forget to do your daily rounds. It is THE one thing you can do that will give you your biggest return on investment of time.
All we are saying is give pees a chance
Ok nurses and practitioners, this one is for you. Quit prescribing antibiotics for cloudy, funky-smelling pee. Weird pee is sometimes OK.
Ode to The Nursing Assessments
An ode to nursing assessments and all they entail.
The importance of unlearning
Anyone who knows me knows that I love teaching. And while it is one of my greatest pleasures on Earth, it is also one of my greatest frustrations.
Liar, liar, pants on fire
Does anybody remember when you last said the phrase in the title? I bet you said it when you heard something so outrageous that without a doubt you knew it wasn’t true. So why as nurse leaders do we let that kind of stuff slide instead of pointing out the person whose pants are on fire?
Nurse leaders shouldn’t have to ask: Who’s your daddy?
I was recently telling a good friend of mine about one of the best job candidate interviews I ever conducted.
Actively honoring those who served
As I reflect on Memorial Day and all those who have bravely put their lives on the line for our freedom, I think of the veterans who reside in our facilities, and how we shouldn’t consider them veterans just one day a year.
Are you a one-person rescue team?
I have heard nursing leaders refer to their nursing staff as their children. I think this can be good if it is in the context that your staff is like family. But I think it can be damaging if you feel you need to “parent” your staff.
Way too mathematically challenged
Nursing shortages are nothing new, and they’re going to get worse. So why haven’t we adopted solutions that other countries have already? There ARE ways to get around this.
Don’t let them down
The next time you feel like pulling out your hair if “just one more person puts on that call light,” remember that, as nurses, we’re No. 1 in the hearts and minds of the public out there.
Ah, spring (cleaning time!)
Sometimes we get so stuck in the mud of winter, get so despondent that we forget that spring is right around the corner. Of course, I am talking metaphorically. Often, we forget that we can make changes — heck, even be the change.
No nurse is an island
Let’s face it, healthcare is siloed enough without nurses running around with an “I’ll do it all on my own” attitude. Pride is a toxic condition no nurse can afford to suffer from.
Where did all the spoons go?
As nurse leaders/managers, I believe we have to be smarter in what we decide to let go and shrug off, as we might wind up having to do those things ourselves too often.
Sorry, King Solomon, but I don’t agree
No matter what your faith, pretty much everyone has heard of King Solomon, son of King David, who was given the gift of wisdom. How, therefore, can I say I think he is wrong?
Antibiotic stewardship — embrace the change
Antibiotic stewardship is a change you need to embrace. You can’t just say I prefer it the old way, give everyone an antibiotic who asks for one and that will be that. But I get it. You are willing to change, but sometimes the residents and their families aren’t.
We never shut down
As the government shut down over the weekend, it struck me once again: We in long-term care do not close our doors. Ever.
Look on the bright side
You know, it’s really all how you look at things. We all have days that stink, but spinning the situation differently can change how we deal with apparent downers.
I heard the call bells on Christmas Day
With Christmas songs still echoing in my head, I bring you original lyrics, with special thoughts of our hard-working long-term care nursing corps in mind.
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