As nurses, we could be robotic in our practice. What do I mean by that? We are just being mechanical instead of purposeful in our practice. It is therefore a welcome change if we stop for a moment and reflect on what we accomplished for the day. Moreover, it is significant to evaluate the impact of our actions on our patients’ lives, no matter how small they may be. A Premature Baby with Congenital Anomalies For my reflective practice narrative,…
Five Important Lessons Worth Sharing with the New Nurses in Your Life It’s almost graduation season again. Pretty soon we will have new graduates joining the workforce. And you…Yes, YOU! You are a new nurse! Congratulations! *For those who prefer to listen to this content via a podcast, here is the link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ldoFlBk0qWuC4tfkAycBJ?si=4ebbf1dcd92a4992 You made it despite juggling between your clinicals and academics. Heck, you may even have had to budget your time between your schoolwork, a part-time working gig, and…
As nurses, it is inherent for us to listen to our patients’, clients’, and even our colleagues’ needs. We firmly believe that taking care of their mental health is just as important as tending to their physical health. With that being said, how do nurses take care of our own mental health? Service-centered Profession Nursing is both a science and an art. Nurses learn the latest and the best evidence-based science and apply them to practice. However, it is not…
So much has already been written and said about RaDonda Vaught. She was the nurse convicted in Tennessee. The conviction was because she gave the wrong medication that caused a patient’s death. In this blog, we have already explored the implications of this case to the profession. We have also analyzed the systemic factors that may have contributed to the series of mistakes. However, isn’t it worth reflecting on the five reasons why it could also happen to us? Reason…
What is a Paulinian nurse? A colleague once told me that a nurse is a nurse, no matter what. That may be true up to a certain extent. Also, I am not insinuating that we are better than others in any way. However, in the light of this week, being Holy Week, I want to honor my Paulinian roots which make me the nurse that I am today. By the way, here is the link to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Uh1L3MGMLT1O7MveagzW1?si=24ed354ba3014d21 Guided by our…
If you are currently working in healthcare, particularly in the United States, and have not heard of the RaDonda Vaught trial, you must have been hiding under the rock. Vaught is a former nurse who was convicted last month in Tennessee. Committing an unintentional medication error that caused a patient’s death led to that conviction. While she reported her mistake to her leader immediately, the bigger question is: is she solely to be blamed for that? Or were there systemic…
Why is there a story about Europe in a nursing blog, you ask? Please indulge me if I take a break from writing about nursing on this post. I know that I spoke about my mother lighting that nursing spark in the very beginning. However, I want to honor the person who has been keeping that nursing fervor aflame all these years, my husband – Chez Ranie! No, I am not going to write about our love story – that…
The original intention of this blog is to help foreign-educated nurses navigate through the nursing practice once they migrate abroad. With that said, I honestly feel that this story of a nurse convicted due to a medication error warrants a discussion since not everyone understands the legal process here in the United States. Needless to say, this impacts the practice of current and future nurses in all settings as well as the totality of healthcare. I will cite as many…
My former manager said that a nurse is a nurse regardless of where he or she practices. Of course, this partly refers to our ability to flex and float to another unit. However, if you look at it from an immigrant nurse’s perspective, it could also mean that you are able to practice as a nurse no matter what country you are in. However, the opposite is true. Yes, culture shock does exist in nursing jobs, too. Below are the…
Nurses are known the world over as lifelong learners. We consider ourselves students for life. Starting from our prerequisite subjects like Anatomy and Physiology, we already know that we will continue to be learning as we progress in practice. Having said that, I honestly believe that these academic struggles are more pronounced as undergrad nursing students. How so? Read on… Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude 1. Coping with schoolwork whether in person or online. Nursing school is no joke. An aspiring…