First and foremost, let me just premise that this blog post is a spur of the moment thing. It is unplanned and is not supposed to see the light of day had Facebook not Zucked (insert rolling of eyeballs emoji here)! Long story short, it irritates the old-fart nurse in me that I am not able to say thank you individually to those who wished me “Happy Birthday!” Yes, it is my birthday. A half-a-century old! One of my friends…
This week marks 29 years after our class graduation from nursing school. I couldn’t help but reminisce how much we have evolved in our nursing practice all throughout these years. This post most probably will not encapsulate the true image of nursing practice for the past three decades. Nevertheless, let me share with you what my experiences have been. The Paulinian Brand of Nursing Practice As I have shared in one of my previous posts, I was educated the Paulinian…
Nurses have always been thought of as lifelong learners by nature. We continue to keep up with the changes as our practice continuously evolve. One way of doing this is through certification. Certification attests to one’s skills, knowledge, and professionalism in nursing or in any other field. So to answer the question, yes, certification in nursing really matters! Why Certify? Nurses hone and develop their skills and knowledge through hands-on practice and learning about the latest innovations in their respective…
Culture shock! A lot has been said about it. The question is: is it real or is it just a myth? Let’s imagine for a minute that you are a nurse, ready and willing to embark on a journey halfway around the world. Isn’t that an exciting prospect? All of your dreams, hopes, and desires are finally coming to fruition. You boarded your plane and then arrived at the land of milk and honey. It’s early Spring, so there is…
It is global knowledge that healthcare systems all over the world has an increased demand for nurses. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that there is a need for about 194,500 nurses per year until 2030. As states struggle to fill those needs due to nursing shortages, they look to hire foreign nurses for those positions. If you meet the requirements to practice in one of the states, here are some things to consider prior to migrating…
The whole world was upended by the Covid 19 pandemic early in 2020. While hospitals have dealt with previous infectious disease outbreaks such as SARS bird flu and Ebola, nobody could have predicted the havoc that the Covid 19 pandemic brought to healthcare and its practitioners. Truly it has made an indelible mark in nursing practice, even in the provision of care to the littlest patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). How did covid affect our Level 3…
If you have read my previous post, you would be correct in assuming that I just recently came back to work. Yes, back to my nursing work. But, no, not the kind of nursing work you may be thinking about. You see, I am a nurse informaticist. What is that you say? Please allow me to explain. Nursing Informatics: What is That? I asked the same question when I started this job a year ago. Most, if not all, of…
Nurses are widely known to be the most difficult patients to take care of. As a bedside nurse, I’ve had my fair share of taking care of nurses as patients, as patients’ parents, etc. To be fair, some of them were easy-going, while others, not so much! So, why am I writing about it now? Because I was recently a patient and this is my experience! Benefits of Knowing Your Provider Personally Yes, you read it right. I know my…
Nursing was the profession you chose for me. But to be a lawyer was all I wanted to be. An obedient daughter, I followed your plea. Although nursing was not my cup of tea. Challenged, I had to prove my worth. Looked down upon, I hid my hurt. āIām doing this for you,ā was all I thought. Hopefully, this was not for naught! As I progressed in nursing school, I thought this was rather cool. Taking care of patients, what…
Fellow nurses may see this headline and shake their heads. Is it really possible to earn an advanced degree inexpensively? Sure, it is! The dream of earning an advanced degree has lingered in my mind for the longest time. However, I made up a lot of excuses that effectively kept me from pursuing it. Truth be told, it was the anticipated financial burden that made me decide to set that dream aside. I rationalized that I was happy where I…