If you noticed that my posts here were few and far between over the summer, I can now show you why. I was very busy updating 3 e-booklets and developing a new e-Toolkit for SupportForNurses. All of these products can be very helpful to new nurses in particular, and to experienced nurses who need some support and encouragement to deal with new challenges we face everyday. They can be useful tools for preceptors and mentors as guidelines to help new nurses come up to speed. They are also useful tools for nurse educators in nursing programs to assist students to grow into fine new nurses. Nurse educators in facilities can…
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AJN Editor Supports a National Nurse
I was thrilled to see today that Diana Mason, editor-in-chief emeritus of The American Journal of Nursing has come out in support of an Office of the National Nurse after spending some time discussing the issue with nurses from the UK where they have this kind of national leadership for nurses. Read her comments in the AJN blog, Off the Charts as she poses the question, “Why doesn’t the U.S. have an Office of the National Nurse?”
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09-11-01 Never Forget
Our hearts and prayers are with all who lost loved ones on that horrible day in NYC, PA, and Washington DC. Take a moment of silence to remember, and never forget!
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New York Mandates Flu Shots for Nurses
Despite objection in July from the New York State Nurses Association, New York has imposed a mandate for all health care workers to be vaccinated against the flu virus this year. New York was very hard hit last spring by the H1N1 Swine flu and is experiencing another rush of the illness so far this fall. According to a survey by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) less than 50% of health care workers take the annual flu shots. There are a variety of reasons cited, but many state that they “got the flu anyway” the last time they took the shot. The moral issues weigh in as…
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Is Your Drug Book or Application Up to Date?
Do you have the latest version of your drug book, smart phone application or software? The advantage of smart phone or PDA applications as well as any medical software is that it can be updated frequently where as a hard copy book cannot. But whatever your personal or professional choice, you need to update them at least once a year. Each year thousands of new drugs become available or have significant changes in applications, side effects, etc. Nurses have the responsibility to teach patients, caregivers and family members about medications and unless they have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips, this basic process can be severely hampered. Remember to…