As nurses, we understand that hospice is a peaceful way for patients to transition from this world, but what about our patients’ and families’ perspective? I recently had a patient who, over the last few months, had a significant change in her health. She was diagnosed with cancer and ended up with two major surgeries in a three-month time frame. After the second surgery, the patient decided she could no longer endure the pain and wanted a hospice consult. It was not surprising, as she was elderly, but what surprised me was this patient’s perception of hospice. She truly believed we would be euthanizing her the same way we euthanize…
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Public Comment Period on the 2025 Revisions to the Code of Ethics for Nurses Open Through July 31
Every ten years the American Nurses Association revises the Code of Ethics for Nurses to stay up to date with current trends, challenges and ethical dilemmas facing the nursing profession. Once the panel has gone through the process of meticulously developing the revisions, commenting is opened to the public. The 2025 Revisions to the Code is now open to comments through July 31. The past ten years have seen some drastic and rapid developments in the way that nurses have had to meet ethical challenges and provide quality care. The COVID pandemic of course is but one such event that caused a multitude of ethical dilemmas and quality of care…
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Why Didn’t You Pass the NCLEX?
Tips to Figure Out Why and Help You Pass Next Time In 2023, 83% passed the NCLEX, meaning 17% did not. Why didn’t you pass the NCLEX? You’ve worked hard and passed all of your nursing classes, with descent and even glowing grades and then comes the board exam for licensing (NCLEX) and BAM you fail! Now what do you do? All your dreams and plans are on hold. You must tell your employer, friends and family and you don’t even know what happened. And what are you going to do next? First you need to accept that you’re angry, hurt, and disappointed. Go ahead and cry, no really sob…
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Nurses Writing Patient Education Materials
Writing patient educational materials can be a great niche for nurses who love to write and a natural means to grow a freelance career as a nurse writer. The following article, Nutrition in Pregnancy, by Melissa Murphy RN, is a great example of solid patient education. Patient Education Patient education is a huge part of nursing. Education can begin with the physician or other practitioner, but the major portion of the education falls to the nurses. Be sure to go over the materials with the patient to ensure they understand. Patient education is best when it’s interactive and not just handing the patient something to read. Healthcare literacy is maximized…
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Nurses Need to Be the Change!
I recently had the privilege to attend a Zoom session hosted by Lorie A. Brown RM, MN, JD of Empowered Nurses. The guest speaker was RaDonda Vaught, the former Tennessee nurse who was convicted in 2022 of criminally negligent homicide after injecting the patient with the wrong medication. This was after the Tennessee BON cleared her in 2020 and told her they “had bigger fish to fry.” How and why that changed two years later needs your attention! You can watch the replay of the Zoom session. I encourage all nurses to watch the replay and to share it with colleagues and co-workers. Learn how Nurses Need to Be the…