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Picture of Grace Neill smiling on the left, and a group of women in white gowns posing together on the rightProfiles In NursingElizabeth Grace Neill (1846-1926), a Crusader for Nursing RegistrationThis social reformer also founded midwife-run maternity hospitalsAs the 20th century dawned, there were almost no laws anywhere in the world governing the training, registration or licensure of nurses or midwives. Grace Neill, nurse and social reformer,...
Nursing Book ClubSick: A Memoir by Porochista KhakpourPortrait of a difficult patientThere is an entire genre of literature about the experience of illness in which the author seeks to understand and explain the disease to themselves and to others. As a nurse who has a belief...
Illustration of a nurse being grabbed by the wrist by another nurse, and throwing her clipboard in the airHealthy WorkforceThe Case of the Bad Day BullyAn isolated harsh incident should be judged in contextStaff nurses Camilla and Bridget usually get along. However, today, they got into a heated argument about assignments. Bridget, who was in charge, decided to assign Camilla a complicated new...
Registered Nurse Karla Marshall stands smiling in a blouse and sweater with her badge on, and a coworker on the computer behind her.My SpecialtySame Day Surgery, Karla Marshall, Huntington HospitalBridging the gap between ambulatory and extended stay surgical careKarla Marshall, RN Same Day Surgery Staff Nurse Huntington Hospital, Pasadena Please share the story of your nursing career. My healthcare career began in June 1980, as a nurse’s aide...
Different picture of the nursing handoff game, with nurses standing all around a stageFeatureThe Patient Handoff GameFor smoother report and fewer communication glitches, borrow team exercises from improv theaterYou’re a bedside nurse, so handoffs are part of your daily routine. Most of the time, they’re just that — routine. Sometimes, though, important details get lost in translation....

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Nurse Keith Carlson sits next to his recording equipment with a sign for "The Nurse Keith Show" in the backgroundFeatureThe Allure of the AirwavesThe joys and pitfalls of a podcasting pioneerSitting at my desk, I ponder the microphone that for almost seven years has served as my megaphone for speaking to the wider world. Podcasting is like a virus I haven’t been able to shake,...
Registered Nurse Sarah Burke stands smiling in a black jacket and in front of a yellow wallMy SpecialtyStroke Nursing, Sarah Burke, Good Samaritan HospitalUsing the latest advances to heal the "heart attack of the brain"Sarah Burke, RN, BSN, SCRN Stroke Program Manager PIH Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles Please tell us the story of your nursing career journey. In nursing school, I fell in love with...
Nursing Book ClubNatural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara EhrenreichA Contrarian View of AgingBarbara Ehrenreich has authored or coauthored almost 20 books, many of them on topics other than healthcare and science. Thus, I was surprised to learn that she has a Ph.D. in cellular...
Illustration of two nurses, one in the foreground wearing scrubs and a stethoscope, while the other is on the computer in the backgroundHealthy WorkforceThe Case of the Negative NewbiePositive, constructive feedback is necessary to improve behaviorGretchen is an experienced orthopedics nurse who is currently precepting new grad nurse Tammy. Although she is progressing well clinically, Tammy has a condescending attitude towards the...
Two nurses, one with scrubs on and the other wearing a white coat, are discussing how to use a tablet that's in front of themFeatureHow Nurses Can Steer Digital DecisionsBefore investing in new technology, have the front line nurses been consulted?Some time ago, while speaking about information technology at a conference of nursing executives, I asked the audience,“How many of you are familiar with the term ‘digital...