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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Dec 1 2023
Three Steps to Finding Peace As we enter the last month of the year, I find my brain is filled with a jumble of tasks I need to accomplish, problems that need addressing, and endless worries. There is no doubt that my life is busy — I’m a mother, grandmother, and...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 30 2023
This Month in Nursing: December 2023 Here’s a glance at what’s happening this month, along with some resources for your learning and professional development. Healthcare ObservancesWorld AIDS Day December 1, 2023#RockTheRibbonNCPDHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)Earn 7...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 8 2023
Do’s and Don’ts for Communicating with Patients with Dementia Caring for a patient with dementia presents many challenges. Watching a loved one progress through the stages of dementia is also challenging. Communication is often especially difficult as people with dementia can become frustrated by the changes...
By: Jennifer Collins, MSN, CRNP, ACACNP-BC Nov 3 2023
Recognition and Management of Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Lower Extremities The muscle groups of the extremities are divided into multiple compartments that are formed by strong fascial membranes. Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when there is an increase in tissue pressure within the closed fascial space...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Nov 1 2023
Grateful for Innovation and Enthusiasm in Nursing For those of us in the United States, November is a month we reflect on our lives and give thanks for what we have. Many may be struggling this year to find things to be thankful for. In our nursing profession, enrollment in undergraduate and...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Oct 27 2023
This Month in Nursing: November 2023 Here’s a glance at what’s happening this month, along with some resources for your learning and professional development. Nursing Recognition DatesMedical-Surgical Nurses Week November 1-7, 2024#MSNW23Medical-Surgical Nursing...
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Continuing Education More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 8 2023
Quick Guide to Studying for Certification Exams I am happy to share that I recently achieved CCRN-K certification. It was a lot of studying, but I am so happy I did it. It had been on my to-do list for years and I must admit, it was more difficult than I anticipated. With a background in...
By: Nika Nassif Jun 27 2023
The Rich History of Nursing Ethics "nursing viewed ethics not as the frosting on the cake but as the cake itself " - Marsha Fowler PHD, MDiv MS, RN, FAAN, FRSA   A rich history of nursing ethics  A new article in Journal of Christian Nursing...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Jan 11 2023
Neuromuscular Blockade Drugs: How Do They Work? I vividly recall the first time I administered a neuromuscular blockade agent (NMBA) to a patient in the surgical intensive care unit. My patient was hypoxemic and had been “bucking the vent,” meaning they were fighting the ventilator...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 28 2022
This Month in Nursing: December 2022 Here’s a glance at what’s happening this month, along with some resources for your learning and professional development. Healthcare Observances Here are some of the healthcare observances being recognized in December.World AIDS Day...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Sep 29 2021
This Month in Nursing: October 2021 Here’s a glance at what’s happening this month, along with some resources for your learning and professional development. Nursing Recognition DatesNational Midwifery WeekOctober 3-9, 2021#NMW2021, #MidwivesforEveryCommunityTheme...
By: Karen Innocent, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, CMSRN Dec 21 2020
Lippincott® Professional Development: Change is Good! As a leading provider of learning content for nurses, Lippincott® has earned numerous awards and honors, including the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Premier Award and Accreditation with Distinction. To further our...
Diseases & Conditions More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 8 2023
Do’s and Don’ts for Communicating with Patients with Dementia Caring for a patient with dementia presents many challenges. Watching a loved one progress through the stages of dementia is also challenging. Communication is often especially difficult as people with dementia can become frustrated by the changes...
By: Jennifer Collins, MSN, CRNP, ACACNP-BC Nov 3 2023
Recognition and Management of Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Lower Extremities The muscle groups of the extremities are divided into multiple compartments that are formed by strong fascial membranes. Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when there is an increase in tissue pressure within the closed fascial space...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Oct 16 2023
Cannabis to Treat Menopause Symptoms? Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, bloating, irritability, depression, and anxiety are all common signs of perimenopause and menopause. For those of us at or approaching midlife, this natural phase of aging is unavoidable, and the...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Oct 9 2023
Interpreting Liver Enzymes and Liver Function Tests Liver enzymes and liver function tests (LFTs) are common lab tests drawn in both primary care and acute care settings. They are used to gauge liver impairment, evaluate the degree of liver injury, and monitor the progression of liver disease and...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Oct 5 2023
Understanding the Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Procedure I’ve taken care of a few patients following a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure, but I didn’t really know what it involved. If you are a nurse who cares for patients following TIPS insertion, here’s...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Sep 25 2023
Another Shot?! Vaccine Recommendations for 2023 Another shot?! That small but unpleasant injection in the arm and its potential side effects strike fear into the hearts of many, so much so that nearly half of all adults avoid getting an influenza (flu) vaccination each year (Centers for Disease...
Patient Safety More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Sep 19 2023
Improving Hospital Sepsis Programs In the United States, approximately 1.7 million adult hospitalizations and more than one-third of hospital deaths each year are due to sepsis (Rhee et al., 2017). Current recommendations and guidelines focus on early recognition and management of...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Aug 1 2023
It’s time for nurses to step up on climate change We can no longer turn away from the truth; climate change is having a major health impact on our world. All you need to do is look at the news and step outside. People are dying due to extreme heat, dehydration, flooding, fires, smoke, and...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Jul 1 2023
Should the state governments regulate safe staffing ratios? If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ll notice that individual states are considering patient safety by proposing minimum patient/nurse ratios for healthcare systems. The research has been clear; the more patients a nurse has...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 22 2022
Supporting and Connecting with Family Caregivers this Holiday Season Do your loved ones quickly turn to you when medical questions arise? Do you find yourself putting on your 'nurse hat' even when gathered around the holiday table? Many of us will soon be sitting around the table with different generations...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Nov 1 2022
Safety: A Priority for our Workplace and our Patients Let’s face it, everyone wants to live, work, and be cared for in a safe environment. Safety is defined as the condition of being protected from an experience likely to cause danger, risk, or injury (Oxford Languages, 2022). Unfortunately...
By: Carey S. Clark, Ph.D., RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN Aug 8 2022
Three Questions About the Nurse’s Role and Medical Cannabis Whether you work in a state where cannabis is fully legal for adult use or one where medical cannabis can be recommended, as a nurse, you will frequently encounter patients who use cannabis. One of the issues healthcare professionals have now is...
Nurse Lifestyle More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Apr 10 2023
Nurses – Are you Journaling? You Should Be! How many times have you heard – or even said – “If it’s not documented, it wasn’t done”? Consider that statement related to your own experiences. We know that reflection and debriefing are important for nursing...
By: Elizabeth Wirth-Tomaszewski, DNP, RN, CRNP, CCRN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC Dec 13 2022
Nurses as Influencers: Extending Professionalism to the Social Media World Almost half of the world’s population uses social media in one form or another, which has led to an increase in those who produce personal content providing one’s own point of view (Vukušić Rukavina et al., 2021). Nurses are becoming...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Nov 22 2022
Supporting and Connecting with Family Caregivers this Holiday Season Do your loved ones quickly turn to you when medical questions arise? Do you find yourself putting on your 'nurse hat' even when gathered around the holiday table? Many of us will soon be sitting around the table with different generations...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN May 5 2022
A New Goal: Work-Life Integration It’s been 6 years since we created My Nursing Care Plan! At that time, we focused on meeting professional requirements, being a lifelong learner in nursing, and work-life balance. While the first two goals still make sense, I’ve...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Jun 16 2021
Nursing: Not Just a Career, But a Lifestyle I don’t believe that most people go into the nursing profession wanting to be a hero or seeking recognition for altruistic, yet demanding work. It certainly isn’t a glamorous job by any means. But I do believe that most nurses are...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 26 2021
Follow Your Gut and Get Screened Fifty. It’s just around the corner for me, as much as I hate to admit it, and it’s time to schedule my first colonoscopy. It’s certainly not something that anyone really looks forward to, but it is a critical cancer screening...
Leadership More
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Sep 30 2023
Collaboration: The key to answering the question, “What’s the plan?” How often have you asked yourself, “What’s the plan?” You may ask the question when you’re caring for a patient, as a leader, or even in your personal life. Over the past few months, I’ve recognized a growing trend...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Sep 19 2023
Improving Hospital Sepsis Programs In the United States, approximately 1.7 million adult hospitalizations and more than one-third of hospital deaths each year are due to sepsis (Rhee et al., 2017). Current recommendations and guidelines focus on early recognition and management of...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Sep 1 2023
Let’s Change the Trajectory of Sepsis The story is too common – a person feels unwell and after a few days ends up going to their primary care provider or an urgent care center. They are evaluated, sent home, and several days later end up back in the office and evaluated again...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jul 26 2023
New Research on Clinician Wellbeing and Staffing A new study that looks at clinician wellbeing as a factor to decrease turnover and improve care was recently published in JAMA Health Forum. This was a refreshing angle to address the current staffing crisis, focusing on improving the work...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Jul 1 2023
Should the state governments regulate safe staffing ratios? If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ll notice that individual states are considering patient safety by proposing minimum patient/nurse ratios for healthcare systems. The research has been clear; the more patients a nurse has...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jun 27 2023
Ethics in Nursing: 10 Things to Know Ethics guide how we should treat one another, how we should act, and what we should do. As nurses, we've all dealt with difficult ethical issues, even dilemmas, in our practice. They can sometimes be more challenging than the physical care we...
Technology More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 15 2023
Nursing Drug Handbook App: A few of my favorite things I was thrilled when I learned that Nursing Drug Handbook launched an app this year! While I do love the touch and feel of the book, I know how quickly drug information is updated. And while caring for patients in our clinic, an up-to-date drug...
By: Elizabeth Wirth-Tomaszewski, DNP, RN, CRNP, CCRN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC Dec 13 2022
Nurses as Influencers: Extending Professionalism to the Social Media World Almost half of the world’s population uses social media in one form or another, which has led to an increase in those who produce personal content providing one’s own point of view (Vukušić Rukavina et al., 2021). Nurses are becoming...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Oct 15 2020
Nursing, Tech, and Hackathons: A Conversation with Molly McCarthy, MBA, RN-BC Molly K. McCarthy MBA, RN-BC is the Managing Director, US Provider/Plans and Chief Nursing Officer for Microsoft. I had the pleasure of speaking with Molly about her journey in nursing, her work for Microsoft, nurses and board membership, and the...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 10 2020
Is Blockchain the New Pathway to Credentialing? For health care providers, credentialing is an important step in establishing a clinical practice and is critical to secure reimbursement from insurance companies and other third-party payers. Professional credentialing is complicated, expensive...
By: Lauren Waronker, MSN, CRNP, FNP-C, AGACNP-C Oct 4 2019
A Nurse's Review of Activity Trackers: Top Picks for Monitoring Your Health I am always struck by the amount of people who are using wearable technology such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, but I didn’t know whether something like that would be right for me. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to add...
By: Myrna B. Schnur, MSN, RN Sep 9 2019
mHealth Apps for Nurses Page reviewed and updated: August 2023 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2018) supports the “development of mobile medical applications (apps) that improve health care and provide consumers and healthcare professionals with valuable...
Inspiration More
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Dec 1 2023
Three Steps to Finding Peace As we enter the last month of the year, I find my brain is filled with a jumble of tasks I need to accomplish, problems that need addressing, and endless worries. There is no doubt that my life is busy — I’m a mother, grandmother, and...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Nov 1 2023
Grateful for Innovation and Enthusiasm in Nursing For those of us in the United States, November is a month we reflect on our lives and give thanks for what we have. Many may be struggling this year to find things to be thankful for. In our nursing profession, enrollment in undergraduate and...
By: Robin Haskell , MSN, RN, CRNP Oct 11 2023
Navigating Critical Illness in the ICU: The Role of a Medical Family Member When a loved one is critically ill, the emotional toll on the family can be overwhelming. In such challenging times, having a family member with a medical background can be a beacon of support and a source of invaluable information. This unique...
By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Sep 6 2023
Nursing Ministry: Caring for a Patient Attacked by a Wild Hyena in Tanzania I noticed her move with quiet grace around The Plaster House, shielding a secret behind her mask. Two days later, lying on the operating room table, Rose*, a 25-year-old Tanzanian woman, was being prepped for a procedure that would change her life...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 4 2023
Adding Justice to the Health Equity Equation We know that equal access to care and resources is not the same as health equity. And while the image below has always caught my eye and served as a nice visual to understand this, recent discussions around justice have made me look a little...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Aug 1 2023
It’s time for nurses to step up on climate change We can no longer turn away from the truth; climate change is having a major health impact on our world. All you need to do is look at the news and step outside. People are dying due to extreme heat, dehydration, flooding, fires, smoke, and...
Evidence-Based Practice More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jul 26 2023
New Research on Clinician Wellbeing and Staffing A new study that looks at clinician wellbeing as a factor to decrease turnover and improve care was recently published in JAMA Health Forum. This was a refreshing angle to address the current staffing crisis, focusing on improving the work...
By: Elizabeth Wirth-Tomaszewski, DNP, CRNP, CNE, CCRN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC Jan 25 2023
Misinformation and Disinformation: Nurses’ Role in Evidence-Based Commentary Social media platforms have become a go-to information source for the public, and a soap box for healthcare providers of all types. While this may seem to be a positive influence, the information may not be completely correct or may even be...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Oct 17 2022
Summing Up the Research: Transforming Practice through Evidence Awareness of current research is a big component of staying up to date in nursing and healthcare and providing evidence-based care. Here’s a look at a selection of the latest studies and practice-changing recommendations. The Impact of the...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Sep 11 2022
Summing Up the Research: Transforming Practice through Evidence Nursing ResearchNurse-Led Interventions May Cut Children's Fear of Needles Two new nurse-led interventions to reduce negative impacts of vaccinations in children -- divided attention (DA) and positive memory reframing (PMR) -- were feasible...
By: Carey S. Clark, Ph.D., RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN Aug 8 2022
Three Questions About the Nurse’s Role and Medical Cannabis Whether you work in a state where cannabis is fully legal for adult use or one where medical cannabis can be recommended, as a nurse, you will frequently encounter patients who use cannabis. One of the issues healthcare professionals have now is...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 4 2022
Summing Up the Research: Transforming Practice through Evidence Awareness of current research is a big component of staying up to date in nursing and healthcare and providing evidence-based care. Here’s a look at a selection of the latest studies and practice-changing recommendations. NursingImpact of...
Education & Career More
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 8 2023
Quick Guide to Studying for Certification Exams I am happy to share that I recently achieved CCRN-K certification. It was a lot of studying, but I am so happy I did it. It had been on my to-do list for years and I must admit, it was more difficult than I anticipated. With a background in...
By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Apr 18 2023
5 Ways to Advance your Nursing Career I can’t think of a single nurse that hasn’t had at least one unanticipated twist or turn in their career journey! We are constantly learning and being exposed to different patient populations, experiences, and technologies. It makes...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Apr 1 2023
Investing in New Nurse Graduates Matters to our Future Year over year, we hear that new nursing graduates are not ready for practice. The numbers are clear; over the past 3 years the NCLEX pass rate for RNs has declined from 88.2% in 2019 to 79.9% in 2022 (NCSBN, 2022). In addition, only 23% of...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Mar 1 2023
Certification: A Designation that Matters! I was recently asked the question, “Does nursing certification really matter?” “Matter to whom?” is the question. We know patients expect to receive the best quality care when they come to a healthcare organization. As...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Feb 1 2023
Communication: 4 Steps Toward A Healthier Work Environment Communication is the expression of a message between a sender and a recipient. Sounds simple but, it’s much more complicated than we realize. We communicate in different ways. Some prefer verbal communication, some prefer the written word in...
By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Oct 1 2022
Supporting the Next Generation of Nurses We’ve all heard the news about nursing workforce issues: lack of faculty, resources, and clinical sites to educate nursing students; burnout; staffing issues; nurses being dismayed with the work of nursing; and nurses leaving the profession....

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