NCBlog

By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 12 2024

Why Aren't More Nurses Certified? Nursing certification is a type of credentialling that shows an individual has met specific standards beyond the basic level of nursing knowledge as determined by a specialty organization. To become board certified, registered nurses (RNs) must...

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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 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 critical...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Sep 11 2024

Sepsis Prevention Relies on Infection Prevention Staying healthy is always a priority, but as we bid farewell to summer, usher the kids back to school, welcome the fall colors, and prepare for colder temperatures, we need to remain vigilant to prevent the spread of germs. The KP.2 strain of...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jul 10 2024

Recognizing Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Here in the northeastern U.S., mosquito-borne illnesses are making headlines. At the time of this writing, there are reports of West Nile virus circulating earlier than usual this year and an uptick in the number of cases of Dengue fever which is...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jul 10 2024

Tourniquet Test for Dengue Fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness that can be life-threatening. The course follows 3 phases: the febrile phase, which lasts about 2 to 7 days, and when minor hemorrhagic manifestations may occur; the critical phase, which lasts about...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Jul 3 2024

Atrial Arrhythmias: Is it Fibrillation or Flutter? Knowledge of basic heart rhythms is important for most nurses regardless of their practice setting but it is an absolute essential for nurses working on telemetry units, in emergency departments, and in intensive care units. Two common atrial...

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By: Valerie Dziados, MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC, ACACNP-BC Jun 11 2024

Renal Denervation Hypertension is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and has a high prevalence rate in the United States. Unfortunately, roughly one half of hypertensive patients have sub-optimal control of their blood pressure. When...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN May 8 2024

Does Sexual Orientation Impact Mortality in Females? Does sexual orientation impact mortality in females? Healthcare data collection and research on sexual orientation is in its nascent stages of development. Yet, sexual orientation has clear implications on an individual’s health stemming...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jun 16 2024

The Role and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nursing Is there a place for artificial intelligence (AI) in nursing? The position statement from the American Nurses Association (ANA) emphasizes that “the appropriate use of AI in nursing practice supports and enhances the core values and ethical...

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By: The Editorial Team, Nursing2025-2026 Drug Handbook® May 23 2024

10 Essential Medications Every Nurse Should Know Nurses play a critical role in medication administration. Understanding the fundamentals about common drugs will help provide safe and effective patient care. From managing pain to controlling blood pressure, these are 10 essential medications...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jan 26 2024

Improving Patient Safety in 2024 Late last year, the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2023 Special Report was released. This is an annual report from Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). The goal of this report is to...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jan 18 2024

Are Masks Back? The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired in May of 2023. That meant that universal masking in healthcare facilities was not tied to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) but would be determined by risk-based...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Apr 1 2024

Nursing Workforce Numbers are Improving: 4 Ways to Maintain the Momentum If you’re like me, you look for good news about the nursing profession. We finally received some good news from researchers tracking the registered nurse (RN) workforce! In a recent study by Auerbach et al. (2024), we are finally seeing an...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 12 2024

Why Aren't More Nurses Certified? Nursing certification is a type of credentialling that shows an individual has met specific standards beyond the basic level of nursing knowledge as determined by a specialty organization. To become board certified, registered nurses (RNs) must...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Jan 2 2024

Prioritizing a Culture of Safety Safety is defined as a condition of being protected from or not causing danger, injury, risk or loss (Joint Commission, 2021). Safety from physical harm as well as psychological harm should be ensured in all workplaces. When we are at our worst...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jul 23 2024

Keeping Up During Downtime The CrowdStrike software update on July 18, 2024, had far-reaching impacts. As a cybersecurity company, many industries – from corporations and financial institutions to airlines and healthcare organizations – rely on CrowdStrike to...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jun 16 2024

The Role and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nursing Is there a place for artificial intelligence (AI) in nursing? The position statement from the American Nurses Association (ANA) emphasizes that “the appropriate use of AI in nursing practice supports and enhances the core values and ethical...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Feb 13 2024

How Do I Prepare My Patient for an MRI? If you are a nurse working in an acute care setting, you’ve likely sent patients for diagnostic imaging. One of the most common radiologic tests is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive exam that produces three-dimensional images...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Sep 4 2024

Reflecting on 20+ Years with Lippincott NursingCenter We all know how quickly things change in nursing and healthcare. New evidence emerges, guidelines and recommendations are updated, and changes are incorporated into our practice. The growth and changes of Lippincott NursingCenter (LNC) have...

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By: Elizabeth Tomaszewski, DNP, RN, CRNP, CNE, CCRN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC Sep 1 2024

Reinstill Joy in Nursing You’ve always wanted to be a nurse. Nursing school felt like boot camp, but you made it. You scored your dream job, but now you are getting close to the end of orientation and never felt more unprepared to care for these sick patients on...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Aug 1 2024

A Fresh Start for the Coming Season This time of year brings a fresh beginning for many. Whether you are welcoming students into the classroom or into the clinical setting, welcoming new nurses to the unit or floor, or starting school or a new job yourself, this is a time when the...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Jun 1 2024

Let’s Support our New Nurses In June, July, and August, healthcare begins its yearly metamorphosis. Newly graduated nurses, physicians, and others in allied health join the ranks as healthcare professionals. Some of us who have been in practice for a while, may think about...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Apr 1 2024

Nursing Workforce Numbers are Improving: 4 Ways to Maintain the Momentum If you’re like me, you look for good news about the nursing profession. We finally received some good news from researchers tracking the registered nurse (RN) workforce! In a recent study by Auerbach et al. (2024), we are finally seeing an...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Mar 18 2024

Health Workforce Well-Being Day March 18 has been established as Health Workforce Well-Being (HWWB) Day to “bring together national and institutional leaders, policymakers, patients and communities, and health workers of all professions to acknowledge our collective...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Sep 11 2024

Sepsis Prevention Relies on Infection Prevention Staying healthy is always a priority, but as we bid farewell to summer, usher the kids back to school, welcome the fall colors, and prepare for colder temperatures, we need to remain vigilant to prevent the spread of germs. The KP.2 strain of...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Jul 3 2024

Atrial Arrhythmias: Is it Fibrillation or Flutter? Knowledge of basic heart rhythms is important for most nurses regardless of their practice setting but it is an absolute essential for nurses working on telemetry units, in emergency departments, and in intensive care units. Two common atrial...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN May 8 2024

Does Sexual Orientation Impact Mortality in Females? Does sexual orientation impact mortality in females? Healthcare data collection and research on sexual orientation is in its nascent stages of development. Yet, sexual orientation has clear implications on an individual’s health stemming...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Apr 16 2024

COVID-19 Treatment Side Effects It’s been about four years since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the entire world. Researchers continue to study not only the long-term effects of the virus but also the therapies that have been employed to manage this devastating infectious...

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 29 2024

What is a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Test? My husband is a very healthy 53-year-old lifelong distance runner who jogs not only to stay in shape but to avoid needing antihypertensive medication from which he was successfully weaned over a decade ago. In addition to his personal history of...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Jan 18 2024

Are Masks Back? The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired in May of 2023. That meant that universal masking in healthcare facilities was not tied to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) but would be determined by risk-based...

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By: Elizabeth Tomaszewski, DNP, RN, CRNP, CNE, CCRN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC Sep 1 2024

Reinstill Joy in Nursing You’ve always wanted to be a nurse. Nursing school felt like boot camp, but you made it. You scored your dream job, but now you are getting close to the end of orientation and never felt more unprepared to care for these sick patients on...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Jul 1 2024

Pursuing career dreams…just do it! A colleague recently asked what I thought about changing her current role and doing something different in nursing. I’m sure every one of you have had the exact same thought. I told her to think about where she wanted to be in a year, 5...

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By: Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP, CCRN Apr 10 2024

6 Models for Debriefing in Nursing Education In nursing education, debriefing after clinical – whether in person or in simulation – is essential. It is a time where educators provide feedback, analyze actions, and encourage reflections to improve future performance (Fegran et al....

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By: Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN Mar 12 2024

Why Aren't More Nurses Certified? Nursing certification is a type of credentialling that shows an individual has met specific standards beyond the basic level of nursing knowledge as determined by a specialty organization. To become board certified, registered nurses (RNs) must...

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By: Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN Mar 1 2024

Lifelong Learning and Nursing Certification As I’ve grown in my years of experience, I can clearly see the difference that certification makes in my practice. I am a more knowledgeable nurse and nurse practitioner because of the requirements to maintain my certification. For me, this...

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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 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 critical...

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