In October of 2008, I wrote a post about how to bullet proof your nursing career. I predicted that nurses were going to start feeling the impact of the recession, and I told readers how to brace themselves for the fallout. Here are some words to those of you who pooh-poohed my advice. I told you so. No, I’m not gloating. Times are too tough to gloat, but don’t worry. There are still ways of getting work if you are ready to leave your comfort zone.

I’m getting emails and phones calls from nurses who are telling me about what’s happening in their communities. Nurses aren’t getting laid off. They’re getting “put on call” at work. That means the nurses have to stay home if the patient census on their hospital unit is low. One nurse who lives in Oregon told me that full time nurses are only getting to work one day a week. This means that you have to be more flexible than ever if you want to find employment if this scenario happens in your community. Here are three tips that will help you stay on the time clock when times get tough.

Change Your Specialty Area. Many experts in the nursing profession are predicting that certain nursing specialty areas are going to be impacted by the current recession. For example, most hospitals are already seeing a decline in outpatient procedures and other elective surgeries because people lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs. The two hottest specialty areas in nursing are Intensive Care Nursing and Emergency Room Nursing. It’s sad but true. Patients who can’t afford to take care of themselves show up at the hospital when they are literally at death’s door. That means that the demand for ER and ICU nurses is only going to grow. Bolster your paycheck by making the switch.

Consider Travel Nursing

Like I’ve said before, travel nursing is a great way to make ends meet when the job market is in flux. There are areas of the country where nurses can still find work, so it makes sense to pack your suitcases when you need a job. Travel nurse jobs are lucrative, and they provide an opportunity to see the country while you pay your bills. Travel nurses get benefits, too, including health insurance, housing, and moving expenses. Assignments last from a few weeks to many months. Travel nursing is a great way to keep working if the job market in your community is drying up.

Night Duty: Nobody likes working the night shift. It’s hard trying to sleep while the rest of the world is awake, but those brave souls who can work it out have rock-solid job security. Day shift nurses are always getting put on call, but night nurses are rarely told to stay home. One of my best friends has been a night nurse for the last twenty-five years and she said that she couldn’t remember the last time she was forced to stay home. It’s something to think about the next time your paycheck comes up short.

What’s the job market like for nurses in your community? Are nurses finding work, or are they being put on call? Tell us about it at Nursing Voices. We’re waiting to hear from you.

It’s that time of year again. I’ve been getting a lot of letters from senior nursing students asking me for advice on how to write a resume. Most new graduates that I talk to think that their resume will fall flat when they turn it into a nurse recruiter. Take a deep breath and relax. You have more experience than you think, and more importantly, you have the qualifications that employers are looking for.

Let’s begin with the basics. First, go online and find a sample resume. It will serve as your model and show you how to set up your information. The secret of writing a resume is to follow a formula and to keep your resume simple. Your resume is a snapshot of who you are, and is not meant to be biography of your entire life. The best resumes are no more than two pages long. Nurse recruiters don’t like resumes that are too long.

Every resume has a section that includes a heading. The heading includes your name, address, email address, phone number, and any other contact information that you want the nurse recruiter to have. Next, state you objective. Get to the point. Write something like, “ To use my nursing skills to provide quality bedside patient care at hospital X.” This is a great way to personalize your resume. The next section includes your educational background, certifications, and professional affiliations. This section is very straightforward. Include where you went to school and your nursing license information, even if your license is pending.

New nursing graduates often feel like they lack adequate job experience when they are looking for their first nursing job, but believe me, they always have more to offer than they think. Many skills that they learn from other jobs are valuable when they go into nursing. For example, a nursing student who worked at McDonalds as a crew leader shows that they have good organization, time management, and people skills. And don’t downplay the skills you learned in nursing school. Mention any extra clinical days you elected to spend in specialty areas of interests. Just remember that employers know that you are new to the field, so don’t try and pad your resume with stuff that isn’t important.

New graduate nurses can give an extra glow to their resume if they include a section that highlights their technical and language skills. Hospitals are always looking for nursing staff who are bilingual and who are computer savvy. They are also looking for people who know their way around the latest and greatest medical gadgets. This is going to give you a big edge over older nurses who don’t feel comfortable around new technology.

Have a couple people proofread your resume before you send it out. Spelling errors are embarrassing and they will kill your chances of getting a job. Check out NursingJobs.org if you’re looking for a job. And if you need some more advice, drop by NursingVoices. We’re waiting to hear from you.

Nursing is a tough job. It’s challenging on many different levels. Nurses must have many different skill sets and know how to use them simultaneously. Everyone knows that nurses can take a patient’s temperature and administer medications, but the most important nursing skills are the ones that are the most overlooked.

One of the most important skill a nurse must have is the ability to communicate with others. You might think that being a good communicator is a no brainer, but the art of communication is the foundation of working with people. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good communicator, and nurses must have proficient communication skills in order to do their jobs effectively. Writing skills are essential when documenting in patients’ charts and when transcribing orders. I can’t begin to tell you how many bloopers I have seen in patient charts during my years as a nurse. Here are my top ten favorite charting bloopers that I’ve seen during my nursing career. I’m not making these up. Don’t write these notes at work:

1.The patient refused an autopsy.
2. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
4. Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
5.Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
6.Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
7. She is numb from her toes down.
8.Patient was alert and unresponsive.
9. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
10. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until
she got a divorce.

That last one really made me laugh until I realized how embarrassing it would be to have to read that note if it ever went to court. Good writing skills will keep you from looking foolish as well as help prevent hospital errors.

The ability to articulate ideas is essential when teaching patients what they need to know before they leave the hospital. Nurses must be skilled at educating patients and their family members, and communication is the cornerstone of patient and family education. Research shows that the most frequent nursing intervention in most settings is patient teaching and counseling. The first step in teaching is to assess what the patient already knows. This allows the nurse to build on the patient’s knowledge base and to clarify and correct any prior misinformation. The nurse must be able to communicate on the patient’s level by using clear, jargon-free language that is simple to understand. The ultimate goal of patient teaching is to keep the patient healthy so that they don’t have to return to the hospital.

There is one more reason why nurses need to be good communicators. I encourage every nurse to write letters to their state and federal representatives, urging them to support health care legislation that will benefit your patients. Nurses are the most trusted professionals, and legislators listen to nurses. Good communicators are able to build strong relationships with patients, their family members, and with other members of the health care team. They can also impact health care on a global level.

My employer recently announced that they were seeking magnet status for our hospital. I have never worked at a magnet hospital, so I had a lot of questions about the process. It takes a lot of time and it costs a lot of money to obtain magnet status, so I wanted to know if there were any advantages to working at a magnet hospital. What I found out was eye opening.

There has been a lot of conversation in the blogosphere about the pros and cons of working at a magnet hospital. The American Nurses Association started the Magnet Hospital Recognition Program back in the 1990s. The ANA states that their program recognizes hospitals that provide superior nursing care to their patients. Magnet hospitals achieve this goal by supporting their nurses in the workplace. According to the ANA, magnet recognition is the highest honor an organization can receive for nursing excellence and only four percent of the hospitals in the country hold this honor.

I asked several nursing administrators why hospitals want to get magnet status for their facilities. I received a couple of different answers. The first answer had to do with patient care. I was told that statistically, patients that receive care at magnet hospitals have better patient outcomes because of the higher patient/nurse ratio at magnet hospitals. I was also told that magnet hospitals fare substantially better than other hospitals in recruiting and retaining nurses because nurses have more autonomy and control over their nursing practice. The other answer I received had to do with the public’s perception of the hospital. Hospitals use the term “magnet hospital” as a marketing tool. They use the term in their ads to draw more health care consumers to their doors.

I’ve also talked to nurses from around the country that work at magnet hospitals, and not everyone thinks that magnet hospitals are great places to work. In fact, some nurses think that the term is a joke. One nurse told me that the term is like putting lipstick on a pig. No matter what you do, a pig is always a…well you know. Many magnet hospitals require nurses to work mandatory overtime. These nurses also complain that they are forced to work in unsafe working conditions. They told me that the staff ratios and educational opportunities quickly deteriorated shortly after their hospital obtained magnet status. They were very angry and declared that the whole thing is a scam ment to deceive the public. One nurse who wished to remain anonymous told me, “Magnet hospitals are nothing more than a money making scheme for the ANA. Hospitals pay the ANA thousands of dollars for a fake seal of approval. The whole thing is a big joke.”

I’ve come to a couple of conclusions after doing my research. First, don’t let the packaging fool you. Not all magnet hospitals are the land of milk of honey for nurses. You must never lose sight that hospitals are health care businesses. They must make money to stay afloat, and you must judge each facility on it’s own merits. Some magnet hospitals need their fake seals taken away from them, but there are a few out there that are truly dedicated to the concept of providing superior patient care because it makes good business sense.

When I was a little girl, nurses wore a white uniform and a nurses cap, white support stockings, white ironclad leather shoes, and a blue cape. I always thought a nurse’s cap was her crown. Looking back at it, nurses looked regal. I know those days are never going to come back, but it makes me really sad to see what some of my nursing colleagues are wearing to work.

I think that nurses today are dressing more like paupers than they are like royalty. Let me explain. I’m a psychiatric nurse, so I don’t wear a uniform when I go to work. I work on a locked unit, so I’m closed off from the rest of the hospital. I live a professionally sheltered life. Unfortunately, I got a front row seat to a nursing uniform fashion show when my husband was hospitalized on a medical unit at my hospital. I was somewhat amused, and occasionally horrified, by what I saw my colleagues wearing to work.

I know that a lot of nurses think that white uniforms are outdated. People tell me that they prefer wearing scrubs because they are made of lightweight materials and enable freedom of movement. This may be the case, but I think that there is a lot of room for improvement. Based on my own observations, I’ve concluded that nursing uniforms can be broken down into three categories. They are “The Acceptable,” “The Bad,” and “OMG*.”

The Acceptable: I met the nurse practitioner shortly after my husband was admitted to the hospital. She walked into the room. I had no idea who she was. I couldn’t tell if she was a doctor, a nurse, a respiratory therapist, or a dietician. She wore white scrubs and a white lab coat. She did have on a hospital ID tag just like everyone else, but I couldn’t read her tag until I was staring straight at it. Although I was impressed that she chose to wear white, I would up grade her uniform by putting a big red RN patch on her uniform or a nurses cap. Maybe they will make a comeback. Hope springs eternal.

The Bad: I’ll be blunt. There are a few people wearing some tacky looking uniforms. I saw nurses wearing faded, washed out garments, and uniforms covered in cartoon characters. I had no idea that Sponge Bob Square Pants was so popular with nurses. If nurses want to be taken seriously, we need to dress seriously. Please don’t wear non-matching, multicolored garments and let’s save the cute prints for the pediatric nurses. I know that some of you will never want to let go of your Sponge Bob Square Pants uniforms, but it’s the first step to looking more professional in the workplace.

The OMG*: The Oh My God uniform is pretty self-explanatory. I saw one nurse walking around in this type of uniform. Her scrub pants were so thin, I could tell that she had a hole in her pocket and my husband and I could see every detail of her thong. Her scrub shirt was stained and threadbare. I know that uniforms can be expensive when you are trying to live on a budget, but you can’t afford to look unprofessional when you are work.

Do you have an opinion about nursing uniforms? Most nurses do. Drop by Nursing Voices and tell us your story. We’re waiting to hear from you.

Welcome to the New Year. If you’re like me, you’ve already started breaking your New Year’s resolutions. I’m writing this post while eating a large wedge of hot apple pie. So much for my unrealistic resolution about taming bad eating habits. If you made a resolution about finding a new nursing job, I have some advice. There are three things that you can do that will help you land a job during the New Year.

Update Your Resume for the New Year

Many people resolve that they want to find a new job to go along with the New Year. This is a realistic goal if you take the time to freshen up your resume. When was the last time you updated your resume? You’ve learned a lot of new things over the last year, so highlight them in your resume. Mention any workshops, or continuing education classes that you’ve attended. An updated resume is essential in getting your new dream job for the New Year.

What You Know is Important, But It’s Who You Know That Counts

There are a lot of job opportunities in the nursing world that never make it into the want ads. The only way that you’re going to hear about these opportunities is by networking with others. I can’t begin to tell you how many jobs I’ve landed by word of mouth. You really could be the best candidate for a job, but no one is going to know that unless you toot your own horn. Call up your friends, and let them know you’re looking for a new job. Ask them if they know anyone that you can contact, and then call them, too. Call no less than one new contact person a week, and don’t forget to make some follow up calls. Attending nursing conferences, workshops, and joining nursing organizations will also help you build up you network.

One of the newest ways of being noticed is by getting out there on the Internet. Do you blog, use Twitter, or have a Facebook page? Do you network by using Linkedin? Can you type out an instant message using your thumbs, or use a PC? Being tech savvy can help you find a new nursing job. I made countless contacts since entering conversations with other health care professionals on the web. The Internet and knowing how to use new Web 2.0 technology can be your pathway to a new nursing job.

Nurses Can Do More Than Just Patient Care

It just takes a little bit of creativity to find a new job. So many nurses feel trapped in their jobs because they think that they can’t do anything else. Nothing is further from the truth. Nurses can do more than just patient care. Pharmaceutical and medical supply companies are looking for nurses for the their sales teams. Nurses know what other nurses are looking for in products, and let’s face it, no one knows how to talk to nurses better than another nurse. If you think that you can’t work in sales, think again. You have first hand knowledge of products that you could be selling. All you need is a little bit of sales training, which your new employer would provide, and some self-confidence. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Try something new to keep you career fresh in the New Year.

Are you looking for a new job this year? Tell us about it at Nursing Voices. We want to hear from you.

This is the time of year when students start taking a look at which schools they might want to attend after they graduate from high school. I remember sometime during my junior year I thought, “Holy cow! I just have one more year before I graduate! What am I going to do?” Take it from me, don’t wait until the last minute to make your plans, especially if you are planning to enter nursing school. Time is of the essence. Here are some important tips that will help you get into nursing school.

It All Starts With Good Grades and a Positive Attitude

It’s not easy getting into nursing school. That’s because there aren’t enough nursing faculty members to teach everyone who wants to attend a nursing program. Many schools receive eight to nine applications for every one it can accept, so it’s really important to know how to stand out from the crowd when you are sending in your nursing school applications. The first thing you must have is a high grade point average (GPA). This doesn’t mean that you have to be the valedictorian of your class, but it does mean that you have to be able to perform in a demanding academic environment. Nursing school isn’t for wimps. It’s a rapid fire, high intensity curriculum that demands total dedication from its students. Some nursing schools also checkout your high school attendance records. Too many absences and tardies raise a red flag. Students must arrive on time and be prepared to study. Also showcase any community service experience you may have on your application. Nursing school admission officers look for students with altruism.

Picking the Right School For You.

There are several different educational tracks that will prepare you to become a nurse. You can become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in one year, or you can earn an associate degree of nursing in two years and BSN in four years. How much time you want to invest into your education and what you want to do during your career will serve as your compass as to which educational track is best for you. One and two year educational tracks will prepare you for bedside nursing jobs, while four year educational tracks will jumpstart your career in nursing management. There’s a lot of debate within the nursing profession as to which educational track is the best. Regardless of which track you chose, just remember that there is a long waiting list for any school, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you will graduate from nursing school.

Show Me the Money

It costs a lot of money to go to nursing school, but I’m sure that you already knew that didn’t you? The best place to go for money is to one of your relatives. No, I’m not talking about your parents. I’m talking about Uncle Sam. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form. You can obtain an application at your school, or fill one out online. Uncle Sam is also offering nursing scholarships through the arm services. The Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) is offering three- and four-year undergraduate scholarships to students who want to become Air Force nurses. Applicants must be U.S citizens, high school graduates, and a cadet in the Air Force Reserves. Don’t let money stop you from becoming a nurse. Funding is available if you just know where to look.

Come join the conversation at Nursing Voices if you’re a high school student who is thinking about becoming a nurse. Experienced nurses are waiting to answer your questions about nursing school. We’re waiting to hear from you.

I went to the post office the other day and a reminder of the Christmas season was in my mailbox. My employer had sent me a letter, cordially inviting me to the big hospital Christmas party. Unfortunately, I can’t attend that party because I have to work, but I plan to attend our unit party. Going to a workplace holiday party can be a lot of fun, but it can be full of pitfalls, too. Here’s some sage advice from an old nurse about the dos and don’t of attending holiday parties at work.

Don’t Flirt With Your Coworkers

I’ll be blunt. I’ve seen people do a lot of stupid things at hospital Christmas parties. I’ll never forget a party that I attended about fifteen years ago when a room full of people witnessed the former nursing CEO of a major hospital grab a nursing supervisor’s butt while her husband was getting her a drink at the bar. Notice I said that he was a former nursing CEO of a major hospital. The nursing supervisor, at the insistence of her very pissed off husband, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit and the rest, as they say, is history. Never flirt with, or make sexually inappropriate advances towards a coworker at a holiday party. Remember, your holiday party indiscretions can follow you for the rest of your career thanks to YouTube.

Don’t Over Drink:

No one wants to be the person that everyone talks about the morning after the big holiday party. You know what I mean. That’s the person who thinks that the funky chicken is a cool dance and they wake up with a lampshade on their head the day after the party. Drink lots of water with dinner and don’t mix alcoholic beverages. Pick a drink of choice and stick with it, and don’t do shots.

Dress in Appropriate Attire

Most patient care nurses work in scrubs all day, so they really like to dress up when they go out on the town. They go all out to look good, but sometimes their party dress is a little too exotic for the occasion. In other words their outfit is in bling overload. Please remember that you are dressing for a formal occasion, and that you are not going out to a bar. Wear something classy. Don’t wear a dress that’s too short, see through, or something that shows too much cleavage.

Schmooze the Ladder of Success

Holiday bashes are a great place to network, especially if you want to climb the ladder of success. Use the holiday cheer-time to rub elbows with top managers and talk to people that you usually don’t get to see during the rest of the year. Don’t spend all evening talking about work, and don’t monopolize the conversation. Be upbeat, and show interest in others while building or strengthening your business relationships.

Have a Great Time at the Party

Holiday parties are a blast so kick up your heels and have a good time. Celebrate your accomplishments and enjoy the fellowship of your friends.

I’m going to go out on a limb. I have a pet peeve that won’t make me very popular with my younger readers. In fact, I’m sure that some of you will view me as an old battle-ax. I can live with that, but regardless, I’m going to tell you what my pet peeve is because it’s one that I share with a lot of your patients.

Sick patients and old-fashioned nurses don’t want to hear you chatting away on your cell phone in patient care areas or at the nurses station. We don’t want to hear about last night’s beer blowout, or hear about how your significant other needs a swift kick in the pants because he or she forgot your anniversary. Seriously, I’ve heard nurses talking about really personal issues while charting at the nurses station and while hanging IV bags in a patient’s room. This is inappropriate. Please, don’t make kissy-face conversation with the love of your life while you are within earshot of your patients and their family members.

Another thing that drives me nuts regarding cell phones is the whole thing around instant messaging. I’ve seen nurses talking to patients or other health care professions, and stop mid sentence when they hear a funny little chime on their phone. They pull the phone out of their pocket, read the screen, type a few words using their thumbs, and then go back into their conversation without missing a beat. What’s that about? Trust me, if Florence Nightingale was still around, she’d have a stroke. A cell phone belongs in your pocket when you are engaged in a conversation with patients, their family members, or your peers.

Now that I’ve come across as an old antique, I’ve come up with a few ideas on how old nurses like me, and new nurses who must have their cell phones can coexist in the workplace. Here are three tips about using your cell phone in the workplace.

Turn Your Ringer Off When You Are In A Patient Care Area.

There is nothing more disrupting than to hear someone’s cell phone start ringing while you are in the middle of a conversation. Imagine what your patients and their family members must think when your phone starts playing some chirpy little ring tone, or a dirty dancing song, while they are asking you serious health care questions. If you must have your phone turned on, switch it over to vibrate. That feature is less intrusive when it alerts you to a phone call.

Let Your Phone Calls Go to Voice Mail

Voice Mail is a wonderful thing. It acts as your private secretary while you’re doing your job at the nurses station. It’s an efficient time saver. It takes less time to check your calls than it takes to tell your caller that you don’t have time to talk to them over the phone.

Find A Private Place To Make Cell Phone Calls

If you must use your cell phone to make a call, find a private area to conduct your conversation. Go to a break room, or go outside, but don’t talk at the nurses station or within earshot of patients and their family members.

Antique nurses and new fangled gadgets can coexist if everyone works to get along.

Did you know that every nursing school has a unique nursing cap? I don’t know the entire history, but I understand that it goes back to the days of Florence Nightingale.

Imagine what it would be like if a nursing student got to choose their nursing cap. I can hear it now, “This nursing cap is too small. This nursing cap is too big. Now this nursing cap is jussssssst right.” Unfortunately, we don’t get to pick out our nursing caps. Nurses come in all shapes and sizes and not every nursing cap fit every head. Nursing caps aren’t one size fits all and neither are nursing jobs. Sometimes it pays to really shop around for a nursing job before you sign on the dotted line.

This is a true story. I can’t make this stuff up. A few years ago, I decided I needed to start looking for a new job. I was getting sick of the same old thing week after week, so I sent out my resume and waited to see what happened. I got an offer from a hospital about an hour away from my house, so I really wanted to make sure that the job was a good fit before I committed to a long daily commute. The nurse recruiter offered me a shadow day. I was invited to come to the nursing unit, meet the staff, and hangout for a few hours before I made any decisions. I accepted her invitation and I checked out the unit the next day.

I arrived on the unit at change of shift. Change of shift is a very busy time on any nursing unit. It can be very chaotic, especially on a large, inner city psychiatric unit. The charge nurse on day shift greeted me like a rat meeting the next crew of a sinking ship. She informed me that the evening charge nurse was going to be late. She also said that another nurse called in sick at the last minute again, and that we would be working short of staff. She grabbed her handbag, informed me that she was never coming back, and left for parts unknown. She had only worked on the unit for three weeks before she quit.

I found my way to the report room and chatted with other staff. The day and evening staff members were bickering among themselves. They were complaining about who dumped what work assignment onto the next shift. They were yelling at each other like I wasn’t there. I felt like the invisible audience at a three-ring circus.
The charge nurse finally made her way in, 20 minutes late, and made up assignments after listening to report. Then she showed me around the unit before we started work.

I experienced more unsavory things during my time on the unit. The charge nurse asked me if I was working on an encumbered license. She said that one of the last shadow day nurses that came through her unit couldn’t pass meds because she had been caught stealing drugs at her last job. The hospital had hired her any way and she got canned two weeks later for shooting up drugs in the medication room. Needless to say I thanked everyone for their time, put on my coat, and ran for my professional life.

Always asked for a shadow day. You won’t be sorry that you did.