Features

 Nursing is the backbone of the medical profession. Performing most of the same functions as doctors, nurses endure many years of study, backbreaking labor and hours of tireless work, for moderate pay, all in the service of their patients. In honor of their dedication, America is celebrating National Nurses Week May 6-12. 

In May 2009, a group of four nursing students and three faculty members from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith boarded a plane that took them halfway across the world to a place they will never forget. As part of the first Maymester International Studies program, this group traveled to Uganda, East Africa, to work at CURE International Children’s Hospital.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN) voted on Dec. 10, 2009, to raise the passing standard for the NCLEX-RN Examination (the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). The new passing standard is -0.16 logits on the NCLEX-RN logistic scale, 0.05 logits higher than the previous standard of -0.21. The new passing standard will take effect on April 1, 2010, in conjunction with the 2010 NCLEX-RN Test Plan.

I spend a lot of my time meeting and talking with nurses who are in crisis mode.  The issues that bring nurses into my office often arise from lack of self care resulting in stress, anxiety, untreated depression and addiction.  The stories have similar themes: relationships with alcoholics or abusive individuals, stress in job situations, caretaking of co-workers and family, the pressure of being the sole provider and sleep deprivation. 

Almost without exception nurses and occupational therapists will work in the same settings sharing patient populations.  In this article an occupational therapy student shares insights with nursing students regarding the benefits of crafts in the treatment of patients with physical and cognitive disabilities.

While exit examinations can be valuable assessment tools for all types of nursing programs, they must be used prudently. Using them to evaluate students’ readiness for taking the NCLEX-RN and to design individualized remediation programs for those who need them is a win-win situation for both the students and nursing program.

Parish nursing is a unique, specialized practice of nursing that is a health promotion, disease prevention ministry based on the total health healing of a person – body, mind and spirit. The spiritual aspect is central to parish nursing.

Looking for a challenging position that draws upon your nursing knowledge, skills and insights and has the potential for broad impact? A career that applies your education, training and experience as a nurse to legal issues may be just what you’re looking for as a way to contribute. The career opportunities in health law are many and varied.

Simulation has always been a part of nursing education. For many years, there have been specific task trainer simulators for such skills as urinary catheterization, central line dressing change, intravenous catheter insertion, blood pressure measurement, nasogastric tube insertion, tracheostomy care, and many more. Male, female, pediatric, and geriatric full-body manikins also provide numerous opportunities to practice clinical skills. However, times are changing!

Lt Col Susan (Turbiville) Bassett, chief nurse mentor at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital, Kandahar, Afghanistan gives a clear picture of the antiquated state of nursing seen in this struggling third world nation. Since joining the Air Force in 1991,  Bassett has been stationed throughout the U.S. and overseas; however nothing ever compared, she says, with her current experiences while forward deployed in Afghanistan.

The most important part of a nurse’s education is the clinical work, which allows them to put their classroom knowledge into practice in real medical settings.  After all, when we end up in the hospital, we don’t want to be a nurse’s first patient! One nursing college is taking clinical experience one-step further, by offering its students the opportunity to provide healthcare in developing parts of the world through its co-curricular learning program.

The Hospitalist model is growing rapidly as a result of the role of managed care organizations, the increasing complexity of inpatient care, and the pressures of busy outpatient practices.  Today, many institutions have “Hospitalist Teams” which are composed of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The mission of nurses in the Army Nurse Corps is to care for America’s warriors past and present.  Care and compassion are our cornerstones in serving those in need at home and around the world.  We now have opportunities to develop unique nurse-patient relationships that transcend cultures, locations, and time. 

Having fought for the Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and served at Walter Reed as a staff nurse and clinical educator would be a satisfying career for most people. But Lieutenant Christopher Howard of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps wanted more.

Meet three nurses who have made life easier for their colleagues. They are nurse entrepreneurs with a little bit of genius, a lot of courage and determination, and nurses at heart.

Nursing has been, and continues to be, a wonderful career. Unlike 30 and 50 years ago, today, many diverse opportunities exist in the profession of nursing. Over the years, nursing education transitioned from the traditional hospital diploma program to programs in universities and colleges. While the art of nursing is still being taught, today's fast-paced health care system has changed the culture of nursing.

We decided to be nurses, and that means having compassion, even for those who are different from ourselves.Whether it's mental illness, racial difference, religious or moral differences, or sexual orientation, there will be people who cross our paths who are different, and sometimes they will be very difficult to care for.

How will nurses of the future describe your legacy? You can contribute to the future of nursing by volunteering to be a preceptor or working part time as a clinical instructor. Think about your favorite nursing instructor, what attributes made that person an effective teacher? Do you enjoy sharing your passion about nursing with others?

As a naive nursing student from rural Kansas, my first pediatric rotation in Kansas City was an exciting adventure. Being there for about two months, I felt confident in my ability to care for children in the toddler section. We had taken care of abnormalities such as spina bifida, hydrocephalus, prematurity and cardiac problems, but no amount of class lecture and study had prepared me for my first patient of child abuse.

Before a candidate begins the NCLEX examination, he/she must agree to NCSBN’s terms of confidentiality. The “NCLEX Confidentiality Agreement” states that a candidate “agrees that he/she will not divulge any items, including response options, on this examination to any individual or entity.”

An interview with R. Kevin Mallinson, Principal Investigator for Nurses SOAR!, with advice on treating HIV/AIDS patients. The psychosocial burden of living with a life-threatening disease – and make no mistake at its capacity for morbidity and mortality – is compounded by grief, anxiety, and uncertainty in addition to social barriers such as poverty, racism, and homophobia.

You may be seeing these headlines more frequently in the future.  Increasingly, public policy and prevention organizations are highlighting concerns about the growing abuse of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Meet RP-7, a robot that can perform case studies, review charts and provide long distant family care visits. It is similar to a video phone where students, nurses and doctors can view and discuss what’s going on miles, if not time zones, away. And all that is needed is an Internet connection.

If you ask Dr. Jackie Murphree who her hero is, she will tell you that it is Florence Nightingale. In fact, some of her friends call her “Flo,” and she has been known to dress as her hero on occasion.

One of the more challenging tasks of a healthcare professional may be the assignment of delivering a death notification.