Category: NCLEX
Finding Your Helping Hand
In my last blog post, I discussed the importance of inventorying relationships in order to eliminate naysayers, foster positive relationships, and address unmet needs. When it comes to addressing unmet professional needs, I often recommend people seek out a mentor....
Partner Up!
There’s an old saying that two heads are better than one. This rings a bell for me and I’d wager it does for you as well. We’ll start with a small example. It’s 5:00am and you’re searching frantically for your...
NCLEX-style questions
Forget all the tricks. The NCLEX makers are wise to those and no longer write questions that can be answered by just any savvy test-taker. For example, assessment is always the first step in the nursing process, unless there is...
A Tale of Two Deaths
So many healthcare advances, targeted immunotherapies for cancer, robotic surgeries, and so much more. Yet, here we are, still making life-altering and life-ending errors in the profession of delivering healthcare services. How can this science be so advanced and still...
NCLEX updates for 2019
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) develops the nursing licensing examinations – NCLEX- RN and NCLEX-PN. In September, the NCSBN held their yearly conference to discuss the tests. Here are some of the things we want to...
Hey iSBAR, pick up the PACE!
Transferring the responsibility of caring for a patient between two nurses is commonly referred to as change-of-shift report or handoff report. This report ensures continuity of care across time. It is best done, at least partially, at the patient’s bedside...
Brain injury basics
The brain contains nerve cells that manage thoughts, behaviors, sensation, and movement. The brain is divided into two hemispheres lobes, each with specific tasks to control. The cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brainstem communicate with the spinal cord and nerves to...
Critical Thinking, UGH!
Critical thinking – Critical reasoning – Clinical reasoning – Clinical Judgment From day 1, the nursing professors and instructors talk about how students have to use critical thinking. WHAT IS THAT? Critical thinking is a mental process. It requires observation, experience,...
Planning your week
Nursing school is easily a 40 hour per week job. For many of us, that is in addition to a paying job and parenting. How to juggle it all? You may find that your traditional 8am-5pm planner with its little...
Professional Communication — Phone Calls
When a phone call is required, consider what you need to say. Seems obvious, but unless you are calling your mom or bestie, keep rambling to a minimum. Calling Health Care Providers Simple, right? I-SBAR! Not so fast, dear nurse!...