• Outdated Technology: Do Nurses even Care?

    Earlier this week I wrote about technology tools for nurses, and how everything we use seems to be so outdated. One thing I wondered: Do nurses even care? So I posed the question on Reddit and got some terrific feedback.

  • Technology Tools for the Bedside Nurse

    Bedside nurses have one of the toughest jobs. So why do we get stuck with some of the crappiest technology? I recently had the opportunity to orient to a job on a med-surge floor. Having not worked in a hospital for the past 7 years, I was a little surprised at the lack of basic…

  • Moral Distress in the ICU: Can you avoid it?

    Moral Distress in the ICU: Can you avoid it?

    There is no doubt that working in the ICU can be a source of moral distress. I’ve been spending the last few months doing hospice home care and I’ve been thinking about going back to the hospital for various reasons. The last time I worked as a nurse in the ICU was the summer of…

  • Documenting in the EHR in ALL CAPS

    Documenting in the EHR in ALL CAPS

    On the first day of my allscripts instruction, I was advised that when documenting in the EHR, I should always use all caps, in other words, to always type in capital letters. As someone who is trained in graphic design, this irked me! Capital letters should be used for a reason, not as a default.…

  • Nurse Photos from the Creative Commons

    Nurse Photos from the Creative Commons

    These are some of my favorite nurse photos from The Commons section on Flickr. If you’ve never spent time perusing the commons on Flickr, I highly recommend it. It contains a vast amount of publicly archived photos from all over the world.

  • The Pelvic Exam: How often do you need one?

    The annual pelvic exam. No one likes it. It’s quite unpleasant. It may even prevent patients from seeking a yearly well-visit. So is it really necessary? The American College of of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) seem to think so. They still recommend a yearly pelvic exam, despite the fact that there is no evidence to…