Give A Nurse A Break

If you've been a nurse for a while, it's likely no surprise that many nurses fail to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, or otherwise take care of themselves while at work (especially in acute care settings). In fact, you may yourself be one of those nurses who's suffered a UTI or other negative sequela as a consequence of poor self care.

So, in light of the fact that we focus so much on patient satisfaction these days, what would it take to focus just a little bit on nurse and employee satisfaction? What would it take to (literally) give nurses a break?

Four Ways That Nurses Can Say Yes

In my work as a career coach for nurses and healthcare professionals, I hear a lot of stories; I also hear that nurses are frequently saying no in ways that may be negatively impacting their nursing careers. While we definitely want more nurses saying no to mandatory overtime, a lack of time for self-care while on duty, and the scourge of nurse-on-nurse bullying, there are certainly places for nurses to say yes more often. What do you say yes and no to on a regular basis?