Career Sphere

A little humor please

Laughter is a way of dealing with life’s stressors. Learning how to use humor to enrich our personal and professional…

Are 12-hour shifts safe?

Is working 12 consecutive hours in a fast-paced, high stress, physically and mentally demanding environment a good idea? Click here…

Avoiding preceptor burnout

Lack of preparation and training, added responsibilities, and poor compensation can cause burnout in nurse preceptors.

Be a coach for novice nurses

The transition from the educational setting to the practice setting can be intimidating. Make it easier by guiding novice nurses.

Become a successful preceptor

Become a successful preceptor

Novice nurses anxiously enter the workplace on their first day, nervously approaching the unit desk to ask for their preceptor,…

Create a great work culture

For a successful leader, establishing the right environment isn’t part of the job. It is the job.

Create better communications

Communicating assertively is a learned skill. Use the “look, think, and act” model to evaluate and improve your communication skills.

Do you need a business card?

The author’s answers to five questions will tell you why you need a card and how to use it effectively.

business card questions

Do you need a business card?

If you’ve been wondering whether you should have a business card, or if you’ve decided to get a business card…

E-mail etiquette

17 tips on how to – and how not to – use e-mail for professional communication.

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Easing your way back to school

Place a checkmark on the line next to each statement that applies to you: You’ve seen how quickly your nursing…

Exploring massage therapy as a career option

A nurse-turned-massage therapist found that hands-on interaction with massage clients reconnected her to one of the most fulfilling aspects of nursing – contact through caring, noninvasive touch.

Fighting the war on dogma

Want do away with outdated dogma in your workplace? Learn how to present an effective case for changing the current thinking.

Find the best route to your career destination

To move your career up a notch, should you go back to school or pursue nonacademic options? The authors’ advice can help you decide on the best professional development route.

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Flying high to save lives

Flight nursing offers rewards that few other nursing jobs can match. Across the globe, patients are transported from accident scenes…
Frequently asked legal questions nurse

Frequently asked legal questions

Editor’s note: The following questions are excerpts from the book Frequently Asked Legal Questions Keeping Nurses Awake at Night, by…

Get creative about nursing

Key takeaways The media—television, radio, the Internet, books, and more—often depict nurses unprofessionally. When nurses create the media, they can…

Helping new nurses set priorities

After several weeks of classes and partnered orientation to patient care, novice nurses in our large acute-care health system have learned a great deal. Still, most admit their priority-setting skills could be better.

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How do you look?

Recently, I rushed to the emergency department (ED) at my local hospital to meet a relative who’d been taken there…
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How to fit in fast at your new job

If you’re looking for a new position in nursing, you have lots of company. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey, 32%…
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How to leave a job gracefully

I was diligent. I completed my tasks on time. And I took on extra assignments and shifts. My boss was…

How to succeed as a home care nurse

Sarah, age 4, is on a mechanical ventilator after surviving a near-drowning episode. Her parents, still grieving over her accident,…
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How to survive a bully

Have you run into a bully at work? Unfortunately, chances are good that you have. Bullying has become all too…

Is utilization review the career for you?

Rising medical costs  and healthcare reform have increased the need for careful review and management of medical resources. The unique and vital role…

Jump-start your job search

Out of work? Don’t let a challenging economy and difficult job market get you down. The author’s tips can job search into high gear.

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Learning to love your job

The alarm clock goes off too early, and you jump-start the day with a cup of coffee and a short…

Make a difference as a rehabilitation nurse

From September 21 to 27, we celebrate National Rehabilitation Awareness Week by promoting the value of rehabilitation, highlighting the opportunities…

Mastering the art of meetings

Meetings can be productive and positive—or disjointed and ineffective. The author gives tips on leading meetings skillfully.

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Move up to the role of nurse manager

NURSE MANAGERS at all levels work together to address emerging trends, adopt innovative ideas, and work toward the shared goals…
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Networking for nurses

Sherry stands nervously in the doorway, watching several dozen people chat each other up. The sound of her heartbeat threatens…

New online resource: Genetic/Genomic Competency Center

The Genetic/Genomic Competency Center (G2C2, http://www.g-2-c-2.org/) is a new free online resource created to help educators teach the next generation of nurses and physician assistants about genetics and genomics.

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No simulation lab? No problem

Learn how to bring the patient-simulator experience to nursing units to prepare for emergencies. Takeaways: Bring the patient simulator experience…
nurse mentorships two way street

Nurse mentorships: A two-way street

Mentoring is successful only when both the mentor and mentee contribute. Takeaways: Formal or informal mentorship can promote the longevity…
Nursing Insights

Partnering with subject-matter experts

Key takeways Choose the right subject matter expert to deliver an outstanding presentation. Collaborate with subject matter experts throughout the…

Plan a career, not just a job

Through focused soul-searching, you can create a more fulfilling and enriching career. The author tells how to brainstorm to find the nursing career that really floats your boat.

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Plan a career, not just a job

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where…
Presenting yourself professionally as a nurse

Presenting yourself professionally

What do your first 12 words, your first 12 steps, and your top and bottom 12″ say about you? Find out how the “rule of 12” can help you make a good first impression.

Psychiatric nurses are in demand

Built on therapeutic communication and relationship development, psychiatric nursing is the basis of all nursing. A core healthcare profession, psychiatric…
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Retaining nurse managers

The nurse manager role is pivotal in staff nurse satisfaction and retention, quality of patient care, and achieving organizational goals,…
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Serving the profession

Help protect the health, welfare, and safety of the public. Takeaways: Serving on your board of nursing is challenging and…

Snakes at the nursing station

It’s not easy, but confrontation is your best response to a backstabbing coworker who specializes in sabotage or an overbearing bully with an itch for intimidation.

Stranger in a strange land

These nurse educators describe the transformative learning that occurred when they taught in another country.

SWAT nursing specialty

SWAT nursing: A unique specialty

What does SWAT stand for? So Where Are They? Smart, Witty, and Talented? Smiling, Willing, Able, Technical? (more…)
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The enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact

These changes may affect your practice. Takeaways: Enhanced NLC will replace original NLC eNLC implementation date is January 19, 2018.…

The evolving role of the forensic nurse

Even if they’re not portrayed on the TV shows "CSI" or "Law &
Order: SVU," forensic nurses are pivotal in real-life forensic cases.
Catch up on the dynamic, evolving specialty of forensic nursing.

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The many merits of mentoring

Have you ever felt unsure about your next career step or just needed advice from a more seasoned professional? Natalie…
mentor protege relationship career job

The many merits of mentoring

Have you ever felt unsure about your next career step or just needed advice from a more seasoned professional? Natalie…

The Nurse Executive’s Coaching Manual

With the incredibly changing and challenging environment of health care, today’s nurse leaders are required more than ever to consistently think about developing others and sustaining a committed and engaged workforce.

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The perfect pitch

How many times have you been frustrated by some inefficient aspect of your job? Or wondered why no one has…
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The power of one voice

Dizziness, profuse sweating, a gnawing sensation in the pit of your stomach. Are these symptoms of the latest virus? No—they’re…

Tips for floaters

Although few nurses look forward to it, floating gives you a chance to experience another practice area, break out of your daily routine, and learn something new.

Tools to improve your collaborative skills

No matter what your practice environment, you need to collaborate effectively with other nurses and other disciplines to excel in your career. Nurses…

Travel nursing, anyone?

If you’ve been working as a nurse for more than a minute, chances are you’ve heard the term travel nurse…

Voice mail etiquette

Don’t get tripped up by voice-mail missteps. Find out how to use voice mail to enhance your professional image.

voicemail etiquette speak confidence brief

Voice mail etiquette

For any professional, voice mail (VM) is no longer optional; it’s necessary. How you use VM can work for or…

Waltzing through the behavioral job interview

More employers are using
behavioral interviews to learn not just what applicants can do but who they really are and whether they’d enhance or detract from an existing team’s potential to achieve optimal
patient outcomes.

What can Magnet do for you?

The Magnet Recognition Program identifies healthcare facilities committed to nursing excellence.

nurse educator

Your path to becoming a nurse educator

Looking for new professional challenges? Consider teaching nursing. This country has a growing need for academic nurse educators—nurses who teach…

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