I just got off orientation and already want to quit. HELP!

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Starting a nursing career can be overwhelming, especially when faced with limited support. If you find yourself in this situation, consider these strategies to advocate for the change you need:

• Talk to Preceptors, an Educator, or a Charge Nurse – Have an honest conversation with your preceptor, educator, or charge nurse about the challenges you're encountering. Keeping them informed is crucial as they can offer guidance and support.

• Don’t Throw Anyone Under the Bus – Avoid assigning blame to colleagues. Use "I feel that..." statements to maintain a neutral and constructive tone during discussions. 

• Take Accountability – Recognize areas where you can improve and own it. Acknowledging your efforts to grow will earn respect from your coworkers

• Offer a Recommendation – Suggest improvements without being condescending. Share valuable resources like articles or best practices that demonstrate effective and evidence-based interventions. 

Need more help? Book a FREE consultation with New Thing Nurse!

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About the Author: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an 11+ year nurse dedicated to helping nurses of all experience levels and specialties achieve success in their careers. Sarah founded New Thing Nurse to help provide support and guidance to the nursing community in a simple and direct format. Sarah’s vision is to foster a more supportive and fulfilled nursing world that spreads throughout healthcare and beyond.

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New Thing Nurse helps the nursing student, nurse, and nurse practitioner community achieve their professional and academic goals! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

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Looking for your nurse dream job? Your resume will be your ticket in!

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Oh nursing! You are so amazing! A 3-day work week! Getting to work in your PJs! Endless job security!! However, finding the job of your dreams starts with a job search. The ticket to any new position is that resume, and I know everyone loves pulling their resume out to update it.

My name is Sarah, and I own New Thing Nurse, an academic and professional services company for the nursing community, and I have seen a lot of ugly nursing resumes. Some are too wordy. Others are too long (7+ pages is NOT ok). Many don’t have enough information. I’ve seen resumes without a person’s contact info or any clinical experience listed. **INSERT SCREAMING EMOJI FACE HERE** Below are my Top 5 Pro-Tips to keep your document comprehensive, eye-catching and concise!

The New Thing Nurse Resume Top 5 Pro-Tips

1. Make sure they know who you are & how to contact you.

• Always include your full name & credentials at the top of your document in BIG, BOLD FONT. You want the person reviewing your document to know exactly who you are & what credentials you hold.         EX: Jane Smith, BSN, RN, CPEN, ABCDEF

• Make sure that your phone number, email & mailing address are current & at the TOP of the page under your name.

• They can’t make you a job offer if they can’t get a hold of you!

2. Use a Professional Summary.

• The professional summary is located just under your name & contact info at the top of the page. This is a paragraph that is an introduction to what kind of employee you are going to be for a potential employer.

• Use this as an opportunity to highlight your experience. Make is STRONG. Make it CONVINCING. This is frequently the main piece of the resume that an employer will read. Make it COUNT.       

  • EX: Bachelor’s prepared nurse with 5 years of acute care experience seeking a challenging clinical environment. Experienced leader who excels working with diverse interdisciplinary care teams. Passionate patient advocate who wants to be the next stand-out member of your nursing unit.

3. Keep it concise.

• Keep your resume to TWO PAGES OR LESS.

• If you have 20+ years of experience, that’s great! You don’t need to list it all. Most employers are just interested with the last 5 years of professional experience. If you have an impressive project or position that you held in the more distant past, consider weaving that into your professional summary.

•  If you are a new nurse, you might not have a lot to put on your resume. Consider using your clinical rotations in place of professional experience. However, try to keep your resume to 1-2 pages. Don’t feel the need to put in a lot of filler just to take up space.

4. Make it neat & pretty.

• Use easy to read fonts & don’t clutter your resume with too many words or graphics. The average reviewer looks at your document for less than 30 seconds. If you’re document is too busy, you can be sure that they will skip right over to the next applicant’s.

• Triple check for typos & misspellings. Get a 2nd set of eyes to look over your resume before submitting it.

• Color is totally acceptable, but do not take this moment to use the entire rainbow. This is a professional document that needs to be eye-catching, but not eye-punching. I always recommend color-schemes with 2-3 colors maximum in a pleasant palette.

5. Make sure that your info is current & correct.

• Ensure that all the information provided is up-to-date & correctly listed.

• Avoid leaving time gaps in your professional experience.

• Try not to list things out of order.

• Ensure that your educational info is correct.

• List all CURRENT certifications. Don’t list them if they’re expired. 

• Make it as easy for the reader of your resume as possible to get the most accurate information about you through a quick glance over your resume.

If you follow these tips, it is hard to go wrong. Have more questions? Never be afraid to seek out more advice. New Thing Nurse is always available to help with all of your resume preparation needs!

Happy job hunting!

-  Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

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Looking for YOUR nurse dream job?

Use the Winning Nurse Resume & Cover Letter Templates to make this year YOUR year!  

Join the conversation on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse and join nurses and nursing students who are focused on success!

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About the Author: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an 11+ year nurse dedicated to helping nurses of all experience levels and specialties achieve success in their careers. Sarah founded New Thing Nurse to help provide support and guidance to the nursing community in a simple and direct format. Sarah’s vision is to foster a more supportive and fulfilled nursing world that spreads throughout healthcare and beyond.

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Mentally Preparing for a Nurse Job Change

By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

Change is hard. Making that change happen can be even harder, especially when it is happening in your nursing career. When preparing for your next job change, use these strategies to support your mental wellness and professional success: 

• Think about your strengths - When you think about your path forward, consider your strengths. Where can you use your strengths to elevate your experience, and where might you need to find help? 

• Focus on what you can control - Change can make you feel helpless. Consider what you can control to empower yourself. Ex: You cannot control whether you get a job offer or not, but you can create a strong job application with a resume compatible with ATS software. 

• Create a plan - Even if you are not a big planner, having an organized process on how to approach job applications can be helpful. Start with small steps to help create a path to job application success. 

• Find a mentor - Reach out to more experienced nurses to help advise you on how to best navigate the job application process. 

• Continue to take care of yourself - Keep up your normal self-care practices. It is easy to let those habits slip. As much as possible, remember to care for yourself especially as it relates to your mental health. 

• Assess and reassess - If you are not getting responses to your job applications, consider changing things up. Edit your resume or adjust the types of positions you are applying to. 

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About the Authors: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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A Salute to Nurse Resumes for Veterans

A Salute to Nurse Resumes for Veterans

By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

A version of this article was originally posted on The Nursing Beat Blog.

Organizations love hiring veterans, period! Your military experience shows that you have many transferable skill sets like being able to take direction or work in a team.

Military veterans, individuals who complete military service at home, deployed, abroad, in peacetime or in combat, have unique experiences and skill sets that should be highlighted on a nurse resume. By including transferable skills, training, and military work history, you can stand out from the applicant crowd! Here are my top recommendations for your veteran nurse resume:

‍Always share your military experience! 

Organizations love hiring veterans, period! Your military experience shows that you have many transferable skill sets like being able to take direction or work in a team. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Include your military experience in your “Professional Experience” section.

• Time: Put your total years of active service as the time frame.

• Position: Use your last or most recent title as the position name.

• Experience: Give highlights of your military experience over the years using bullet points to make it concise and easy to read. Include any special training, time abroad, and descriptions of your roles and responsibilities.

‍Highlight Special Trainings or Certifications

Often the military offers special training or certifications that civilians may not normally have access to receive. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Include under your “Certifications & Training” section.

• What to include: Any healthcare, disaster response, mental health support, crisis debriefing, communication, or other certifications or training that demonstrate transferable skill applicable to nursing.

• Descriptions: Military training and certifications sometimes have vague names that do not indicate what they cover. Avoid confusion by including a brief description of the content covered in the training or certification.

Show Off Military Recognitions 

There are a wide variety of recognitions for members of the military. If you have been recognized for excellence in the military, share it! It will help you convey the quality of your work to potential healthcare employers. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Under your “Recognitions” section or under your military service entry in your “Professional Experience” section

• What to include: The name of the recognition, the year it was received, and a short description of why you received it

Share What You Can

Some military experience is classified as top secret. If that is the case, share what you can on your resume without breaching any confidentiality rules. Do not get in trouble by leaking any secret information in your job applications. 

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About the Authors:

Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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Nurse Resume Myths

There is a lot of confusion surrounding nurse resumes. Here are a few nurse resume myths that just aren’t true!

Myth: I have to list every job that I ever had on my nurse resume. 

FALSE. 

Truth: Nurse resumes are FOCUSED documents that ideally only list the last 5-10 (usually just 5) years of NURSE experience. If you are a new grad with no nurse experience, list your healthcare experience. DO NOT list non-healthcare/patient care jobs. 

Myth: My nurse resume should be only one page. 

FALSE. 

Truth: Nurse resumes can be up to TWO pages, but the MAXIMUM is two pages. 

Myth: A human reviews every resume of every applicant for every job. 

FALSE. 

Truth: Computer software called Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software filters out the vast majority of resumes for job postings. That is why your nurse resume needs to be a SMART DOCUMENT that is formatted for computer software and human reviewers. New Thing Nurse can help with that!

Myth: People like to see my picture and lots of fun graphics on my nurse resume. 

IT IS COMPLICATED.

Truth: It is true that maybe a few people will enjoy your photo or fun graphics on your nurse resume. But the real issue is that the ATS software often CANNOT READ documents with photos or complex graphics. That means your resume with photos or graphics may actually prevent you from being considered for a job. It is best to keep your resume simply formatted for the computer software and easy to read for human reviewers. 

Myth: HR staff will read every line of my nurse resume. 

FALSE.

Truth: HR staff will spend an average of 30 seconds or less reading your resume. This is why it is essential that the important info is at the top and easy to read. 

If you have just read this and are thinking - “WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT MY NURSE RESUME???” - stress no more! New Thing Nurse offers a wide variety of services and easy-to-use templates to help your nurse resume be the modern, smart document that you will need to standout to both the computers, HR staff, and nurse leaders.

Happy resume writing!

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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What to do if you are a patient or have a loved one in the Emergency Room

This post is dedicated to all the other nurse family members and friends out there.

As the emergency nurse in my family and friend circle, I am almost always one of the first calls or texts by people when they wind up in the ER or have a loved one that is an emergency patient.

First and foremost - I always tell the person on the other end of my call or text that I am so sorry that this is happening but please know that if you or your loved one is being taken to the emergency department, you most likely need to be seen by a medical provider and that the hospital is THE PLACE to be evaluated for all things medical. This often helps calm the person or at least put some of their concerns in perspective.

Next - I always validate whatever feelings they are having. It is normal to freak out when going to the ED or hearing that your loved one is going there. We do not have to be rational in a moment of crisis. Give people space to be emotional. Validate those feelings, then try to guide them back to the practical. I feel that is the greatest gift a nurse friend or family member can do - direct a person in crisis to something practical and addressing the scary unknown.

Now, if you’re reading this and you are not a nurse or medical person, WELCOME to the organized chaos that is emergency medicine! I am hoping this blog post will help clarify some of the confusion that you may be feeling and give support by answering some of the most common questions that I get as an emergency nurse friend and family member.

Clarification on the method to the madness that is emergency medicine:

• Is it the ER or ED? Emergency Room vs. Emergency Department

  • Funny thing, it’s both. - The Emergency Department (ED) is the same thing as the Emergency Room (ER). You see, the specialty of emergency medicine was born in a room and originally, seemed confined to those original four walls. As the specialty became more advanced and comprehensive, we took up more than a room, and the ER went through a re-branding to become the emergency department. In common nomenclature and thanks to Hollywood, ER will always be more widely used. ED also stands for ‘erectile dysfunction’ in medicalese, so there is that challenge too.

• What happens when I or my loved one arrives to the ED?

  • The short answer: lots of things. - Being a patient in the ED is like being a Nascar car that just arrived in the pit and is getting a quick turnover by the pit crew. Upon arrival, a patient will be quickly registered in the computer system - this means that their name, DOB, and other personal data will be put in the computer to create a digital chart that medical providers will use to document their care. This is not when they ask for your health insurance.

  • At the same time as registration, the patient will be taken one of two ways into the ED (assuming no one is ahead of them) >> to the triage room/area or directly to an ED exam room. In either case, the patient’s vital signs (i.e. heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, temperature) will be taken and documented, lots of questions asked about their health history (things that have happened to them in the past medically), about their current issues that have brought them to the ED today (AKA “Why are you here today?”), current medications, and screening questions that they ask everyone related to domestic violence (“Do you feel safe where you live?) and suicidal thoughts (“Have you thought about ending your life, harming yourself, or others?”). Do not take these screening questions personally. They are often mandated by a regulatory body to be asked to everyone who can answer them.

    • In the time of COVID-19, ED’s are incredibly full of patients 24/7 so more realistically, you will be waiting in the waiting room for a very long period of time (think many hours) if you come by private vehicle (AKA your car) or a very long time on an EMS gurney if you come by ambulance. There is also the chance that if you come by ambulance, you will be re-directed to the waiting room too to wait. I am sorry. This is just the reality of emergency care at this time.

  • As these questions are being asked, orders may be placed for an EKG, blood labs, medications, IV placement, or imaging like X-rays, ultrasounds, or in some cases, CTs ( AKA Cat Scans - no cats involved). If this is the situation, you may be quickly poked or transported somewhere to have pictures taken of various body parts. This is good. You want answers and to get answers, tests need to be done. However the results of these tests may take anywhere from 45 minutes to hours to come back. A medical provider will review any abnormal results with you at a later time.

  • To complete many of these tests, you will need to be undressed to your birthday suit and placed in a hospital gown and socks with those rubber skids on the bottom. Please do not fight medical staff as they try to undress you. It is for medical reasons and not our entertainment that we need to get you naked. if you have cultural needs that need to be addressed like needing a specific gendered medical staff to assist you while undressing or religious garments that need to be maintained in a certain way, please let your medical staff know, and they will do their very best to make those accommodations while also meeting your medical needs as quickly as possible.

  • All of these events can happen concurrently which is often why the patient feels like the car getting handled by a pit crew. Lots of stickers may suddenly be attached to you with cords going all over the place. There may be pokes with needles or probes in various orifices. You may be asked to produce body fluid samples like urine or sputum while all this is happening. None of this is ideal or often comfortable, but know that we are asking you to do each task with the goal of getting you the care that you need rapidly and efficiently.

• After the initial triage or intake process is completed for my loved one, does that mean I saw a MD/doctor/provider such as an NP or PA?

  • Maybe! But probably not. - Sometimes a physician or advanced care provider (NP/PA) will see you as soon as you arrive to the ED. Most often, it will take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to see a physician during your visit. Average ED visits in the United States take anywhere from 4-8 hours, often longer in our current pandemic world.

  • If I am not immediately seen by a MD/provider as soon as I arrive, are things even happening those first few minutes to hours?? - Fear not! Lots of things will happen before the MD/provider physically sees you. Thanks to collaborative care and technology, many things will be ordered on you based on your “complaint” or reason why you are in the emergency department. Labs, scans/x-rays, medications, IVs, fluids and more are ordered “per protocol” or through “standing orders” and will be started as soon as you are seen (when applicable).

  • What if I get there and nothing happens? - This may happen too. If that is the case and you are waiting for an extended period of time in the waiting room, there is a reason. There is always a reason. However nothing is perfect and if you feel that you are there for a very big reason, check back in with the front desk. However if they say there are lots of sicker people who are waiting ahead of you, get comfortable and try to be patient as you wait your turn.

• Why aren’t I being seen faster?

  • Who gets seen first in the ED - The order of who gets seen first is not based on when people get there. It is based on a combination of complaint or illness/injury severity, timing, and who shows up next. Remember that the ED has two entrances - the front entrance where triage and the waiting room is + the ambulance entrance which you cannot see from the waiting room. The waiting room may be empty but ambulances might not stop coming, so it may appear that the ED is not busy from the waiting room while all the rooms are actually full of patients with a line out the ambulance door in the back. Please be patient as we work to get you and your loved one taken care of.

• Who can come into the ED to visit or accompany me or my loved one?

  • It all depends. - This is a hard one. During high COVID-19 surges, there are often NO VISITORS allowed in the ED. The only exceptions are an adult guardian for minors, possibly a care giver or guardian for memory (EX: dementia) or cognitively impaired or delayed patients, and end-of-life patients. When it is not a COVID-19 surge, the ED usually will limit visitors to one per patient. Please keep all minors home who don’t need to be there - siblings of a kiddo being seen for example. Encourage worried family members not to come to the ED in times of crisis. I always recommend making a point person for communication for the family or friends so that all info is filtered through one person. It can be a great tool to keep communication clear and concise.

• What should I bring to the ED if I am going as a visitor or as a patient?

  • If you are the patient and not going by ambulance (AKA - you have time to think about what to bring and collect it all.) - Things to bring - A LIST OF YOUR CURRENT HOME MEDICATIONS or your actual pill bottles of current meds, your POLST or advance directive if you have a copy, ID card, health insurance card, credit card, your cell phone, CELL PHONE CHARGER (the longer the cord the better) with wall plug, a change of clothes, a book or something to read, a computer or tablet if you need it. We usually encourage people not to bring valuables unless they absolutely need it because things can go missing in the ED. I wish that wasn’t the case, but just know it happens. DO NOT BRING FOOD OR DRINK TO CONSUME unless you can wait until after you see the provider and are told by the nursing staff that you can eat.

    • Free advice - DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ONCE YOU ARE IN THE ED.

  • If you are the patient and are brought in an ambulance - You bring exactly what EMS or the firemen say you can bring. Do not hold up anything if medics are trying to get you in an ambulance. If you do have a minute, grab A LIST OF YOUR CURRENT HOME MEDICATIONS or your actual pill bottles of current meds, your POLST or advance directive if you have a copy, ID card, health insurance card, credit card, your cell phone, CELL PHONE CHARGER (the longer the cord the better) with wall plug.

  • If you are a visitor to someone who came by ambulance as a patient - Often the patient will not have time to grab anything at all, so you can try to collect things for them.

    • In this case, I recommend bringing the following for a loved one in the ED who is a patient: A LIST OF THEIR CURRENT HOME MEDICATIONS or their actual pill bottles of current meds, their POLST or advance directive if they have a copy, ID card, health insurance card, credit card, their cell phone, CELL PHONE CHARGER (the longer the cord the better) with wall plug, a change of clothes, a book or something to read, a computer or tablet if they need it. We usually encourage people not to bring valuables unless they absolutely need it because things can go missing in the ED. I wish that wasn’t the case, but just know it happens. DO NOT BRING FOOD OR DRINK TO CONSUME for them. Just don’t. No patient in the ED should eat until instructed to do so by their ED nurse.

  • As a visitor of a patient in the ED, you really just need stuff to occupy yourself, keep your devices charged (the longer the cords the better + the wall plug), and $$$ to buy stuff to feed YOURSELF (NOT THE PATIENT until the ED nurse says so), and a way to get home. If it is a COVID-19 surge, ED staff will most likely not let you in the building, and you will have the option of waiting in your car in the parking lot or somewhere near by.

  • If you are a visitor who is not let in the ED and has to wait outside for updates, make sure the ED staff has your correct phone number. And make sure that you have a correct phone number that you can call for updates. We really mean well in the ED and try to call with updates when we can, but you may want to call and get updates at regular intervals. Ask the ED staff what those regular intervals are. Results come back at expected times, so staff should be able to tell you when the next update in information will be. If they say don’t call back for an hour, listen to them. If you call back too often, you will not get any updates and further stress the already stressed out ED staff.

• What will happen to me or my loved one in the ED?

  • In the majority of situations, you will either stay overnight in the hospital or get discharged home. - There are only two final options as a patient - you will stay or go.

    • Staying overnight in the hospital is called “being admitted to the hospital”. For an admission to occur, you will need to be seen by an “admitting doctor” which can be a hospitalist (think your main doctor for your hospital stay) or a specialist depending on your injury or illness. This doctor is different from the ED provider/MD. The admission doctor will see you after your initial ED work-up (all the tests done in the ED to determine if you need to stay overnight in the hospital or not) is completed. Whoever the admitting doctor is, they will have to evaluate you or the patient (your loved one) and write admission orders. This is done still in the emergency department. At that time, they will request an inpatient/admission bed for you. That bed will then need to be assigned. This bed is a bed NOT in the emergency department, but in a different part of the hospital where you will stay for the duration of your hospital stay. It can take hours to days at times (sorry - blame COVID-19) but usually hours to get this bed assigned. Then you will be transported to that assigned room via a ride in an ED gurney (bed with wheels) or a wheelchair. Then you will be assigned a new nurse and settled into your room for your continued hospital care!

    • Being discharged home from the ED means that you are not sick or injured badly enough to need to stay overnight in the hospital. Congratulations! You get to go home! What will happen next - the ED MD will come tell you about all your test results, give you verbal discharge instructions, and tell you to go home. But WAIT! You still have to wait for the PRINTED discharge instructions and the official discharge talk from your ED nurse before you actually physically go home. If you don’t get printed discharge instructions and any paper copies of prescriptions (or instructions that your prescriptions have been sent to your pharmacy), you are not ready to go home yet. The ED nurse does this with you. You usually hear about your follow-up care plan, recommended follow-up appointments (as applicable), and a review of any medications you need to continue at home + where to get them. Listen to all of this. It may be a very quick talk with the nurse. You will probably be in a rush and trying to figure out how to get home + a million other things, but this talk with the MD and the ED nurse are often your best chance to get your initial questions answered.

    • If you get discharged home, you should ask for a copy of all your test results and a disc with all your imaging on it. - Depending on the facility, they will be able to get this to you in the ED at the time of your visit. In some facilities, they will tell you to go online and find this information via an online patient portal. At other facilities, you will be instructed to make a request via the Medical Records department. Whatever the answer, fine, but make sure you ASK FOR A COPY BEFORE YOU GO. If you forget, it’s fine. It’s just often easiest to get this info at the time of discharge.

    • If you get discharged home, do not forget to ask for any valuables that may have been locked up during your stay. - You will know if this is applicable. In some cases as an ED patient, you will be stripped down to your birthday suit, all your belongings placed in a bag, and locked up in a locker. At the end of your visit, make sure to claim your valuables. This is often at Security or Registration (front desk).

• Getting home from the Emergency Department - You will need to get home if you are discharged from the ED. There are a few options.

  • If you are able to walk and talk, you get to figure out how to get home. If you arrived by ambulance, an ambulance will not take you home. You should consider calling a friend or family member, use a ride share service (EX: Uber, Lyft), or have the ED call you a taxi (Note: you will have to pay for this).

  • If you cannot walk or need O2 or other assistance due to chronic health conditions or new illness/injury, a non-emergency ambulance can be arranged to get you home. However this is done under very specific situations for insurance to cover this. Please ask your nurse about this if you think you or your loved one qualifies.

  • If you are a visitor for a loved one in the ED who is being discharged, feel free to drive them home (if appropriate). One of the best things you can do for a patient in the ED is provide a ride home. Make sure that they get all their belongings and have their discharge instructions (paper copy) before you leave. It is usually best to drive up to the entrance for the shortest walk/wheelchair ride to the car. if you or your loved one needs assistance to the car, let the ED staff know. If someone is available, they will be happy to help! It may just take a little while as most ED’s are very, very busy at the moment.

I hope that helps! That definitely does not cover it all, but I think it hits the basics on how to navigate the confusing world that is the emergency department as a patient or visitor. Please know that every emergency department staff is doing their best every day, every shift, but we are under unprecedented (and I HATE that word) stress right now. It is feast or famine in the ED, meaning that it is either the busiest day of the millennia or it is deathly chill. You never know when that will change, so make sure you bring your PATIENCE when visiting us.

— Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

PS. A few additional tips for anyone coming to the emergency department that will make the ED staff much more likely to be in a better mood with you:

1. DO NOT yell, insult, harass, or even consider being violent with ED staff.

2. NEVER say that it is “qui*t” in the ED. - If there are not a lot of people in the ED, please never say that it is the “q-word”. It is bad luck. Just don’t say it. Also avoid using the word “sl+w”.

3. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ONCE YOU ARE IN THE ED IF YOU ARE A PATIENT. Don’t eat on the way to the ED. Just don’t do it. And do not eat again until your ED NURSE says that it is ok. Not the ED MD, the ED Nurse. Just trust me on this.

4. If you are a visitor, do not ask the ED staff for food or beverages beyond water for yourself. There is usually a cafeteria. Or if you are allowed to leave and come back, feel free to go hit up vending machines or a close by drive-thru. We are here to care for your loved one, not you. No offense. And NEVER feed or give something to drink to the patient. See #2 again.

5. If we ask you for a urine specimen, please get it to us as quickly as possible. We need it. We really do.

6. If there are other kids in your family that do not need to be at the ED if you are there, please try to find someone to come get them or take care of them before you come. You do not want your kid in the ED unless they are being seen as a patient. I understand extenuating circumstances happen, but this will make everything easier for everyone if extra kids aren’t there.

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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Corona Conversations Vol. 3: Living with the Trauma from COVID19 for Nurses with Lauren Funiestas

Being a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic is not just hard, it’s traumatic.

Did you ever think of that?

I was lucky enough to sit down with my dear friend and favorite human, Lauren Funiestas, an experienced mental health provider who is passionate about providing multicultural, trauma informed care, for an insightful conversation about the stress and trauma that working during COVID19 has caused for the mental health fo frontline healthcare workers. We talked about how best to manage that stress and what you can do to be mentally and emotionally well during this challenging time.

And like any good conversation, we recorded it on Zoom! Enjoy the latest edition of Corona Conversations over on the New Thing Nurse YouTube channel. Cheers!

Bio: Lauren Funiestas is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who has worked exclusively in the forensic/community mental health field since 2007. She is currently preparing to take the California BBS license exam. She’s provided multicultural, trauma informed and mindfulness based individual/group therapy, case management and psycho education services within residential treatment facilities, school-based children’s mental health programs, public health clinics and detention facilities. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from San Francisco State University and her Master of Arts from John F Kennedy University’s Holistic Counseling / Transpersonal Psychology program. Lauren self identifies as a Transnational feminist, Filipina/Island girl and a champion for the advancement of communities of color within the mental health field. She believes strongly in decolonization, honoring the spirit and using all of your paid time off for self care. Lauren is a former body builder, white belt jiu jitsu champion (that counts) and her favorite TV character is Olivia Benson from Law & Order SVU.

Resources for Mental Health Support:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

• Crisis Text Line - Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - https://www.nami.org

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Corona Conversations Vol. 2: Working a COVID-19 Relief Travel Assignment in NYC, Being a New Nurse during the Pandemic, & more with Mica David of @registerednoire

Remember how hard it was being a new nurse? No imagine that you are a new nurse during a pandemic.

COVID-19 has been a challenge for everyone in the medical field but for our new nurses, it has been a real shift show. No one taught them to be prepared for a pandemic in nursing school. This year has been a real baptism by fire for us all, and one new nurse has jumped in head first into the chaos.

I want to introduce you to Mica David of @registerednoire. Mica and I met through the Emergency Nurses Association this year, and I have been following her ever since. Mica is a young nurse from Georgia (my home state!) who started her career at a busy Level II trauma center emergency department last year and has recently transitioned to travel nursing. Mica is currently working NYC on a COVID-19 relief contract as her first assignment!

I got to sit down with Mica on one of her days off to discuss what it is like working in NYC on a disaster relief assignment, being a new nurse during COVID-19, and what she is doing to cope with the stress of it all. Mica has some great tips for newer nurses considering travel nursing and shares her post-shift COVID-19 decon process for her apartment (this was fascinating to me - i’m a mega-nerd). Happy watching!

- Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

Follow Mica’s adventures on social media:

Instagram - @registerednoire

YouTube - @registerednoire

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Corona Conversations Vol 1: Nursing, Stress, Mental Health, PPE, & more with Sarah of New Thing Nurse & Anna of The Burnout Book

Is this pandemic over yet?

We’ve officially been sheltered in place for over a month here in Oakland, California, and I am feeling it. The stress of everything related to the novel corona virus/COVID-19 is making life in and out of the hospital hard. I have had up’s and down’s with my mental health. I feel that I am now on an upswing, but that definitely can change day-to-day. Some shifts at work are awful - I had a total meltdown this week in the ED. Other shifts are just fine.

On Monday, 4/13, I had the chance to sit down and chat with Anna Rodriguez of The Burnout Book via the almighty Zoom and discuss everything that is going on with nursing in the time of COVID-19. We decided to record the conversation and share it with you all. I hope you enjoy!

Without further ado, I present to you Corona Conversations Vol 1 on the brand new New Thing Nurse YouTube channel:

Description: Sarah from New Thing Nurse and Anna Rodriguez from The Burnout Book have a Corona Conversation about the status of their nurse mental health and wellness as of 4/13/2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah and Anna also have a robust discussion on COVID-19 stress and the PPE shortage, how that affects our ability to provide compassionate patient care, and tools on how to reconnect with our patients and nursing community. Plus get Anna and Sarah's Top 3 Tips of the Week on how to make it work as a nurse during the novel corona virus crisis. Enjoy!

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COVID-19 & My Nurse Mental Health - I feel like shit that has been trampled by elephants.

I literally can’t get out of bed some days. 

Everything makes me cry. 

Going through the day feels like walking through waist-deep mud.

I am tired of talking to people who are not my nurse or healthcare friends. No one else understands.

This is what COVID-19 has done to me. I have not caught it. I am physically well but mentally, I feel like shit that has been trampled by elephants over and over again.

If you are in the healthcare field, you may know what I’m talking about. There is a constant dread during every waking moment. It is a heaviness that for me, is often on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I have heard others describe a giant pit in their stomach that will not go away. 

And your dread is valid. This effing novel corona virus is a REAL bitch, and it’s killing healthcare workers around the world. 

Plus, we are often being expected to work without the equipment we need to stay safe and keep our patients safe. It’s a time when we are being called “heroes” but are being treated like trash. 

Yet there are people out there who care. I see social media posts, public displays of appreciation, and huge philanthropic efforts to support us. Everyone I know texts, calls, or emails. They all want to know the same thing - “How are you?” 

I don’t know how to answer.

I want to say - “I am awful. I am afraid. I am worried about every one of my friends and loved ones getting sick or dying. I can’t see my family or best friends. I’m terrified that I am going to bring this wretched virus home to my husband. I am so lonely that I can’t move. Every shift gives me a panic attack before and after and sometimes during… but otherwise, I’m good. Have you watched Tiger King yet?”

I don’t think that’s what people are hoping for…

Thankfully, I have amazing friends.

A brilliant nurse friend and colleague of mine posted the most eloquent response to this question, which I have now borrowed with her permission and will use as the response for me, and I think, most nurses right now: 

“People keep asking how I'm doing. I wanted to be very honest, so here it is. Strap in - this is long.

We are struggling.

The burden of this pandemic weighs so heavily on us. We are bearing the weight of the world on our shoulders and we aren’t sure that we are strong enough.

We carry a rock in our stomachs and a lump in our throats which have taken up permanent residence and from which we cannot be released.

We put on a brave face, but we are taking enough antacids to medicate an elephant. If we are already on antidepressants, we’ve increased them. If we aren’t on them, we are considering starting them.

We’ve stopped worrying that we’ll bring this home to our families anymore. We’ve taken that as a given. We worry that our family members could be the vectors who unknowingly spread the virus to somebody else. We need to protect the world from US.

For that reason, we take social distancing extremely seriously. Guess what? That social distancing, though? It’s killing us. We are empaths. It is both our nature and our job and now we can’t give our love to anyone. Do you know how much we could all use a hug right now? We can’t have one. Our children miss their relatives and are begging for real in-person hugs and we can’t let them. Our hearts ache.

We worry.

We worry about all of the same things that you do. We worry about our families, but we don’t get to dwell on that because we’re worried about your families, too. We worry that you will be the patient we have to tell, “I’m so sorry, but due to the isolation precautions we will all be trying our best not to enter your room after I leave. Here is your call bell. Let us know if you need anything!” We worry that you will feel alone. We worry that it will be the last words you hear from another human before you are gasping for air and we have to intubate you with no family present and nobody to hold your hand.

We worry that our kids will internalize our grief, anxiety and depression due to what we face each day.

We worry that you call us heroes. We don’t feel like heroes at all. We are just as frightened as you are.

We feel guilty to be gainfully employed when so many are not. However, we worry what the ultimate price will be for continuing to do the job we love so much.

We feel sorrow for the lives lost and for the many more that we are bound to lose due to poor planning and preparation.

We feel disposable. Under a president who refuses to acknowledge the severity of this pandemic, the CDC making subpar recommendations for PPE, a national administration that has been unable to equip its frontline staff appropriately to protect themselves so that we can SAVE FUCKING LIVES – WE FEEL DISPOSABLE.

Despite all of this, we will still SHOW UP. Because when you are a nurse, it is more than a job. It’s a calling. It’s what we do. We SHOW UP.

To all of our colleagues – from EVS to RT to MD and everyone in between – THANK YOU for showing up.

To all other essential employees of the world – THANK YOU – for feeding us, delivering our mail, picking up our trash, keeping the streets safe. THANK YOU.

And to those who are forced and/or able to stay home, THANK YOU for doing your part to flatten the curve. We know that it is not without great sacrifices for many.

To those who are donating, volunteering, sewing masks and caps, lifting us up in prayer, helping your neighbors, and spreading kindness and love – THANK YOU.

This is a battle that we are all fighting together and everyone plays their respective part, so THANK YOU.”

 - Ginelle Rasch, Emergency Department Nurse

I know. Ginelle is THE BEST.

Things are so hard. If things seem impossible for you too, know that you are not alone. I feel the same. Ginelle feels that same. But somehow, together, we are going to get through this. 

And if you need a little extra help to push through, that’s totally ok too. In the past few weeks, I have switched my SSRIs, increased my talk therapy appointments (via telephone), and have had to be very open with friends and colleagues about my mental health needs. 

Your mental health is important, just as important as your physical health. Take time to care for yourself. And know that you are definitely not alone. 

- Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

Here are a few resources that I am using to help me get through the days. Maybe they will help you too:

Crisis Text Line - Mental Health Support via Text

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) COVID-19 Resources & Information Guide

Podcast: Kate Bowler - Everything Happens, “The Emergency Button”.

Podcast: The Hilarious World of Depression - Call a Friend, Find Out How They’re Doing.

I tried yoga once so far. It was nice. This yoga is free! - Down Dog

Connecting with friends:

Art of Emergency Nursing Podcast Episode with Me, Kristen Cline, & Kevin McFarlane

FB Live Fill Your Cup Virtual Meetup with Anna Rodriguez of The Burnout Book

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Crafts for Healthcare Workers: Make Headbands with Buttons to Save Our Ears with Mary Olp of The Irish Thread Creations

If you’re a nurse, doctor, respiratory therapist, CNA, PCA, or any other healthcare worker right now, I bet your ears hurt from wearing a surgical mask 24/7. Pain, skin breakdown, and more are happening to our ears as we work to care for COVID9 patients.

Well like all of today’s problems, the internet has given us a remedy for our surgical mask induced ear discomfort! Headbands with buttons sewn to them which allows healthcare workers to place ear loops over the buttons instead of their ears! #happyears

There are a lot of photos circulating on social media, and all of them look great! But my friend Mary Olp, a former emergency nurse, sewing guru, and the brain behind the Facebook page The Irish Thread, has created a pattern for all you crafty nurses and nurse supporters out there!!!

Note - These headbands SHOULD NOT be used with N95 masks as it may affect the seal. 

Ear Saver Headbands for Healthcare Workers

Wearing Surgical Masks Pattern & Instructions

by Mary Olp of The Irish Thread Creations

Once done, consider distributing to your nursing department, local hospital, and beyond! Make sure to take photos and send them to New Thing Nurse - newthingnurse@newthingnurse.com and The Irish Thread Creations.

Thanks to Mary and all the crafty folks out there who will be saving our ears!! 🧵💛 

To learn more about Mary Olp and The Irish Thread Creations:

The Irish Thread Creations Facebook Page

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COVID19 at the Border: How Nurses are Caring for At-Risk Patients & How You Can Help Too

I met Helen Perry through the Emergency Nurses Association grapevine and the almighty Facebook. Helen is a Nurse Practitioner and veteran of the United States Army as well as an Emergency Nurse sister, and I could not be happier that our paths collided as she is a most inspiring nurse leader and humanitarian.

Let me tell you about Helen Perry…

After serving five years as a nurse in the military, Helen went to Georgetown University and received her Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree. While on break during her NP program, Helen went to Mosul, Iraq with a humanitarian organization called Global Response Management (GRM) and helped run Trauma Stabilization Points for civilians who were injured in the fighting. She was hooked! Helen loved how GRM applied military medical philosophies to civilian situations and managed healthcare challenges with an outside-the-box approach. 

Today, Helen heads the day-to-day operations of GRM and founded a program and clinic in Matamoros, Mexico that has provided medical care for over 3,000 asylum seekers and refugees since opening in September 2019. The GRM teams of highly trained medical volunteers work in the camp seven days a week to help families facing acute and chronic medical conditions to get the care they need. 

Find out more about Global Response Management

Global Response Management’s Mobile Medical Unit and Better Shelter tent structures, currently sit in the middle of the camp allowing residents full access to medical care every day of the week.

A view of the tents housing thousands of refugees at the border between Texas and Mexico.

A Global Response Management staff member plays with a young patient through the fence at the border.

COVID19 & Border Health 

Now that COVID19 has arrived, the needs of the patients in Matamoros are rapidly changing. The GRM clinic is the main medical resource for the area and is planning to increase their level of operations in preparation for higher acuity patient care needs as COVID19 continues to spread. 

Give to Global Response Management

Helen and the Global Response Management team need our help! To get the GRM Matamoros clinic ready for the potential COVID19 patient surge, Global Response Management needs funding. If you are a nurse, know a nurse, involved in emergency nursing, management, or have a passion for supporting at-risk patient populations, consider donating to the Global Response Management program in Matamoros. They are urgently in need of financial support to care for those who have no where else to go. 

Donate to the Global Response Management Matamoros Program

A Global Response Management clinic offering medical attention to asylum seekers and refugees.

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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COVID-19 is here! 😳 What does that mean for nurses?

COVID-19 is here! 😳 What does that mean for nurses?

Generally, it means chaos in our workplaces. The information related to COVID-19 (aka Corona Virus) is constantly evolving creating confusion and misinformation everywhere. This can make every shift 12+ hours of stress for nurses and other healthcare colleagues.

Here are my top tips for managing the stress of being a nurse during a pandemic:

1. Stay up to date! - The information is changing hour to hour. Keep informed by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 page. It has the most current information available with the recommended guidelines for healthcare workers.

2. Keep clean! - Washing your hands seems like an eye roll worthy recommendation, but it is necessary to decrease your risk of exposure and transmission. I found this great article that gives some of my favorite songs as tunes to use to make sure that you are washing your hands for the recommended 20+ seconds.

3. Sick? Stay away from others. - Like any time that you are ill, stay home, cuddle up, and watch some TV. If you want to really get into the outbreak spirit, check out the Netflix docuseries “Pandemic.” I LOVED IT!

4. Make some mental space for yourself while at work - Your shifts are stressful on a normal day but then you get to go to work in a pandemic - AHHHHHHH! Now is an even more important time to take time for yourself to create mental calm so that you can be your best self for work and home. Check out this New Thing Nurse Blog post that offers a few tips on how to keep calm during a stressful shift.

Remember - Take care of yourself so that you can take care of others.

- Sarah @ NTN

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Resource Page

New Thing Nurse Blog - When the Shift Hits the Fan

Atlanta Magazine - 9 Atlanta Songs to Help You Keep Time for Hand Washing

Pandemic Docuseries on Netflix

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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Guest Blog Post: Finding My People as a New Grad Nurse with Ted Rossini, BSN, RN, PHN

Hello New Thing Nurse Tribe! 

My name is Ted, and I am a new nurse who graduated in June 2019. I found my first job working at the Student Health Unit for the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA. When I started my nursing journey, I couldn't have known that I would end up here, nor could I have foreseen what a good fit it would be for me.

Before nursing school, I worked as a preschool teacher, a barista, a planetarium presenter, a waiter, a resident assistant for foster youth, and a summer camp director. I lived in four states earning just enough to pay taxes and in another five states for short stints with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps NCCC. I accidentally fell into healthcare when I became an EMT while earning a FireFighter-1 Certification. All this is to say, I knew I had a lot of experience but was unsure how I'd fit into the nursing world when I graduated.

Sarah from New Thing Nurse visited my school in Fall 2018 with a presentation on the importance of self-care and avoiding burnout. At that point I was already feeling burnt out from nursing school and really didn’t know what type of nursing I'd like to pursue upon graduation. I was also hearing healthcare professionals tell the world that turning 36 hour weeks with lots of overtime is bad for them and bad for patients’ health. One thing that really stood out from the New Thing Nurse presentation was a picture of Sarah with her shift mates doing a silly dance on a slide entitled - "Find Your People." 

From my experience in EMS and non-profits, I was already familiar with how much self-care outside of the job and taking breaks was key to avoiding burnout. But this concept of "finding your people" was a new idea for me. So often I was devoted to the work that whoever my coworkers were just happened to be who they were. It was a very strong tool I carried with me on each clinical rotation throughout nursing school and sure enough, the rotations that were the most fun and meaningful had less to do with where I was than who I was with. Put me with someone who liked their job and wanted to help people, and I was happy in all kinds of clinical settings from Pediatric Heme One, the Cardiac ICU, Med-Surg, NICU, to orthopedic rehab. 

And then there was my nursing school cohort. I love my cohort dearly and wouldn't trade them for anything, but so often in class, my views and values clashed with theirs. I would often hear my fellow nursing students say things like - "I'm going to be in a level 5 NICU" or "I'm going to be an ICU nurse" . In protest, I declared - "I'm going to be a school nurse."

After I calmed down and took some breaths, I remembered once working as an EMT at a Renaissance Fair. I had met someone who was studying American Sign Language (ASL) and had just been accepted to a graduate program. In my travels and previous jobs, I had actually learned a fair amount of ASL and interacted with a large deaf community in my early adulthood. That was when I remembered that the California School for the Deaf was near my nursing school, and I had a simple thought - “It's a boarding school, so they must need nurses.”

I looked, and there was a position open! I kept my eye on that post for four months while I finished school, recovered from my preceptorship, and finally studied for and passed the NCLEX. I wasn't sure what I'd find there, and I certainly had almost no experience with the blind community. But even before I was hired, school staff were so kind and welcoming. 

Ultimately, I applied and got the job! On my second day, there was a "True Colors" team building exercise where I got to really know my coworkers and felt immediately at home. I quickly discovered a friend, who is now one of my mentors, who loves theater (like me!) so I joined her and her husband for a play my very first weekend on the job. I quickly realized that I had found my people - we're huggers, we like to laugh, we like watching kids grow from children into adults, and we wear fun scrubs. A great moment came when my mentor and her husband joined my grandmother, aunt, mother, and myself for Hamilton. She wanted to get a picture with just her and me, and I quickly thought we should make a sign together as one. She immediately knew the best sign: Nurse!

- Ted, School Nurse

Photo: Ted and mentor make the American Sign Language sign for “nurse”.

Photo: Ted and his colleagues are doing "serious” work at the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA.

Photo: Ted and colleagues in the fun scrubs on Crazy Hair/Punk Day during spirit week.

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About the Author - Ted Rossini, BSN, RN, PHN works at the Student Health Unit at the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA. When Ted is not at work, he enjoys attending the theater with family and friends.

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The Business of Nursing: An Interview with Amelia Roberts

I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with Amelia Roberts, RN for her Business of Nursing podcast, a project that Amelia started to showcase the variety of nursing businesses, what works, and what doesn’t for nurse entrepreneurs. Amelia is a former GI and Endoscopy nurse and digital native who officially became a practitioner of online marketing twelve years ago with a role as a virtual assistant. Student loans from nursing school inspired her to put her marketing experience to use and she started offering social media management support to a variety of purpose-driven organizations.

Shortly after, Amelia had the opportunity to become an online community manager for a health literacy association and later dove into social media data analytics with Stanford University’s MedX project. Along the way she saw a need for other health professionals to start disseminating their expertise and make reliable health content easy to find. One thing lead to another and Amelia now works as a visibility expert and digital marketing consultant, helping under-recognized professionals become thought leaders by skipping the maddening world of Facebook Ads, sales funnels, and algorithm changes. Amelia coaches her clients to engage online collaborative partners such as podcast hosts, bloggers, and social media referral networks who already have the “know, like, and trust” of thousands of supporters.

I asked Amelia a few questions to answer for the New Thing Nurse Blog. Read below to get her perspecive on transitioning from bedside nursing to starting her own business where she helps clients in optimizing their human potential.

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New Thing Nurse (NTN): The New Thing Nurse Blog is all about learning from each other by sharing our professional journeys. How did you fall into nursing? And what area of nursing did you start in?

Amelia Roberts (AR): My upbringing was influenced by women in my family who were either teachers or nurses, a group that has sometimes been called the “Pink Ghetto.” While I loved technology and computers, my mom said she would pay for school if I became a nurse like her, so I did. Yet I never loved working MedSurg, nights, weekends or holidays, so I started my nursing career in the outpatient world with GI/Endoscopy Nursing.  

NTN: Now that we know where you started, tell us about where you are now. What motivated you to make that transition into your "new thing" as you call it on your website - a Human Potential Optimizer? 

AR: Over the course of figuring out what I was born to do as a human, I looked at all of the things I enjoyed and projects that went well. They all had a common thread: I help people survive, thrive and get to their highest potential, at the bedside, in the boardroom or in their business. In short, I help people get visible, be seen and live optimized lives. 

This realization is what moved me into this work being a visibility expert and human potential optimizer.  

NTN: Do you have any tips for anyone out there who might be considering jumping into a "new thing" of their own, especially for any of our nurse readers who might be interested in launching their own business? 

AR: Yes, as nurses our greatest fear is killing someone. Please note that death need not be a concern when it comes to trying your new thing! In short, you will not die nor will you likely kill anyone by choosing a new path that serves you best. 

NTN: What has been the best thing that you have invested in to help with your "new thing"? What was the least helpful? 

AR: Investing in reputable coaching has been the best thing that has helped me with my new thing. There is a lot of information that they do not teach in nursing school, so a good coach can shave YEARS off of a pretty steep learning curve. 

On the other end, some so-called “Experts” have been the least helpful. 

Following the advice of some "Gurus" led me to think that I needed to do #allofthethings just to get my business to take off, yet when in reality is was about having a specific outbound client getting plan and then working that plan to get clients. 

NTN: I love the idea behind your blog and podcast. Can you tell us more about the podcast and what inspired you to start it? 

AR: As I started helping people get visible and grow their audience, other  people seemed to be surprised that as a nurse I had the ability to learn something new. In short others were surprised that a nurse could learn a new skill such as marketing and get people results. 

Because of this knowledge gap, I created The Business of Nursing Blog to show that nurses are capable of learning MANY new things and our skills ARE transferable and VALUABLE in places beyond the bedside and traditional nursing roles. Related, I also wanted to use my blog to bring new resources to the attention of nurses who are thinking about what else is out there for them. 

NTN: Do you have any exciting "new things" in the future? 

AR: Yes, I plan to focus on helping under-recognized professionals grow their visibility by being featured as guest experts on podacasts, in Facebook groups and on virtual summits of their best buyers, clients and referral partners. 

NTN: Do you have any other advice for our readers?

AR: Yes, when it comes to reaching out for something new, dare to believe that it will be easy. 

Sometimes we have fears related to how hard something will be, yet many times people are seeking for someone with just the sort of skills you offer. You just may be the the solution that someone has been dreaming about having in their life!

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Listen to my interview with Amelia on her podcast, The Business of Nursing here:

Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL on The Business of Nursing Podcast

How to find out more about Amelia Roberts, RN and her many projects:

Solutions by Amelia Website

Amelia Roberts, RN on LinkedIn

Amelia Roberts, RN on Facebook

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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#MakeItHappEN: The New Thing Nurse & Emergency Nurses Association Partnership to Support Nursing Students & New Nurses

Did you hear the big news?

New Thing Nurse and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) have teamed up to provide more support to nursing students and new nurses who are interested in pursuing careers in the emergency department!

Repost from the ENA Instagram: 📣 ENA has some exciting news! Whether you're a student nurse or a recent grad, ENA wants to support you during those important early steps of your nursing career. To do that, ENA has combined its resources and partnered with ENA member and popular career coach Sarah Wells!

Together with New Thing Nurse, ENA brings you career tips from an emergency nurse who has gone from student to the front line of an ED. #MakeItHappEN

- Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

Learn more about how ENA and New Thing Nurse can help you: www.ena.org/makeithappen

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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Be the Change Agent: An Interview with Lauren Plaine

I met Lauren Plaine at Emergency Nurses Association’s (ENA) national conference Emergency Nursing 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was the 2018 Emerging Professional Liaison to the National ENA Board. This was the first year that this role had been established, and Lauren was the pioneer to first take on the position. Lauren put her incredible energy and poise to work as a representative for ENA’s emerging professional membership to voice their opinions and needs to the Board of Directors.

I have had the chance to get to know Lauren over the last year and was lucky enough to get to ask her about her experience as a voice for new nurses across the county and about her next new things.

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New Thing Nurse (NTN): The New Thing Nurse Blog is all about learning from each other by sharing our professional journeys. How did you fall into nursing? And what area of nursing did you start in?

Lauren Plaine (LP): Well I definitely fell into nursing.  Growing up I always wanted to be a doctor, but that was not in the plans for me.  I completed an EMT class in high school and began running with my local rescue squad my junior year.  My initial major was athletic training until I realized that I really did not want to stand on the side of a high school football field for the rest of my life.  Through running rescue, I had interacted with the nurses in the ER and decided maybe I could be a nurse.  In nursing school, I worked as an ER Tech and my manager picked me up as a new graduate.  Honestly, had she not hired me I’m not sure I would still be a nurse today because I love working in the ER. 

NTN: You are a very active member in the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), the largest professional organization in the world for emergency nurses, and had a very special role with them in 2018. Can you tell us about ENA, why you are so active with them, and about your amazing role within the organization that you held all last year? 

LP: I am someone who will ask you all about “the why” of a decision.  I like to know how you got to your conclusion and after many questions, my manager encouraged me to join ENA to help understand why we do what we do in the ER and how our practice is guided.  From there, I became very involved in my local chapter finding that ENA truly is a resource for education and networking, but even more so a community of like-minded ER nurses who simply want to better our corner of the world.  On a whim, yes a whim (ask my mother), I applied for the Emerging Professional Liaison position for the National Board of Directors.  Stunned when I received my confirmation of appointment, I could not image the level of inclusivity that I was about to experience.  I sat as a non-voting board member, but was treated like any other director.  All of the board members valued my perspective and opinion. Millennials are the largest group in the nursing workforce, and with this role I felt that ENA values our perspective and is placing an emphasis on cultivating the next generation of nurses and leaders.

NTN: How was it being a younger nurse on a board with such experienced nurse leaders? What lessons did you learn from that experience that you have found valuable as a newer nurse and new nurse leader? 

LP: It is very intimidating to be the youngest and least experienced at a board table.  I was not sure I wanted to speak at all the first meeting for fear that I would sound unintelligent and inexperienced.  Let’s be honest, my previous baby nurse experiences in the ER were not always welcoming.  During my first meeting when I was holding back, Jeff Solheim, 2018 ENA President, called me out for my opinion and to offer the emerging professional perspective (insert sweaty palms here).  As I shared, I found everyone listening intently just as they had to other perspectives.  What I learned is that our engaged ENA leaders truly care what everyone has to say.  What I found meeting after meeting is that even as an emerging professional, I have the ability to make change with the help of this organization.     

NTN: What motivated you to make that transition into your "new thing" as the Emerging Professional Liaison?

LP: Everyone complains about their problems and the problems in their department or lives, but you are just as much of the problem if you sit idly by.  Be the change agent.  I was tired of accepting the status quo and decided that it was not enough for me any more.  You are responsible for living every moment.  So, I ask myself frequently - Are you satisfied with your life or is there something you can change to make it and the world a better place?

NTN: Do you have any tips for anyone out there who might be considering jumping into a "new thing" of their own, especially for any of our newer nurse readers? 

LP: I have three suggestions for anyone who is thinking about jumping into their new thing.  First, stop the self-doubt and go after what it is you want.  Only you can change the life you live.  Second, ask yourself what is your why?  What drives you to make this change?  Write it down and post it somewhere you can see it every day.  Third, be aggressive about your ambition.  Stop holding back, because the world could be a very different place if you actively seek to improve yourself and the world around you. 

NTN: The focus of New Thing Nurse is supporting nurses as they find their "new thing." As you have now completed your year as the first ever Emerging Professional Liaison for ENA, what will be your "new thing" for 2019? 

LP: My new thing is my national committee appointment.  I am serving a two-year term for ENA’s Emergency Management & Preparedness Committee.  Emergency and disaster management is something that I am very passionate about and I am perusing my Master’s in this field of study.  My other new thing is public speaking.  I hope to make new opportunities in 2019 for speaking engagements.  

NTN: I happen to know that you are also super passionate about physical fitness. Can you tell our readers about why physical fitness is important to you, and how it helps in your nursing practice? 

LP: I use fitness as an outlet for my stress, but I also think its important for us to be examples of health to our patients.  It’s also nice to work with a different population.  In the hospital we see a lot of people who do not value their health, but at the gym everyone in my classes comes because they actually care. 

NTN: Do you have any other advice for our readers?

LP: Find your why.  Why nursing as a career?  Why you went to the gym? Why you ate that delicious pizza (jk… maybe?).  But in all seriousness, asking yourself to evaluate the why behind the important things in your life will help you with personal development and creating a better future you.

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Aren’t you feeling amazing about the future of nursing? I know that I am.

To see more from Lauren Plaine, you can come to ENA’s National Conference, EN19, in Austin, Texas (I’ll be there too!) this fall where she will be speaking more on how to engage and support the next generation of nurses. YASSS!!!

For more details >> ENA’s National Conference - EN19 in Austin, TX

Lauren was ENA’s first-ever Emerging Professional Liaison to the National Board of Directors.

Lauren and Sarah (ME) at our first ENA rendez-vous in Pittsburgh, PA at EN18 last year.

Lauren rocking some PPE as she prepares to jump into a trauma case.

Lauren Plaine speaking at the Emergency Nurses Association's 2019 State and Chapter Leaders Orientation in Chicago, Illinois.

Perfectly poised for a 2018 ENA Connection photo shoot.

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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It's Time to Take the "Us" Out of "Uterus"

Now hear me out – I think it’s time to take the “us” out of “uterus”.

I know this sounds strange, but I think I understand now why there is all this confusion about who gets to manage what goes on inside the apparently troublesome organ currently known as the uterus.

I believe I have found the root of the problem. The problem is there is no “i” in uterus.

The Strength of the Letter “i”

The letter “i’ seems to help with the clarity of ownership related to anatomy. Think about it - there is an “i” in “penis” and “testicles”, and there seems to be no doubt about who gets to manage what happens to those.

During my career as an ED nurse, I have many times tried to tell patients with penises what to do with them with very little success. I have tried to help people with penises stop putting things up them that should not be there, remind them of the often infectious repercussions of placing their penises in holes without protection, and request them to stop touching their penises in front of myself and other ED staff at inopportune times (AKA all the time). Each time I make recommendations or assertions about a penis attached to another person, I have been reminded in strong, colorful language that the owner of the penis can and will do what they want with it. I can always ask, but ultimately, the person that penis is attached to is in charge of what happens to said body part (at least, in some cases, until the cops arrive).

And don’t get me started about trying to get someone with “testicles” to do anything with them. As soon as I ever mention an idea or procedure having to do with the testicles, a hand goes over them like a vice. It is often a moot point before it is can even be verbalized. 

Furthermore, there is an “i” in both “fallopian tubes” and “ovaries”. And while there has been comments from people without either with thoughts on how to manage biological processes that occur in and around fallopian tubes and ovaries, there does not seem to be as much fuss about these organs as with the “uterus”. I really think it has to do with the letter “i”.

The Problem with “us”

The biggest debates right now seem to be around two things with names that contain “us” – the uterus and the fetus.  It seems that certain parties feel entitled to telling humans with a uterus how to manage it and once a fetus is involved, to take ownership of said fetus even if – 1) it is not quite yet a fetus, 2) it is not housed in their bodies, and 3) they do not seem to quite understand how the process of pregnancy works. Their entitlement claims to have been founded in the name of numerous causes – religion, ethics, the law. I feel that the presence of “us” in the name “uterus” makes them feel as if they are a part of that organ, even when they are not. “Us” seems to imply a collective ownership of a uterus to others. And I really think people might be confused because of the “us”.

I cannot otherwise understand why someone else would feel the right to tell me, the person with the body that contains an organ, how to manage it. Organ trafficking is definitely illegal, at least the last time that I checked. Organ donation and procurement is HIGHLY regulated in the United States. Consent dealing with anything having to do with organs in the hospital is a complex system of legal paperwork with signatures and witnesses. And as the uterus is an organ, there must be some big misunderstanding about the ownership situation around it.

(And I want to take a moment to be very clear on a certain point – this is not just an issue for me because I identify as a “woman”. The issue of who gets to dictate what happens to the organ called the uterus will affect all kinds of humans who identify all kinds of ways. I know that this will be confusing for some people, but this is something that I want to emphasize. I am speaking out as a human with a uterus - not just as a woman.)

The Difficulty of Adding an “i" 

I really love languages, but English is a hard one. The letter “i” is often used, strangely to me, to make singular words plural. This is one challenge with my thought of taking away the “us” and adding a letter “i” to the word “uterus”.  “Uteri” does not work for this reason, talk about confusing.  And other variations are just plain bad. “Utire” is terrible as it will make every nurse (and most humans with a uterus) think of infection or a gross outfit. “Iteri” sounds like a snobby word for a place to get lunch (EW). These won’t work, but I have another idea.

The Power of “me”

I have come up with this solution: I think that we should now rename the “uterus” with the new moniker - “uterme”.

A “uterme” definitely makes ME feel that it is an organ in me and when I say “My uterme”, I feel it is doubly stated that the organ is inside of me and MINE. When I say “uterme”, the listener is reminded that me and myself are going to be navigating the events of what goes on inside my organ and most importantly, there is no implied group ownership of my uterme.

It even gets down to an almost primal level of communication that Tarzan enthusiasts might enjoy – “Me human. Me uterme.”

It definitely seems like everyone can understand that – even the most primitive humans.

And as a human with a uterme, I am going to go two steps further in declaring my ownership of this organ that resides inside me:

1. I am first going to say here, in plain words, that I and only I will ever make decisions about my body. No other person, law, or religion will ever dictate what I decide to do with it. And that should apply to ALL humans. Your body is YOUR body.

2. I am personally renaming my own uterus/uterme – my “utermine”.  Other humans should feel free to use this nomenclature if they so wish.  #uterminesunite

For more information on how to support humans with a uterus, uterme, or utermine:

Planned Parenthood

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Source: https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/Statements/2019/ACOG-Statement-on-Abortion-Bans?IsMobileSet=false

These opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer or other affiliates

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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The Violence Nurses Face

When I tell people that I am a nurse, their response is almost always positive.

They will either say, “That is so wonderful! You get to help people!” or thank me for my work and tell me a story about a kind nurse that made a difference in their life or that of their loved ones. I can see them picturing me in white scrubs, holding patients’ hands, and offering comfort to those that need it most.

But that isn’t really my reality.

I mean, yes, I get to help people. And yes, I often offer comfort for those that are experiencing unimaginable tragedy. But I also am required to take annual Workplace Violence training where I learn to protect myself and escape in the case that I am choked, grabbed, or beaten by someone during my shift. Almost every day that I work, I experience some sort of verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, or physical threat.

You know, just another day at the office.

If you’re a nurse or other healthcare worker, this isn’t news. But I bet you aren’t surprised if you experience these things during your regular work day. Sadly, many healthcare workers have grown to accept the abuse that we face almost every hour that we are in the clinical environment.

Violence in the workplace has become a massive problem facing healthcare workers across the United States.

In a 2014 study, nearly 80% of nurses surveyed reported being attacked while on the job in the last year. That is nearly 8-0 PERCENT. When I asked my non-healthcare worker husband when he was last attacked at work, he paused, looked at me funny and said, “I can’t recall.” This is not a standard concern for those outside of our industry.

In the eight years that I have been an emergency department nurse, I have been spat on, had my hair pulled, grabbed at, swung on, inappropriately touched, present during an attempted machete-assault, part of more team efforts to restrain violent patients than I can count, had my life threatened, and had the pleasure of once telling my husband that if I go missing to look for a certain person because they will know where my body will be. And all of that does not include the countless verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats that I’ve experienced almost every shift that I have ever  worked. #thisismytruth

And I consider myself lucky.

I have never really been hurt on the job. Luckily, none of the threats have been acted on. I have seen more nurses and healthcare staff than I would care to think about seriously injured on the job or who have had to leave the medical field all together due to the effects of being a victim of violence in the workplace.

The public does sometimes hear about the violence. However, these usually are the most extreme cases, and only the ones that make it to the mass media. You may remember the viral video showing a patient beating on a group of nurses with a pipe pulled off his bed. Or possibly you saw the photo of the ED nurse who was stabbed repeatedly by a patient that she was caring for in the emergency department. Then there is the absolutely tragic story of Carlie Beaudin, a nurse practitioner at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who was violently murdered in the parking garage by the hospital where she worked in January of this year.

Only one word comes to mind when I hear about these kind of events – STOP. This has to stop.  

Nurses are rated one of the most honest and ethical professions in the country almost every year in Gallup Polls.

That’s great. Now it’s time to be the most respected.  

It is time to use our voices to advocate for safer work environments and to share our stories.

There are many groups who have already started these efforts. It is time to organize and unify to get workplace protections in place. I have heard stories about hospitals who do not encourage their staff to report incidents of violence or abuse, about nurses being told not call the police when assaulted, and about cultures of “patient satisfaction first” coming before staff safety. Just writing these words makes my eye start to twitch with rage.

So, what can we do about it? How do I work to make the violence stop?

Below are a list of organizations who have started the work. They are groups that advocate for workplace safety for healthcare workers, provide trainings, support legislation to increase penalties for assailants, gather data to analyze and publish, and provide all sorts of resources from legal to mental health support. Check them out and see which might be helpful for you to get started in your journey to stop the violence against healthcare workers.

I also want to make a plug for a new campaign that I am working with – the Raise Your Hand (RYH) Campaign. This campaign was started by nurses and is being led by emergency department nurses to raise awareness, collect data, and provide insight into solutions regarding violence against healthcare workers that occurs in hospitals. We have a brand new website – CHECK IT OUT – where we are gathering stories from nurses and other healthcare workers who have experienced violence in the workplace so that our Research Committee can start to extract data to help us find evidence-based practices to help us combat this epidemic of violence.

If you have experienced abuse in the workplace, know that you are not alone, and it is NOT acceptable.

We have to work together to create a new nursing reality, really a new healthcare reality, where we can ask each other, “When was the last time that you were attacked at work?” and all respond, “I can’t recall” with a funny look on our face.

Raise Your Hand Campaign - https://www.raiseyourhandcampaign.com/

Silent No More Foundation - https://silentnomorefoundation.com/

Stop Healthcare Violence - https://stophealthcareviolence.org/

American Nurses Association “End Nurse Abuse” Campaign -

https://www.americannursetoday.com/take-pledge-end-nurse-abuse/

 Emergency Nurses Association Workplace Violence Resources -

https://www.ena.org/practice-resources/workplace-violence

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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An Ode to Inappropriate Christmas Decor - Nursing Style

I LOVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!

Especially when they’re put up by nurses! The holidays, like Halloween, are one of my favorite times of year to peruse social media to see what kind of crazy decorations that hospital staff (i.e. usually the nurses) have cooked up.

This year has not disappointed.

Below is a sampling of some of my favorite hospital decorations that I have found on the interwebs this year. Enjoy, chuckle & maybe steal a few ideas (NOT ALL ARE APPROPRIATE - I cannot be held responsible for your choices.) for your own unit.

Caution: Most were gathered from big social media accounts sans credit to the originators, so sourcing is hard. If you know the source of any of these gems, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, and I will happily give credit to the creators of these wacky creations. Also forgive me for grainy picture quality. I do my best.

Category 1 - Urinal & Bedpan Decor

Objects that are meant to contain urine and bowel movements made into art have a deer (PUN) place in my heart. They seem to be typically turned into reindeer and wreaths, a practice that I applaud. I find this practice absolutely golden. #shamelesspun

A classic urinal wreath with colorful Coban for flair.

A darling bedpan reindeer with festive pompoms.

The cardboard bedpan reindeer cousin to our specimen above. #specimenjoke

The Combo - bedpan reindeer with urinal wreath + PUN MESSAGE! A personal favorite.

Category 2 - Christmas Trees Made of Medical Equipment

CHRISTMAS TREES! Who doesn’t love them? Well you may love them more once they are made from random medical equipment!

The IV pump Christmas tree - Where did all the pumps go? This one may look familiar as it was circulating a lot last year, but I still love it.

The Condom Christmas Tree - THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!! I don’t know who thought of this or who blew up the condoms (bless you), but this is pure genius. And the flier next to it!! AMAZING! I would love to see this up in my local health department. Safety first, especially with Christmas decor.

Category 3 - Tortured Elves & Gingerbread Men

I don’t know what the Elf on the Shelf guy did to some of y’all, but you are getting BRUTAL on this poor guy. I have never seen so many elves on life support until the last year or two.

Elf on the Life Support - I think his sedation needs to go up. And what are those other figurines doing to him??

Elf on the Life Support II - This guy has enough sedation, but WHAT DID Y’ALL DO TO HIM?? And the bigger question - what did he do to y’all?

Run, Run As Fast As You…. Wait… - I’m calling it an open fracture and insufficient pain management.

Category 4 - Speculum Reindeer

This may be my absolute favorite category. Someone, somewhere was prepping for a pelvic exam, looked at that speculum, and thought - REINDEER! What a visionary! And what a strange mind. Either way, there are some incredible variations on whatever was the original. BEHOLD!!!

The Glamour Shot - I love everything about this photo. The look of the reindeer, the style of the photo… perfection!

The Speculum Sleigh - What’s better than a speculum reindeer? Why 8 of them of course! And Santa looks so excited about it.

Don’t you love nurses even more after seeing some of these photos? Or fear them? Either way, you have to marvel at their creativity and craftsmanship. May it never stop.

Happy Holidays!

- Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

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About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!

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