More nursing jobs beyond the bedside

This is the second part of our series focusing on nursing careers beyond the bedside, and this time, we're looking at opportunities that are best acquired with advanced degrees. If you’ve considered going back to school for that MSN or DNP degree, we will help you think through grad school options and strategies on how you can shape your career with an advanced education. Nurses often express frustration with how little formal guidance they receive on this important (and costly) investment in their careers. This article provides guidance on how you can make informed decisions about your own career development. Read more

5 challenges in nursing and how to overcome them —

While nursing has its benefits, it also requires more than enough hard work, dedication, and time (whether spent in formal education and/or long shifts). Some of the challenges you face will be temporary, others will last throughout your career. Some of these challenges require outside help or systemic change, but some you can make moves toward addressing sooner rather than later. From CEUs to dealing with demanding shifts to health hazards on the job, here are some tips to dealing with a wide range of nursing challenges. Read more

Remote nursing jobs 101 —

We all understand the typical nursing roles, but over the last several years, a growing opportunity in telehealth and telemedicine has emerged for registered nurses to perform their skills in a new and unexpected environment: their own homes. Many factors are influencing the growth of remote nursing career options, including the advancement of healthcare technology and shifts in cultural demands. Here's what you should know. Read more

Looking to return to practice? —

Maybe you took a step away from the bedside, or maybe you changed careers completely and are looking to return in order to play a more hands-on role during the pandemic. Either way, there are a few things you can do to best prepare yourself for re-entrance into the profession. You can begin by following these 10 steps. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

New COVID-19 cases drop below 100,000 for the first time in months —

Last weekend, for the first time since November, the net new daily COVID-19 infections average dropped below 100,000. While the numbers are looking better—especially compared to December's 200,000 and January's 250,000 average daily infections—health experts still worry that we have a long way to go before we can relax. This is particularly true with looming fears of the spreading United Kingdom and South African virus variants. As the number of daily cases decreases, many local jurisdictions are reopening indoor dining and other retail businesses, but experts are warning that this should be done as slowly and as carefully as possible. Read more

Vaccinating large homeless populations provides another challenge —

If vaccinating the population wasn't hard enough already, try ensuring that a transient body of homeless individuals needing the vaccine are tracked down and given their two doses. Some of these individuals are suspicious of local or federal government and even the vaccine itself. This brings us to Skid Row in Los Angeles, one of the largest concentrations of homelessness in the United States. Los Angeles medical professionals are working to devise a plan to distribute vaccines to the necessary individuals throughout this area, but it's not easy. Not to mention the challenging requirements of the vaccine itself — storage, distribution, proper administration... the list goes on. Right now, local doctors and nurses are hoping to see Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine approved in the coming weeks, as it could make vaccinating an ever-mobile population much more effective. Read more

Nursings schools see a rise in enrollment amid COVID-19 —

During 2020, despite an ongoing battle against COVID-19, enrollment into bachelor's of nursing programs increased by about 6%. There's no direct explanation as to why this is, aside from the fact that our greatest hour of need for frontline healthcare workers seems to have inspired others to join the fight. Even medical schools saw an increase in applications by nearly 18% in 2020, an increase also attributed largely to the pandemic. It's likely that media stories and personal accounts of frontline experiences have played a role. Mirande Gross, a recent BSN graduate put it simply: "When I saw on the news nurses being so overworked, I thought, ‘Gosh, I wish I could be in there helping.'" To all of you out there already fighting against this virus, we are grateful. And to all of you on your way to joining the frontlines for the first time, thank you. Read more

Upcoming Events

2/24, 3pm PST: How to Win Friends & Influence Nurse Leaders —

Clear, purposeful communication is what separates a good but frustrated nurse from a great and fulfilled one. Dr. Lori Armstrong, CEO & Chief Clinical Officer at Drexel University’s College of Nursing, inspires nurses to communicate for positive change. Dr. Armstrong's session will help nurses learn how to best communicate with nurse leaders to effectively advocate for themselves and their patients. If you’re feeling frustrated, confused, or defeated by leadership or management, this event is for you. All nurses are invited to this event, just make sure you RSVP!️