How nurses can achieve financial freedom

We recently hosted a virtual event with Naseema McElroy, RN, MHA, MSN (and founder of Financially Intentional) entitled “Healthy Finances: Financial Freedom for Nurses,” where we covered everything from knocking out debt to retiring within 10 years. Nurses have what it takes to build wealth in a relatively short amount of time. This wealth gives us the freedom to fully show up in our roles and serve. Naseema talks about how to create a set-it-and-forget-it approach to personal finances and achieve financial freedom within 10 years or less. You have what it takes to be wealthy — consider this your starting line. Read more

Nursing student saves patient's life with quick thinking —

Gabrielle Hafner, a senior nursing student at the University of Buffalo, was tending to her own patient when the nearby patient of another nurse was acting unlike his normal, talkative self. Hafner knew that this patient had recently received Dilaudid and was due for a subsequent assessment. It turns out the patient had gone into a critical respiratory depression that, thanks to Hafner's quick thinking, was successfully identified before calling a code and rushing the patient to the ICU. A couple days later, Hafner was told that the patient was recovering and preparing to return to the floor. Good catch, Gabrielle! Read more

How to stay motivated during online nursing classes —

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost all areas of life, including higher education. If your nursing school education has shifted to remote learning, you might be struggling to get your bearings. While it is true that online education is different from traditional, in-class settings, it is entirely possible to receive a wonderful nursing school experience through remote learning. In this piece, we go over how to organize your workspace, adopt effective study habits, seek connections, set clear goals, and the find the right online program for you. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective —

On Monday, Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective. The original hope was to reach the 70% margin of effectiveness, but it turns out that the vaccine is working even better than planned. The final stage of the trial is still in progress, and results have not been peer-reviewed in a medical journal as of yet, but once evaluated and approved by the FDA, it could soon be made available to those who need it most. More to come as the vaccine undergoes further review. Read more

Biden's plan to continue the battle against COVID-19 —

President-elect Joe Biden has set forth the specific groundwork of his COVID-19 plan. Starting with the building of a Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, Biden plans to utilize his newfound resources to set a shared guidance for slowing community spread, creating a national "pandemic dashboard" to share science-backed and agreed upon information federally. He also plans to double the amount of available testing, hire thousands of public health workers to work with state and local organizations to enhance contract tracing and health services, and allow the federal government to cover 100% of COBRA health insurance for the duration of the pandemic. Lastly, there is emphasis to boost vaccine distribution once available as well as the production of protective equipment beginning immediately. As cases continue to skyrocket, the administration plans on putting its plan into action from Day 1. Read more

COVID-positive nurses forced to return to the job —

In North Dakota, hospitals are already at 100% capacity. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced earlier this week that working nurses testing positive with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 are to continue working in local hospitals' COVID-19 units. Burgum made it clear that the hospital administrators pushed the state to take such an extraordinary step. Unfortunately, North Dakota hospitals are not the only ones making such a request as the nation's total infection and hospitalization counts continue to grow. Read more

Upcoming Events

11/16, 3pm PST: Alphabet Soup: The Ultimate Advanced Practice Nursing Guide —

There are seemingly endless career options for nurses and advanced practice nursing is among the most popular avenues. Deciding to pursue an advanced nursing role can be confusing, particularly around the 20+ acronyms for nurse practitioners that exist. Join us and Ashley Sayles, Pediatric NP, for an information-filled, one-hour chat that breaks down the various advanced practice roles. She'll cover...

1. How to decide which avenues you can consider
2. The required steps to apply for an advanced practice nursing degree
3. Your financial options for funding an advanced practice education

All nurses are invited to this event, just make sure you RSVP!