Imagine being one of those who graduated from nursing school in the middle of the global pandemic?  It’s like going into a M*A*S*H* unit during the Korean War without having any training or experience. Each generation of nurses has its own needs and, right now, the Millennials and Gen Z- Zoomers, those born between 1981 and 2012, are the hardest hit. The number of patients being treated in hospitals has hit the roof.  Those who used to be ICU patients are now on general floors and some are … [Read more...]

  Frequently I hear of nurses who are called before the Board because they were working in an environment that was not “the right fit” for them. You’ll know when you fit in an environment because it will be one where you feel great, enjoy what you do, have the support of your colleagues, your management, and love to go to work. Yet, I see so many acute care nurses who found it was not a good fit for them and then, because they loved the consistency of long-term care, they moved … [Read more...]

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the National Center for Assisted Living recently asked Congress to investigate the fees that agencies are charging for the services of travel nurses. The two entities say that fees for travel nurses have doubled, and they believe that the travel nurse agencies are engaging in “price gouging.” I found it interesting that the AHA spent over $24,000,000.00 for lobbying efforts and have made significant contributions to Politicians totaling almost … [Read more...]

The Indiana legislature has proposed regulations to address the state’s nursing shortage.  [Story]. Because of the resultant loss of staff due to COVID, there are thousands of nursing jobs open not only across the Hoosier state but around the country.  According to Community Network, there are some 4,000 nursing jobs open in Indiana alone.  This shortage is resting on top of the shortage that was there prior to the pandemic. The bill pending, before the legislature in Indianapolis, would … [Read more...]

Recently, health authorities around the United States are now allowing nurses and others infected with the COVID virus to work provided they are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms of the disease.  Previously, infected healthcare workers had been quarantined regardless of symptoms. It is absolutely crazy that hospitals would allow people who test positive for COVID to return to work only because the facilities are short-staffed!  Nurses must remove their masks to eat or drink and should … [Read more...]