Nurses Support Nurses

  • The Difference Between Left-sided and Right-sided Heart Failure

    by William Kirkpatrick
    To remember the difference between right and left-sided heart failure, you can use the following simple mnemonic:

  • Celebrating Labor Day: Honoring the Dedication of Bedside Nurses

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Labor Day, the first Monday of September, marks a time for Americans to celebrate the hard work and dedication that propels our nation forward. While it is a day to appreciate the contributions of all workers, today, we want to shine a spotlight on the nurses who serve our public to maintain safe healthcare and who tirelessly work at the bedside doing so. Much of the public do not understand what nurses really do on a day-to-day basis, and we believe it can be misunderstood when nurses stand up against hospital systems and fight for working rights. In relation, when nurses fight for their working rights, they are additionally fighting for your right to receive quality healthcare that you may need sometime in your life. In many cases, your life could depend on it.

  • Nursing Electrolyte Table

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Download a Free Nursing Electrolyte Table

  • Mastering the Fundamentals of Nursing: A Guide for Nursing Students

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Nursing education is a demanding program that requires students to navigate through vast amounts of information. It is not abnormal to get assigned more than ten chapters to read out of the textbooks and that content is fair game to be on the upcoming nursing exam. Reading all the assigned materials can be nearly impossible and even more challenging to retain the information read. Effectively condensing the extensive reading assignments can be a daunting task. In this blog, we'll explore strategies to streamline your reading and focus on the content that nursing schools are likely to test the most.

  • Prepare for Clinical Rotations: The Importance of learning SBAR and Care Planning

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Clinical rotations are a crucial phase in a nursing student's journey towards becoming a proficient healthcare provider. These hands-on experiences offer unparalleled opportunities to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical skills. To make the most out of clinical rotations, nursing students should arm themselves with effective strategies that ensure they are well-prepared, confident, and capable of delivering safe and competent patient care. One such strategy that stands out is understanding and utilizing the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) format, which serves as a powerful tool for organizing patient information into a comprehensive care plan. At the bottom of this article, you will find a free SBAR report sheet that will help you organize your patient assignments and clinicals!

  • Mastering Pharmacology: Your Guide to Using Effective Concept Maps for Nursing

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Pharmacology is a vital component of a nurse's skill set, enabling them to understand the mechanism of action, adverse effects, and appropriate usage of various medications. It can be overwhelming with the vast array of drugs to learn. A beneficial strategy that will improve your ability to understand pharmacology is using a standardized concept map for drug classes- and not try to memorize specific drugs. In this article, we'll delve into how nurses can harness the potential of concept maps to streamline their pharmacology studies.

  • How to Prepare For Nursing Exams

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Nursing exams can be the most challenging event to prepare for in nursing school. There is always such a broad content matter that you are expected to understand for each exam. As a nursing student, you're not only building a strong foundation for your future career but also navigating a sea of information that can be difficult to decipher what will be on your exam. To excel, it's crucial to adopt effective study habits that go beyond memorization. Here are three invaluable practices that can help you prepare for nursing school exams and emerge as a knowledgeable, confident, and competent nurse.

  • Mastering EKG Rhythm Analysis: A Quick Guide

    by William Kirkpatrick
    Understanding EKGs can feel very overwhelming when you first begin to climb the learning curve. There are so many different types of rhythms and you are expected to understand the many characteristics behind each one to correctly identify them. In this article, you will learn the concise approach that will make you fast and accurate when reading EKG rhythms. Additionally included is our free EKG study guide that details each rhythm to tailor the approach we describe here. You will find the free pdf download at the bottom of this article. 

  • New Nurse Blues: Empowering New Grad Nurses

    by William Kirkpatrick
    You’ve made it past nursing school and you were filled with excitement to start your first job. Now, you feel that you weren’t prepared, and you are now realizing the career you chose has unique challenges to continue prioritizing your own health and well-being. When you first get started, it can feel as though you didn’t choose the right career. You may feel that you are not qualified, or that you don’t enjoy what you are doing. Somewhat blind sided due to the inability to truly play the role while in nursing school, and now you hold the responsibility for your patients. That is because we already learned so much in nursing school, and we think we should just be ready. However, often times, we have so much more to learn and it can feel like you are restarting in some ways.

  • Fundamentals of Nursing: Tools to Understanding Pathophysiology

    by William Kirkpatrick
    A fundamental aspect of nursing practice is the comprehension of pathophysiology – the study of how diseases and disorders disrupt the normal functioning of the human body. This understanding not only forms the bedrock of nursing education but also serves as an essential tool for delivering safe and effective patient care. Nursing students who enter their first semester will likely start with a Fundamentals of Nursing class which heavily focuses on setting the foundation to understand the pathophysiology of complex patient conditions. In this blog, we will discuss the significant tools and pointers to best prepare yourself to set your foundation.

  • Revolutionizing Nursing Education: VR Simulations Bridging the Gap

    by William Kirkpatrick
    In the dynamic realm of healthcare, nursing education is facing unprecedented challenges. The shortage of nursing instructors and physical space has led to a backlog of over 90,000 qualified nursing student applicants languishing on waiting lists, as educational institutions struggle to keep up with demand. However, a transformative solution is emerging: Virtual Reality (VR) nursing simulations. These simulations offer an innovative way for students to gain vital clinical and lab experiences without burning instructor time and without compromising the quality of education.

  • Understanding Imposter Syndrome

    by William Kirkpatrick
    As healthcare professionals, nurses are often seen as the pillars of strength and knowledge, guiding patients through likely one of the most difficult times of their lives.  However, beneath their confident exteriors, many nurses grapple with a phenomenon known as imposter syndrome. This complex psychological pattern can cast doubts on even the most experienced nurses, leaving them questioning their abilities and feeling like frauds despite their accomplishments. In this blog post, we'll explore what imposter syndrome is, delve into its common causes, and provide strategies to overcome it and embrace your role as a capable and confident nurse.