For many of our patients, their HIV status is the least of their problems. The population of people we deal with not only suffers from the disease, but from their addictions, homelessness, abusive relationships and indifference. I've come to learn that these people view our clinic as much more than just their doctor's office. For a lot of ...

Here is something to ponder:  What do you do as a nursing student (or a nurse) when one of your parents is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease? Such was the case for me in early 1998 when my dad was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I was in the first year of my practical nurse schooling, and I didn't know how much of a ...

June 27th was National HIV Testing Day and the first day our clinic offered free HIV screening. We weren't really sure how the response would be, but it turned out to be fantastic. We saw 25 people between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. We had a real broad range of people walk through our door. Asians, African Americans Latinos, Whites; men and women from as ...

The following is a true story. We had a patient who needed a new mattress. My facility works with a medical equipment company that provides this service. After I had sent all the necessary paperwork, I received a rather startling phone call. The woman at the supply office was upset that we didn't let them know the patient was HIV-positive. I ...

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the guys from the country music band Emerson Drive. Their song ''Moments'' has had an impact on me greater than I was able to express to them that night. It is difficult for me to put into words the emotions I have regarding this song. There are many complex pieces to put together, about homelessness and ...

At my facility, there is a tradition for National Nurse's Week in which the CNAs bring in food and have a little party in honor of our nurses. I think this is a very sweet idea. Respect between the nurses and aides is important in any facility, perhaps even more so in long-term care, as the aides are generally the primary caregivers and see much ...

The trauma room was once an elusive place to me where lives are magically saved and miracles occur every day. I waited anxiously to receive notice that it was time to take the Trauma Nurse Core Class (TNCC) and orient to the elite status of trauma nurse. Over the years, I have developed a state of mind that I refer to as my ‘Trauma Daze.'  ...

For every nurse who had to go through the student lab multiple times until you learned how to open a sterile package without contaminating it, you'll appreciate this description  of a program to teach residents how to do procedures, What is innovative in academic medicine has been a standard of nursing education for almost ever, If you're not ...

So, what does Nurses' Week mean to you? Depending on where you are in your nursing career and your current job, it can be a time of celebration or the marker of another frustrating year. If it's the latter, remember you have the power to change that - one of the beauties of being a nurse. You're never really stuck in a dead-end job. I will be ...

Sometimes the ER can become a hum-drum shift of pacifying angry people. Working in triage can feel more like being in the penalty box than any other place on earth. In 2003, our triage and waiting area was redesigned with large picture windows to increase the safety of the patients in the waiting room. We can now easily see everyone in need of ...