For many, the holidays are a time to spend with loved ones, but for nurses, their work doesn’t stop. Nurses work on shifts, but some will volunteer to work on Christmas so others can spend time with their families. The entire hospital works together to make holidays a happy time for their patients. Decorations like trees, cards, and tinsel are spread around hospitals and medical centres. Some nurses even wear special holiday-themed masks to make the season a little merrier, and hospital staff could also participate in gift exchanges with each other to show their appreciation for one another an ..read more

NOW THAT YOU’VE FINALLY GOTTEN YOUR FIRST JOB AS A NEW NURSE, you’re probably feeling new pressure. Being a nurse is by no means an easy profession, but you can do it! To jump-start your career as a new nurse, apply these 15 little known tips all new nurses need to know! Get The Most Out Of Your Mentor Mentoring is a two-way street, get the most out of this valuable relationship. Here are our tips: Be a good mentee by asking questions, taking notes, practising what you’ve learned, respecting time and space and always saying thank you. Establish goals and expectations by writing your objective ..read more

You’ve done it. You submitted your resume and cover letter, and you just made it through a nursing job interview with the manager for a nursing job you really want. Now what? Do you wait for a call? No, you get your ducks in a row, follow up in a timely manner and plan your next move. Take Stock in What Went Well and Not So Well After the nursing job interview, there’s still plenty to do. When you walk out of the interview, it’s time to take stock. Ask yourself the following questions: How did it go? What went well and what could have been better? Did you sufficiently highlight your strengths ..read more

Made My Day By Cecilia Garrabrant, RN The sun was almost setting when I drove home from work. I was tired like most days, but even more so on this particular day – mostly because I had just received some bad news. Despite being preoccupied, I decided to go to the grocery store to get milk and fruit anyway. As I got in line to pay for my groceries, I heard someone call my name. When I turned to look, two young ladies I did not recognize approached me. “Sorry, but you work as a surgical nurse at the James Cancer Hospital, don’t you?” one of them said. “How did you know?” I asked. “We wanted to t ..read more

Why Am I a Nurse? In 1994, I was an Army Medic at a desolate post in Northern California. We were in the middle of nowhere, and the nearest hospital was an hour away. Our post had a clinic with two medics on duty and a doctor on call. One night a civilian drove her husband, who was having chest pains, to our restricted post. The gate sergeant had to get approval from the doctor to let them through the gates. A military police escort drove them to our clinic, we hooked him up to our 10 lead, and voila, we discovered that he was having an MI. Doc made some calls and told us that the nearest hosp ..read more

As your nursing career evolves — through different specialties, roles, skills, and achievements — so should your resume. A strong resume tells the story of your path through the profession and showcases what you’ve learned and accomplished along the way. Each nursing job you apply for is unique. Make sure your resume matches the particulars of each job. Target your clinical experiences and achievements to that specific opportunity and highlight how you fit in that organisation. Do your homework on a facility by examining its website for information about its mission and vision. This will show ..read more

All leaders should use this month as an opportunity to recognize and thank nursing staff for their heroism. Below are a few ideas I’ve collected for how to celebrate your nursing workforce: Thank their families. Nurses’ families have been making sacrifices throughout the epidemic so their loved ones can deliver care. Show your appreciation by mailing a thank-you note and a token of gratitude—for example, a pizza-making kit. Create spaces for nurses to share their stories. Give nurses an opportunity to recognize their peers by creating a live forum to share their stories on the front line. If ..read more

Working in Ireland can be a very rewarding experience. However for first time Nurses arriving in Ireland, it is best to be aware of the Irish Visa and Work Permit requirements before travelling. Visas/Work Permits Citizens of certain countries need a visa in order to come to Ireland. You may apply for an Irish visa at your nearest Irish Embassy or consulate. A visa does not confer any right to live or work in Ireland. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: If you are from an EU member state or one of the countries (except for Bulgaria and Romania) of the EEA or Switzerland, you are entitled to come to work in ..read more

As a working professional, you may not always have the time to stay on top of current topics you find interesting. Your schedule is too tight that you can’t read nursing journals or browse medical websites. This is where nursing podcasts can help. You can listen to them on your way home or even while you’re exercising. You can even listen to them before getting to bed. Since there’s a lot of podcasts out there, you may find them quite confusing and overwhelming. To help make things easier for you, here are 10 of the best nursing podcasts that can help you improve your skills and cope better wi ..read more