Having worked as a CNA in memory care for a handful of years, collaboration is not a new skill for me. After all, teamwork is present everywhere in this field, be it in the form of discussing updates to a resident’s care plan with the nurse or assisting another CNA to transfer a patient. Yet … [Read more…]
Course Description: This course explores theoretical frameworks that inform the mental health nursing care of individuals, families, and communities of diverse cultures and backgrounds across the continuum of care. Emphasis is placed on the development and implementation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary when providing nursing care to those with acute and chronic mental illness … [Read more…]
The other day, I found myself paging through an old training log from high school (back when I actually kept a paper training log!) Aside from marveling over how annoyingly fast I used to be (my current 21-year-old self couldn’t hold a candle to the mile repeat times I used to run sophomore or junior … [Read more…]
I have always loved learning people’s stories. Even if we have vastly different interests or backgrounds, I appreciate hearing what makes someone happy, the things they are passionate about, and how they choose to spend their time. A friend of mine recently got a new job as a toll collector on the Maine Turnpike. After … [Read more…]
Beginning my junior year of nursing school was a transition, to say the least. I, along with my peers, experienced an uptick in course workload, responsibilities, and expectations from professors. Sweatpants and hoodies in Biddeford became business casual attire and scrubs in Portland. Identifying structures on models in anatomy lab turned into identifying these landmarks … [Read more…]
Growing up with family members in law enforcement (and as an avid reader of crime novels), I have always had an interest in forensics, but little knowledge of how it could be applied to the nursing profession. As a first year nursing student, our class had a presentation from another forensic nurse, which first opened … [Read more…]
I found the process of completing a medication reconciliation to be extremely interesting, especially since it was on a close family member. It felt like a deep dive into an often very personal aspect of someone’s life, and I was grateful that my relative was willing to be so open and answer my many questions. … [Read more…]
As nurses and healthcare professionals in today’s increasingly fast-paced, interconnected world, it is not enough to just be well-versed in the latest medical advancements and treatments. Instead, nurses must be aware of the unique issues and challenges in the communities they serve, recognizing and addressing risks to impaired health and potential disparities. Here in Maine, … [Read more…]
Nurse Logic Module Reflection #2 – Priority Setting Frameworks As discussed in this module, nurses set priorities for patient care many times each shift through the use of priority setting frameworks. Though I was at least somewhat familiar with each of these frameworks before completing this lesson, it was helpful to work through realistic examples … [Read more…]
Nurse Logic Module Reflection #1 – Test Taking & Remediation I have always considered myself to be a strong test-taker, mostly because of my ability to memorize content quickly. In high school and my first years of college, I performed well on exams, relying solely on my study strategy of writing, rewriting, and reading a … [Read more…]
