Bella S.

Note: This story is a composite drawn from more than one patient encounter early in my career. Details have been changed to protect patient privacy. I've seen people at their worst in the hospital. Overgrown nails, wounds and pressure sores, malnourished and unwashed... Usually there's an acute or chronic illness behind it, something explainable. But one patient stuck with me differently, because from the moment I got report, something felt off. In report, I learned he had no advanced...

If you're anything like me, you've got seventeen apps on your phone that promised to make your life easier and about three of them you actually use. Between charting, clinicals, exams, and trying to remember to drink water on a 12-hour night shift, the last thing any of us needs is more clutter. So instead of listing every shiny nursing app out there, I want to talk about the ones that actually earn a spot on your home screen, including a few I built myself. If any of these sound interesting...

Starting your first hospital shift as a new graduate nurse can feel overwhelming. I won't sugar-coat that the fast pace, complex patient needs, and teamwork demands create a challenging environment. I remember when I first started on the floor how I felt like nursing school really hadn't prepared me for the real deal, like I was starting from scratch learning everything all over again. As time went by, I realized that nursing school prepares your mind for the type of thinking skills you need...