How Nurses Can Make Better Financial Decisions

How Nurses Can Make Better Financial Decisions

Few nurses have a solid grounding in personal finance about making decisions about their own financial future. Money management can be overwhelming. But you don’t need to learn the fine points of microeconomics – just the fiscal facts that pack a wallop on your wallet.

The good news is that the economic outlook for most nurses is rosy. Employment prospects are strong, says Donna Cardillo, RN, nurse entrepreneur and inspirational/motivational speaker. “The job market for nurses is much better. The market is cyclical and always has been. The last slump lasted about seven years, but that has all changed and many employers are now offering sign-up bonuses,” she explains.

The bad news? Many nurses still struggle to lead financially empowered lives, rather than being slaves to debt or just getting by paycheck to paycheck. Here are nine ways to make powerful personal and career decisions.

Evaluate an Employer’s Salary and Benefits Package

Often nurses decide to accept a job offer based only on the hourly wage, without being aware of the entire salary structure and how it can drastically pump up your pay.

Jon Haws, RN, CCRN, nurse educator and founder of NRSNG, wrote a popular article about how he doubled his first-year earnings as a new nurse. In “How I Made Over $70,000 My First Year as a Nurse (how I learned to game the system),” he recounts his experience as a newly graduated critical care nurse at a Level I Trauma center in Dallas, Texas.

According to Haws, that article “is a bit dated and I realize the $70,000 is nothing to a California nurse, but I outline some step-by-step ways to really maximize what you can make right out of school.”

Some of his steps included grabbing the pay differential for nights and weekends, getting an automatic raise after 6 months and a year, and working overtime and bonus shifts. That strategy requires that you make yourself an expert on your HR department or union contract rules, of course, which may be difficult before you’re hired. Not every employer is transparent about its pay policies. It’s easy enough to check Payscale.com or Salary.com for comparisons. Also, be sure to consult with a tax professional about the ramifications of higher compensation—you want to be ready when the tax bill arrives.

“The benefits package is something that employees don’t always take into consideration, but it can be significant,” says Launette Woolforde, EdD, DNP, RN-BC, vice president for nursing education and professional development at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.

She encourages nurses to plan for the next step of their education and especially note those related benefits. “Some organizations offer employees some sort of tuition reimbursement plan. When you get a job and get through adapting to your new role as nurse, that’s the time to take advantage of those benefits.”

According to Woolforde, some organizations provide employees with a discounted rate or deferred payment options for a number of nursing schools. “So a $500 a credit may be reduced to $400 a credit and the student isn’t invoiced until after the class is over. By then the tuition reimbursement will have kicked in so students don’t suffer out of pocket expenses that disrupt their cashflow,” she says.

In addition, many organizations pay a stipend or differential based on a nurse’s educational achievements. “For example, let’s say the salary is $50,000 a year to start, but if a nurse has a bachelor’s degree, they may add $5,000 a year. If you’re certified they may add even more,” she explains.

Decide on Your Financial Priorities and Make Every Step a Learning Point

There may be a sunny employment outlook for nurses, but you still have to earn and save to fund your priorities. Not every nurse will have the same financial needs and not every nurse will experience life transitions in the same order. Yet, there are some goals, such as starting a family, buying a house, or early retirement, which many nurses aim to achieve and can—with some work on their inner and outer game.

“I made $35,000 or $45,000 my first years in nursing and had to figure out a way to increase income or reduce spending,” says Brittney Wilson, RN, BSN, nurse influencer at TheNerdyNurse.com. “I opened the door to those possibilities.” Wilson carried $40,000 in student debt that she now believes was avoidable, if she’d lived at home, attended a community college, worked a part-time job, etc.

As a young wife and mother, she tried many methods to economize, as she wasn’t emotionally able to work more hours at the bedside. “One example, I tried extreme couponing and was able to take our $600 grocery bill down to $100. I had to figure out a way to get diapers and formula for my baby,” she explains. Wilson started her blog a couple of years later, mainly for personal expression, but she also started getting free products and fees from brands. “People kept offering me money but initially I felt some guilt about it,” she says. “When I came to terms with it and actively decided to monetize my blog, I hung the ‘I’m available to be paid’ shingle directly, and even more offers came in.”

As Wilson felt more and more confident that she was providing a valuable service, she increased her ad and consulting rates, and focused her blog on her nursing specialty. “Earning extra income is like walking down a hospital hallway. It’s a journey. You can open each door and look around or keep going down the path. Just keep opening doors until you find the one that is right for you,” she advises other nurses.

Wilson got so good at earning and saving that she and her husband are on-track to pay off their house mortgage in a little over five years.

If you’d like to get better at the nuts and bolts of budgeting, bill paying, and tracking various financial accounts, you may want to try apps and programs like Mint.com. By corralling everything into one place, you get a better handle on your spending and saving, and can see in charts and graphs how well you’re doing with your finances.

There are also minority personal finance experts you can follow for advice from someone who figuratively speaks your language. For example, African American pros include Michelle Singletary, who writes “The Color of Money,” for The Washington Post and syndicates. Or, if you prefer podcasts, Rich Jones and Marcus Garrett host Paychecks & Balances for Millennials aiming to pay down debt

Decide When to Make Major Purchases

Even if a purchase is appropriate for your life stage, try to minimize your total household overhead. Even well-paid nurses risk fatigue from worry or overwork to manage bills and payments for one-time splurges or ongoing financial commitments.

Woolforde encourages nurses to carefully consider whether a major purchase is a sound money investment. “I see this often—the first thing a nurse graduate buys is a flashy, brand new car, as a reward for all that hard work in school. A flashy new car is nice but it’s a rapidly depreciating item as opposed maybe holding out for a down payment on a new home that appreciates for a good long-term return,” she explains.

You might decide that your next major investment will be in your own higher education or specialized training. If so, be sure to take advantage of employer-provided assistance programs before taking out large student loans. Maybe your current workplace has a tuition reimbursement plan if you’ll commit to working there after graduation, but you hesitate to limit your options. Find out how often graduates using that program decide to stay with that employer; usually the figure is high. If your circumstances and goals match theirs, you’re likely safe in taking the same route.

So many students lament how little they knew about educational loans that a free interactive game called Payback was created by a financial literacy non-profit. The makers warn: “College can help you realize your dreams, unless it leaves you with a student loan nightmare.” Students navigate an online maze of decisions: What school to attend, what major to declare, whether to focus on studies for a higher GPA or social life for more connections, etc. At the end, if a player does decide to borrow educational funds, it’s with eyes wide open.

Choose a Specialty That’s Fulfilling—And Remunerative

Whether you’re a new nurse graduate or you’ve been in the field for years, now might be a good time to switch to a specialty or workplace with better long-term prospects for pay and benefits.

Cardillo encourages nurses to explore non-traditional career options and to take risks. “Your next job may not pay as much, but may have many other advantages. When it comes to being a bedside clinical nurse in a hospital, there’s only so much you can make, even with overtime. Some other health care related industries have greater earning potential over the long run even if you have to take a pay cut in the short term,” she says.

Cardillo points to a variety of popular nurse settings and roles that pay well, such as: Nurse informatics, quality management nurse, corporate wellness nurse, insurance nurse, or nurse consultant.

You may also want to check out DiscoverNursing.com for interactive features that guide you through the process of choosing from scores of specialties. Some under-the-radar titles have surprising rewards, including high demand or ease of entry. You’ll get information on the education, training, and certification required to fill a role, as well as its average salary and employment outlook.

Decide to Cut Hours or Leave the Bedside Altogether

Reducing your hours to, say, care for a family can be a difficult choice that depends on many conditions, but it can be the right choice, if done right.

“If you opt to get out of the job market for a while, stay in touch with nursing colleagues through professional associations [and] keep up with credentials and licenses,” advises Cardillo. “Keep yourself current, marketable, and connected.” She warns that nurses who let their licenses lapse—accidentally or not—won’t be ready to jump back in when they need to or want to.

“Some nurses drop out of the workforce to take care of elderly parents, but then the parents die and they’re left with literally nothing and can’t find a job,” she warns.

Cardillo recommends that you first explore opportunities to work at home, which are more common today for nurses. If that’s not possible, check to see if your state allows for an inactive status license, rather than outright letting it lapse.

Another life stage when nurses may be tempted to let their license lapse is at retirement, but Cardillo sees downsides to that. “Nurses retire, but after so many years they get bored or financially need to work again because they don’t want a lower standard of living.”

Care for Yourself and Your Career Longevity

“Nurses are leaders—they advocate for their patients, but they struggle with advocating for themselves,” says Diane Neustadt, director of operations at New York-based Forest Hills Financial Group.

Her firm supports the National Association of Hispanic Nurses New York chapter, of which Neustadt is an active member. Because of her involvement with the chapter, she’s able to explain the importance of managing one’s own financial life in terms that nurses relate to. “I tell them it’s like being proactive about your own health. Nurses work long, unpredictable hours so self-care is so important: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m a spiritual person and also know the importance of financial well-being—live one day at a time but not just for today.”

Neustadt believes in “protection first,” which means having enough insurance and the right kind. “Employer-sponsored benefits are a good thing,” she explains, “but not only may company benefits not be portable and go with you, generally those employer-provided benefits are minimum benefits and should be viewed as the base of benefits to build upon. Three areas that normally need attention are disability, additional retirement income, and long-term care.”

Make the Most of Expertise from Family, Friends, and Coworkers

Woolforde received informal money mentorship from two unexpected sources who guided her to become financially savvy. The first was her older brother, who went to college when she was in her senior year in high school and was surprised at the expenses beyond tuition that he hadn’t anticipated. “When he came home at his first break he told me frankly, ‘You’re going to have to get scholarship money if you plan on going to college.’ So, we spent countless hours in the library combing through books and catalogs looking for scholarships. That was before everything was available online.”

She was doubtful about her ability to garner scholarship funds—others will have a higher GPA, more financial need, better applications. “At first, I said, ‘there’s no way I’m going to get it’ and he said, ‘you don’t know until you try,’” she explains. After piecing together several small scholarships—$600 here and $2,000 there from various sources—Woolforde was able to fund her freshman year at a commuter college. Good grades allowed her to garner full scholarship funding for the rest of her bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Woolforde next got valuable advice from a nurse preceptor who insisted they visit the hospital credit union after one shift. “She helped me open a retirement account and set up direct deposit of part of my paycheck into that account. I was just starting my career, so retirement was the farthest thing from my mind as a 21-year-old,” she says.

Try to find a money mentor who understands your situation and connects or relates to you in that way, advises Woolforde. “My brother understood the home situation and my preceptor maybe recognized me as her younger self—she was an African American female, too. Everyone who has walked this path, grown in professionalism, grown in a nursing career, it’s our responsibility to share what we’ve learned,” she says.

Make the Most of Your Employer’s Financial Programs

Your organization may offer employee benefit education, such as having an HR representative provide short updates at staff meetings, or making a vendor available for one-on-one consultations. Take advantage of these resources if they can help you fill in the financial puzzle pieces of your life.

“My family emigrated from Armenia when I was nine years old,” says Anna Dermenchyan, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, senior clinical quality specialist in the Department of Medicine at UCLA Health and a PhD student at UCLA School of Nursing. “At the time, my parents didn’t know the language or the culture, and thus we struggled financially as a family.”  When she worked at a bank as a senior in high school, she learned about financial concepts and became more proactive about managing money.

Dermenchyan now actively engages with the University of California system’s excellent financial program for employees and students, which include onsite classes as well as live webinars on financial wellness and retirement.

“I’m an early Millennial and we think about work-life balance and living in the moment, and this necessarily doesn’t help us save enough money for the future. We want to earn, spend, travel, and just enjoy life,” she explains. “However, financial health is part of achieving wellness and maximizing potential benefits for the future. Just like with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—personal finance is at the basic level, and everything rests on it.”

Most nursing schools don’t include a financial component in the curriculum, so many workplaces fill in the gaps with seminars, consultations, and program “nudges” to encourage fiscal health. “At first, I just put in $100 a month towards retirement; that’s what I could afford after paying loans and family expenses,” says Dermenchyan. “The automatic deduction from each paycheck makes it easier, and some institutions make a matching contribution. In addition, I was advised by a financial consultant that with every salary increase, I should increase my contribution to retirement,” and she has continued to ramp up her rate of saving and investing.

Prepare for Retirement

Some nurse leaders point to numbers of disengaged older nurses who are forced to continue working because of under-funded retirement plans. They didn’t put aside enough money for the future, and early social security payouts at 64 are too small to support even modest lifestyles.

“Nurses are unlike other caring professions—police, firefighters, and teachers—because they don’t earn pensions from municipal government employers,” says Ric Edelman, a #1 New York Times bestselling author of personal finance books such as The Truth About Money and The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs. “That puts their financial future in jeopardy.”

Edelman is also the founder of Edelman Financial, one of the nation’s largest independent financial planning firms. His firm offers a free financial plan to nurses, waiving its customary fee for the two-meeting process—either in person or via teleconferencing—which results in recommendations for investments, insurance, estate planning, and more.

By starting the process toward financial stability and independence, you can empower yourself as an earner, saver, and investor. It is possible to experience the feeling of security that comes from having your financial life firmly in hand. This moment is the best time to take that first step.

Understanding Professional Liability Risks of Record Management

Understanding Professional Liability Risks of Record Management

A paper or electronic patient health care information record serves two major purposes: communicating information both within and outside the practice and creating written history in the event of later questions or challenges. Complete, accurate, and legible health care information records document all phases of medical treatment, including the care plan, laboratory and diagnostic testing, procedures performed, and medication provided.

The new Nurse Practitioner Claim Report: 4th Edition from CNA and Nurses Service Organization (NSO) analyzed 287 closed professional liability claims against nurse practitioners (claims that resulted in an indemnity payment of $10,000 or greater) over a 5-year period. The report’s analysis revealed that the majority of claims against NPs resulted from an alleged failure involving core competencies, and demonstrates that nurse practitioners are responsible for reviewing, following up on, and documenting the results of appropriate tests and consultations in a timely manner.

The following general principles of documentation can help the practice maintain a consistent, professional patient health care information record:

  • Ensure that hard-copy notes are legible and written and signed in ink, and also that they include the date and time of entry.
  • Avoid subjective comments about the patient or other health care providers.
  • Correct errors clearly by drawing a single line through the entry to be changed.
  • Sign and date the correction, as well as the notation giving the reason for the change.
  • Do not erase or obliterate notes in any way. Erasing or using correction fluid or black markers on notes may suggest an attempt to purposefully conceal an error in patient care.
  • Document actions and patient discussions as soon as possible after the event. If it is necessary to make a late entry, the entry should include the date and time, along with the statement, “late entry for ______” (i.e., the date the entry should have been made).
  • When dictating notes, include all vital information, such as date of dictation and transcription. Sign transcriptions and write the date of approval or review.
  • Never alter a record or write a late entry after a claim has been filed, as this may seriously compromise legal defense.
  • Develop a list of approved abbreviations for documentation purposes. Review and revise the list as necessary and at least annually. In addition, maintain a list of error-prone abbreviations that should never be used, such as this one from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
  • If using a form, complete every field. Do not leave any lines blank.

Furthermore, to help nurse practitioners avoid this segment of risk, nurses should ensure their practice has a written policy governing documentation issues, and all staff members are trained in proper documentation practices. The policy should address, among other issues: health care information record contents, patient confidentiality, release and retention of patient health care information records, and general documentation guidelines.

And while rare events may be difficult to prevent, nurse practitioners can glean lessons from the experiences of their colleagues to help evaluate and enhance their own patient safety and risk management practices.


Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide individualized business, risk management or legal advice.  It is not intended to be a substitute for any professional standards, guidelines or workplace policies related to the subject matter.

This risk management information was provided by Nurses Service Organization (NSO), the nation’s largest provider of nurses’ professional liability insurance coverage for over 550,000 nurses since 1976. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. For questions, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 1-800-247-1500. www.nso.com.

Informed Consent and Informed Refusal in Managing Patient Expectations

Informed Consent and Informed Refusal in Managing Patient Expectations

Insights from the new Nurse Practitioner Claim Report: 4th Edition from CNA and Nurses Service Organization (NSO) show that the majority of claims against nurse practitioners developed from a failure involving core competencies, such as diagnosis, medication prescribing, or treatment and care management. Allegations related to failure to diagnose and improper prescribing/managing of controlled drugs occurred most frequently.

What the report also found was that in many claims, the nurse practitioner met the standard of care, but the patient was nonetheless dissatisfied, often due to a lack of communication or understanding. The informed consent discussion represents the first step in managing patient expectations, thus reducing the possibility of a misunderstanding and mitigating the risk of a consequent lawsuit.

Additionally, documenting the informed consent process provides the best defense in the event a patient alleges that the proposed treatment, other options, or the potential for injury were not adequately explained to them. Refer to state statutes for guidance on the informed consent process, as there is considerable variance among states. This is especially true when it comes to caring for minors or cognitively impaired patients, and emergency situations.

The informed consent process involves two main components:

  • Discussion, providing the patient with sufficient information about and time to consider:
    • The nature of the proposed treatment, including rationale, anticipated benefits and prognosis.
    • Alternatives to the proposed treatment, including specialty referral options or no treatment at all. This should also include an explanation of why, according to one’s professional judgment, the recommended treatment is preferable to alternatives.
    • Foreseeable risks, including potential complications of the proposed treatment and risks of refusing it.
  • Documentation of the discussion and the outcome of the discussion in the healthcare information record, which often includes the use of a written informed consent form in addition to the verbal component.

The informed refusal process is similar to, but goes beyond, the process for informed consent. Refusal of care increases the potential liability exposure for the nurse practitioner, but nurse practitioners can help minimize their liability exposure by being aware of their consequent responsibilities and documenting the informed refusal process.

Nurse practitioners who continue caring for a patient after they decline treatment recommendations must be aware of their responsibility to:

  • Continue to examine and diagnose the patient for the duration of the practitioner-patient relationship and as long as the patient continues to refuse treatment.
  • Continue to inform the patient about the condition and its associated risks, while the practitioner-patient relationship is in place, the condition exists, and the patient continues to refuse treatment.
  • Continue to inform the patient how their refusal of treatment may affect treatment of other conditions or problems, when discussing these conditions.

After discussing the potential consequences of refusal with the patient, nurse practitioners should complete a comprehensive progress note and document the refusal using a written form, which should be incorporated into the patient health care information record. Progress notes should document:

  • The individuals present during the discussion.
  • The treatment discussed.
  • The risks of not following treatment recommendations, listing the specific risks mentioned.
  • The brochures and other educational resources provided.
  • The questions asked and answers given by both parties.
  • The patient’s refusal of the recommended care.
  • The patient’s reasons for refusal.
  • The fact that the patient continues to refuse the recommended treatment.

As the data proves, it is imperative for nurse practitioners to protect their patients and their practice by documenting all phases of medical treatment, discussing (and documenting) the nature of all proposed treatments with patients as well as educating them about the need for follow-up, and signs and symptoms that should prompt a follow-up call.

In addition, today’s nurse practitioners must continuously evaluate and enhance their patient safety and risk management practices by remaining current regarding their clinical practice, medications, biologics, and equipment utilized for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses and conditions related to one’s specialty and obtain regular continuing education.


Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide individualized business, risk management or legal advice.  It is not intended to be a substitute for any professional standards, guidelines or workplace policies related to the subject matter.

This risk management information was provided by Nurses Service Organization (NSO), the nation’s largest provider of nurses’ professional liability insurance coverage for over 550,000 nurses since 1976. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. For questions, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 1-800-247-1500. www.nso.com.

Heart Health for Busy Nurses

Heart Health for Busy Nurses

February is American Heart Month — what better time to reassess how well you are taking care of your heart health?

Know Your Risk Factors

As a minority nurse, you probably know certain minority groups have higher risks for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, African Americans, American Indians/Native Alaskans, and Hispanics have an increased risk of heart disease and its associated problems like high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Other risk factors include hereditary factors (others in your family have heart disease), smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet.

Know the Signs

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a few heart attack signs and symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

  • Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back
  • Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder
  • Shortness of breath

Women also tend to have symptoms that are different from men and, therefore, aren’t always immediately considered as heart trouble.

Watch for these unusual signs:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Heartburn
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Feelings of unease or anxiety

Heart disease isn’t called the silent killer for no reason. If you feel something is off, whether that’s occasional chest pain with exercise or under stress, heart palpitations, or off-and-on chest discomfort, always be cautious and get it checked.

Reduce Your Risk

If you have risk factors for heart disease, you should monitor your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and your blood sugar. Try to reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough physical activity, being sure to rest, staying connected with loved ones, and trying to keep your stress levels in check.

With the hectic pace of a nurse’s day, getting any time to bring your stress down a notch is a struggle. But one simple way to help with stress reduction is to step outside. Plenty of research backs up the idea that more time outside is better for your health. A few minutes walking at lunch, parking far enough away in a parking lot, or even just getting a few breaths of fresh air on a break can have huge benefits on your physical health and your mental health. Getting into nature can clear your mind, lower your blood pressure, and help you clear out the mental clutter enough to focus better when you come back to work.

Heart disease is the number-one killer of men and women in the United States, so paying attention to your own heart health is one of the best preventative measures you can take.

Nurse Anesthetists Offer Career Info for Student Nurses

Nurse Anesthetists Offer Career Info for Student Nurses

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Week runs this week from January 21 to 27 and is an excellent opportunity for student nurses to find out more about this path in a nursing career.

With more than 52,000 nurse anesthetists and student nurse anesthetists, the career is thriving and attractive for several reasons. Many nurse anesthetists say the patient interaction they have is unsurpassed. They are with patients before, during, and after surgery, so there’s a necessary trust that is quickly established with the skill and care of the nurse.

Nursing students who are considering this as a career have many resources they can reference and various organizations that will help them succeed on this career path. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is especially aware of promoting health and wellness among the student nurses who seek a career in this branch of nursing. The AANA’s 2017 report Wellness and Thriving in a Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist Population explored the significance of the relationship between student wellness and how well students do in their academic program.

To celebrate CRNA Week, Minority Nurse recently posed some questions to Michael Neft, DNP, MHA, CRNA, FNAP, FAAN, and assistant director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and nursing student Sara Wilkinson, BSN, RN, CCRN SRNA at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. The following are their answers.

Why is the AANA particularly aware of the health and wellness among student nurses looking to enter or actively studying in this field?

Student nurses are the future of the profession, and it is important to cultivate and prepare for a long and healthy career. Students who aspire to enter into nurse anesthesia programs must be healthy mentally and physically. They must have healthy outlets for stress relief, and healthy lifestyle habits that will support them throughout our educational programs.

Nurse anesthesia education programs are required by their accreditation standards to provide education content on wellness and substance use disorder. The AANA actively encourages members, students, as well as educational programs to engage whenever possible in healthy behaviors, whether that includes physical activity or simply reducing stress by encouraging individuals to take time for their loved ones or to engage in an activity they love.

The AANA is committed to providing resources and information about ways to become involved in establishing a healthy lifestyle and even offers fun runs, wellness tutorials and a massage therapy area at many of their conferences.

How does establishing good health and wellness practices now help a student nurse become better? And how will taking care of oneself now carry over once they graduate and are several years into a CRNA career?

Nursing has unique stressors like dealing with patient care situations that require critical thinking, fast decision making, and autonomy is tough. If the student nurse does not have the ability to cope with these situations autonomously, it is very difficult to care for patients. Maintaining both mental and physical health and wellness are at the foundation of successful practice.

Developing healthy lifestyle habits early, helps students handle stress more effectively, set clear goals, and develop a clear plan to achieve them. They also assist students with discipline, good study habits, prepare for clinical experiences properly, and self-evaluate objectively. It also helps to establish diet and exercise plans that can be adjusted as one transitions to practice, to avoid elimination of healthy habits out of inconvenience.

Maintaining a school-life balance is also important to develop a support system and find time for small, pleasant breaks to gives a fresh perspective and recharge. Establishing healthy behaviors and habits early is vital to long-term health, wellness, and maintenance of a successful career.

Do you have any advice for student nurses about considering this field and being aware of any challenges unique to this branch of nursing?

For student nurses considering the field of nurse anesthesia, awareness about the depth and breadth of study is valuable, but is important to be well, so that an individual will have the endurance to graduate. A strong support system and personal discipline are necessary to allow for healthy stress relief and appropriate professional conduct. Anesthesia remains the field with the highest incidence of drug abuse and unhealthy coping behaviors, due to high stress and access.

Think about what you do when stressed. Review your lifestyle habits: exercise, eating, alcohol use, and other substance use. Some prospective students may want to employ a lifestyle coach who can look at a person individually and help one to develop positive lifestyle habits that will set one up for success in graduate school and a stressful career. Good study habits, a healthy respect for one’s self and career, use of study resources, and strong, supportive relationships will be required to succeed and thrive in this field.

Why Are Communication Skills So Essential for Nurses?

Why Are Communication Skills So Essential for Nurses?

When nurses think of the big responsibilities in their careers, patient safety is predominant. But communication skills? Those aren’t often at the top of the list.

Nurses train for years to ensure the safety of their patients. Their unwavering advocacy for patients has done nothing less than transform healthcare. But patient safety can’t happen without clear communication skills. Nurses must have excellent communication skills to provide the best care for patients and to earn the respect of their peers.

What kinds of communication skills will nurses use? Here is just a small sample of how nurses use various communications skills throughout the day:

  • Communicating with healthcare team members on a patient’s condition, diagnosis, treatment, complications, progress
  • Explaining to patients about self care, about their diagnosis and prognosis, about resources, and about everything from medications to diet and exercise
  • Talking with family and loved ones about patient needs, follow-up care, disease, recovery, medication
  • Communicating with professionals in non-healthcare fields to help secure grants, influence policy, or explain a professional need
  • Educating the public on healthcare issues that are important to their age, region, or personal health, or educating students on nursing practices or nursing career options

How can you improve your communication skills? Here are a few pointers:

  • Be precise and clear. If you need information or you need someone to do something, say so. If you are giving information, present it in basic terms.
  • Ask if anyone has questions. Your audience could be a roomful of academics at a conference, a team of colleagues in your unit, or a single patient—always ask if anyone has follow-up questions. Don’t assume that your audience heard and understood everything you said. This last step gives you an opportunity to recognize where your communication can be strengthened and to convey the needed information.
  • Write clearly. Whether you are writing a memo or a research paper, use fewer words and make them have greater impact. Decide what you are trying to say, use short paragraphs for ease, add bullet points to emphasize your main points, and make sure you reread everything before you send it..
  • Consider your tone and body language. The way you speak and hold yourself can support your words and intent, but if they are out of whack, your unspoken actions can cause confusion. Make sure you speak in even tones when possible and that your body language is approachable.
  • Learn about best practices. You’ll find books, seminars, presentations, and even casual discussions that can all help you sharpen your skills. If you’re a nurse manager, bring this up in each employee review and ask for it in turn from your own supervisor.

Communication can always be improved. Each time it is, your capability as a nurse is strengthened.

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