December 6, 2019

Should you build your own personal brand?

Yes! Personal branding isn't just for social media influencers and celebrities. It's also useful for a long and successful career in nursing. So, what is a personal brand? Not every registered nurse with two years of experience has the same skillset, knowledge, or responsibility. When businesses develop their brands, they go through a comprehensive process of internal reflection, creation, and development. The key to success when developing your own professional brand is to follow this same systematic process.

The quickest way to annoy a nurse? —

These seven things. Business Insider spoke with nurses to find out what are the seven most annoying things patients say or do. Asking "Why are you just a nurse?" came in first, while patients yelling out "Nurse!" when they need something came in close second. Check out the full article above for five more things that drive nurses crazy.

How can you decide between NP and PA school? —

Figure out the scope of practice you prefer. This depends on the regulations within the state in which you plan to practice. While annual salaries for both fields trend toward $100k and higher, the biggest differentiating factor is what you want to do with your credentials. While PAs take a more general approach to prevention, NPs focus on a specific patient population. In other words, you're comparing a disease-centered approach with a patient-centered one.

You're sick? Are you really?

Let the nurse decide. Chipotle has instated a new policy, where employees who call in sick are visited by on-call nurses who will verify whether or not the employee is actually under the weather. If they are, they will be compensated for a sick day and given the chance to recover. It's also part of a strategy to make sure employees who are truly contagious don't return to work too soon. Thanks for looking out, Chipotle.

How did this Minnesota nurse get to work? —

She snowshoed 2.5 hours! Following a major blizzard that brought with it two feet of snow, Emily Ceglar, RN, decided walking to work was safer than driving. What motivated her? The thought of having her loved ones in the hospital, understaffed, inspired her to make the trek in for her shift.

This nurse saved 1,000 soldiers during WWI —

Edith Cavell. She began her career in nursing at 30 years old after helping her father through a serious sickness. She worked in her home country, England, until moving to Belgium in 1907, where she was integral in founding Belgium's first nursing school. During Germany's occupation of Belgium, the Kaiser allowed Edith to continue to run her nursing institute, with the caveat that she treat soldiers on both sides of the war. She soon after joined the Belgian Underground, where she used her institution to shelter and shuttle a thousand (often injured or separated) soldiers, back home out to the UK. She was accused of treason by the Germans in 1915 and was sentenced to death by firing squad. She was widely recognized as a hero of war and martyr.

What did Will Smith say about his first colonoscopy? —

"He's like the Martin Scorsese of my ass!" And also, "You can do it, and in fact, you need to do it."He has a point. The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 100,000 diagnoses of colon cancer this year alone. Nearly half of these cases will be fatal. Over 75% of cases occur in people with no known risk factors, so regular screening past the age of 50 is important.

Clockin' Out ✌

"By my 3rd shift in a row, I’m like an old phone battery. Even if you charge me overnight for 8 hours, I’m still only at 60% the next morning."