What Makes You a Great Nurse?

 

The profession of nursing brings along its own set of benefits and challenges. To experience them all, you must work on honing your nursing skills with the help of nursing courses in Canada or by studying specialized nursing programs in a country of your choice. Academic nourishment along with practical learning plays an essential role in advancing your nursing career on an international level.

A dedicated nurse must strive to provide high-quality care to the patients. Nurses should be driven to continuously learn and develop their skills, which is essential for providing excellent patient care. To stay current in the field, a great nurse must regularly participate in educational courses online and in person. The educational commitment of nurses will serve them well in their work, as they will be able to understand best practices and evidence-based medical approaches to health issues.

The profession of nursing is incredibly rewarding and important. A great nurse is someone who has both the technical knowledge necessary to excel in the field and the interpersonal skills needed to effectively care for patients. Further, let us look at what makes a great nurse and how you can become one.

Compassionate Care

Nurses must treat patients with diverse needs. These needs could be both physical and emotional. As such, nurses need to be able to show compassion towards their patients, no matter what their individual circumstances may be. Compassionate care can mean different things to different people. For some, it could mean offering kind words or listening intently; for others, it could mean administering medicine or providing comfort during difficult times. Whatever form it takes, compassionate care is an integral part of being a great nurse.

Communication Skills

If you’re a nurse pursuing any of the specialized nursing programs or have studied nursing courses in Canada, you will understand the intent behind emphasizing communication skills for nursing professionals. Nursing isn’t just about caring for patients; it also involves communicating clearly and effectively with other health professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. Excellent communication skills are essential because the more you can clearly explain your ideas or instructions without any misunderstandings, the better off your patients will be.

Well-versed with the Latest Health Care Practices

Nurses, this profession requires you to have a thorough understanding of health care practices and procedures as well as knowledge in relevant areas such as anatomy and physiology. Nurses must stay up to date on all relevant laws about patient privacy and safety regulations so that they can provide the best possible care for their patients. They must also have a good grasp of medical terminology to communicate effectively with other healthcare team members.

Conclusion:

To summarize, many qualities make up a great nurse—from compassionate care to excellent communication skills to thorough knowledge of healthcare practices—all of which are essential to provide outstanding patient care. Nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession that requires dedication,

passion, and hard work—but it is also immensely rewarding when you see your efforts making a difference in someone’s life! If you think nursing might be right for you, consider enrolling in a specialized nursing program or any of the suitable nursing courses in Canada today.

Different Misconceptions About Nursing

 

The scope of nursing in Canada is increasing since it is one of the oldest and most well-respected professions. Yet, there can be misconceptions attached to nursing education and the profession because of improper information circulated about it amongst the public. Let us go through some of the common misconceptions about nursing and the truths behind them.

Nursing is a profession only for Women

Historically, the profession of nursing was widely chosen by women. Even in recent times, it is a female-dominated profession, but men have slowly started entering it.

Nurses Must Go Back to Full-Time Schools for Career Progression

Just like every field of medicine, nursing requires you to upskill and keep up with the latest trends and knowledge. Advancing your skills and nursing education is essential to progress in your nursing career. However, the myth that to do so you need to go back to full-time schooling is not true. There are plenty of paths that help you in building a successful nursing career alongside studying. After becoming a licensed Registered Nurse (RN), you can pursue certificates, diplomas, and specialty-based courses that can add value to your professional journey.

Nurses only Work in Hospitals

Gone are those times when nurses were found working only in hospitals. Nowadays, the nursing workforce is widespread across home healthcare services, nursing, and residential care facilities, government organizations, and long-term care homes. It is also important to know that unlike before, nurses in the present don’t just treat patients but also manage and oversee other staff members.

Nursing is Highly Stressful with Long Working Hours

A profession that touches the lives of many and offers improved quality of life will come with its challenges and hurdles for sure. However, in this ever-expanding field of nursing, flexibility is also making its way. Amidst long working hours and extended shifts, nurses nowadays are offered the privilege to make variations to their schedules. There have been many initiatives in private as well as public sectors worldwide to make the lives easier for nurses so that they can spend a balanced time at work and with their families.

Nurses are Aspiring Doctors

The profession of nursing is incredibly demanding. So, nurses are highly passionate about their work. It is true that nurses work in sync with doctors and implement the treatment plans created by doctors. But, in no way are nurses aspiring to be someone other than an exceptional version of themselves.

Nursing is a Messy Job

Nurses often perform work that can be messy. Drawing blood, cleaning bandages, changing adult diapers, and bedpans, and much more. This job requires certain procedures that improve patient care, but they come with a cost for nurses. It can be right to say that some aspects of nursing jobs are messy,

but it is the true intent of nurses and how they perceive it. Nurses who identify their characteristic traits and accept wholeheartedly their professional duties, will not find it messy.

Nurse Safety: Have We Addressed the Risks?

 Starting a nursing career after completing nursing courses in Canada, you must pay attention to the common health hazards that come along with the profession of nursing. These health hazards and risks are most likely to be encountered by new nurses, but even old, registered nurses can at times fall prey to them.

As much as we think about improving patient care standards, the healthcare system is also equally responsible for thinking about nurse safety and addressing the pertaining risks that hamper the smooth health of nursing professionals.

Various nursing courses in Canada for Indian students discuss nurse safety and the risks attached to it. Let us draw a couple of references from them and discuss them in brief here.

Nurse Safety & Areas of Concern

The safety of nurses is now a matter of public interest. Nursing forms the largest community of caregivers. Nurses form the backbone of the healthcare industry and play an essential role within the healthcare ecosystem of every country. Studying nursing courses in Canada helps thousands of internationally educated nurses to upskill and be a part of Canadian healthcare settings.

With a large population of patients to be treated, nurses can become prone to multiple health hazards. Apart from the muscle strains, stress, and long-standing tiredness, there’s much more that nurses experience without an actual solution to it. Listed below are some of those health hazards that must be addressed to continue to provide optimal healthcare by staying healthy.

1. New and old nurses must be taught well to tackle problematic situations by not rushing through their task list. Rushing will not help until you perform the duties with a calm state of mind.

2. Nursing courses in Canada for Indian students should specifically point out the varying techniques of lifting or moving patients. The technique might vary in India and Canada, but the nurses must ensure they implement appropriate body mechanics while lifting the patients.

3. The hazardous and sharp needles should be used with extra safety by the nurses. It is important to know that the used needles must not be bent or recapped. The ideal approach to dispose of the sharp waste and needles should be to put it all into a labeled and leak-free container, using gloves.

4. Risks to nurse safety can be minimized to a great extent with the correct and timely usage of protective clothing and equipment. Goggles, masks, gloves, and face shields can prevent bacteria, viruses, and fungi from reaching nurses and spreading further.

5. Nursing courses in Canada emphasize informing new nurses about adhering to safety precautions at their workplace. Still, there is learning one does when experiencing a situation in real-life patient care scenarios.

6. Nurses, it is important that you keep an active check on your exposure to radiation. Elevated levels of radiation exposure are risky and should be avoided. Certain devices can help you monitor radiation exposure and inform you when you are about to hit the high point.

7. Lastly, self-care and relaxation are important to be addressed for the safety of nurses. Indulging in extreme patient-care conditions can result in burnout. So, it is important to purposely try and strike a boundary between work and mental well-being.

Patient care is important, but the safety of nurses is what will continue to make patient care experiences smoother. Therefore, nurses must be taught well to address the risks around them and keep their well-being a priority. The future needs more of you, nurses!

Why More Men Need to Join the Nursing Profession?

With rising gender equality in the world, male nurses are joining the medical field for some time now. An equal proportion of male and female nurses brings diversity to the nursing field and makes it more inclusive and progressive.

The benefits of a nursing career are plenty. From job security to flexibility to the nobleness of helping patients tangibly, there are many benefits of nursing in Canada. It is predicted that there is a rising demand for nurses and the nursing profession will continue to grow.

Nursing is a great choice for men to get into at present. In this blog, we will discuss why more men need to join the nursing profession.

1. High Demand: The nursing field keeps growing at a quick pace. It is experiencing great demand because the baby boomer population is growing and there is a need for more nursing professionals.

Hiring men is becoming more important because of the rising demand. Women cannot fill in all positions and hiring men has turned out to be a great way to find qualified nurses. Many men are joining the profession as charge nurses, trauma nurses, emergency care nurses, and many more.

Nursing provides many flexible options. If a male nurse decides to go for a full-time role, they can opt for a 12 hours shift or either a four 10 hours one.

2. Different Career Paths: Nursing provides many different career paths. If the professional is more technical, then career paths such as anaesthesia nursing and cardio nursing are good options.

There are also many middle management positions in addition to the nursing education and a nurse practitioner role. For instance, in the role of a nurse practitioner, you can also work independently.

The nursing field has multiple roles for men to participate in. Men can find something that makes them happy and also brings them a sense of purpose.

3. Flexible Profession: Many men are looking to balance their interests with their work. Sometimes, they also want to balance childcare with their work and the nursing profession offers great flexibility.

As nurses, for instance, a male nurse can schedule his shifts in a way that he is home at the right time to spend time with his children.

4. Stable Salary: The annual salary of a nursing professional in Canada is C$81,519. Women make up an important part of the workforce but that does not mean that men are any less important as nurses.

In fact, they enjoy a good distinction with a stable salary. Men who enter the nursing field can earn good money and enjoy a good career as well. What’s more, there will always be more demand for nurses.

5. Breaking Gender Stereotypes: Even though things are changing, gender stereotypes are still a common thing in the nursing profession. When more men will join the nursing profession, the young boys will get inspired to join the non-traditional roles while eradicating any biases at an early age.

In addition, young nurses can also benefit from a having role model who knows about all the highs and lows of the profession; from career growth to overcoming problems such as nurse burnout.

Conclusion:

Male nurses are needed for the nursing profession to grow in the real sense. Right now is a great opportunity to earn a good wage, inspire younger boys, challenge gender stereotypes and specialize as well.

If you are a male who wants to join the nursing profession then you should go ahead and do what you can to maximize the opportunity.

Inspirational Nurses to Follow on Social Media

Social media can be used for increasing your knowledge and finding ways to calm down and get professional support as well. There are many professional and personal nursing professionals on social media platforms.

From finding answers to solving problems such as nurse burnout, networking, and getting instant access to content around the world, social media can be a great tool. If you follow inspirational nurses then you can also be guided to lead a better and more empowered life.

Most social media accounts can increase your knowledge as they offer continuing education and also promote the best ways to relax and find support. For example, if you are a charge nurse then you can easily find tips and tricks that help charge nurses do better.

In this blog, we will list some inspirational nurses to follow on social media. Have a look at them one by one to know more.

1. Meisha Amia: Meisha Amia is one of the most renowned nurses who has managed to create an impact in the travel nurse industry since the year 2012.

She is also the executive director of Forever Nurse Staffing with wide nursing experience and a Masters's degree in nursing. She promotes nursing education, methods, and strategies for travel nursing.

Meisha negotiates rewarding travel contracts for building a sustainable career in the field of nursing. You can follow Meisha to get inspired for stepping outside of your comfort zone, finding happiness, and generating wealth.

2. Kelsey Rowell: Kelsey Rowell is one of the most popular nurses who teach everyone to manage stress, earn money, and maintain better health along with work/life boundaries.

She teaches nursing students about landing a dream job and also instructs them on how to negotiate their salary. New graduates or the ones pursuing nursing courses in Canada benefit a lot by learning from Kelsey Rowell.

If you are a charge nurse then Kelsey Rowell can help you lead a healthy life, generate more money, and also acquire emotional freedom in your professional life.

3. Nicole Thomas: Nicole is another one of the popular nurses who is a doctor of nursing practice along with being a community health nurse, writer, and even a speaker.

Nicole teaches nurses how to create and sustain a meaningful career while also increasing their asset value. She offers lectures through public speaking and online courses. In addition, Nicole also has a private community that offers mentorship.

4. Laura Gluck: Laura is one of the registered nurses who provide a good understanding of the life of a nurse and also shows how she does it. Following exercise routines, motivational posts, and recipes, Laura helps her audience and motivates them to lead a better life.

If you are someone who is suffering from a problem such as a nurse’s burnout or stress at work then you must get in touch with Laura for better guidance. She can instruct you to lead a better life.

5. Tori Meskin: Tori is a neonatal nurse, podcaster, and blogger. She has been an ambassador for a popular organization called Brave Beginnings, a non-profit organization that makes sure that ventilators are easily available for critical nurses.

Tori Meskin is also a keynote speaker as she often posts about the good parts of the nursing industry. Her content has a fun and relatable angle along with an inspirational focus.

Conclusion:

All the nurses mentioned above are some of the most inspirational professionals who can be followed on social media for leading a better life as a nursing professional.

If you are a nurse who has just started your career or even if you have been working for a while then these inspirational nurses will help you a lot.

Blood Sugar Stabilizing Foods that Nurses Should Eat During 12-Hour Shifts

Nursing is a demanding profession. There is a need for nursing professionals to get many things done on an everyday basis while being on the move within a healthcare setting. In the middle of a high-pressure work setting, it is important that nurses take care of themselves by consuming food that stabilizes and even strengthens their bodies.

If you are working for one of the jobs for nurses that require you to attend a 12-hour shift then you should be monitoring your food intake consistently. Eating the right food or the food that stabilizes the blood sugar can have a tremendous effect on the blood sugar and your overall health.

Becoming a successful nurse has a lot to do with being in a good physical and mental state. Hence, you must try to consume healthy food that can keep your blood sugar in check. In this blog, we will see the blood sugar-stabilizing foods that nurses should eat during a 12-hours shift.

1. Fruits and Vegetables: Everyone who consumes whole fruits including blueberries, apples, and grapes has a low risk of having high blood sugar. Most fruits contain a lot of water and fibre to balance out naturally occurring sugar which is called fructose.

Consuming fruits and vegetables can help you in getting protected against heart diseases and even diabetes. So if you are new at one of the jobs for nurses, make it a point to eat healthy by consuming whole fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Some of the blood sugar balancing fruits and vegetables that you can add to your diet include apples, grapes, berries, avocados, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

         2. Whole Grains: Whole grains can be an amazing source of fibre and other important nutrients such as B12 vitamins, iron, selenium, potassium, magnesium, and folate which are responsible for keeping the blood sugar in check.

Even during completing the nursing study in Canada, you must be taught that eating food rich in whole grains helps in keeping heart disease at bay, manage high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.

Hence, you must try to consume whole grain versions of food as much as possible. Some of the whole-grain foods that you can eat during 12-hour shifts include oatmeals, crackers, quinoa, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, millets, whole wheat bread, etc.

         3. Protein-Rich: Proteins are macronutrients that are important for building muscle mass that helps in limiting carb consumption to burn off more fat. Protein does not increase blood sugar levels and it can also help a person feel fuller for a long time.

Consuming protein-rich foods at your jobs for nurses can slow your digestion and also prevent any post-meal blood sugar spikes along with increasing the feeling of fullness. Some examples of high protein foods include fish, tuna, egg, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, soybean, etc.

           4. Flavourful and Low-Calorie Drinks: Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking water is a good option but infusing the same water with fruits and vegetables is a great option too. You can cut a lemon or cucumber and put it in water or also make ice cubes while adding some flavouring to them.

In case you are not a hot tea drinker then you can also try cold tea with lemon or a cinnamon stick. Not only will this kind of beverage be low in carbohydrates but it will also help fill you up so you do not crave anything else.

Conclusion:

Working a 12 hours shift can be a tiring endeavour. As a nurse who is responsible for taking care of patients, you must first ensure that you are healthy too and for that, stabilizing your blood sugar levels is important. Make sure you consume healthy foods during your shift so that your blood sugar levels can be optimal and stabilized.

Nursing Education in India – Change Ahead

Nursing education in India has come a long way from on-the-job training of basic nursing skills to full time masters and doctoral programs. Post-independence, nursing took a big leap in India with the formation of various nursing organizations and councils, bringing in new regulations and policies. The start of year 2000 has seen an increase in the number of government and private nursing schools and college in the country.
The need is to improve upon the current challenges faced by Nursing education in terms of curriculum development, faculty development, innovative teaching learning methodologies and to train enough workforce sufficient to meet the needs of the country. With the increase in population the healthcare needs of the society have also increased. In a country where 80% of the population lives in semi urban and rural setting, nurses and midwives form the backbone of the Indian Healthcare system.
Continuous development in disease detection and treatment have necessitate the need of continuous education of healthcare professionals. New teaching and learning technologies like smart classes, high tech simulation labs, 3-D video enabled classrooms for demonstrations of anatomy, physiology, nursing procedures etc have to be introduced to impart theoretical knowledge and practical skills to healthcare professionals. With the government investing towards setting up of more nursing colleges to take care of the shortage of manpower. The need is also felt for common international educational standards and curricula which will give a common platform and eliminate the discrepancy of nursing practice and standards.
Government and Private accreditation bodies, other than Nursing Councils are needed to grade and continually monitor the quality of education delivered in various nursing institutions. More online, off campus courses should be introduced so that the nurses can complete and upgrade their skills and knowledge without interruption in their clinical practice. With the advancement in technology, professional education should not be time bound but should be dependent on the skill and competency of the individual. Other suggestions may include examinations, assignments, dissertation to go online and to develop a uniform centralized evaluation system. A common international educational standard and curricula for nurses will give a common platform and eliminate the discrepancy of nursing standards.
Professional accreditation bodies, other than nursing councils is the need for the day to grade and continually monitor the quality of education delivered in various nursing institutions..more online, off campus course to be introduced so the nurses can complete and upgrade their skills and knowledge without interruption in their clinical practice. With the advancement in technology ,professional education should not be time bound but should be dependent on the skill and competency of the individual..examinations, assignments, dissertation to go online and a uniform centralized evaluation system to be developed.
Changes in technology, policy and procedures may not take time but acceptance and implication of this transformation will need motivation, energy, resources, time and will to ‘change’.