Quality of Life

It’s always a smart idea to have a strong, updated resume. But “updated” doesn’t only mean having your latest credentials and work history in a formatted template. It also means abiding by the tried-and-true best practices every nursing resume should follow.  

Change begins with a single idea. But all too often, great ideas don’t make it out of the breakroom.  

“By learning about the past, you come to understand the present, so you may make educated decisions about the future.”           Richelle Mead, American author  

By Cody Stubbe, MSN, RN Cody Stubbe, RN, MSN, is a nursing instructor in Omaha, Nebraska, the co-leader of PCRM's Nurses Nutrition Network , a member of ACLM , the co-director of So Many Cooks in the Kitchen and So Many Kids in the Kitchen , a Food for Life Instructor , and is the president of Wholistcdish LLC.  

As a nurse, you help others heal and stay healthy. But what if you realized your upbringing and life experiences might be causing you to treat some patients and coworkers differently? That kind of bias, called implicit or unconscious bias, is something that every nurse and every human being lives with — you may not even be aware of it. But it can impact the ...

Men and women tend to take very different approaches to their health care. Women generally seek routine care for gynecology issues and childbearing. On the other hand, most men don’t typically have a pressing need for regular health care once they leave the pediatrician. But self-awareness and preventive action are essential in detecting many ...

You know that emotion you get after an enjoyable, productive, or heart-warming conversation? Maybe it’s a feeling of satisfaction, contentedness, or joy. However you describe it, those emotions happen when we feel a connection to someone. And there’s no denying the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of social connectedness.  

Racism is harming nurses, and it’s an ongoing problem. January results from a survey of over 5,600 nurses found that almost half of nurses say there’s a great deal of racism in nursing. Sixty-three percent of nurses surveyed have personally experienced an act of racism in the workplace, with the wrongdoers being either a peer (66%), a patient (63%), or a ...

On May 1, 2017, ANA Enterprise launched a bold, new program — The Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge, now simply known as Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN). The goal of HNHN is to transform the health of our nation by first improving the health of its 4 million RNs. In the first 5 years, we’ve accomplished much more than we ever thought ...

This was the question the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN) team asked of nurses who attended the 2021 ANCC Magnet and Pathway to Excellence conferences. Our goal was simple: to spark a conversation. We wanted those who came by our booth to think about their own self-care practices and feel inspired and empowered by their peers. The HNHN team brought ...

Daily habits focused on positivity are how nurses can contribute to a better working environment. But especially during a pandemic, keeping a positive attitude is challenging. As a nurse, you’re busy and stressed out. How do you find the time and energy to contribute to happiness at work? The key is kindness. Small, sustainable, daily acts of kindness ...

Over the past two years, you’ve experienced unprecedented levels of stress and burnout. You’ve emptied your cup by filling others’ time and time again. The last thing you have time for right now is self-care. We see what you’re giving up to focus on others. We hear you. But by reading this blog, you’re making yourself a priority for at least a few minutes. ...

It’s not unusual for any new employee to feel anxious in their first few months of work, and nurses are no exception. Becoming a nurse and starting your first official nursing job is thrilling, but also overwhelming. Starting your nursing career in the middle of a pandemic has made the experience even more complex. Fortunately, there are things all ...

Nursing:  Is it your Calling or your Kryptonite?   R eprinted with permission from ANA\California By Teresa Martin RN, AMFT Taken from "Fly with Me: One Woman's Leap into a Life of Love and Joy" (Braughler Books 2021). Why are we Caregiving Machines?  I’m a nurse.  And nurses don’t lie, cheat, or steal.  They breed that out of you in nursing school.  They ...

All of our relationships go through ups and downs — even workplace ones. Most of the time you can’t control with whom you work. So, what can you do to ensure the interactions you have with coworkers are healthy and positive? And how do you know if a particular relationship is toxic — and if it is, what should you do? We spoke with Eileen T. O’Grady RN, NP, PhD, ...

As a nurse, your job includes showing compassion to patients. So why is it often overlooked or deprioritized when it comes to yourself? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes compassion as the "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Self-compassion, then, is the ability to become mindful of your ...

This blog is made possible by Morrison Healthcare, an operating division of Compass One Healthcare. As some of you may or may not know, last year Compass One Healthcare formed a new partnership with the American Nurses Association (ANA), which is the nation’s premier nursing organization representing the country’s four million registered nurses. ...

 “Mentorship is also called sponsorship,” said Vernell DeWitty, PhD, RN, Director for Diversity and Inclusion at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). “When a mentor serves as a sponsor, they act as an advocate seeking opportunities for their mentee.” Having a mentor has the power to influence a nurse’s career right from the ...

There’s no denying that these past few years have been stressful  — and that’s putting it lightly. You’ve had a lot going on, so it’s even more crucial to keep that stress from building up and causing burnout . Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses can benefit from artistic outlets to gain a sense of calm, get out of their heads, and let go of the ...

By Andrea Coyle Mary Smith, charge nurse, was working her second of four 12 hours shifts. When Mary arrived on the unit, she was told by the night shift charge nurse “we had two sick calls and we do not have any nurses available to come in and help.” Sigh…Mary’s first thought was, “How am I going to accomplish all the tasks that are expected of me as the charge ...

You may have heard the adage, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” It’s true, you know. You can’t give to others something that you don’t possess. But what happens when your “cup of compassion” runs dry? Where do you fill your cup? Who fills it? You may be surrounded by a group of personal cheerleaders who love to encourage you, but if you’re like most of us, ...

Heart health, lung health, brain health — these are all essential areas of well-being, but are you neglecting your body’s largest organ? The skin, which acts as a barrier to the external world, is often overlooked when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. But this living organ protects your internal body from all kinds of things in the outside world. Are you ...

Reprinted with permission from Morrison Healthcare, an operating division of Compass One Healthcare.  See the original blog here . Making a difference in patients’ lives often starts with working closely with a hospital’s nursing staff. Morrison Executive Chef Marcelo Rubio and Kenneth Lim, a patient dining associate, were recently recognized ...

By Lauren Mochizuki We are living in a very dynamic world right now.  While certain things are out of our control, there are still many things within our  control.  I have previously written about what nurses can do to  emergency-proof their finances.  The process of ensuring a financially  secure future can take several years.  In the meantime, we ...

Lauren Mochizuki is an ER nurse, wife, mother, and financial blogger at www.casamochi.com where she has written about living a great life within your means.  Lauren has been featured on Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, and Good Morning America, and she is passionate about helping other nurses feel confident with their finances. * ...

How long has it been since you hung out with a group of friends? Or hugged someone? Or sat down to eat at a restaurant? When not taking care of patients, you’re probably practicing the government’s recommendation of social distancing. Also called physical distancing, the purpose is to slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control ...

Nurses are the heart of healthcare. While National Nurses Week runs from May 6–12 every year, it’s always a great time to recognize nurse contributions. Studies show that meaningful recognition can renew a nurse’s commitment to their profession. It inspires and motivates nurses to keep giving back to patients and colleagues. It deepens a nurse’s ...

Developed by Dr. Bernadette Melnyk and ANA Enterprise’s Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ If you are feeling anxious and stressed about the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone – many nurses are experiencing higher than normal stress and anxiety levels right now. Here are six tips for coping with COVID-19.  Breathe deeply: Take five slow deep breaths ...

By Jill B. Hamilton, PhD, RN, FAAN and Nakia C. Best, PhD, RN Being a nurse is rewarding. We show compassion and empathy to patient and caregivers that are vulnerable and need our help to make difficult decisions. We serve as patient advocates. Nurses are also leaders and researchers that have a profound effect on how health care is delivered. No matter ...

When we think about health and wellness, your financial habits may not seem like a top priority.  Surprisingly though, the biggest stress factor for most Americans today is money. It outranks family issues, health or work as a source of worry. Financial wellness is part of our quality of life and can help to alleviate stress and improve your overall ...

Editor's Note:  This blog was previously part of a Support Caregivers Challenge powered by support from EMD Serono. Nurses have a great deal in common with family caregivers. Both selflessly give up their energy and time to care for another person(s). Both require daily patience, compassion, and resilience. And both often put others before ...

By Linda Roszak Burton  

By Eileen T. O’Grady, PhD, RN, NP Dr. Eileen O’Grady is a certified Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Coach who uses an evidence-based approach with people to reverse or entirely prevent disease.  With over 35 years of experience in health care, she believes deeply that more attention must be paid to getting us unstuck from lifestyles that do not support ...

Anxiety at work? Eileen Carino, Clinical Director at Griffin Hospital, recommends acupuncture and aromatherapy. How can we do more to take care of ourselves in the workplace? That’s the question we continue to ask as we put our patients first (and ourselves last) day in and day out. There’s only so much time in the shift, yet so much to do. It’s not unusual ...

Explore what having a nurse mentor, or being a mentor to someone else, can do for you. To be the best version of ourselves, we need to feel emotionally safe. The same is true at work. Emotional safety is a precondition for productive relationships, even in the workplace. Nurse mentorship helps create those emotionally safe relationships. Having a nurse ...

It’s possible to feel fulfilled at work and at home. Nurse coach and RN Heather Lapides explains how.  

Learn a simple technique to feel better quickly. If you’re feeling stressed, tired, overwhelmed, or in pain, try tapping. Also known as the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), tapping is similar to acupuncture, where lightly tapping certain points on the face and upper body can help relieve tension and stress. Unlike with acupuncture though, you ...

A bucket list, also known as a life list, is a record of the things you’d like to do or accomplish before you die. Research suggests that people who write down their goals are more likely to accomplish them. So, creating a bucket list is a powerful tool for reaching your life’s goals. Creating a life list is as simple as taking out a piece of paper and a pen and ...

Description: The Japanese practice of unplugging and getting out in nature can make you happier and healthier. What is it about spending time in nature that makes us feel so good? A lot actually. Science has shown us that being outdoors and in nature may boost immunity , while lowering stress levels and improving mood . More good news: You don’t have to ...

Barbara Dossey, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, HWNC-BC and Co-Director of the International Nurse Coach Association (HNHN Champion), explains what a nurse coach does and how to become one.  

Jacque Crockford, Exercise Physiology Content Manager at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), shares five ways to up the fitness factor at your organization.  

An Overview of Various Meditation Techniques

Jessica Ek, Social Media Engagement Manager for the American Nurses Association, shares tips and advice on avoiding common social media pitfalls as well as how to use the community to your benefit.  (Editor's Note:  At time of blog review 3/29/22, Jessica Ek no longer worked at ANA.  Policies and laws governing social media and privacy may have ...

When you’re working toward accomplishing a big goal — like losing weight or getting fit — it can be hard to feel good about yourself during the process. But, you deserve to feel good about yourself right where you are now. And having strong self-esteem can improve your quality of life, well-being, and give you the confidence to keep working to achieve your ...

Want to see your organization make healthy changes? Help start a wellness team! Learn some how to's below.

Tips and tricks to make this the year you stick to your healthy goals.  

Between juggling long shifts, patients in critical care, and trying to get yourself and your family ready for holiday festivities, it’s no wonder experiencing the joy of the season can be a challenge. Here are some ideas to simplify during this stressful time, so you, too, can be jolly!   Take a small step each day Feeling stressed about all you have to do ...

5 ways being grateful can improve your outlook and well-being.   

Camille Adair, RN and NMNA Chair, Healthy Nurse | Healthy New Mexico Interest Group discusses the importance of the connection between disclosure and well-being in this article from the New Mexico Nurse, originally published on August 2, 2017, and reprinted with permission of the New Mexico Nurses Association. Here is the link to the original ...

Natasha Bethea, ANA’s Senior Membership Marketing Specialist, shares tips and strategies nurses can use to overcome generational issues in the workplace. (Editor's note:  Ms. Bethea is currently no longer with ANA.)  

Director of ANA's Center for Ethics and Human Rights, Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, MA, RN, explains why moral courage is important for nurses and how to cultivate it.  

Hospice nurse, Camille Adair, RN, shares her strategies for honoring the life and death of a patient – and nurses’ own suffering.   

As nurses, many of us feel that, of course, we are mindful, but are we really? And just what is mindfulness? Check out this blog to learn more about how to stay mindful and how doing so can enhance your nursing practice.

Nurses have to make decisions all the time and situations arise where decisions on what to do can feel daunting, especially when they feel unethical. How do you cope with taking actions you may be uncomfortable with, but are either asked or required to take? Director of ANA’s Center for Ethics and Human Rights, Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, MA, RN, explains how ...

Bounce back from unhealthy blunders with these tips from health coach Camille Adair, RN .   

Try these simple tweaks to add more joy to your day from Marie Shanahan MA, BSN, HN-BC.  

Kati Kleber, BSN, RN, CCRN breaks down how to make sense of choosing your next steps in nursing.

Nurses often have to simultaneously care for others both at work and at home, leaving ourselves strapped for time or attention to attend to our own needs. Angela Newton, a nurse at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, offers  some really good tips  on how to cope with the stresses that come when you are constantly focused on anyone, but ...

Sixty-three percent (63%) of nurses consider workplace stress to be the biggest workplace hazard according to our 2021 HealthyNurse Survey. Pick up some tips from this blog to learn how to start using meditation as a way to  combat stress .

Not sure when men need to get what checked out? Use this blog and its resources to help stay up to date on men's preventative care.

  Despite working in health care and advising patients to get routine screenings and check-ups, 25 percent of nurses are not staying on top of their own health screenings, according to the American Nurses Association’s 2016 Health Risk Appraisal. R easons for this include feeling overwhelmed, putting the care of patients and family members before ...

When employers provide the right tools, employees can create and foster healthy habits both at work and at home. Whether an on-site fitness center, weight loss plan reimbursement, or free cancer screenings, wellness perks all contribute to the health and longevity of staff members. Take a peek at what hospitals and other employers nationwide are ...