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  • God,  Nursing,  Registered Nurse,  Self Care,  Spirituality

    Dear Nursing (A Love Letter)

    May 22, 2019 /

    Dear Nursing, Why you gotta be like this? I kid. I love you. But you are hard and you make me crazy. I have tried in earnest to quit you because I thought that is what was best. I genuinely believe that God asked me to lay you down and walk away. I prayed and prayed that He would let me take you back because surely we are meant to be together. But sadly, thats not the case. Don’t get me wrong. I have a job. Two new jobs, in fact. In nursing! I’m going to be working shifts and learning new skills and walking with people through their health…

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    Nursing and The Name III: Gossip

    January 18, 2019

    Why I Am A Christian

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  • God,  Nursing,  Registered Nurse,  Spirituality

    I’m Quitting Nursing.

    April 7, 2019 /

    Lately I’ve been really focused on purpose. How does what we do here on earth work towards God’s kingdom? How am I going to spend these short days that I have here, pursuing God’s glory? In this search, I started reading the book Made for This by Jennie Allen. One of the things Allen talks about is laying everything before the Lord, and being willing to follow Him anywhere. I felt so confident that I had done this. Over and over again I offered prayers of thanksgiving and devotion where I would say “I will go wherever you lead me Lord, everything I have is yours” and then in the…

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    God Made You for More

    July 4, 2019

    16. A Season for Everything

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  • Faith,  God,  Nursing,  Nursing and the Name,  Registered Nurse,  RNBN

    Nursing and The Name III: Gossip

    January 18, 2019 /

    Here is the thing about nursing: I recently called it a beautiful disaster of a career. It was just something that came to me, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it to be true. Nurses can get really bogged down with the day to day. From working shifts, to bullying, to mental health issues, there is no shortage of challenges that nurses face just to come to work, let alone deal with the complex health needs of their patients. But some of the big problems that come up aren’t the result of the work, but of human brokenness. Man, can you see that brokenness in…

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    Nursing and the Name: Blog Series Coming Soon!

    November 2, 2018

    How To Pray Before Starting a Clinical Day

    May 29, 2019

    Things I Suck At: Dreaming

    April 26, 2019
  • Faith,  God,  Nursing,  Registered Nurse

    Competition and the Lie of the Finite

    September 17, 2018 /

    “The atmosphere of competition is overwhelming,” a friend recently said when we were talking about her professional situation. Mix that with having several friends over the past few weeks tell me that they felt as though they were in direct competition with other nurses for promotions or job opportunities and we seem to have a problem here. Where are we left, as nurses, when competition sneaks into our profession? I’m not immune to these feelings of intense competition. There have been lots of times when I felt less than or left out when someone else has gotten a job I wanted, or started a masters program, or been recognized within…

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    Exchanging Busyness for Holiness

    September 24, 2018

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  • Faith,  God,  Registered Nurse,  Spirituality

    Running a race against myself (and I’m losing)

    September 13, 2018 /

    Friends, I feel like I am running a race that I am doomed to lose. Do you ever feel this way? Like you are running, you feel like you are hitting your stride and then all of a sudden, you notice that the scenery isn’t changing, and you’re not actually moving forward. You’re stuck. And heaven forbid you look down, because then, BAM, you fall flat on your face. This is how I have been feeling about this blog. For a while now, I have had the feeling that the Lord is calling me to go into ministry, but I am scared. S-C-A-R-E-D. I have a career that I, well, I…

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    Nursing and the Name: Blog Series Coming Soon!

    November 2, 2018

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    October 16, 2018

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    July 4, 2019
  • Education,  Registered Nurse

    Pediatric Ear Infections (or, A Legitimate Reason Your Child is not Listening to You)

    September 6, 2018 /

      Ok, so maybe that isn’t totally true. My title would imply that hearing loss is an innate aspect of Ostitis Media (aka ye olde ear infection). The truth is that hearing loss is far more of a concern with chronic ear infections, than acute. Ear infections are super common among young children and, for the most part, are not something to lose sleep over. Make sure that you instruct parents and guardians to follow up with their pediatrician to obtain all necessary orders. Here are some tips and tricks for assessing and caring for a pediatric client with ostitis media. So, what’s up? Ostitis media is an inflammation of…

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    How To Deal With Death & Dying as a Nursing Student

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  • Registered Nurse,  Self Care

    When Work is Your Life: How to Live in Balance as a Nurse

    July 14, 2018 /

      It is so easy to get involved in work outside of work hours. Whether it is because our closest friends also happen to be our coworkers or former classmates, or because there is always an onslaught of family and friends with health questions (“is this normal?” “should that be growing there?”) nurses are rarely truly off the clock. Because of this, we are at constant risk of throwing off our work-life balance. So how do we cope and come up with strategies on how to keep our personal and professional lives in check? Well wouldn’t you know it, I have a blog post about that! Know your limits Ok,…

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    Pediatric Ear Infections (or, A Legitimate Reason Your Child is not Listening to You)

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    January 18, 2019
  • Nursing School,  Registered Nurse,  RNBN,  Student Nurse,  Undergraduate Education

    Is Nursing Sexist?

    March 8, 2018 /

    Today is International Women’s Day. It has got me thinking a lot about the profession of nursing and how it has impacted women for hundreds of years. Historically, nursing was one of the few careers that women could actively pursue, generally giving it up when they married and had children. But it is impossible to deny that because women are the most represented in nursing, this profession stands in a unique space where women have had a voice in influencing the health care field for hundred of years. But does that mean that we have gained equality? And what does “equality” look like when the vast majority of nurses are…

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  • Clinical Education,  Nursing School,  Registered Nurse,  RNBN,  Student Nurse,  Undergraduate Education

    The Nervous Nurse: Anxiety and the Clinical Environment

    March 1, 2018 /

    I remember being in my third year of Nursing School and wanting nothing more than to puke (and then take a nap). I was in a peds medicine rotation and clinical was awful. I had a brutal instructor who had a big chip on her shoulder about not having a degree but educating those of us who were working towards one. I remember being so terrified of making a mistake that I was pretty much guaranteed I would. I was an A-student and always had been. But then this rotation. My instructor threatened to put me on what my university called a “learning contract” which is basically the last ditch…

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    How To Pray Before Starting a Clinical Day

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  • Registered Nurse,  RNBN,  Undergraduate Education

    You’ve Got This.

    February 8, 2018 /

    As soon as I decided to become a nurse I was all in. It came out of nowhere. I had just finished a four year undergraduate degree majoring in Political Science with a minor in Art History. I was a musician. I was one of those “creative types”.  When I told my sister I was going to go into nursing she laughed out loud. A little too ‘out loud’ if you ask me. See, I was no good at things like “science” or “math” or “not being terrified of blood”. But after graduation from my first degree I was totally lost. I didn’t know what I wanted for my future or where…

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    I’m Quitting Nursing.

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The Know-It-Nurse

Sarah-Jane is a Registered Nurse working as a nursing instructor at a local university.  When she’s not working she’s at home with her kids. She is a musician, is trying her best to learn french, and would love to tell you about Jesus, if you want to know Him.

She has the greatest husband, the cutest kids and the most fixer uppable house on the Canadian prairies.

@Instagram

After taking a little mental break from the blog, After taking a little mental break from the blog, I’m back with another series! I hope you know that you were made for more than your current circumstances! Check out the link in my bio!
It’s Palliative Myth Monday! Today it’s all ab It’s Palliative Myth Monday! Today it’s all about the definition of Palliative Care. PC is not simply a hospital unit. It is a philosophy of care specifically created to promote comfort.

Palliation can happen across a bunch of different settings from hospital units, hospice’s, patients homes and even places like NICU. When the goal is comfort, not necessarily cure, that is where we palliative professionals start to shine.

Where have you used your Palliative knowledge?

#nursingstudent #nursingstudent #christiannurses #studentnurselife #registerednurse #medstudent #medschool #licensedpracticalnurse #lpn #lpnstudent #deathpositive #palliative #palliation #palliativemedicine #blogger #nurse #nursing #nurseblogger
This one is for the students out there! I’m goin This one is for the students out there! I’m going to be a clinical instructor in the fall and can’t wait! To get us all ready I thought I would write a post on how best to prepare for clinical in a prayerful way! Link in bio. #studentnurse #studentnurselife #nursingstudent #nursingschool #nurse #nursing #christiannurses #christianstudents
It’s Palliative Myth Monday! While it’s no myt It’s Palliative Myth Monday! While it’s no myth that we frequently use opioids in Palliation, it IS a myth that this will inevitably lead to addiction.

Narcotics are used to control pain and shortness of breath, and are given in both short and long acting formulations. When used appropriately and under the guidance of your physician, these heavy duty meds are very safe.

It’s important to remember that dependence does not equal addiction. Your body may be dependent on the medication to maintain comfort levels, but this does not mean that you are addicted to the medication. If you started taking narcotics for the way they make you feel mentally or emotionally even if you aren’t having pain or shortness of breath, that would be a warning sign of addiction.

#registerednurse #nursingschool #medschool #nursingstudent #palliative #palliation #deathpositive #death #cancersucks #cancerwarrior #endoflife #nurse #medstudent #physician #doctor #nurseblogger
New Blog Post with a heartfelt letter to Nursing! New Blog Post with a heartfelt letter to Nursing! Check it out at the link in my bio!
It’s Palliative Myth Monday! So here is a big mi It’s Palliative Myth Monday! So here is a big misconception: death is painful. Yes, most people suffering from a terminal illness, such as cancer, will experience pain at some point during end of life (which I would define as the final six months of life). However, Palliation has advanced so much over the past 60 years to include powerful medications that can control almost all pain. It can sometimes take some trial and error, but palliative professionals, working together with patients, can use these medical advancements to significantly reduce or remove pain.

Medications like hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, and methadone are all used here in Canada to control minor to complicated pain. And if all these were not enough, Palliative sedation is a viable option, albeit a discussion for another Monday!

Have you ever had a patient with complicated pain? How was it resolved?

#palliativecare #endoflife #deathpositive #palliation #palliativemedicine #palliativecarenurse #palliative #registerednurse #physician #nursingschool #nursingstudent #medschool #medstudent
Sometimes when dealing with death and grief, thing Sometimes when dealing with death and grief, things can be heavy. I rely on my faith to get me through, but that doesn’t make it easy. Today I’m praying for all those out there walking through grief or fear or death. (Quote is from Crowder’s Come As You Are) #palliativecare #palliativecarenurse  #registerednurse #christiannurses #faith
It’s Palliative Myth Monday! Did you know that t It’s Palliative Myth Monday! Did you know that the vast majority of us will die in our sleep? Very rarely is death chaotic. Yes, there are traumatic deaths, but in my practice, I would say upwards of 95% of my patients have died peacefully in their sleep.

This isn’t something that is portrayed in the media. In TV shows and movies, death is usually very dramatic, with people gasping for breath or saying their final words. But if we do our jobs as palliative professionals, we can control things like breathlessness (dyspnea) with the proper medications.

One of the docs I work with likes to point out to patients that death is often believed to be like an explosion: big and noisy and eventful. In actuality, death is usually like a candle being blown out: peaceful and quiet. In fact, I’ve had family members not even notice that their loved ones have passed until I come in the room and tell them!

Death is scary because it is unknown, but hopefully the knowledge that most of us will go peacefully in our sleep will bring you or your patients or loved ones comfort.

#palliativecarenurse #palliativecare #registerednurse #nursesweek #nurse #endoflife #medschool #nursingschool #nclex #palliativemedicine
Spending this Mother’s Day digging into this gem Spending this Mother’s Day digging into this gem of book by @jessaconnolly and @hayley.e.morgan and trying to remember that I’m never too much. I hope you’re all having a great day! #mothersday
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