I have the privilege of being both a pediatric nurse and a mom. With 11 years of hospital bedside experience in the pediatric intensive unit, I encounter a range of patients and families. Each meeting is unique and special in its own way. Something new I learn every shift, is how to foster resilience in ...

Little ones seek independence. This desire is met with making decisions for themselves. Allowing children to choose instills a sense of control over their life and body. This is important inside the home as well as inside the hospital. The key is to determine what their choices can be. Choices at home At home, asking ...

Obtaining quality sleep is a challenge. Factor in alarms, excessive noise, artificial illumination, and people waking you up, the idea of getting any shut-eye sounds impossible. Bodies need rest and an opportunity to reset. In the hospital, it is paramount to recovery. Hindrances Hospitals hinder relaxation due to functioning as a 24-hour workforce. Patients are ...

Why does it feel like it takes forever and a day to acquire pain relief while in the hospital? I have knowledge of bedside nursing in the ICU and the ER. Patients suffer from aches in each specialty area. The period between asking for alleviation and receiving oral or intravenous prescriptions varies depending on protocols, ...

It takes a village. A common phrase when speaking of raising kids. I believe it also applies to nursing. Nurses have many roles in healthcare. More than the departments that they work in: emergency room, ICU, home health. Hospital workers have unique personalities that join together and create a community. There is no one-size-fits-all for ...

The photo above is of my daughter sleeping. Yes, she is half on the couch, half standing, and fully snoozing. I have several pictures of my little ones in surprising slumber stations. When they are in bed and I check in on them later in the night, I giggle because kids can doze like contortionists. ...

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you might have spent a lot of time jumping on a trampoline. With no net. Or spring covers. You probably launched your little brother as high into the air as you could, and your dad might have done the same to you. Chicken Little Reasoning We ...