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Canadian Nurse blogs

Time of death, 12:05: caring for a patient and their family before and after declaration of neurological death

posted 2 days ago
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/12/02/declaration-du-deces-neurologique A reminder of the immense importance of empathy, compassion and dignity By Marianne M. Rowland December 2, 2024 istockphoto.com/PeopleImages The process a patient undergoes for declaration of death is rigorous and can feel onerous. Caring for a patient who is undergoing declaration of death by neurological criteria and potential consideration for organ donation is one of the most rewarding and challenging situations for an ICU nurse to experience. It requires the nurse to balance patient-/family-centred care with diligent monitoring of the patient’s ...

The ADII method: assisting students in aligning data with the SBAR tool

posted 8 days ago
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/11/25/methode-adii Goal is to assist nurses in data synthesis, analysis, and subsequent interprofessional communication By Jason Cohen November 25, 2024 istockphoto.com/PeopleImages ADII stands for abnormal data (AD), issues (I), and interventions (I). The ADII method, a distillation of the nursing process, was created to assist students and nurses in quickly analyzing abnormal client data and, subsequently, in formulating concise SBAR statements for use when collaborating with physicians or prescribers. Takeaway messages Assessment data synthesis, analysis, and subsequent interprofessional ...

It’s time to challenge the practice of using a cold bubble humidifier during oxygen delivery

posted 15 days ago
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/11/18/humidificateur-bulles-froides-doxygene Evidence shows bubbling oxygen through water does not meet physiological demands or alleviate symptoms of dryness — and may increase infection risk By Woochan Park November 18, 2024 istockphoto.com/Toa55 Although traditional practices such as cold-water humidification have been widely used, evidence suggests that they are insufficient and potentially harmful Using a cold-water humidifier to bubble oxygen has long been a routine practice in nursing. In Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing , sixth edition (2019, p. 979), Astle, Duggleby, and Potter ...

Take one minute of pause for a better shift: reduce stress with mindfulness, mantras and breathing exercises

posted 21 days ago
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/11/12/reduire-le-stress-grace-pleine-conscience Self-care strategies that are fast and easy that you can do anywhere By Danielle Hoult November 12, 2024 istockphoto.com/pixdeluxe Using practices such as mindfulness, mantras and breath work to pause during your shift allows you to claim a moment to care for yourself when you’re so busy caring for everyone else. Takeaway messages: Use one minute of time to pause and practise self-care while at work. Mantras, mindfulness and breathing exercises are simple tools you can use on your shift. The exercises can be helpful to reduce stress ...

The essence of boundaries: insights on how introspection can influence the ability to provide empathetic care

posted 29 days ago
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/11/04/introspection-fournir-soins-empathiques A deep and genuine understanding of ourselves can be a foundation for effective nursing practice By Olivia Noone November 4, 2024 istockphoto.com/DrazenZigic The ability to engage in introspection contributes to what is generally viewed as one of the ideal qualities of nurses — the unique harmony between professionalism and humanitarianism. In nursing, it is essential to remember that we are still subject to the same continuum of human emotion, vulnerability and suffering as our patients. For this reason, our awareness of and connection to ...

‘We are home where we belong’: Home for Life Assessment Tool scale-up with Indigenous Elders

posted 10-28-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/10/28/outil-devaluation-home-for-life New Brunswick initiative aimed at practising reconciliation receives approval for scale-up By Jennifer L. Dobbelsteyn October 28, 2024 istockphoto.com/mikyso The Home for Life Assessment Tool consists of five key components, each with five assessment items. The components include food insecurity, loneliness, safety/security, housing conditions, and the need for supportive long-term care services in the community. Takeaway messages The number of Indigenous Elders in Canada is increasing significantly and will continue to do so in the next decade. ...

Beyond the hype: it’s time for nursing to take a close look at artificial intelligence

posted 10-21-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/10/21/au-dela-du-battage-lintelligence-artificielle 8 recommendations for how nurses can maximize their use of AI By Gillian Strudwick & Tracie Risling October 21, 2024 istockphoto.com/thomasandreas It is important for nurses to take the lead in thinking through how AI and an increasing number of generative AI applications are implemented in various contexts. There is a lot of excitement about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, in health care. Applications such as natural language processing, medical image generation, drug discovery, and behavioural ...

4 essential strategies for novice nurses navigating the post-pandemic workplace

posted 10-15-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/10/15/quatre-strategies-essentielles-pour-les-infirmiere How you can thrive and grow despite uncertainty and challenges By Carlo Mikhail L. Magno October 15, 2024 istockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages To a novice nurse, it may seem daunting to take that first step into building a career. Although there is a lot of uncertainty, there are also plenty of opportunities. In my first decade of nursing practice, I had the privilege of working in a wide range of practice settings, including ambulatory family practice, long-term care and management. Today, I work in acute and palliative care ...

Nurse manager adds an MBA, but remains ‘pro-nurse’ in new administrative role

posted 10-07-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/10/07/moira-macarthur-infirmiere-gestionnaire-mba Moira MacArthur brings direct-care background to leadership position By Laura Eggertson October 7, 2024 Courtesy of Moira MacArthur / istockphoto.com/simonkr Moira MacArthur’s previous roles ensure she values her staff, and she works hard to make sure unit morale stays strong. She knows the nurses are the critical players in the health-care system, not the administrators. “The nurses working on the floors, physios, occupational therapists, social workers, the continuing care assistants, the pharmacists — they are the backbone,” she says. ...

How nurses may be impeding recruitment and retention

posted 10-01-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/10/01/infirmier-entraver-recrutement-maintien-poste If you help spread the ‘hidden curriculum,’ you’re part of the problem By Kathy Arseneau October 1, 2024 istockphoto.com/LeoPatrizi Discouraging others from entering a profession that is in dire need of people has brought forth new challenges for health-care organizations and the nursing occupation itself. “Whenever someone tells me that they are going into nursing I just look at them and say, ‘Are you crazy?’ I’d never tell anyone to do that.” Courtesy of Kathy Arseneau “Nurses themselves have the power to influence the future ...

It’s OK not to be OK. The importance of looking within to improve patient care

posted 09-23-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/09/23/ny-a-pas-de-mal-a-ne-pas-se-sentir-bien A perspective on and insight into critical nursing issues within the field of addictions and mental health By Teryn Warnke September 23, 2024 istockphoto.com/ljubaphoto As we become increasingly desensitized to the crises around us, it begs the question of whether that same desensitization is being unconsciously passed down into our patient care. In a world full of seemingly constant crisis, it’s easy to become desensitized to the many continuing and arising issues that are thrust into our view. As nurses over the last few years, we’ve been ...

‘I have been punched, I have been kicked, I have been screamed at and spat on’

posted 09-16-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/09/16/pourquoi-jai-failli-quitter-la-pratique Why I almost left bedside practice, and how the nursing shortage worked to my advantage By McKenzie Tosh September 16, 2024 istockphoto.com/gpointstudio In nursing school we are taught to spend time with our patients and get to know them. Staffing shortages and mismanagement make this goal impossible. It is not uncommon for a nurse to have more than six patients on a day shift and 15 or more on a night shift. In this paper, I will discuss my personal experiences that led me to consider leaving bedside nursing many times throughout my career. ...

Call for action: challenges, dilemmas and solutions around providing dementia care in acute care settings

posted 09-09-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/09/09/solutions-pour-la-prise-en-chargede-la-demence How to elevate “person-centred care” from a buzzword to real action By Shrinithi Subramanian & Sadaf Murad Kassam September 9, 2024 istockphoto.com/SDI Productions People who come to the hospital with pre-existing dementia often struggle with adapting to the change in environment because they may not be oriented to their setting and may even feel unsafe, which could lead to anxiety and agitation. Globally, the increased number of older adults being diagnosed and living with dementia is alarming. According to the World Health Organization, ...

Free online learning modules aim to counteract ageism and negative stereotypes of older adults

posted 09-03-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/09/03/modules-en-ligne-contre-lagisme Courses can help nurses who feel ill prepared to care for this growing demographic By Sherry Dahlke, Kelly Baskerville, & Cherryll de la Cruz September 3, 2024 istockphoto.com/DrsProducoes Enhancing nurses’ perceptions and skills in working with older adults cannot be overstated. It is essential to create a shared goal and vision that strengthen the integrality of the nursing profession, rooted in health across the lifespan and sustained by a collaborative and supportive team culture. Takeaway messages: Nursing education is needed to address ...

Competency-based assessments for nursing specialties: a quality improvement project in Nicaragua (part 3)

posted 08-26-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/08/26/damelioration-de-la-qualite-nicaragua-partie-3 Nicaraguan hospital surveys nursing staff on applicability of Canadian competencies By Martha Mercedes Casaya, López Rojas, Cristian Regina, Meza Oliva, Yellmy Melissa, Rivas Mercado, Jeffry Antonio, & Michele Trask August 26, 2024 istockphoto.com/FatCamera The development of procedural skills and the acquisition of competencies through clinical experience, with reflective practice as a key element, are central to nursing training. Editor’s note: This is the third in a three-part series on a Nicaraguan hospital’s quality improvement ...

Competency-based assessments for nursing specialties: a quality improvement project in Nicaragua (part 2)

posted 08-19-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/08/19/damelioration-de-la-qualite-nicaragua-partie-2 Hospital implements training for advanced CPR By Milton Valdez, Katherine Garay Alemán, & Michele Trask August 19, 2024 istockphoto.com/PeopleImages The ICU sought to disseminate knowledge through technical training skills, particularly in the practice of advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) under simulation, to empower nurses to offer immediate resolution to intensive care patients. Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series on a Nicaraguan hospital’s quality improvement initiative that began with implementing ...

Competency-based assessments for nursing specialties: a quality improvement project in Nicaragua (part 1)

posted 08-12-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/08/12/damelioration-de-la-qualite-nicaragua-partie-1 CNA Certification Program competencies used to improve hospital care By Maybel López, Karen Herrera Castro, & Michele Trask August 12, 2024 istockphoto.com/andreswd Since 2000, the International Council of Nurses has recommended the use of established nursing competencies. Such competencies help clarify the functions of nurses and support professional practice. Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on a Nicaraguan hospital’s quality improvement initiative that began with implementing specialty competencies from ...

B.C.’s chief nursing officer eager to tackle ‘wicked’ health-care problems

posted 08-06-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/08/06/zachary-matieschyn Zak Matieschyn will build trust, lead through relationships By Laura Eggertson August 6, 2024 Courtesy of Zak Matieschyn “I think the nursing profession would like to see a nurse speak to what’s going on for the nursing profession, instead of always the minister of health,” Zak Matieschyn says. “It’s important that the nursing profession sees itself in government. That can’t help but be a morale booster.” A year into his job as provincial chief nursing officer for British Columbia, Zachary (Zak) Matieschyn is fine-tuning the art of pragmatic leadership. “I ultimately ...

Nurturing your nursing career: a WISELY approach to success

posted 07-29-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/07/29/demarche-judicieuse-vers-la-reussite How an acronym can help guide you to achieve a long and successful nursing career that leaves a legacy By Mary Ghazarian July 29, 2024 istockphoto.com/ljubaphoto When you became a nurse, your identity changed — a subtle shift at first, then altogether. Sometimes this shift goes too far, leading to pathologic altruism that results in predictable depression and burnout. It is a professional imperative to work authentically in a way that aligns with your personal identity and to take care of your body, mind, and soul. My fingers tingled and my breath ...

Language is power: nurses’ role in advancing patient-centred care for individuals who use substances

posted 07-25-2024
https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2024/07/25/le-langage-cest-le-pouvoir Eliminating stigma can improve quality of care and prevent avoidable deaths By Amber Heyd July 25, 2024 istockphoto.com/SDI Productions Language is a powerful tool capable of either perpetuating or challenging stigma and stereotypes associated with substance use. The language we use to discuss substance use and individuals who use substances significantly impacts patient care and outcomes. This article is part of the Canadian Nurse series, Harm Reduction Saves Lives . Substance use stigma Individuals who use substances experience considerable ...