5 Common Causes of Nurse Burnout

5 Common Causes of Nurse Burnout

5 Common Causes of Nurse Burnout

The common causes of nurse burnout are rarely talked about these days. With the pandemic still rolling, nurses often go on with their lives. But the stress and burnout nurses feel are very real.

The pandemic affects the work of nurses and the different factors that make their jobs extra challenging. 

 

The 5 Causes of Nurse Burnout

A nurse’s job is overwhelming and can be a toxic experience when the shifts are long. Of course, nurses are superheroes, and nothing seems to weigh them down. But there are plenty of other reasons why nurses are often exhausted at work.

Here are common causes of nurse burnout:

 

#1. Stressful environment

Most nurses work in a stressful environment and often involve high-stress levels. Nurses who work in particular areas like the Emergency Rooms, Trauma Unit, or Intensive

Caring for and dealing with traumatic injuries, combative patients, high mortality rates, and ethical dilemmas that put more strain on themselves. As a result, the burnout these nurses face is widespread. 

 

#2. Short Staff

The shortage of nurses is now a real problem in many hospitals. These days nurses handle more patients nurses than they can, and with the increasing number of Covid patients, it is more likely that nurses are understaffed.

There is also an increase in retiring nurses, making it harder for new nurses to adjust to their roles. 

 

#3. Lack of Sleep

As a nurse, your job often involves working night shifts and long hours. Because of this, many nurses do not get enough sleep. And even if they do, it is not the best quality of sleep either.

In a survey conducted by Kronos, 25% of nurses reported suffering from insomnia or chronic fatigue. 

 

#4. Lack of team support

One of the many reasons for nurse burnout is when team members do not cooperate. Poor teamwork caused by conflicts, lack of communication, and bullying can lead to poor execution of nursing care.

It can also lead to a toxic work environment and medical errors if many nurses do not work together. 

 

#5. Emotional exhaustion

The main job of nurses includes patient care which is the most rewarding aspect of this profession. As a nurse, you form connections with patients and their families when you help and care for them. However, this could also lead to emotional distress for nurses, especially if they are in critical or end-of-life care. 

Nurses who take care of several patients at once can also lead to emotional exhaustion. And nurses who are taking care of more than four patients in one shift have higher risks of burning out and raising each patient’s chances by 23%. 

 

Other Reasons for Nurse Burnout

While the ones mentioned above are prevalent, there are also other reasons why some nurses are exhausted to the rim. Among these include:

  • Work overload and time pressures
  • Role conflicts and ambiguity
  • Career development issues
  • Being exposed to infectious diseases 
  • Needlestick injuries
  • Work-related threats and violence
  • Difficult patients

 

How to Know If You Are a Burnout Nurse?

There are plenty of signs that you are already burnout as a nurse. While there are signs that you are experiencing total burnout, some nurses quickly dismiss it and continue working.

If you are that nurse, then it’s time to sit back and take note of these burnout symptoms. 

 

Gets sick easily

One of the most common signs of burnout is when you get sick often. A weakened immune system can lead to many gastrointestinal issues, heart problems, and chronic pain.

If you are not careful, these can easily manifest after contracting viruses. You also experience constipation, aches, and pains. 

 

Experiences compassion fatigue more often

People who become nurses are compassionate by nature. And nurses who often work with the sick and dying tend to lose their compassion after witnessing pain and suffering.

Because of this, some nurses detach themselves from patients due to feelings of failure and cynicism toward their job. 

 

Chronic fatigue

Have you ever felt exhausted but could not seem to get rid of it, no matter how much you rested? Do you go to bed tired but still wake up feeling the same in the morning?

It is a common sign of chronic fatigue. As a nurse, this condition is widespread. Extreme physical exhaustion, unable to catch up with sleep, and dozing off at hours when you should be awake are among the most common signs of this condition. It is often felt by nurses who work long hours on consistent shifts. 

 

Lack of enthusiasm to go to work

When you were a new nurse, going to work seemed to be an exciting thing. However, as the years go on, this enthusiasm seems to fade.

If you ever dread going to work and focus on going home whenever you are there, your confidence in this job is starting to die down. And that is not a good thing.

Your lack of enthusiasm may lead to other issues at work.

 

Feelings of being unvalued and unappreciated

Work is part of a nurse’s life. But when you are overworked as a nurse, you may feel unappreciated and unvalued. And when this goes on for long, feelings of resentment and frustration can happen.

This resentment could be towards their job, coworkers, and even their patients. It is not a good state of emotion for a nurse. If this is the case, the best step is to reach out to someone you can talk to about how you feel.

You can either discuss this with your supervisor or a therapist to get the help you need.  

 

Overwhelming anxiety

To the general population, having anxiety is normal. It is also a part of our lives – to experience anxiety. However, when the stress becomes crippling, it can be an issue.

Nurses who feel too pressured at work to the point that they cannot function normally can become a problem. Burnout can cause severe stress, which leads to insomnia or delays in daily activities.

Nurses cannot give quality care when they are not feeling their best. 

 

Your Takeaway

These are the common reasons for nurse burnout, and when you feel you are going way over than you can carry, take a pause and rest. Ask for sick leave or vacation leave. Take time off to take care of yourself. 

Keep in mind that nurses like you are human too. Do take time to recharge and refresh your mind and body. A few days off work will not hurt you. And remember, you must take care of yourself first before taking care of others. Make your health a priority above all else! 

 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

 

EP 192: How Cirrhosis Impacts the Liver

EP 192: How Cirrhosis Impacts the Liver

How Cirrhosis Impacts The Liver

How cirrhosis affects the liver is one of the many interesting medical cases you’ll encounter as a nurse. But what is it? Cirrhosis is a liver disease where liver cells become extremely damaged.

This leads to the damaged cells being replaced with fibrous tissue or scarring of the liver. It also alters the liver’s structure and normal vasculature impairs blood and lymph flow and causes hepatic insufficiency.

Causes

Excessive alcohol consumption

  • Too much alcohol intake is the most common cause of cirrhosis

Injury

  • Problems with the bile duct: bile stays in the liver and damages cells.
    • Bile duct: carries bile from the liver to the small intestine

Hepatitis

  • Different types of hepatitis can cause postnecrotic cirrhosis.

Other diseases

  • Viral Infection, autoimmune 
  • Too much fat collecting in the liver (nonalcoholic)
  • Obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetics

Right-sided heart failure

  • Hepatic congestion secondary to right-sided heart disease

How the liver works:

  1. The liver takes substances in our blood and metabolizes and detoxifies them. 
  2. Stores and produces substances help digestion, clotting, and immune health. 
  3. When it stops working, every system in our body struggles.

Types of Liver Cells and How They Work

Two main types of cells perform the tasks listed above.

  • Kupffer cells
    • Remove bacteria, debris, parasites, and old RBCs 
  • Hepatocytes
    • Bile production, metabolism, storage, conjugating bilirubin, and detoxification.

Functions of the Liver

Metabolization

Glucose: 

  • The excessive amounts will be synthesized and stored as glycogen 
  • The liver can’t synthesize glycogen properly and store it, so more stays in the blood, leading to hyperglycemia
  • Converts glycogen into glucose when blood glucose levels are low to increase sugar levels 
  • If the patient is sick or not eating, the liver is unable to convert the glycogen to glucose so the patient can have episodes of hypoglycemia

Lipids and Proteins: 

  • The liver converts ammonia, which is a byproduct of protein breakdown, into urea which is then excreted via the urine.
  • Urea is much less toxic to the brain than ammonia. 
  • Ammonia = neuro changes + hepatic encephalopathy 

Storage

  • Stores vitamins (vitamins B12, A, E, D, and K), minerals, and iron and glycogen. 
  • Remember, bile is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. 
  • In cirrhosis, bile production is impaired, which will lead to decreased absorption and storage of those fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K)

Digestion

How cirrhosis affects the body? When epatocytes produce bile to help with the absorption of fats and those fat-soluble vitamins. 

Bile is stored in the gallbladder:

  • In the bile and stool is a substance called bilirubin. 
      • Bilirubin: RBCs are removed by the Kupffer cells, and components of the RBCs are recycled. The Kupffer cells break down the hemoglobin into heme and globin groups.
      • Then hepatocytes metabolize heme into iron and bilirubin. The bilirubin is put into the bile and leaves via the stool (which is why stool is brown because bilirubin is a yellow-brown substance).
  • In cirrhosis, the hepatocytes are damaged and CAN’T do this, so the hepatocytes leak bilirubin in the blood (rather than it entering the bile to leave the body in stool), and the levels increase in the blood and are present in the urine.
    • This is why the patient will be jaundiced and have yellowing of the skin, sclera, mucous membranes, dark urine, along with clay-colored stool.

Production of blood plasma proteins: 

  • Albumin 
    • Maintains oncotic pressure and water regulation within the interstitial tissue,
  • Fibrinogen and prothrombin 
    • Aids in clotting.
Coagulation factors
  • Bleeding within the body activates a complex system of plasma proteins called coagulation factors, which promote blood clot formation. The liver is responsible for producing most of these coagulation factors.
  • Fibrinogen, thrombin = factor II, and factors V, VII, IX X, and XI
  • Protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III

Detoxification

  • Decreases the efficacy of drugs. 
    • In cirrhosis, the patient is very sensitive to drugs because the liver can’t protect them from their harmful effects. It also removes toxins from the body (alcohol) and hormones our glands produce. 
      • Ex: estrogen is metabolized in the liver. However, in cirrhosis, it is unable to metabolize estrogen, which leaves more of the hormone in the body. This can lead to enlarged breast tissue in men (gynecomastia).

Complications of Cirrhosis:

Portal Hypertension

  • The portal vein becomes narrowed due to scar tissue in the liver. This restricts the flow of blood to the liver and increases pressure in the portal vein. This will affect the organs connected to the portal vein.. like the spleen and vessels to the GI structure (varices).

Enlarged spleen

  • “Splenomegaly” What does the spleen do? Stores platelets and WBCs. With portal HTN the platelets and WBCs are kept in the spleen. They can’t leave, and this leads to a low platelet and WBC count.

Esophageal Varices 

  • (as well as gastric varices): due to the increased pressure via the portal vein. This increased pressure causes the veins to become weak, and they can RUPTURE!
  • Life-threatening if the varice ruptures: WHY? Remember the platelet count will be low along with clotting factors available AND levels of Vitamin-K…they are at risk for a total bleed out.

Fluid overload in legs and abdomen

  • Ascites (fluid in the abdomen). If the patient has ascites, they are at risk for infection from bacteria in the GI system. Remember, the immune system is compromised because of low WBC production. Swelling in the legs and ascites is happening due to venous congestion from the portal HTN and low albumin levels (the water is not being regulated in the body and is entering the interstitial tissue).

Jaundice

  • Yellowing of the sclera of the eyes, mucous membranes, and skin. This is due to the hepatocytes leaking bilirubin into the blood rather than the bile.

Hepatic Encephalopathy

  • the liver is unable to detoxify. Ammonia builds up along with other toxins that collect in the brain. This leads to an altered mental system, coma, neuromuscular problems, asterixis (involuntary hand-flapping), hepatic foetor “fetor hepaticus” (late sign; A pungent, musty, sweet smell to the breath)

Clotting problems

  • Thrombocytopenia is seen in most patients with cirrhosis.
    • Reduced production due to impaired hepatic synthesis of thrombopoietin
  • Chang in INR. maybe low or elevated
    • Most clotting factors are synthesized by the liver.  Reduction in these clotting factors tends to cause reduced enzymatic coagulation.
    • Naturally occurring anticoagulants are also synthesized by the liver.  A deficiency of these tends to augment enzymatic coagulation.
    • Factor VIII is produced by endothelial cells and tends to be upregulated in cirrhosis, augmenting coagulation.
    •  

Renal Failure

In severe cases known as Hepatorenal Syndrome.

Miscellaneous

  • Liver Cancer
  • bone fractures (low vitamin D)
  • Diabetes

Signs and Symptoms of Cirrhosis:

Early stages of how cirrhosis affects the body:

  • Patients may be asymptomatic

Late stages of how cirrhosis affects the body:

  • GI system. 
    • Early indicators usually involve gastrointestinal signs and symptoms such as anorexia, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea.
  • Respiratory system. 
    • Respiratory symptoms occur due to hepatic insufficiency and portal hypertension.
    • Pleural effusion, and limited thoracic expansion due to abdominal ascites, interfering with efficient gas exchange and leading to hypoxia.
  • Central nervous system. 
    • Lethargy, mental changes, slurred speech, asterixis (flapping tremor), peripheral neuritis, paranoia, hallucinations, extreme obtundation, and ultimately, coma.
  • Hematologic.
    • The patient experiences bleeding tendencies and anemia.
  • Endocrine. 
    • The male patient experiences testicular atrophies
    • the female patient may have menstrual irregularities, gynecomastia, and loss of chest and axillary hair.
  • Skin. 
    • There is severe pruritus, extreme dryness, poor tissue turgor, abnormal pigmentation, spider angiomas, palmar erythema, and possibly jaundice.
  • Hepatic. 
    • Cirrhosis causes jaundice, ascites, hepatomegaly, edema of the legs, hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatic renal syndrome.

Diagnosed:

  • Liver scan: The liver scan shows abnormal thickening and a liver mass.
  • Liver biopsy; a Liver biopsy is a definitive test for cirrhosis as it detects destruction and fibrosis of the hepatic tissue.
  • Liver imaging: Computed tomography scan, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging may confirm the diagnosis of cirrhosis through visualization of masses, abnormal growths, metastases, and venous malformations.
  • Cholecystography and cholangiography visualize the gallbladder and the biliary duct system.
  • Splenoportal venography: Splenoportal venography visualizes the portal venous system.
  • Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography: This test differentiates intrahepatic from extrahepatic obstructive jaundice and discloses hepatic pathology and the presence of gallstones.
  • How cirrhosis affects blood count: There is decreased white blood cell count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit, albumin, or platelets.

Medical Management

Treatment is designed to remove or alleviate the underlying cause of cirrhosis.

  • Diet. The patient may benefit from a high-calorie and medium to high-protein diet.
    •  Once a patient has hepatic encephalopathy, restrict protein intake.
  • Sodium restriction.is usually restricted to 2g/day.
  • Fluid restriction. Fluids are restricted to 1 to 1.5 liters/day.
  • Activity. Rest and moderate exercise is essential.
  • Paracentesis. Paracentesis may help alleviate ascites.
  • Sengstaken-Blakemore or Minnesota tube. The Sengstaken-Blakemore or Minnesota tube may also help control hemorrhage by applying pressure on the bleeding site.

Pharmacologic Therapy

Drug therapy requires special caution because the cirrhotic liver cannot detoxify harmful agents effectively.

  • Octreotide. For esophageal varices.
    • improves renal function, total exchangeable sodium, and peripheral hemodynamics in cirrhotic patients with ascites
    • Helps with esophageal varies by decreasing portal vain hypertension
    • It also controls the emptying of the stomach and bowel
  • Diuretics. Diuretics may be given for edema, however, they require careful monitoring because fluid and electrolyte imbalance may precipitate hepatic encephalopathy.
  • Lactulose. Encephalopathy is treated with lactulose.
  • Antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to decrease intestinal bacteria and reduce ammonia production, one of the causes of encephalopathy.
  • beta blockers. Slow the heart rate, decreases the force of contraction, and also helps with the treatment of esophageal varices
  • Nitrates. Vaso dilator to treat portal hypertension
  • Administer blood products and vitamin K to help with clotting

Surgical Management

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure. The TIPS procedure is used for the treatment of varices by upper endoscopy with banding to relieve portal hypertension.

Liver transplant: surgical resect or implantation of a new liver, partial or full

How Cirrhosis Affects the Body and What is the Nursing Management

Nursing management for the patient with cirrhosis of the liver should focus on promoting rest, improving nutritional status, providing skin care, reducing the risk of injury, and monitoring and managing complications.

  • Monitor blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia)
  • Assessing sclera and skin color for Jaundice along with urine color: very dark
  • Monitor I’s and O’s very closely, daily weight, monitor ascites and swelling in extremities
  • Activity intolerance, difficulty breathing (no supine), at risk for skin breakdown (turning every 2 hours), elevating feet
  • Administering Lactulose per MD order:  decreases ammonia levels

Nursing Assessment

Assessment of the patient with cirrhosis should include assessing for:

  • Bleeding. Check the patient’s skin, gums, stools, and vomitus for bleeding.
  • Fluid retention. To assess for fluid retention, weigh the patient and measure abdominal girth at least once daily.
  • Mentation. Assess the patient’s level of consciousness often and observe closely for changes in behavior or personality.

Learn more about cirrhosis of the liver by watching this full episode here

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:25 What is Cirrhosis
02:32 What causes Cirrhosis
04:12 What does the liver do
05:39 Functions of the liver
17:32 Complications of Cirrhosis
22:39 What are the signs and symptoms of cirrhosis
29:43 How to diagnose cirrhosis
34:54 Pharmacologic Therapy
37:44 Surgical Management
39:18 Nursing Assessment
42:28 Wrapping up the show

 

EP 191: Nursing Negligence & HIPPA with Irnise Williams

EP 191: Nursing Negligence & HIPPA with Irnise Williams

Nursing Negligence & HIPPA with Irnise Williams

Nursing negligence is when a nurse fails to do or perform minimum nursing care within the standards of conduct, which results in loss or harm. It can also result from a failure of the nurse to perform their duties or when it is done incorrectly.

While this rarely happens, it is still something that all nurses must be aware of. The lives of our patients are in our hands, it is vital that we are always conscious and mindful of our job and duties as members of the healthcare team. 

Our Guest

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Irnise Williams. Irnise is an experienced nurse and now an attorney. She has a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to healthcare law.

Irnise has advocated for and trained thousands of healthcare providers to work within their scope of practice. She has also worked with over 100 businesses helping them operate and stay protected by creating systems, solutions, and success through her 5-step framework. 

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a background about yourself? 
  2. From a legal standpoint, what can nurses get in trouble for?
  3. What kind of cases do you see most that involve nurses, physicians, or any healthcare professionals?
  4. What is malpractice from a healthcare professional standpoint?
    • What is your experience with malpractice cases?
    • Should every nurse have malpractice insurance?
  5. Other than malpractice insurance, how should nurses protect their licenses?
  6. What Potential Legal Ramifications Do Nurses Face?
  7. What should you do as a healthcare professional to avoid getting sued?
  8. Have HIPPA laws changed at all?
    • How is social media use affected by HIPPA law in the workplace? 
    • Can we talk about nursing stories outside of the hospital setting? 
  9. What is the 66-day business Bootcamp you offer?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Learn more about Nursing Negligence & HIPPA by watching the full episode here! 👇😎

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:50 About Irnise Williams
05:19 The reason why Irnise went to law school
07:30 Transitioning from being a nurse to running a law firm
11:31 What you should do to avoid getting into trouble
14:08 Things that nurses may be held accountable for in court
20:52 The difference between negligence and malpractice
22:46 HIPPA Violations
28:29 Information you shouldn’t post on social media
30:31 Can a healthcare provider sue a hospital
33:52 Does healthcare provider need malpractice insurance
35:06 Other services Irnise can provide
36:47 Legal tips for nursepreneurs
38:31 Responsibilities and liabilities of a travel agency
41:26 Wrapping up the show

4 Ways to Expand Your Nursing Career

4 Ways to Expand Your Nursing Career

4 Ways to Expand Your Nursing Career 

 

You don’t have to do bedside tasks or work in a hospital to expand your nursing career. An article on ‘Lifelong Learning and Nurses’ Continuing Professional Development’ states that nurses are becoming more interested in their professional development to update their skills and provide better healthcare services. These professional development opportunities allow many nurses to obtain knowledge and skills to help them reach their career goals. 

These development activities are vital because they can broaden your career opportunities. The good news is there are plenty of opportunities for nurses to join in and learn. To expand and advance your career path, you must try these strategies. 

Consider a Specialization

A specialization in a specific field increases your expertise, improves your job prospects, and leads to more fulfilling work. The types of clinical specializations for practicing nurses include, but are not limited to:

  • Adult critical care (CCRN)
  • Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
  • Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
  • Pediatric critical care (CCRN)
  • Perioperative Nurse (Surgical/OR Nurse)
  • Progressive care (PCCN)

To be part of these leadership roles, obtain certifications geared toward nursing managers, administrators, and executives through organizations like the American Organization for Nurse Leadership (AONL) and the American College of Healthcare Executives Nurses.

If you want to work independently of healthcare organizations, one career path you can consider is becoming a nurse practitioner. Our article on the ‘Highest Paying Nursing Careers’ notes that you must earn an additional Master of Science in Nursing degree to enjoy it. You can even pursue a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree to pursue this path. You must also obtain national certification and state APRN licensure to qualify as a nurse practitioner.

However, all that effort will be worth it because nurse practitioners earn a good salary. Aside from being a high-paying career path, there are remote opportunities for nurse practitioners in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and other states with nursing shortages. Through these opportunities, nurse practitioners can pursue specializations in pediatrics, behavioral health, and women’s health while enjoying working from home. Nurse practitioners can even provide care to patients throughout their lifespan, guaranteeing more career security.

Find a Mentor to Help You

Finding a mentor is an option you should consider when you’re looking to advance your career. Like an experienced nurse, a mentor can provide guidance that will help you manage the emotional and professional aspects of the healthcare industry. It also offers new nurses a safe space to learn and grow in their nursing careers. 

Being able to find a mentor to help advance your career, give you the support you need, and develop your leadership skills are vital. A good mentor can provide networking opportunities, professional references, and many resources that will be helpful in your career.

You can be your boss by becoming a nurse entrepreneur. To run a qualified nurse business, you must complete a bachelor’s degree and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. Researchers from Chicago and Maryland emphasize that nurse entrepreneurs can experience tremendous success through formal mentorship programs. Mentors can teach entrepreneurial skills and broaden the business network of nurses, which is why nurse entrepreneurs rank them as the most critical ingredient for success.

If you’re aspiring to sell health products or services, you can find a business mentor by joining professional networking events or industry meetups. You can also join mentorship platforms like MentorCruise or Clarity to work with professionals who can develop your entrepreneurial skills.

You can expand your nursing career to new heights, especially if you’re willing to invest in your skills development. Whether you plan to get formal or informal training, you can ensure that your new competencies and knowledge can significantly contribute to your new career path.

Network Through Professional Organizations

A nursing career will only flourish with a network of professional organizations. It is essential for landing new job opportunities and networking. Not only that, but it will also help advance your career and gives you access to the latest techniques and practices in your nursing career. Among the most popular nursing organizations are: 

  • American Nurses Association
  • National Student Nurses Association
  • National League for Nursing
  • National Black Nurses Association
  • National Associations of Hispanic Nurses
  • International Council of Nurses

A member of professional organizations are often invited to events and even have discounts on healthcare conventions. It also gives members continuing education courses and other employment assistance or resources.

Get Your Certifications

It will help you pursue specialized fields and high-paying positions as a nurse. Many health professionals require ACLS, PALS, and BLS certifications. It includes nurses working in emergency, urgent, and critical care units.

  • ACLS Certification is Advanced Cardiac Life Support training. It helps healthcare providers the training to enhance life support skills, team dynamics, and basic drug therapy. 
  • BLS Certification or Basic Life Support training helps individuals recognize life-threatening emergencies, use an AED, and provide CPR. 
  • PALS Certification is Pediatric Advanced Life Support training that teaches medical professionals to provide life-saving care to children and infants. 

The healthcare industry is time-intensive by nature, and many healthcare professionals need help finding the time to earn their certifications. Finding options like online certification classes offers them a convenient and efficient way to earn the needed certifications and recertifications at their own pace. 

Besides earning your certifications, you must join organizations to develop foundational leadership competencies to help you adapt to external pressure and crises. These include soft skill development like good decision-making, diplomacy, team-building, and adaptability. These can be developed through experience and learned through online courses or professional development classes. 

Nurse leaders need these soft skills to manage nursing teams and serve as knowledge resources in clinical settings. They also fulfill human resource and administrative functions, making it crucial to learn how to run a team with empathy and authority.

 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

EP 190: How to Be a Successful Nursepreneur with Catie Harris

EP 190: How to Be a Successful Nursepreneur with Catie Harris

How to Be a Successful Nursepreneur with Catie Harris

Being a successful nursepreneur doesn’t happen overnight. As nurses, we can handle anything when it comes to our patients. But how about running a business? As I have mentioned, overnight success doesn’t happen right away.

There are steps to that, but what are they? How can you become a successful nurse entrepreneur?

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Catie Harris, a NursePreneur Mentor who has empowered thousands of nurses in business to monetize their knowledge and skills while inspiring them to change the way healthcare is perceived and delivered.

She strives to undo the perception that nursing care is limited to the hospital setting. Through her intensive nurse business coaching program,

Catie shows nurses around the world how their hard-earned knowledge and skills can transcend the hospital system into a profitable business.

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a background about yourself?
  2. What made you leave nursing and become an entrepreneur?
  3. Can you be both a nurse and an entrepreneur? 
    • Nursing gives you income stability which allows you to focus more on your business and not have to necessarily worry about the financials all the time. 
    • Most businesses take 2-3 years to see some income being generated.
  4. How can nurses dig beneath the surface of their careers to find passion, purpose & profit?
    • We often do not understand the power that we have as nurses. The difference we make individually extends far beyond the patient, student, or colleague whose life we change. Each of us has the power to create a ripple effect.
    • What is the origin of nursing purpose to getting into healthcare? Can we channel our purpose into other places?
  5. What are some business ideas that you’ve recently seen nurses participate in?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests.

If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

To learn more about being a successful nursepreneur, watch our full episode here 👇👇👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:56 About Catie Harris
03:49 How has your purpose changed
04:35 Nursing traits that you can use in business
05:35 The pain points of starting a business
07:11 How passion started
09:45 Discovering your passion
12:31 How do you pass success to your clients
14:30 How to deal with not profitable
18:09 Successful nursepreneur businesses
21:18 How to look for the right people to work with
22:36 Hospital Leader vs Entrepreneur Leader
24:30 Overcoming imposter syndrome
25:50 Struggles of running a business
27:41 Big mindset shifts as an entrepreneur
29:34 Failures and motivations
31:49 Balancing work and life
33:42 Tips on starting a business
35:52 How to keep the business organized
39:00 Wrapping up the show