EP 211: MICU and Becoming a CRNA with Jenny Finnell

EP 211: MICU and Becoming a CRNA with Jenny Finnell

EP 211: MICU and Becoming a CRNA with Jenny Finnell

Becoming a CRNA is possible for any nurse. It may take time and a lot of dedication, but you can become one too. In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Jenny Finnell. Jenny is a CRNA with experience in MICU, adult open heart, and pediatrics.

She spends most of her time mentoring and looking for ways to build community and resources for our nurses. 

Jenny launched Nurses Teach Nurses in August 2022, a mentorship marketplace for nurses by nurses. She helps nurses by empowering them to share knowledge, promote personal growth and create a culture of support.

She is also the creator of CRNA School Prep Academy, which helps people get into CRNA school and succeed on the job. 

We talk about the life of a CRNA and what it takes to become one and overcome self-doubt in school and on the field. 

Questions for Our Guest

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 some background about yourself, your nursing experience, and how you decided to become a CRNA? 
  2. Why did you choose to jump into the MICU?
      • How was your experience in the MICU?
      • Any interesting cases? Common things you dealt with?
      • What were the expectations and some things you struggled with?
      • We often hear the phrase that nurses eat their young. Did you feel that way? Is this a good way to teach new nurses?
  3. What are the requirements for becoming a CRNA?
      • What experience is needed?
      • How is CRNA school?
      • CRNA school vs Nursing school?
      • Is there a certain “person” that gravitates to becoming a CRNA? 
      • Advice for future CRNAs?
      • With NP school, there isn’t a requirement to work as an RN. Do you think you really need that ICU experience to be successful as a CRNA?
  4. You’ve been married to your high school sweetheart. How important is having support?
      • Did you always get the support you needed? 
      • Work-life balance? 
  5. What made you start CRNA School Prep Academy?
      • Did you have a mentor in CRNA school? 
      • What can you expect to get and learn at the CRNA School Prep Academy?
  6. What made you start Nurses Teach Nurses?
      • How important is positive nursing culture?

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? 

Links: 

https://nursesteachnurses.com/#
https://www.instagram.com/crnaschoolprepacademy/
https://nursesteachnurses.com/#
https://www.instagram.com/nursesteachnurses/
https://www.cspaedu.com/steps

Here’s her journey from MICU and becoming a CRNA. Watch the full episode here 👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:58 About Jenny Finnell
03:13 The Incredible Benefits of Pursuing a Career as a CRNA
04:54 What is the Environment of an Open Heart Surgery look like
08:19 The real responsibilities of CRNA’s
11:09 What does a life of a CRNA look like
13:29 Patient Care Differences Between Adults and Children
15:34 Tips to becoming a CRNA
17:05 How to Boost Your Confidence and Conquer Your Insecurities
23:21 Experiences That Paved the Way to Becoming a CRNA
25:50 Reasons Why Nurses Leave Bedside Care
30:39 The Benefits of Seeking Professional Help from Experienced Healthcare Professionals
34:22 Who are the Nurses teach nurses for
37:28 What is “CRNA School Prep Academy” all about
41:12 Things that need improvement in nursing
43:36 Wrapping up the show

 

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

Can one become a viral content creator? The short answer is yes. Our profession gives us the freedom to become an inspiration to others. Whether it be through bedside nursing or content creators, we have the means to help others.

It is unsurprising to see many healthcare professionals rise to the ranks of online personalities as they help educate others about health and well-being. If you’re a nurse interested in making digital content, this episode is for you. 

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Stephanee Beggs. Stephanee is a content creator, Forbes 30 under 30, and Emergency Room nurse.

She unintentionally became viral on social media for her quick, concise educational tools that led to the creation of RNExplained, Inc.

Our main focus today is ER nursing and crazy patient experiences

Questions for Our Guest

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. Please give us a brief background about yourself and your nursing experience. 
        • What made you decide to get into emergency nursing?
  2. Let’s address the elephant in the room, do you have any beef with ICU nurses?
  3. What is the day in the life like of an emergency nurse? 
  4. Has your life changed significantly being a social media influencer? 
        • Did you get any backlash from your employer?
  5. How did you create RNExplained? What inspired you?
        • You became the 30 under 30 on Forbes for the education category. 
        • How do you juggle multiple roles as a nurse?
  6. How do you prioritize self-care as a nurse? 

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? 

Connect and catch up with Stephanee through her socials at: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/stephaneebeggs/?hl=en
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RNExplained
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephbegg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rnexplained/featured 

Want to become a viral content creator too? Watch the full episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:39 About Stephanee Beggs
05:08 What causes the conflict between ER and ICU nursing?
07:24 What does an ER nurse’s shift look like
11:19 Traumatic experiences as a nurse
16:03 The love of helping and nursing patient
18:05 How RNExplained started
18:47 What is it like to be an entrepreneur and a social media influencer?
19:46 Secrets on how Stephanee balances her life
21:29 Nurse Influencers are being misunderstood by hospital administration.
27:51 Tips on how to avoid trouble with what you post on social media
29:13 Setting Boundaries with Employers and Social Media Influence
30:47 How Stephanee grew RNExplained
33:11 Stephanee’s future business plans
34:30 The importance of self-care?
35:52 Wrapping up the show

EP 209: Being a Clinical Instructor and Healthcare Couples With Lindsey Mcniff

EP 209: Being a Clinical Instructor and Healthcare Couples With Lindsey Mcniff

EP 209: Being a Clinical Instructor and Healthcare Couples With Lindsey Mcniff

Being a clinical instructor in nursing school is rewarding. We’ve all had our favorite clinical instructors while we are in nursing school. Most of them are nurses who became teachers helping student nurses become the best future nurses.

But how different is being a teacher of nurses from being a nurse? And how can nurses become clinical instructors? If you are a nurse and considering the role of an educator, this episode is for you. 

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Lindsey Mcniff. Lindsey is an ex-travel nurse now working in nursing education. Her background includes telemetry, medical-surgical, stepdown, and cardiac cath lab.

She is currently a clinical nurse educator, professor, and clinical instructor.

We talk about dating in healthcare, transitioning from bedside to education, and we offer some advice every nurse should hear. 

Questions for Our Guest

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. Please give us a brief background about yourself and your nursing experience. 
        • What made you decide to get into travel nursing?
  2. What’s the role like of a clinical instructor? How is it different from regular bedside? 
        • What are some common themes nursing students struggle with?
        • What advice can you give nursing students struggling in clinical or just finding it difficult? 
        • What education do you need to become an instructor?
        • Calendly – “In my experience with nursing students, the ages can range from 18 to 50 years old as nursing is an extremely popular career. The younger students typically need more conservations around maturity and professionalism whereas older students may come with enhanced wisdom and forget to proceed new challenges with caution that some younger learners possess.”
  3. What are some of your favorite aspects of being a clinical educator?
  4. How is it working as a healthcare couple?
        • What are some benefits of you and your fiance having a healthcare background?  
  5. What are some outdated nursing traditions that we need to break free from?
  6. Have you considered nursing as a second career? 
  7. What advice do you have for anyone trying to advance their nursing career?
  8. What is your current obsession? 

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? 

Links: IG: Lostwithlindsey

Be inspired and become a clinical instructor in this episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:26 About Lindsey Mcniff
07:33 Travel Nursing as a couple
09:26 Tips For Dating In Healthcare
11:21 Preparing to Become a Travel Nurse with One Year of Experience
13:30 Transitioning from Bedside Nursing to Education
17:14 The Impact Of Compassion Fatigue
23:44 Mental Health and Self-Care for Bedside Nurses
27:59 Building Confidence And Friendships On The Unit
31:30 The Cohesive Diversity In Teaching New Grads
33:23 The Changes in Nursing Practices Over Time
35:54 The Outdated Nursing Traditions
40:49 Funny Moments During Nursing Orientation
44:22 Exploring Nursing as a Second Career
47:51 Advice For Nurses Considering Advancing Their Career
50:19 Wrapping up the show

EP 207: When Your Patient Falls

EP 207: When Your Patient Falls

EP 207: When Your Patient Falls

Patient falls are one of the many incidents that could happen to patients in hospitals, and as much as nurses do their best to prevent this from happening, it cannot be avoided. It does happen. But can you avoid this incident?

And what are the usual or common causes of patient falls? Knowing these can help save your patient’s life and your license. It’s best to be prepared at all times. 

In today’s episode, we will discuss our experiences when a patient fell. We’ll also discuss how it happened, how we felt, and what we had to do. In addition to that, we will also discuss what to do when a patient falls and the most common causes of it. 

What to Do When a Patient Falls

  1. Call for help and stay with the patient
  2. Assess the patient for any injuries
    • Ask what happened and if they have any pain or hit their head
    • If the patient is unable to respond appropriately, assume they hit their head
    • Are there any visible injuries?
  3. Notify MD, Charge, house supervisor
  4. Take the patient to CT
  5. Notify family if needed
  6. Make the patient a forever high fall risk
  7. Chart what happened
  8. File an incident report

Reports on Patients Falling in Hospitals

Each year, somewhere between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people in the United States fall into the hospital. A fall may result in fractures, lacerations, or internal bleeding, increasing health care utilization. 

  • Falls occur at a rate of 3–5 per 1000 bed-days
  • Resulting in around 250,000 injuries and up to 11,000 deaths
  • Approximately one in four falls result in injury, with about 10% resulting in serious injury.

Most Common Causes of Patient Falls

We looked at several websites to see the most common causes of falls. According to some law firms, the most common causes of falls are:

  • Failure to Call a Nurse for Assistance
  • The Bed-Exit Alarm is Not Set
  • Patients are on High-Risk Medication
  • Patient Inaccurately Assessed
  • Delayed Response when the Nurse is Called
  • Nurse and staff shortages
  • Slippery floors and surfaces
  • Inefficient work environments
  • Poorly lit or obstructed views

According to the joint commission, the most causes of falls are:

  • Fall risk assessment issues
    • Inconsistency in the rating of patients (Hester Davis tool)
    • Risk assessment tools not being an accurate predictor of falls
  • Handoff communication issues
    • Inconsistent or incomplete communication of patient risk for falls between caregivers
  • Toileting Issues
    • The patient did not seek help and fell while toileting
    • Medications that increase the risk of falls combined with toileting
  • Call Light Issues
    • The patient did not know, forgot, or chose not to use the call light
  • Education and Organizational Culture Issues
    • Lack of standardization of practice and application of interventions
    • Fall prevention education for patients and families is not used or is inconsistently used
    • Patient awareness and acknowledgment of their own risk for falls
  • Medical issues
    • Patient on one or more medications that increase the risk of falls (e.g., diuretics, laxatives, narcotics, antipsychotics, or anti-hypertensives) 

 

Sources:

https://www.vanweylaw.com/insights/top-reasons-hospital-falls-occur-medical-facilities/
https://www.jacksonwhitelaw.com/az-personal-injury/causes-of-falls-for-patients-in-hospitals/
http://www.hpoe.org/Reports-HPOE/2016/preventing-patient-falls.pdf 

To avoid this situation, watch the full episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
03:02 Matt’s Patient Fall Experience
10:20 Peter’s Patient Fall Experience
16:46 Who is liable for patient falls
20:26 What to do when a Patient Falls
24:55 LAW FIRM: Most commons reasons why patients fall
28:44 Healthcare Joint Commission: Most commons reasons why patients fall
37:52 Wrapping up the show

Be a Travel Nurse and Work in These Top 10 Best Places 

Be a Travel Nurse and Work in These Top 10 Best Places 

Be a Travel Nurse and Work in These Top 10 Best Places 

So, you are a nurse who is looking for something new to do. You love your job set-up in the healthcare facility you currently work in, but your mind wanders. It would help if you had an adventure.

You need to fuel your passion! If this is your current mindset right now, sign up to be a travel nurse and get to choose ten of the best places for this job. 

Where Can Travel Nurses Work?

 

#1. Alaska

With stunning views and a vast space for fishing, Alaska is home to the largest hospital in the city, the Providence Alaska Medical Center. Travel nurses who enjoy activities like camping, fishing, and boating will surely enjoy Alaska.

The growing healthcare industry and great pay are why many travel nurses chose this destination for work [1].

With the city’s unique features and long sunny days, Alaska is ideal for those interested in working here as a nurse and enjoying the outdoors.

Make sure to bring plenty of sunscreens! 

 

#2. California

Cali is home to excellent teaching hospitals, including the UCLA Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, and others. Not only that, but California also has one of the highest-paying nursing salaries in the country.

If you love the idea of learning and visiting California’s famous landmarks, this is an exciting place to choose!

If you love beaches, California has plenty, and if you are a wine enthusiast, you will surely enjoy the endless array of vineyards there too.

There are plenty of places to explore so you will surely love your time here. 

 

#3. Texas

If you want to work in Texas, Austin is the place to be. Ranked as one of the most popular locations for travel nurses, Austin is a fast-growing city with a high density of healthcare facilities to keep the flow of nurses constant.

Besides the booming healthcare industry, Austin is also a hub for entertainment. If you love food, music, and festivals, Austin is your next best destination.

 

#4. Florida

Another popular destination for travel nurses to work in is Florida – Miami, in particular, is a rather popular state to be in. If you are looking for warm weather and beaches, Florida is an excellent choice. It is a popular location for nurses who enjoy spending time at the beach after long working hours.

If you love exploring popular tourist attractions, Florida is home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. They also offer epic nightlife destinations like the Design District, Downtown, and many others.

All in all, it is a well-rounded city with many things to do after your shift.

 

#5. Hawaii

As a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to work in different locations, even with the pandemic travel restrictions that we have now. If you are interested in working far from the usual continental U.S. sights, you can apply for work in Hawaii.

However, this may be steep competition as it takes time to get approval for a work permit. But with patience, you, too, can land an assignment here.

Just be reminded that Hawaii is not exactly the place for travel nurses who want to earn top dollar, but if you are longing for an experience of a lifetime, this is it. 

 

#6. Colorado

Colorado is a compact nursing state which means a license in one state allows you to work assignments in another, just like in Texas.

If you choose urban life, Denver is an excellent choice to work and be a travel nurse. After your work, you can enjoy the breathtaking views the Rocky Mountains have to offer.

If you love skiing, Colorado has plenty of winter sports activities that you will surely love. Not only that, but since Colorado is part of a compact nursing state, you can attain greater work mobility without complications. 

 

#7. New York City

When we talk about New York, we always think of tall skyscrapers and high-rise apartments. But when it comes to healthcare facilities, New York is one of the best.

They are known for medical centers like the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Hospital. As a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to work in one of the best cities without a permanent commitment. In addition to that, New York is home to prestigious art galleries, museums, parks, and restaurants. This state is also one of those that offer nurses high salaries – which helps in the expensive nature of the city [2].

 

#8. Arizona

If you are looking for travel nursing opportunities that require low-cost living, then go to Arizona. Tucson City offers travel nursing opportunities that you might like.

Among the best features that this city has to offer include food scenes, music, a predominantly younger demographic of university students, and a good number of retirees.

So, if the desert life suits you, you might as well look into this location for travel nurse assignments.

 

#9. Washington

For coffee lovers who are also traveling nurses, working in Washington is a great choice. Seattle is one of the top cities in this state that offers good pay for nurses.

With the current nursing shortage in this city, it is an excellent opportunity for you to grab and find an assignment. As the coffee capital of the United States, you will surely enjoy this city.

If you love farmer’s markets, you can visit the Pike Place Market, considered the world’s oldest farmer’s market.

They also offer museums for you to check out – the Museum of Pop Culture and Museum of Flight are among the best tourist attractions you can find here. 

 

#10. Chicago

As the United State’s third-largest city, Chicago is home to some of the country’s largest and most prestigious healthcare facilities.

However, with the current pandemic, Chicago also faces nursing shortages, and the demand for nurses has pushed average salaries to $70,000 per year.

If you have plans to be a travel nurse in this state, do it. Not only will you enjoy working here, but you will also love the skyscrapers and their famous spot called Millenium Park. 

 

Pack Your Bags and Go!

If the location you would like to be a travel nurse in is not listed here, don’t worry. Many hospitals still need nurses out there, so you can choose wherever your passion takes you! And if your favorite destination is listed here, grab the chance to work today; good luck!

 

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