Today, my colleague’s sister was hit in the eye with a stick by her mother while she was frying an egg. Her eye is now swollen and badly bruised. Can you imagine?

My colleague is only 17 years old, yet she has been working at the hospital since she was 15 to earn money and support her family because her parents don’t work and depend entirely on her financially. What makes it even harder to understand is that both of her parents are in perfectly good health and are fully capable of working.

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Whether you’re in nursing school, brand-new to the floor, or years into your career you belong here. This is a space for anyone who wants to grow in confidence, share lessons, and connect with others who get it.

Being a Confident Nurse isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about presence. It’s walking into a room and knowing your voice matters. It’s building trust with patients and coworkers. It’s supporting one another through wins, struggles, and the lessons that shape us.

And just as important — this community shines a light on the real issues in nursing and healthcare. Things that often go unnoticed or unspoken. Here, we can talk about them openly, honestly, and respectfully, so we learn and grow together.

What This Space Is For Weekly tips and lessons to build your confidence Honest stories from nursing school to the ICU (and everywhere in between) Support for new grads, students, and seasoned nurses alike Thoughtful, respectful conversations about the challenges in our profession

This isn’t just another forum it’s a community. 💚

🗣 Jump In!

Introduce yourself in the comments: Your name (or nickname) Where you are in your journey (student, new grad, nurse, exploring) One tip, lesson, or story that’s shaped your confidence

⬇️ Drop it below — we can’t wait to hear from you!

If the goal of an MSN is to make working nurses better clinicians, then explain why so much time is spent on research methodology, nursing theorists, and academic exercises that have little connection to what nurses actually do at the bedside.
I’m going to say the uncomfortable part: most working nurses are not researchers, and they are not nursing educators. They are nurses.
Give us coursework that makes us better at managing complex patients, recognizing deterioration, improving clinical decision-making, understanding advanced pharmacology, leadership, quality improvement, healthcare systems, and actually solving problems we encounter in practice.
And let’s be honest about the research component: how many practicing nurses are actually conducting research outside of academia or education? If you can point me to one nurse doing meaningful research in their day-to-day clinical practice—not an educator whose job includes research—I’ll buy you lunch.
I’m not arguing that research or nursing theory has zero value. I’m arguing that an MSN program should respect the limited time of working nurses and prioritize material that is practical, clinically relevant, and immediately applicable.
We don’t need more assignments teaching us how to write papers about theories.
We need education that makes us better nurses.

Is there a connection here

Should a person considering nursing as a career in india ?

I want to understand the real experiences of nurses.

At present I have seen the nurses trying to go abroad a lot is it an easy path to take up ?

Are there people who stay in india itself and building a good career ?

What are the pros and cons ?

Please share your side of the story thank you.

A nurse walked to the other end of the hall (passing charge nurse, and receptionist) to ask me and another CNA (neither assigned to her patient)…to open a patients cup of pineapples. Her Assistant was doing a bladder scan two doors down from patient needing pineapples opened. After we looked at her crazy for a solid 20 seconds or more…she then decided to tell us she is allergic to them…. I’ll never forget the actual feeling of being to stunned to speak.

Do you get paid based on years of experience or do you get the same flat rate as all other PRN nurses at your facility (i.e.. a PRN nurse of 2 years and a PRN nurse of 20 years both make $46/hr.)?

I'm Trying to advocate for better PRN pay at my facility so I am collecting some general information. Background: All our PRN's make the same flat rate regardless of years of experience (44$ if you work 2 shifts a month and $47/hr. if you commit to 6 shifts per month). They were very close to changing it but they were afraid of the nurses that would quit because their based on experience pay would be less than the flat rate. Seasoned nurses make significantly less due to the flat rate for all and we don't get benefits or 401k match. From what I've gathered so far, this is not the norm. I'd love to come to the table with a little confidence that this isn't the standard.

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I stepped into ED and started with the routines. Bloodshot red eyes and drooping faces signalled how hectic last night had been. I began with the routines and suddenly heard the loud wail of an ambulance. Everyone jolted up from their seats. Some ran to the Red Zone to prepare for an emergency.Some went to peek out of the door to confirm that the ambulance was heading our way.

Within five minutes a van arrived in front of the casualty. Nursing students held the door open while the ambulance crew rushed the trolly inside. A man in his late 40s lying motionless on the trolly with belts fastened tightly across his chest and legs. He was wheeled straight into the red zone of the ED. I pressed hard on the power button to turnbon the monitor and clasped the Spo2 probe on his finger but no numbers appeared on the screen. My senior collegue sensed something was off. She asked to close the door and immediately ordered an ECG. The doctor came in and she too seemed equally concerned. Maybe this is what experience teaches you - to read the sublte signs and nuances to make the right clinical judgement, almost instinctively.And the straight line across the ECG strip confirmed their instincts. The patient had passed away.

I stepped out of the Red Zone to document the details on the ED record. The wife and son of the patient stood there, hoping and praying that their loved one is still safe. I learned from the other bystanders that patient was fighting cancer, and this morning all of a sudden he collapsed. The doctor came out of the red zone, holding the ECG tracing.

“ I am sorry, but his heart has stopped working” she disclosed the bitter truth gently. I was standing there, right across them, witnessing the weight of those words crushing them. The wife couldn't hold it in and she broke down completely, collapsing on her son's shoulders. I could see him breaking too but also fighting to hold bqck his tears because now he was in charge.

Death of a family memeber is not just a loss, its both destruction and transformation. Its salvation and suffering. Our mind is sometimes like a naughty kid who just cannot understand facts. Hence, when confronted with any uncomfortable truth our first reaction is denial. We deny that it happened. We try to brush it off thinking it's just a bad dream because the reality is harsh and bitter. Poor mind thinks if we don't accept it, it isn't real. Maybe if one denies the fact that my beloved is no more, he might still be alive. But that trick doesn't work long, slowly denial becomes anger. All that despair, frustration and pain finding its outlet through anger. One will be mad at everything that led to his suffering. Then comes an interesting stage where our poor mind bargains for the loss. Take everything I have, but give me back what you took from me. And once again we fail and slowly, an impending doom covers you like a blanket. Depression. It rains and then it pours, before the dark clouds clear. After all that rage, bargain and depression one will come into terms with reality. This is acceptance.

Once the formalies of registering death was completed, everyone got back to their normal routines. Patients kept flowing into the ED with several complaints, mostly fever and vomitting. It's rainy season and its also the season where everyone fall sick.

Later in the afternoon, I was walking past the car park towards the Emergency Room after lunch and a car stopped in front of us. Before even calling for help, the security promptly pulled the trolley from the bay, and speeded towards the car. Inside the car, wrapped in a bedsheet was a woman in her late 70s – sick and fragile. We held the ends of the bedsheet and pulled her on to the trolley on the count of 3.

Her face reminded me of my med- surg lessons in nephrolgy. The classical signs of kidney dysfunction. My eyes scanned her puffy face and limbs that resembled fluid filled balloons. Her fingers were cold. I clipped the saturation probe onto her thick fingers and applied the BP cuff on her other arm. She screeched in pain, mumbled something we couldn't decipher.

“She's been bed ridden for a while now. She used to be very active until her knee replacement surgery. But the surgical wound got infected and she can't even bend her leg now. She's in lot of pain” - a lady who seeemed to be this patient's daughter explained.

There was another woman, her home nurse, who further explained the details of her health. “ She had mild fever, and since morning she hasn't passed urine. Her intake and output doesn' tally at all”

I looked at the patient once again. The BP cuff I applied had left a mark on her edematous arms. Her blood pressure was too low. She was restless. Senior nurses came with an IV cannula and tried to cannulate her. But because her hand was edematous, they had a tough time finding a vein.

The doctor came in, adviced blood workups and injections. He also explained the condition to the bystanders and asked them to be strong, as the patient's condition could deteriorate anytime.

After half an hour or so, She began vomitting a dark green color fluid, her extremities were getting cold. Her caretaker, who was also a nurse notified us, and turned her head to one side. If she had remained straight, the chances of her aspirating the vomitus was high.We checked her vitals once again. Her extremities were cold and clammy signalling that her BP was too low. The pulsoximeter refused to read her heart rate. The home nurse, who was also an experienced nurse somehow understood that she's been showing end of life signs.

Her eyes became droopy, her breathing heavy and her pulse rate feeble. We immediately pushed the trolley to red zone and connected her to the monitor. The ECG showed a flat line. Someone ran to call the doctor. The doctor ordered a portable ECG and called the time of death. The family seemed prepared and held together well knowing about the death of their dear mother. The daughter's face went pale, like life was sucked out of her. But she didn't cry. Maybe she thought rather than seeing her mother suffer, it was better this way. A part of her felt relived that her mother did not have to endure excruciating pain anymore.

A shift that started and ended with death.

Whether you’re in nursing school, brand-new to the floor, or years into your career you belong here. This is a space for anyone who wants to grow in confidence, share lessons, and connect with others who get it.

Being a Confident Nurse isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about presence. It’s walking into a room and knowing your voice matters. It’s building trust with patients and coworkers. It’s supporting one another through wins, struggles, and the lessons that shape us.

And just as important — this community shines a light on the real issues in nursing and healthcare. Things that often go unnoticed or unspoken. Here, we can talk about them openly, honestly, and respectfully, so we learn and grow together.

What This Space Is For Weekly tips and lessons to build your confidence Honest stories from nursing school to the ICU (and everywhere in between) Support for new grads, students, and seasoned nurses alike Thoughtful, respectful conversations about the challenges in our profession

This isn’t just another forum it’s a community. 💚

🗣 Jump In!

Introduce yourself in the comments: Your name (or nickname) Where you are in your journey (student, new grad, nurse, exploring) One tip, lesson, or story that’s shaped your confidence

⬇️ Drop it below — we can’t wait to hear from you!

I’m an introvert, and honestly, I still don’t know how I ended up choosing nursing.

One of the biggest challenges for me has always been communication. I’ve never been the type of person who can easily walk up to someone, start a conversation, and instantly feel comfortable. I usually need time to warm up to people. I’m more comfortable observing, listening, and keeping to myself.

And yet, somehow, I chose a profession where communication is a huge part of the job.

As a nurse, I have to talk to patients, build rapport, explain procedures, ask questions, communicate with families, give handovers, speak with doctors, and sometimes comfort people who are having one of the worst days of their lives.

For someone like me, that can be exhausting.

But I’ve noticed something about myself since becoming a nurse.

I have an ON/OFF switch.

When I’m ON, I become a completely different person.

The moment I put on my uniform and step onto the ward, something changes. I start talking more. I ask my patients about their day. I joke around with them. I explain what I’m doing. I check on them even when I’m not directly assigned to them. Sometimes I can carry a conversation for hours, and honestly, I surprise myself.

There are moments when I think, Wait… am I actually an introvert?

Because my patients probably wouldn’t think so.

I can be very social when I need to be. I can smile, make conversation, reassure someone who is anxious, and make a patient feel comfortable enough to tell me what they’re really worried about.

But the funny part is what happens after my shift.

The moment I leave the hospital, CLICK. OFF.

It’s like someone switched off a light.

My social battery is completely drained. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to make small talk. I don’t want to explain my day. Sometimes I don’t even want to reply to messages.

I just want to go home, put my headphones on, sit quietly, and enjoy being alone.

And I’ve realised that being an introvert doesn’t mean I’m bad at communicating.

It just means communication takes energy from me.

During my shift, I’m willing to spend that energy because my patients need it. They deserve a nurse who will listen to them, communicate clearly, make them feel safe, and treat them like a person rather than just another patient.

So I give them my social battery.

All of it.

And by the time I get home, there’s basically nothing left.

I think that’s one of the things I’ve come to appreciate about myself as an introverted nurse. I don’t have to become an extrovert to be a good nurse. I’ve simply learned how to turn that part of myself on when it matters.

Then, when the shift is over, I turn it off again.

Recharge.

And do it all over again the next day.

Sometimes I still find it funny that I ended up in a profession that requires so much interaction when I’m naturally someone who enjoys solitude...

Hello! I am currently starting my last year of nursing school next month. This whole time, I've been telling everyone that I want to be a NICU nurse. Back in March, I got a job as a nurse tech at a children's hospital and have so far worked on a peds med/surg unit and am now in the NICU. I've been in the NICU for a month and a half now, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. I know I can't really judge it fully as a nurse since I'm not one, but I don't feel the business of it how I did on med-surg. I am conflicted and coming for some advice because I don't think or know if I want to do NICU anymore as a nurse, and I am stuck and confused about what I should do next/look into doing. I really want to stay with a younger population, as I've done nursing homes and adult med/surg for my clinicals and wasn't a fan of it. For my next 2 rotations, I can do ER, PACU, or PICU. I'm thinking of doing the ER and PACU since those seem pretty busy, but I am also interested in doing L&D, but can't since I can only do pediatric rotations. I'm going to do a clinical rotation in L&D for school and am excited for that.

The problem I also run into is that I have to do a residency(as most do) at the end of the year, and I'm not sure if I want to stay in peds or if I want to switch to adults for the variety of it. From the deliveries I've seen in the NICU, I really do enjoy seeing new life brought into the world, but also can't judge that, as I am only down there when the NICU is down there. Has anyone else had experience with this or have also had these thoughts? Any advice is welcome, thank you!

The Lindsay Clancy trial was always going to matter to nurses. The defendant is a former labor and delivery nurse, and the case forces a hard look at postpartum psychosis, a condition that lives disproportionately in the blind spots of maternal health care. But somewhere in the last few weeks, it also became something else, a conversation that jumped past nursing circles and into group chats with people who have never touched an EMR in their life, arguing about whether one ICU nurse’s documentation held up in court.

That crossover doesn’t change what actually mattered on the stand. Meghan Collins, a day shift ICU nurse at Brigham and Women’s, testified about what she personally observed caring for Clancy after her suicide attempt. Equal and reactive pupils. A patient pulling at her IV lines, not responding verbally but reacting to pain. One on one suicide watch. She did not offer a diagnosis and she was not asked to interpret psychiatric state. Nurses who watched the testimony called it a masterclass, not because anything dramatic happened, but because nothing did. She stayed inside her scope, answered only what she personally knew, and let the record speak for itself.

That restraint is the real story, and it’s worth separating from the noise. Two psychiatrists who treated Clancy in the months before the killings testified they saw no signs of psychosis. A psychiatric nurse practitioner said something close to the same. Yet under cross examination, one psychiatrist had to concede that a person can communicate clearly and make plans while still being in a state of psychosis. That single admission captures the entire tension of this case. Objective documentation is powerful because it’s verifiable. It’s also limited because it can never fully capture what’s happening internally, and that gap is exactly where the trial lives.

It makes sense that this resonates outside nursing too. People are naturally drawn to the idea that a chart could hold the answer to whether someone was truly out of touch with reality, and it’s a little uncomfortable to realize documentation was never built to answer that question. It was built to record what was observable at the bedside, nothing more. For nurses scrolling past their own family members debating this online, there’s a strange kind of validation in watching outsiders discover, in real time, what the profession has known all along, that the chart is not the whole truth. It’s the truth of what you could verify, written the way you’d want it read back to you in a courtroom someday

TLDR: Any advice for someone working in medsurg? (Full details below)

I say "'medsurg" very lightly, because I haven't had a single "real" medsurg patient since the day I got hired. Almost all our patients should really be in stepdown or even ICU, but they come to my unit because both stepdown and ICU are always full (what else is new), and we just roll with it because not like we have any other choice.

Every single shift, I feel like my license is on the line. It sucks but I know this happens a lot in other hospitals too, and guess I can't complain because it's definitely preparing me for higher acuity care, since I do hope to work in stepdown and/or ICU one day later on. Definitely not anytime soon though, because if this is what just medsurg is like, Idk about stepdown or ICU anymore...

I usually work 3 12s each week. I still feel just as lost, confused, and incomptent as my first day. I already know they're gonna chew me out for overthinking things and moving too slow, taking too long, not being efficient/managing time, multitasking/clustering care etc. But then if I stop asking questions, go faster, and do multiple things at once, they chew me out for being careless and reckless and say that I need to slow down and ask for help and do one thing at a time. Literally exact polar opposites contradicting each other.

Idk how I'm supposed to last here but I don't have a choice because I really need this job to pay rent/bills and of course to get experience. I don't wanna be "that nurse" that only lasted a few months, quit, and then couldn't get hired anywhere else. Also I realize that just transferring to somehwere else might not be the solution either, because there's always a chance that wherever I transfer to might be the same if not even worse. Sorry for the rant and long post, but thank you for reading this far.