Category: Shift Happens
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Are Nurses Paying a Hidden Price for Caring for Others?
When most people think about nursing hazards, they picture back injuries, long shifts, workplace violence, or burnout. Those risks are real and well documented. But there is another concern that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough: cancer. Several studies have suggested that nurses may experience higher rates of certain cancers compared to the general population. While Read more
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The Ones That Stay With You
By Scrubs & Shift Notes There are moments in healthcare that don’t make it into the chart. Not because they didn’t happen—but because there’s no checkbox for them. No flowsheet for the pause you take when something feels off.No dropdown for the quiet voice in your head that says, this isn’t right. So you do Read more
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When The Organizational Chart Collapses and the Dust Hasn’t Settled
It’s been a long time since I’ve written here.Not because I ran out of things to say — but because right now, everything feels unsettled. My organization is in the middle of a massive re-org. Middle management positions were eliminated. Roles were dissolved. Reporting structures changed quickly and without much warning. And the dust hasn’t Read more
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When the Department of Education Says Nursing Isn’t a “Profession” — We Have a Problem
By Scrubs & Shift Notes There are tone-deaf decisions…And then there’s whatever the Department of Education just did. Recently, the DOE announced that nursing no longer qualifies as a “professional degree” under its federal student loan categories — a move that is not only insulting, but dangerous, shortsighted, and completely disconnected from the reality of Read more
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Cruella, Coming to Clinic: Our 101 Dalmatian Halloween Takeover
Tomorrow’s the day — and I can already feel the chaos brewing. Our dialysis team is going all out for Halloween this year, and let’s just say… the clinic is about to go to the dogs. We’re dressing up as 101 Dalmatians, and yours truly will be stepping into the role of Cruella de Vil Read more
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Sniffles, Swabs, and Seriously?
As a nurse, and as a mom of a toddler, I’ve pretty much accepted that “healthy” is a relative term. Toddlers are tiny germ factories—they sneeze on you, cough in your face, and share snacks with questionable hygiene. So yes, I came down with a cold. Sniffles, watery eyes, the usual. Nothing dramatic. But here’s Read more
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When Leadership Feels Thankless.
Yesterday hit me like a punch in the gut. Two staff members called out, and instead of letting my team drown, I threw on my scrubs and hit the floor. Our usual ratio is 1:8. Yesterday? I took on 1:16. I hustled hard because I knew one of my nurses also had training obligations, and Read more
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Accountability Isn’t Optional: Owning Your Mistakes as a Leader
So, I Goofed… Yesterday I dropped the ball.One of my team members was going to be late for their shift, and I forgot to pass the message along. That one slip added stress to my charge nurse, who was suddenly juggling coverage, patients, and frustration that could have been avoided with a quick heads-up from Read more
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Manage Up or Manage Out: When Coaching Isn’t Enough
The Leadership Struggle Nobody Talks About Let’s be real—one of the hardest parts of leadership isn’t the scheduling headaches, the budget, or even compliance. Nope. The real struggle? People. Not the rockstars who show up, lean in, and make your team better. I’m talking about the ones who just… don’t. The ones who shrug off Read more
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As a nurse, I know all about stress, but I have to tell you, creating and managing this blog has blown my mind!
Let me shout it louder to the people in the breakroom!! I am out here juggling vitals, staff shortages, family life and trying to build a whole blog? That’s not just stress—that’s Olympic-level multitasking. Blogging sounds cute until you’re knee-deep in menus that won’t save, posts that disappear, and plugins that act like moody patients. Read more