Category Archives: Advanced Practice

What is a Healthy Work Environment?

This month is all about personal health and wellness topics. A healthy work environment is an, often overlooked, part of the quest to be a healthy nurse. In this post, I’ll discuss the concept of a healthy work environment and introduce you to national standards that you can use to see

Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™: A Vision to Improve the Health of All

Nurses care for both the patient and their family members. I know you’ve advised at least one family member sitting at a patient’s bedside to get something to eat or go home and get some rest so that they could stay healthy to support their ailing loved one. A healthy nurse cares

Three Major Drivers of Scientific Inquiry in Nursing

Why? Why? Why? Why do nursing students need to learn about the research process? Why do nurses conduct research? Why do nurses need to use research? Why is an “inquiring mind” so important?  You might have asked yourself some of these questions as you struggle through your nursing research classes or

A Positive Attitude: Get Ready for the Holiday Season

  Wow! It’s the end of the year already! And of course, that means we are entering the holiday season with all of the excitement that comes with it. The holiday season also means a lot of work — planning, organizing, shopping, cooking, traveling, socializing — it can be overwhelming,

How to Choose a Theory for Nursing Practice

All undergraduate nursing students take a nursing theory/nursing philosophy course. Masters and doctoral students take advanced courses in theory. What’s the point? To use theory for nursing practice, of course! Many students wonder about the purpose of nursing theory — and just theory in general. Is it just an academic

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Expert Advice: EBP Resources: Online Clinical Practice Guidelines

One of the questions I’ve been asked recently is around finding free online resources for evidence-based practice (EBP).  (Of course, I think you are already on the best website for clarifying your questions and really understanding how to be an evidence-based practitioner!) 🙂 I have been obsessed with finding good

Career Advice: What are the Requirements for Prescriptive Authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)?

One of the frequent questions I hear from graduate students or practicing advanced practice registered nurses (APNs or APRNs) is about prescriptive authority. This post will review national and state requirements for APRNs to obtain prescriptive authority and provide online resources for further information. Click Here for Your Free Prescriptive

What Does “Patient Preferences” Mean in Evidence-Based Practice?

To be an evidence-based practitioner one must find the best evidence available, include one’s clinical expertise as an additional source of evidence, and then incorporate patient preferences and values into a recommendation for care.  A few weeks ago I talked about EBP in general terms.  I deconstructed the major components

Career Advice: Which APRN Certification Exam Should I Take?

This question is from my colleague, Susan Toberman, BSN, RN, CCRN, CFRN, EMT from the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville, TN.  Sue is an acute care/critical care nurse with many years of experience. At the time she submitted this question, she was an emergency department flight nurse and

What Does “Clinical Expertise” Mean in Evidence-Based Practice?

Two weeks ago, I introduced the topic of evidence-based practice (EBP) and defined it as the integration of best evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences for clinical decision-making.  Last week, I talked about the concept of “best evidence” and how nurses apply best evidence in practice.  This post will deep

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