For those that didn’t make it to our OPEN HOUSE event in July, we are hosting yet another one this month! Your friends and family are more than welcome to attend our OPEN HOUSE event. Let them know it will be an informative and crucial event for anyone looking to enroll at Marian College into a vocational nursing program in Los Angeles. In the graphic below you will find all the information you need in order to attend the open house event. We look forward to meeting you!

Many professionals that are famed for being dependent to coffee have nothing on nursing. Nurses are known to be fans of coffee because many cannot start the shift without a good ol’ cup of joe to keep them energized. Although caffeine offers many benefits to humans, there are some things nurses and professionals that depend on coffee should be aware about.

Top 3 Things You Should Know About Coffee and Your Health

1. Staying Awake On The Job

Some professionals, especially nurses and doctors, could not even start their work without a cup of classic roast. While some professionals consider themselves dependent on coffee, there seems to be some drawbacks, according to some recent studies.

Studies by the American Academy of Sleep show that after three nights of sleep restriction, the benefits of caffeine are no longer effective. Caffeine was able to improve the subject’s’ psycho-motor vigilance task on the first two days of restricted sleep for 5 hours every night, yet on the third night, the effect of two daily 200 mg doses of caffeine was lost on the subjects.

Since coffee is a stimulant that is used worldwide to counteract sleepiness, it is essential that consumers would have an idea about the effect of caffeine. As nurses, you must be aware that coffee has benefits and drawbacks too, so you can adjust your consumption and still enjoy the benefits it has to offer.

2. Caffeine in Monitored Doses

Caffeine is both a popular and accepted sort of stimulant used by busy people and nurses. Caffeine consumers claim that coffee gives them the necessary amount of boost that is needed for quality performance. Ever felt wanting coffee more even after you have just ingested a large amount? Whenever you feel highly stimulated, a low immediately follows, prompting you to consume more coffee to lift yourself again. Caffeine is effective in boosting our energy, but the energy it gives is short-lived. This is the reason why you have energy swings whenever you drink coffee. Drinking just enough cups of coffee every day as opposed to drinking several cups can stimulate your adrenals to act quickly yet capably, avoiding developing adrenal fatigue, a common disorder of people who have repeated and long-term doses of coffee.

3. Drinking Coffee and Your Health

Drinking coffee like it is water is a feat that happens each shift. However, nurses and the people who are self-confessed caffeine addicts or connoisseurs must know that too much coffee affects the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands are the tiny glands that sit on top of the kidneys and release hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight reaction of our body. It stimulates the release of adrenaline which prepares the body for action. Because of the stimulant, the adrenal glands continue to release adrenaline, leading to burnout of the glands because of overuse. This would ultimately result in adrenal fatigue, wherein the adrenals are weakened and cannot respond adequately to stimulation. The solution to this is to limit the intake of coffee or quit drinking coffee altogether.

In conclusion, Coffee is not all bad.

The harm would start upon the abuse of caffeine. Because coffee manages to perk up nurses, it has become part of their routine, just as long as it does not affect your health and your performance during their shift negatively. You just have to recognize how much is good or bad for yourself.

Whether you’re a vocational nurse, a registered nurse, a critical care nurse, traveling nurse, or another type of nurse not listed here – you will run into one thing: challenges. Challenges aren’t to be looked at as something bad, either. Challenge should be embraced as an opportunity to grow as a nurse.

And for the record – look, you aren’t going to be perfect. That’s OK. You also won’t know everything. That’s OK. Don’t beat yourself up because mistakes will happen.

It’s All About the Family

You might read several articles of the writer’s opinion listing what he or she believes to be the hardest part of being a nurse. But from our own experiences – mind you, this is our opinion – the absolutely hardest part of being a nurse is dealing with the families of patients who are clearly ready to die, but the family won’t let them go.

This difficulty will send you through a roller coaster of emotions, and you’ll undoubtedly find yourself questioning your morality and/or ethical values, asking yourself whether or not you’re “doing the right thing”.

The level of intimacy you’ll face on the job with your patients is both a blessing and a curse. It’s what makes a nurse, a nurse. But all nurses are exposed to the inevitable idea of death & you’ll struggle with it at first, but you’ll learn to accept that part of your job, while developing the right people skills throughout.

Our Advice to You

Our best advice we can give you is to let these types of situations happen naturally. Follow your instincts when it comes to addressing the situation from a place of sincerity & compassion. When you sit there telling yourself “what should I tell them?” or “what should I say?” then you’ll overthink the situation entirely.

One other, unrelated pro tip:

Don’t procrastinate your tasks – If there’s something to do and you tell yourself “Oh, I’ll do it later.” Most nurses won’t “do it later” because they end up getting too busy. So our pro tip to you is to do any task that comes up right away. Out of sight, out of mind.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend one of our Open House Events in the past, now is your chance! We are excited to introduce yet another great open house event on July 19, 2016 at our Los Angeles location and July 20, 2016 at our Van Nuys location.

Every open house is as unique as every new student we have the opportunity to meet. If you plan on becoming a vocational nurse or just looking to change professions, our open house is the perfect opportunity to ask all the important questions you need in order to make an informed decision.

Below is our official flyer to our open house! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us through social or give us a call at the numbers listed in the flyer.

We Look Forward to Meeting You!

When you begin working as a nurse, whether as a vocational nurse or as a registered nurse for a nursing care facility, you will be exposed to many elderly patients. However, the difference is that elderly patients should be handled with a special type of care – comforting care, if you will.

Pure Compassion & Understanding

Elderly nursing is also referred to geriatric nursing, and often requires a special type of patient care that involves two things:

• Compassion
• Understanding

By making the decision to start a career in nursing, chances are you do possess these characteristics at least to some degree.

Battling Depression

Here’s the thing about elderly patients: they are prone to medical conditions that will require a nurse’s sincere dedication in order to keep them in check.

Growing old isn’t easy and for some seniors the news of a terminal illness or other chronic medical condition is enough to send them spiraling into depression. It’s estimated that roughly 20% of seniors aged 65 and older suffer from depression. That’s a lot of seniors.

It’s not just medical conditions, but for some seniors the transition into a nursing care facility or nursing home is not easy. Knowing how to comfort seniors who suffer from depression will restore some life in them & that positivity alone will keep them strong both mentally & physically.

So What Can I Do?

Listen.

First and foremost, the absolute best thing you can do is to listen to them. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, simply listening to seniors tell their stories & experiences will really make them feel important and cared for. Truth be told, most seniors feel as if they are useless and provide no value to society. However, most of them have really interesting stories & life lessons to share and by listening to them it becomes a win-win situation: they feel useful & you may learn a thing or two from their experiences.

Be encouraging.

Secondly, you need to be encouraging. And by this we mean encourage them to see the bright side of life. You need to be encouraging both on a mental level & on a physical level. Encourage them to be social & to become more physical by asking them certain questions such as “did you emerge as the Bingo champion the other night?” A simple question can go a long way. Based on their response you can follow up with an actionable request that encourages them to stay positive and strong.

We’ve said it before; it takes a particular type of person to become a nurse. It is believed that those that decide on starting their nursing journey to begin with, are usually composed of the attributes needed to be a good nurse. It is only normal to reward yourself after all the studying and preparing for the job, with a little bit of something. Many professionals like to reward their hard-earned accomplishment with a small tattoo. Although this may be accepted in many other professions, nursing isn’t necessarily the most liberal profession of them all.

Which is why when it comes to nursing and tattoos, you should consider the following:

Let’s Talk About Hospitals and Their Dress Codes
Not all facilities are the same and their acceptance with tattoos. If you’re currently job hunting, we highly recommend to hold off on the tattoo until after you’ve been hired. But if you have already gotten a job, be responsible on the procedures and policies in your workplace. Many facilities have set dress codes and usually management would gladly discuss with you.

You’ve Encountered This Blog Post After Your Tattoo Appointment, Now What?
Fortunately, it is not the end of the world. Just like technology, apparel continues to improve and adapt to the times. Nurses now have options when it comes to covering up a visible tattoo.

Looking for ideas to cover up a nursing inspired sleeve you ended up getting? Head over to our pinterest and look through some of the options you have for covering them up!

You Discussed with Management and Said Yes to Tattoos
It feels good to avoid any work complications by being transparent and communicative with your management. Let’s say your inquiry regarding tattoos and their dress code ended up being more flexible than you had originally expected – now you are finding yourself looking through inspiration for a small and appropriate tattoo.

Look no further! We have a pinterest board dedicated to all things nursing inspired tattoos. We took in consideration some of the more general dress codes in facilities for our selection.

Final Note

If you’ve made up your mind regardless and want to get a tattoo NOW, consider something that is easily coverable, both small and simple. Remember that this is a design that will stay on you permanently. Make sure to take into consideration all the things there are when it comes to getting a tattoo and don’t let it get in the way of your career.

You’re probably reading this post because you’re either considering becoming a nurse or you’ve officially started in the field and are in need of some insight. Well let us tell you, it takes a particular set of skills & dedication to become a nurse. It requires patience, intuition, integrity, communication, and courage to fulfill the work. Which is why the individuals that do decide to become nurses, deserve our utmost respect and recognition.

Things to Know About Being a Nurse

You should be aware that it takes a special type of person, a strong minded individual to endure the hectic times that nurses often face. Now, let’s discuss some of the things that aren’t necessarily the best in nursing, but we should DEFINITELY be aware of.

1. So, You Thought You Had a Strong Stomach.
It’s nothing unheard of, as a nurse you will encounter situations that consist of unpleasant smells. Some of the tasks do involve nurses toileting a patient, this is just one of the many little tasks you will encounter as a nurse. Although it’s nothing otherworldly, it’s something to keep in mind. It will take some time to get used to, but eventually you’ll be the one sharing your stories forgetting this is a deal-breaker for many other people.

2. The Relationship Between Your Patients and You.
You’ll encounter rude patients, chatty patients, and patients you will never forget. As a nurse, you are expected to care for all of your patients. This is crucial to the success and efficiency of your work. When we said it takes a special type of person to become a nurse we meant it, not many people are cut out for this profession. Some people would rather work with computers, houses, finances, etc. But if being nurturing is something that comes easily to you, you will be right at home.

3. Help Me, I’m A Nursing Student.
We all know how it is, but all the work you do now will pay off once in the field. If you’re reading this, you probably are starting off the right foot with your goal on becoming a nurse. There’s things you will only learn from experience and insightful in-field research, so reading blogs is definitely a start.

4. Don’t Forget About The Legal Responsibilities.
Being detail-oriented is an essential part of not only the success but your survival in the field. Nursing is not only a rewarding job when executed appropriately, there’s part of the job that can end up in a potential lawsuit. Remember to ask questions and be thorough, you could potentially lose your license by not paying enough attention. Every nurse has learned the importance of being detail oriented for legal purposes. If this kind of pressure scares you, nursing may not be for you!

At the end of the day, don’t forget why you decided to become a nurse in the first place. It usually involves a unique moment in your life or a special influence. It sets you apart that much from the rest of the population.

Like this post? You may enjoy reading another post of ours titled “A Day in the Life as a Nurse”.

Interested in nursing abroad? International nursing is a great way to explore the world while maintaining your duties as a nurse. The fact of the matter is that nurses are in need anywhere you go, this includes outside of the U.S. It may seem daunting for some to relocate abroad, but the sense of adventure and unique experiences you will have make it very worthwhile for many.

What You Should You Know

Unfortunately international nursing is not as easy as becoming a regular nurse and then flying overseas. Understand that the basic requirements to become an international nurse are roughly the same as a travel nurse, but differ in certain areas.

If you’re truly interested in the opportunity to become an international nurse then you should be aware of a few items:

• Additional immunizations, training, and documents will most likely be required to accept the job.
• In the UK, an English proficiency exam must be passed known as the International English Language Testing System.
• In Australia, nurses must complete the country’s board examination and you must be admitted to the Australia Boards of Nursing before becoming a registered nurse.

As you can see above, you must make sure you meet the requirements of the country before becoming registered and certified to perform nursing duties.

Benefits of International Nursing Opportunities

With International nursing opportunities the main attraction is not the pay, but the fact that you will have plenty of opportunities to explore new customs and work environments that you may have never thought possible. To add to this, nurses are given ample opportunity to explore neighboring areas and network with people that are much different than back home – or perhaps they’re very similar to you?

If you’re the adventurous type, then we encourage you to look at the path to becoming an International Nurse. Being prepared beforehand is a great way to get your feet wet as you learn the fundamentals of nursing at a nursing program such as at Marian College of Los Angeles.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is great starting point to read about international nursing opportunities narrowed down by country.

Unfortunately, conflict is something no matter how hard we try we cannot avoid. This is because people have opinions, values, and priorities, and when these aspects do not match our own interests, then the potential for conflict arises.

The key, however, is that conflict can be avoided altogether depending on your reaction or approach to it. Here are a few different ways to approach coworker conflict.

3 Ways of Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace

1. Stay calm & avoid it.

What we mean here is to simply just avoid it altogether. If a coworker is trying to egg you on or having their emotions get the best of them, then we urge you to stay calm and naturally the situation will diffuse.

If you feel it necessary to get your opinion, re-think whether or not it’s worth it and attempt to move on. Mention that you have a job to do and that the matter can be discussed at a later time.

2. Talk it out later in person.

Meeting face-to-face to discuss issues is the most intimidating way to resolve conflict, but also may be the most effective way. This is because face-to-face conversations involve the use of important nonverbal cues and body language that often speak larger than the words coming out of our mouth. Most conflict should not be attempted to be resolved on the job.

3. Improve communication skills.

By focusing on your personal growth and communication skills, you will be more confident in saying what you what, getting what you want, and accurately getting your point across in an appropriate manner.

The only way to better your communication skills is to communicate; though there are a few qualities all good communicators have:

-they avoid troublemakers
-they don’t gossip
-they don’t backstab
-they don’t jump to conclusions until they have the facts

Final Note
Keep these valuable tips in mind the next time you see yourself amidst a conflict that serves no real purpose other than to cause an abnormal working environment for both parties in disagreement, as well as everyone around them.

Over the years, not only has the career landscape changed for Nurses, so has their uniform. It is not otherworldly to know that when it came to Nurse uniforms, there were simpler times. But just like anything else, their uniforms adapted to the modern times and in 1960’s the scrubs were introduced.

Scrubs and Their Journey Through Color

Scrubs coined the name after the operational and nurse work environment, which is considered to be ‘scrubbed’ space. Just as the design of the uniform evolved so did the colors and functionality. Originally white to emphasize the cleanliness and sanitation of the work environment, but were quickly replaced by green tones to help resolve eyestrain in doctors and staff due to the all-white surroundings.

Not all heroes wear capes, most of them wear scrubs!

Over the years manufacturers and designers have reinterpreted their version of the iconic uniform. New versions of the scrubs include modern features for busy nurses and tactile fabrics for easy movement. Truly complementing the agile movements and constant needs of nurse or medical professionals during their shift.

Make a statement in the latest patterns and designs; whether you’re in need of fashionable scrubs or maternity scrubs, there are options for you!

Functionality, comfort and versatility is now offered through various websites, designers and retailers. Some of the most unique pair of scrubs we came across are the following:

● Koi Happiness – It doesn’t get any more fashionable than a pair of Koi scrubs. Slowly becoming a uniform staple with each and every new design they produce. Easily distinguished bold prints and out-of-the box designs. Koi designs is truly leading the way for unconventional and unique garments and tools. When it comes to nurses looking to make a fashion statement, Koi Happiness is the way to go!

● IguanaMed – For female and male nurses looking to keep both their comfort and cool, IguanaMed is the brand for you. This company focuses on delivering comfort and quality. All while producing fashionable, simplistic and functional designs. When it comes to maintaining a sleek look, IguanaMed is the brand to purchase!

● Cherokee – Cherokee is a well-known super brand when it comes to uniforms and nursing scrubs. Designing and selling everything you need from head to toe. You will find a variety of different fabrics, some of which are constructed to be slimming while others act as a barrier against fluids. Cherokee continually offers stylish medical uniforms outstanding in quality material and illustrations.

● Dickies – We had to include Dickies in this list – an iconic and withstanding brand with a great variety of scrubs. Whether you’re looking for solid colors or colorful prints while rocking quality and ageless fabric, Dickies is the brand of choice. The Dickies line has gained popularity for its great fits and uniforms at reasonable prices.

● Sapphire Scrubs – When it comes to achieving a high-end look, Sapphire is a brand to look into. This brand offers a luxurious and quality looking uniforms for female nurses. This is the perfect purchase for the nurse who doesn’t want to compromise on comfort or elegance.

● Anywears – Don’t sacrifice your performance during a shift, there are appealing shoes while focusing on comfort! Nurses are on their feet for hours on end, and having a comfortable shoe is essential. For quality and comforting shoes, look into anywears!

With all the fashion options found in nursing scrubs today, there is no reason why you can’t show up to work looking great and feeling amazing. Whether it’s comfort you’re looking for or bold designs, there’s a lot of brands and designers to browse when finding that perfect pair of scrubs.