Launching a career in nursing can be testing – literally. Immunization requirements for nursing students can be a hassle, aside from all of the academic and clinical work you’ll need to master. Accesa Labs has developed a user-friendly e-commerce site to help you easily navigate those requirements, including a series of titer tests for nursing students you’ll need to cover. We’ve made the process of getting these compulsory lab tests done fast, easy and hassle fee. But there are other things we want you to know about. This blog post serves as a guide to help you navigate some of the intricacies of nursing that might not be front of mind for you today, but could be tomorrow.
For starters, finding a job after graduation is important, but so is making sure you understand the various personal and professional challenges you will encounter once you enter the workforce. Making sure that you will gain not just classroom but professional insights before graduation can be a crucial part of increasing your marketability after graduation.
You probably already know about the benefits that internships and clinicals can provide in that regard. But you can also do more. In fact, simply staying up-to-date with current trends in the field, and reading the thoughts and writings of current professionals, can be immensely beneficial.
First, you get insights into the profession that help you better market yourself to potential employers. But that’s far from the only benefit. In addition, you can gain an inside look into just what it’s like to be a Nurse in any specific field, from daily life habits to methods of dealing with stress and other common problems.
That might sound like a lot of information to read, but it’s actually not. In fact, a number of online sources can be the perfect solution for you to understand what it’s like to work as a nurse, and get ahead in your profession. So without further ado, here are the best blogs for nursing students looking to find that edge.
1) American Journal of Nursing
The American Journal of Nursing has a massive facebook following thanks to their informative content and links to their ‘Off the Charts’ blog which consists of bite-sized pieces related to professional research, current health trends, and everyday situations Nurses might encounter. Updates are posted two to four times per week, so keeping up with new content is easy even for the busiest students.
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2) NurseGroups
Another strong community of professionals offering insights into the life and tribulations of being a nursing professional. Quick tidbits of information ranging from dealing with patients, maximizing your day-to-day wellness and advice on where to look for jobs can be found through them.
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3) Nurse Katz
Michelle Katz is an author, speaker and consultant based in Los Angeles. But at heart, she’s a nurse who is a passionate advocate for wellness. She’s become a leading voice for consumers and healthcare professionals and shares some very informative insights on her Facebook page and her Twitter account. If you’re looking for a voice that brings logic to some of the challenges you see in healthcare, check in with Nurse Katz.
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4) Travel Nursing Blogs
You might have heard about travel nursing, the concept of working on time-limited contracts in various geographic regions. Especially if you haven’t gained much practical experience yet, it might be the field you can enter most easily. It’s also fun, and fulfills the need of nursing students to avoid getting swallowed up by busy schedules or stressful work lives. Come to this blog for helpful tips on how to make the most out of this profession and lifestyle.
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5) Nursetopia
Nursetopia which describes itself perfectly as “a random stream of consciousness about nursing and the world we impact,” is here to help you broaden your perspective. After reading a few posts, you will learn about topics that range from what it means when work becomes family to the crucial work of nurses during the Olympics. In other words, it imagines the various scenarios in which the nursing world impacts both its inhabitants and the globe.
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6) My Strong Medicine
He’s Sean. He’s a nurse. And according to the header of this blog, he’s brutally honest. If that’s not enough to get you to start reading, we don’t know what is. The beauty of this blog is not just its honesty, but its uncanny ability to help students new to the field understand what nursing is really about. Be sure to cover Sean all over social media because future content will come from all directions.
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7) GomerBlog
Hilarious. Every nurse needs a laugh. Even as a student, life can sometimes become so stressful that you need an effective release. GomerBlog is here to serve you, and helps to provide that release. Think of it as The Onion, except specialized for the nursing profession. Satirical posts focus entirely on hypothetical scenarios, all of which relate closely to the real world. If you’ve ever wondered what medical professions relate to NFL teams or what a Nurse had to do with Superman’s Kryptonite allergy, you’ll find your answers here.
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8) Nurse Keith Coaching
Between the laughs and medical knowledge the above blogs provide, many of our questions come down to real-life career advice. What will wait for you once you graduate? Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway has won awards for building a library full of content that answers that question. It addresses everyday issues that range from stress management all the way to professional development opportunities. Keith’s nursing blog is equally helpful for current nurses and nursing students trying to prepare themselves for this life.
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9) International Nurse Support
What’s better for new and aspiring nurses than a support network full of professionals and students like them? We cannot think of much and fortunately, that’s exactly what International Nurse Support provides. Rather than relying on one author, it’s full of guest posts by professionals in the field who discuss anything from resume tips to discussing valuable leadership traits and why nurses should take an adventure vacation. Join the community, and prepare yourself for a profession where this type of support will be vital.
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10) FreshRN
You might know FreshRN founder Kati Kleber from her contributions to The Dr. Oz Show or The Today Show, but you should also keep an eye on her blog. The goal is to help recent graduates make a strong transition to becoming great bedside nurses. Her posts are honest and helpful to her thousands of followers.
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11) The Gypsy Nurse
A truly great resource. The Gypsy’s bag is a bit of a catch all, and a very popular one at that. Whether you’re looking for humor, travel suggestions, employment help, housing advice, tax tips, or news on conferences you’ll find it at The Gypsy Nurse. Stay connected by following the multiple Gypsy Nurse social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook.
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12) DailyNurse
As the name implies, Daily Nurse is a frequently updated blog that provides fresh news on a daily basis. Information about your chosen profession, your personal wellness and what your peers are up to is all there for you to read. And you just might find yourself in the Nurses of the Week feature. Even if you aren’t the Daily Nurse blog is a candidate for your “everyday read” list.
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13) Nursing from Within
Considering Nursing From Within founder Elizabeth Scala, MSN/MBA, RN believes that “nursing is a blend of art and science” it’s no surprise that her blog is spiritual, inspirational, and incredibly uplifting. There will be times when you may loose sight of the forest for the trees, and in those moments I hope you find time to check out Elizabeth’s blog.
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14) Innovative Nurse
Do you consider yourself to be an early adapter of all things tech? Perhaps you have an entrepreneurial side? Maybe you just like a good podcast. For all these reasons and many more, visit the Innovative Nurse blog and soak in as much of there content as you can.
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15) The Inspiration Nurse
Donna Cardillo is The Inspiration Nurse but she’s also so much more. She’s an entertainer, a motivator, an educator, a great speaker and an inspiration for how you can make a career in nursing about helping patients and also helping nurses. Her blog is fun and incredibly positive. Definitely check it out.
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16) Minority Nurse
As you’ll read on their blog, “Diversity enriches. In health care, it fosters understanding and culturally competent care.” And we couldn’t agree more. Come to this blog for career advice, potential openings and some harder hitting content like a post titled “Recognizing Explicit Bias In Health Care Settings.” It can be helpful at times to look through a different lens, and Minority Nurse does just that.
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17) Nurse Journal
As “the social community for nurses worldwide” Nurse Journal has content that can be of use to many entering the field. Nurse Journal provides a wealth of information of topics like scholarship, job placement, and what to look for in an employer. Check them out to see why their growing community values their blog posts.
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18) American Mobile
If you’re looking for a neatly laid out blog with information that will help a new nurse and also give you insight to the world of a veteran nurse that Nursezone is a good stop. Updates for new graduates, travel nurses and career development are all there for you to peruse.
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19) Scrubs Magazine
Not the show, the blog. And this blog is all about you living a good life. Sure, there is also some content around the workplace, but this is just as much about fun. You’ll find quizzes, features on the latest in fashion and some humor filled posts alongside some more serious discussions.
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20) Nurse.com
A learning platform at heart, Nurse.com offers a searchable blog but you won’t have to search far for great stuff. Tips and advice for a successful career and how to avoid pitfalls you may not be aware of make nurse.com a great website to visit. Be sure and give it a gander.
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21) American Nurses Association
If for no other reason that there’s a chance you may well become a member of this association, it would be a good idea to pay their site a visit and see what they’re all about. The ANA is about promoting a safe work environment for nurses, high standards for the profession and the health and wellness of it’s members.
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22) NurseBuff
No, this is not about body building and weight lifting, but it is extremely informative and at times wildly funny and entertaining. A very clean presentation makes this one of the best-crafted blogs we’ve seen and the strong content makes it even better.
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23) Nursing Show
There are literally hundreds of informative articles available here- and you can also hear Podmedic- a podcast hosted by Jamie Davis. If you’re the kind of reader that likes interaction, there is a lively message board, as well. A great site with solid content well worth the visit.
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24) Nurse Barb
The second people find out you’re a nurse, you may find yourself fielding all kinds of health questions from people…frequently. Nurse Barb did, and she’s given the world a look at some of her best advice on her popular blog Nurse Barb’s Daily Dose. Consider this another great font of information about wellness and caregiving. We can all learn a lot from Nurse Barb.
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25) RTConnections
Another of our favorite speakers and educators, Renee Thompson is an award winning blogger who differentiates herself with some posts you might not expect to see on a nursing blog. Ever wonder how to thank a nurse on Thanksgiving? Worry not- Renee’s got you covered.
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Nobody said it was going to be easy. Nursing school can be hard, whether you are coming straight out of high school or looking for a change in career. Hurdling those immunization requirements for nursing students while staying in top of academics and exploring the different fields of nursing can be challenging for sure. Fortunately, you can easily find the resources you need to succeed and build a better career in this challenging and immensely rewarding field. Follow the above nursing student blogs and get rewarded with invaluable insights, stories and tips that will benefit you not just as a student, but through your nursing career.