Explain your strengths and weaknesses.

This is something that a Hiring Manager will likely ask you about, and you should be ready to answer. Showing that you’re aware of the skills you’ve already mastered as well as what you need to work on demonstrates that you’re committed to growth.

Why did you decide to become a nurse?

This is a question you can expect at almost any interview. Have you always wanted to be a Nurse, even as a child? Does it come from a personal experience? What type of nursing specifically interests you? Take a few minutes to let your interviewer know what drives you in the first place.

If you don’t have any questions prepared to ask the interviewer, that’s fine. You might already be familiar with the facility. Maybe you completed your clinicals there or have a family member that worked there. In any case, it’s always a good idea to get a feel of what it would be like to actually work there.

Asking about company culture shows you have an invested interest in this job. You want to be there long-term, not just “try it out.” Is the supervisor helpful and responsive? How is staff orientation and training? Is there an overall good feeling throughout the facility?

It’s also a good idea to ask about the patient to staff ratio if you’ll be working with a larger patient population. Can you handle a fast-paced environment while concentrating on your specific role? Or do you prefer a slower-paced vibe?

Regardless of how prepared you are for the interview, you’ve made it this far. An interview is the first step in the right direction to becoming an accomplished medical professional. So good luck and remember that consistency and growth is key!

The post Interview Advice For Your First RN Job appeared first on Advanced Care.

We’ve compiled 10 extremely useful hacks for anyone who works in healthcare.

Enjoy and make sure to put these to good use.

• Use shaving cream to break up incontinence from the skin. Works great and smells great.
• For NG tube placement: tie a loose knot at the end of the tube, then put it in a glass of ice-cold water for several minutes. Untie the knot, and it becomes more flexible when inserting the tube.
• Put peppermint oil drops in the toilet for a patient who is unable to pee. It works wonders for new Mothers on L&D!
• Keep a biohazard bag in the bedside commode and just change out the bag instead of scrubbing the bucket.
• If you cut a slit in the middle of mesh panties, it can be worn like a sports bra to hold bandages on the chest.
• Cut a foley cath and use it as a drinking straw for patients after jaw surgery, like wisdom teeth removal.
• When cleaning out PEGs and changing dressings, if redness or irritation was present, rubbing some Mylanta with a Q tip will clear it right up.
• Wrap a diaper around a pediatric IV site to protect it.
• Apply olive oil to skin to keep poo or anything else from sticking to it. (Then you won’t have to scrub too hard to clean)
• Use ostomy paste to fill in skin folds to get a seal for wound vacs. Works on all body parts.

We hope you find these useful and can use them during your next shift!

The post 10 Handy Hacks for Nurses appeared first on Advanced Care.

So if you find yourself curled up on the couch exhausted from the day, or running home for a quick afternoon break, or if you get that rare golden opportunity to relax, or are simply homebound due to snow, check out these entertaining hobbies to get into this winter:

• Adult Colouring Books
  After becoming a trend only recently, adult colouring books have become the norm for professionals. They’re relaxing, therapeutic, and meditative. Adult colouring books cost very little, can be found in most book stores, and require very little to have a great coluring experience.
• Jewelry Making
  DIY projects, including jewelry making, have been the perfect hobbies to take up while stuck at home. Jewelry making in particular is relatively cheap, extremely creative, and studies have shown that it has the added benefit of protecting the brain from aging. You can also give out your best work as gifts or for special occasions!

• Puzzles
  Puzzles are an incredible way to engage yourself and focus on completing a task. They come in all different levels, from 50 pieces to 5,000 pieces, and can be completed at any time. You can buy puzzles to complete at home, download a puzzle app, or carry around a booklet of puzzles.

The post At Home Hobbies appeared first on Advanced Care.

• Plumber Crack – Think Paper Toss except in Plumber Crack, you’re aiming to toss ice cubes into a plumber’s crack! There are coins given as rewards for good aim, and you can even use the coins to purchase different clothes or tattoos for the plumber.
• $1000000 – If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to count a million dollars, look no further. This app lets you count a million dollars in either $50 or $100 bills. A million dollars hidden inside a completely pointless app.
• Funny Dumb Questions & Beyond! – Here you’ll be asked to answer an array of silly, nonsensical, and even cynical questions. You’ll get a good laugh out of this game – even if you fail to answer correctly.

The post 3 Entertaining Apps for Destressing appeared first on Advanced Care.

• Protect your hands.
  From cracked skin to touching nurse equipment, your hands go through a lot in the course of a day. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but you always want to carry a small bottle of hand gel as well as some moisturizing lotion with you. Be sure to apply both evenly throughout the day, and in order to guarantee extra protection overnight, slather your hand cream on right before going to sleep and pull on a pair of light cotton gloves over them. The cream will then have the whole night to soften into your hands, and the extra warmth of the gloves will feel so nice on a cold winter night.
• Keep your car stocked.
  Regardless of road conditions, Nurses are still expected to work. This calls for a car emergency kit. Some great items to have on hand are blankets, an extra change of clothes, snacks, and sand/litter for road conditions.
• Layer up.
  Layering is key to staying comfy cozy in the winter, and your scrubs are likely not heat-insulated. Try wearing long underwear under your scrubs, or double up on socks. An extra shirt layer like Under Armour is also great because it’s so thin and insulated. Fingerless gloves will also work in your favor while you’re en route to work and need to pick up your phone.

The post 3 Winter Hacks for Nurses appeared first on Advanced Care.

If anyone deserves a back rub and a foot massage, it’s you. While most people were starting DIY projects and competing in tik tok challenges, your scrubs became your second skin and your goggles made an imprint on your face that lasted for days. This past year posed a serious threat all over the world and you were on the front lines, fighting against it and not giving up.

So whether you’re snuggled up at home on a family zoom call or out there helping patients, remember to give yourselves a pat on the back.

You are the superheroes who live among us.

The post Nurses, Remember to Give Yourselves Some Credit appeared first on Advanced Care.

In order to reassure your patients and let them know that their health and safety is your top priority, try these tips:

• Before your visit officially starts, maintain a safe distance from your patient and quickly address any questions or concerns they may have regarding COVID19, the frequency of your visits, or anything else they may want to know
• During your visit, make sure to reassure your patient that everything you’re doing is for their wellbeing, and that you will go above and beyond to ensure their comfortability
• Before you leave your patient, double check that they’re 100% clear on how to take their medications, how to best get in touch with you if they need any assistance between visits, and remind them of when your next visit is

The post Reassuring and Building Rapport With Your Patients appeared first on Advanced Care.

Once you get home after what seems like an eternity, what do you do? Maybe you instantly check Facebook, check your emails, or crash on the couch for the next three days.

But before you do all that, try simply breathing. Get home, put your keys and phone down for a second, don’t forget to take off your mask, and breathe. Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Deep breathing will naturally relax your body and make you feel calm.

Once that’s done, close your eyes for 10 seconds (you can set a timer), and picture something happy. It can be an ice cream sundae, leaves falling off the trees, or the adorable dog you saw on your way home from work. Putting this happy image in your head mentally puts you in an optimistic mood and will make you feel calm and in control, which is very important after a long, stressful shift.

The post How to Wind Down After a Long Shift appeared first on Advanced Care.

Breathing – something we used to take for granted – has never been so relevant, and learning how to effectively breathe with a mask is extremely important.

Before putting on your mask, take a deep breath: in through your nose for three seconds, out of your mouth for five seconds. Repeat this three times. Then as you walk, breathe in tune to your footsteps. For every three steps you take, breathe in through your nose, then for every five steps you take, breathe out of your mouth.

You’ll find that this exercise will help regulate your breathing with your mask on. Wearing the mask cuts off the air circulation that we’re used to without the mask.

So hopefully the next time you’re stuck on that hill with those heavy bags, you’ll remember this exercise and it will make the climb a tad easier.

The post How to Breathe Effectively With a Mask appeared first on Advanced Care.

As you provide care to your patients, think of ways that would brighten their day, especially those that are at higher risk. Try taking a simple mask and writing your patient’s initials on it with a smiley face, or buying a pocket-sized hand sanitizer and present it to them wrapped in a bow. You can also put a smile on their face by making a thoughtful comment, such as inquiring about a family member your patient had mentioned or sharing a recent struggle you’ve experienced due to the virus.

At the end of the day, everyone could use a little extra sunshine.

The post How to Uplift Your Patients During Corona appeared first on Advanced Care.