Image: Amanda Lail FOTOGRAFIE

Your first day on the job as an RN is an exciting and hard-earned one…and worthy of a little (okay, a lot!) of celebration. That’s the thinking that led nurse Stacey Tatroe to design a special set of scrubs four years ago for her own first day on the job. She hand-stamped them with the letters “RN” and now, thanks to her persistence and dedication, RN I.D. Scrubs are hitting stores near you! Scrubs talked to Tatroe about her nursing career, the importance of RN Scrubs and becoming a nurse entrepreneur.

Scrubs: How did you get your start as a nurse?
Stacey Tatroe: It’s funny when I think about my becoming a nurse because it was never even a consideration when I was growing up. I was always a tomboy and I had a lot of law enforcement in my family. That seemed really natural to me, so I became a police officer. I am married to a police officer, and after the birth of our first son, I decided to change careers.

I was initially drawn to nursing because of the service aspect—I think I was born with a servant’s heart—and also for the job security. It was a huge leap for me because I had never attended college and I was literally starting all over. Not to mention I was older, working and had a small child. I contemplated my options and chose to become an LPN.

Scrubs: What do you hope these scrubs will achieve for nurses in the workplace?
ST: I made my first pair of RN I.D. Scrubs to wear in celebration on my first day as an RN. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment. Upon wearing them that day, I realized that many of the doctors and others I had worked with for three years had no idea that I had been an LPN. It made me realize that nurses had been lost in the sea of scrubs in healthcare and society in general.

Scrubs are a great uniform for many reasons, and everyone from dog groomers to dental assistants want to wear them. But the nurse—the nurse needs something more. We’ve earned it. I love being a nurse. Nurses bear an insane amount of knowledge, critical thinking, education, nerves, skills, coping, decision making and much more. At the very least, we deserve a uniform designated just for us.

Nursing is the most physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenging profession—so much so that I struggle to find ways to describe the experience accurately to anyone outside the profession. It is a true calling. If I could wear a neon sign that flashed and pointed to me reading “I’m the nurse,” I would. RN I.D. Scrubs gives me that.

Most simply, I hope nurses wear RN I.D. Scrubs and when people look at them, they know, immediately, that they are nurses. It’s a modern take on a nurse’s uniform that unmistakably identifies them.

Cherokee Uniforms

Scrubs: What was the reaction from your peers?
ST: It’s a brutally honest profession where feelings, many times, are not spared. I knew when my coworkers said they loved them, they meant it. Every nurse who sees them loves them. They get it immediately. The craze they created when I initially wore them is what prompted me to pursue the patent. Now everyone is just waiting for them to become available so they can wear them, too.

Scrubs: How did you go about becoming a nurse entrepreneur?
ST: I knew it was great idea, but initially I wasn’t sure what to do with it. My first pair was made in 2007. In 2009, I bit the bullet and applied for a patent. Once my patent was pending, I Googled Cherokee scrubs, since it’s my favorite brand of scrubs. I picked up the phone and called the number listed for the corporate office; the next thing I knew, I was having a conversation with Mike Singer, CEO of Strategic Partners [owner of Cherokee Uniforms], and telling him all about my scrubs and how I was going to change the nursing uniform.

It has been a long, hard, four-year journey. Change never comes easily, but this is worth it. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat to ensure that all nurses have the opportunity to experience what I have experienced with RN I.D. Scrubs.

Scrubs: What’s in store for RN I.D. Scrubs?
ST: I think we are changing the nursing uniform. Nurses deserve it. It’s time for nurses to have a uniform that distinguishes us as the medical professionals we are and allows us to stand out to patients and coworkers.

This is phase one of RN I.D. Scrubs, which features tops in five colors. Three more colors and a unisex top will be out in August. I hope it grows from there—I would love to see an LPN version.

Stacey Tatroe, RN, BSN, is the inventor of RN I.D. Scrubs. She’s an ER nurse from Atlanta, a wife, a baseball and theater troupe mom, and PTA president.

iStockPhoto | ThinkStock + Scrubs

Every week, we’re highlighting the best nursing schools in different regions of the U.S. according to their ratings in our Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools. This week brings us to the Midwest, where we take a look at five of the best nursing schools in the region and what each has to offer prospective students.

Schools in the Midwest roundup are in cities that range from smaller college towns to major metropolitan hubs. With each school offering different advantages, we feel there’s something for every type of nursing student, whether you’re just starting your nursing education or are going back for another degree.

Additionally, if you’ve already been through nursing school, don’t forget to rate your own school or alma mater at The Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools and leave comments about your personal experience to help out those who may be thinking about following in your footsteps. Got a question about a school? Leave a comment on the school’s page, and the Scrubs community will help find an answer.

1. University of Iowa College of Nursing
Iowa City, Iowa

U.S. News & World Report ranks a number of programs at the UI’s College of Nursing in the top 10 in the nation, with its Nursing Service Administration and Gerontology programs both ranked number two and the graduate program ranked at number 11 overall.

The school offers two BSN programs: One a traditional four-year program and another for RNs who want to earn their bachelor’s degree. The latter program is taught primarily through online courses. The grad program offers an MSN, PhD and DNP, each with a variety of focuses. Many can be taken as either a part-time or full-time program.

2. College of Saint Mary
Omaha, Neb.

The College of St. Mary’s undergraduate nursing education is described by the school as a “ladder.” With programs including PN, LPN-ASN, ASN and RN-BSN, students can “enter the program at various points along the ladder,” depending on previous education and work experience. Some of these programs have online options, allowing nurses to continue working while advancing their education.

The school also offers an MSN, a program consisting of both in-classroom sessions and online learning. This program is designed for students interested in obtaining certification in nursing education or an educational doctoral degree.

3. University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Ind.

All of USI’s programs for those with previous nursing experience are distance learning programs. These include the university’s RN to BSN, MSN and DNP programs. Most of these require no campus visits during the degree program.

The school also offers a traditional four-year BSN degree program for those who do not have previous nursing experience.

4. Ball State University
Muncie, Ind.

Ball State also offers a variety of online programs, including RN to BS, RN to MS, master’s and DNP. Additionally, the school has a hybrid program for its LPN transition track that combines in-class and online instruction. Finally, the school also offers a traditional four-year BSN degree.

Once primarily an industrial town, Muncie has come to be known as a college town since Ball State has become one of the largest employers in the town. Another large industry in town is healthcare, driven primarily by Ball Memorial Hospital.

5. Clarkson College
Omaha, Neb.

This year, Clarkson College is ranked as the fourth best online nursing program by U.S. News & World Report. All graduate level nursing programs at the college are completed entirely online, and 100 percent of students in the grad program are employed while they continue their education.

The school also offers BSN, RN to BSN and LPN to BSN programs. Both the RN to BSN and LPN to BSN are offered full-time or part-time, but the former is an online program, while the latter is on-campus. The BSN is an on-campus, full-time program that takes advantage of the school’s partnership with the Nebraska Medical Center, also located in Omaha.

Fuse | ThinkStock + Scrubs

Calling all future LPNs! Are you ready to pass the NCLEX? Take this quiz with these sample exam questions and see how you score!

[10 questions]

Pearson IT Certification is a publishing imprint born of a tradition of proven learning tools and educational training materials such as NCLEX-PN Exam Cram (ISBN-10:  0-7897-4105-9) that have helped generations of certification exam candidates succeed. Tapping into the exciting new opportunities provided by the technology advances of online learning and web-based services, Pearson has created a suite of products and solutions that address the learning, preparation and practice needs of a new generation of certification candidates. Pearson IT Certification delivers learning formats ranging from books to online learning and practice services, network simulators and video training.

Textbook info: 

NCLEX-PN Exam Cram, 3rd Edition 

By Wilda Rinehart, Diann Sloan, Clara Hurd, Rinehart & Associates

Published by Pearson

iStockPhoto | ThinkStock + Scrubs

We’re right in the thick of highlighting the best workplaces in America by region, and this week we’re back with the top places to work in the Midwest. The best part is these ratings come directly from the reviews and rankings provided in our Nurse’s Guide to Hospitals, so you know you’re getting a true representation of what it’s really like in these facilities.

Want to see more? Check out our top workplaces list for big cities, small towns and the West Coast. And, of course, we’ll continue making our way around the country, highlighting different regions every week.

But this isn’t just about checking out the articles; you can make your own mark by visiting The Nurse’s Guide to Hospitals and rating and providing comments about your own workplaces, whether you’re working there now or have in the past. Even better, if you’re looking for a new place to work and have any questions about the facilities, leave them in the comments and the community will help you find the answers.

1. Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, Minn.

Mayo is one of the most esteemed names in healthcare, and the system’s facility in Rochester, Minn. works in conjunction with Saint Mary’s Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital to form what the hospital’s website calls “the largest integrated medical center in the world.”

The city is the largest in the state located outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, but is only about an hour-and-a-half drive from those cities, providing a small town-feel with easy access to a large metropolis.

Like many of the nation’s larger healthcare systems, nurses who want to add degrees and certifications have the option to take advantage of tuition assistance provided by the Mayo Clinic.

2. Evanston Hospital
Evanston, Ill.

If being right in the midst of a metro area is more your style, you may want to check out Evanston Hospital, which is located in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Ill. The hospital was first opened in 1891 and is the flagship facility of the Northshore University Health System. The hospital particularly focuses on cardiac care, as well as cancer treatment at its Kellogg Cancer Center.

In addition to a tuition assistance program for nurses who want to further their education, the hospital also offers the Leadership Mentoring Program for ongoing guidance and professional development at the hospital. Ongoing classroom and online classes also are offered free of charge.

3. Dunn Memorial Hospital
Bedford, Ind.

Dunn Memorial is part of the 20-hospital St. Vincent Health system, which was the only Midwest-based healthcare system to be honored as one of the 15 best in the nation last year by Thompson Reuters. The hospital is located in Bedford, Ind., a small town of around 13,000 people.

As in the other hospitals on the list, nurses are eligible to receive tuition assistance if they wish to further their education, but unlike the other hospitals, are able to do so in a rural environment.

4. Children’s Hospital – Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minn.

Children’s Hospital – Minneapolis is part of the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota system, which contains a total of six facilities. Between the Minneapolis and St. Paul locations, the hospital sees more than 12,000 inpatients a year, in addition to more than 200,000 emergency room and outpatient visits.

One interesting program the hospital offers is the Observer Program, which allows non-healthcare individuals interested in a career in the field to observe a staff member and learn more about the career. Benefits for nurses include tuition reimbursement, emergency loans and professional development.

5. Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn, Ill.

Returning back to the Chicago suburbs, we have Advocate Christ Medical Center, located south of Chicago in Oak Lawn, Ill. The hospital (as well as others in the Advocate Health system) was recently named one of the top 100 hospitals in the U.S. by Truven Health Analytics. The hospital also is recognized as a Magnet Institution by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The facility is one of the few to offer nurses interested in research the chance to design and implement their own research studies. Every year, RNs at the hospital can apply to participate in the Julie Schaffner Research Fellowship Workshop, which allows them to develop proposals and carry out research or conduct evidenced-based practice projects.

FOR MORE RATINGS AND REVIEWS ON WORKPLACES NURSES LOVE, VISIT THE NURSE’S GUIDE TO HOSPITALS.

We’ve just launched the The Nurse’s Guide to Hospitals to provide you, our nurses, with a ton of information for your job hunt (or for when you’re just curious about how the other half (of nurses) live). Each week we’ll highlight hospitals with particularly high ratings, so be sure to visit Scrubs every week for The List.

Similar to how your favorite online directories work, each hospital listed in The Guide has a rating system and a comments section. While many nurses have weighed in so far, we need your help to make The Guide the best it can be. So head on over, tell us what you think of your workplace and help us fill in the details! We want to hear from you! Ask your burning questions or rave about your amazing nurse team in the comments.

iStockPhoto | ThinkStock + Scrubs

Having a tough day? Unfortunately (as much as you might want to!), you can’t exactly run screaming out of the hospital and down the street as a stress reliever! So we asked our Facebook fans for the next best thing: five-second stress-relief tips you can do on the job when things get crazy. The next time you feel stress getting the best of you, try one of these…and let the relaxation begin!

The top 10 five-second stress-relief tips for nurses

1. Crunching on crushed ice. I just did this at work, and thought to myself, “How nice and refreshing”…I think I’ll go get some more ice right now!
—Angela Gilbert Keddington

2. Gently picking up a sleeping preemie and listening to her breathing and sighing in my ear. Does wonders! (I’m a NICU nurse.) Oh, and deep, cleansing breaths of my own!
—Lori Andersen Neilson

3. Aromatherapy. I keep a comforting lotion or spritz to brighten my mood in an instant.
—Rosa Chykur

4. A sparkling glass of…Diet Coke!
—Diane McKee

5. I blow the biggest bubble possible with a new piece of gum.
—Brittany Tessier

6. Don’t ask me why…but going to the bathroom and rinsing my hands and arms off with cold water soothes me immensely. It feels so good and helps me relax!
—Rhonda Kemp

7. I find something to sit on, stretch out my legs and WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE my toes (sneakers still on)!
—Gail Isaacs

8. Bathroom break! Just a few minutes…totally alone…no questions, no patients, no requests…and I come out raring to go again!
—Kathy Sain Grevenstuk

9. I go into the break room and drink a 20-ounce bottle of water. It relieves the stress, allows me to drink water during the day and when I come out of the break room, I feel like a new person.
—Jo Ann Neer

10. A fellow nurse who is also a yoga teacher taught me this one simple trick: I close my lips semi-tight, take a deep breath in through my nose and breathe out really fast through my lips. It sounds funny and you do make a funny noise, but it really works and lets out a lot of stress.
—Pamela Baker

What’s YOUR best five-second stress-relief tip?

Scrubs

Nursing is one of those careers that often gets romanticized. From the way the job is portrayed in the media, you’d think it was all glamorous stuff like dispensing meds, changing bandages and generally making patients feel better. But the reality is often much less exciting. In fact, if you ask many nurses what they spend a big chunk of their time doing each shift, they will respond with one word: charting.

Of course, this is yet another aspect of nursing that isn’t usually portrayed accurately in stock photos. That’s a shame because it’s not really difficult to get it right. Here are a few examples that are spot-on:

Note the dull, glazed eyes; the set of the mouth; and the hand to the forehead to still a pounding migraine. Add a few stains and wrinkles to the scrubs, and you’ve got a very realistic picture. But this isn’t how most of the stock images of charting look. Oh, no. Here are a few wacky and weird photos that might have you rolling your eyes.

Next: Blank Slate →

“And that was the moment she realized, that no matter of hair teasing was ever going to make the uniform look fashionable.”

- submitted by chcampbe

This Week’s Contest – May 13, 2013

What’s your best caption? Leave it in our comments. Be sure to check back next week when we pick the winner!

See our past winners here!

[10 questions]

Study material provided by NCLEX-RN Exam Cram, published by Pearson IT Certification. Part of the Exam Cram series.

Pearson IT Certification is a publishing imprint born of a tradition of proven learning tools and educational training materials such as NCLEX-RN Exam Cram (ISBN-10: 0-7897-4483-X) that have helped generations of certification exam candidates succeed. Tapping into the exciting new opportunities provided by the technology advances of online learning and web-based services, Pearson has created a suite of products and solutions that address the learning, preparation and practice needs of a new generation of certification candidates. Pearson IT Certification delivers learning formats ranging from books to online learning and practice services, network simulators and video training.

Textbook info: 

NCLEX-RN Practice Questions Exam Cram, 3rd Edition 

By Wilda Rinehart, Diann Sloan, Clara Hurd, Rinehart & Associates

Published by 

Pearson