615-856-8181
shania@shanialynnvo.com

medicine

How to choose a great facility

by

A variety of sources reveal that on average 1 in 5 nurses leave their first job within the first year of nursing. And some of these people leave nursing altogether. How do you know what facility is right for you? How do you know what facility is “good”? Below I reveal my top few green flags for a nursing facility (based on my own experience).

  1. Friendly work environment- Nurses helping nurses, interdisciplinary communication, etc.
  2. Open communication- Management will not hold any information from staff.. this can come in direct communication, emails, posters, etc. Also, have the ability to speak to leaders when a problem/idea arises
  3. Resources- Can you always find/have what you need to perform nursing duties?
  4. Culture of professional development/learning- Ask about tuition reimbursement, certifications, raises, committee involvement, etc.
  5. Benefits
  6. Ability to transfer specialties
  7. Ratios- Med-Surg averages 1 nurse to 5-6 patients
  8. High patient satisfaction ratings- Medicare.gov posts hospital survey statistics
  9. Nursing recognition- How do they represent/honor the so-called “heroes”? Nursing awards, posters, gifts, spotlights, etc.
  10. How do they prevent burnout?
  11. Scheduling- do you have any say? PTO? Overtime

Until next shift,

Shania

A Faith of Thorns

by

I recently had a patient encounter with an elderly woman and the conversation is as follows:

“Do you think God is creating this virus to destroy the world like he has done in the past? Like he is wanting us to learn something?”

(Me) “I think God is good and would not create this kind of destruction. He has said after the flood that he would not destroy the earth like that again. He said that he works everything out for good. He did not say that everything will be good. The enemy is present to kill, to steal, and to destroy. I believe this is not God.”

(Patient) “I grew up in the Church of Christ and do love God. I have lived for over 70 years and never in my life has something like this happened. I just can’t wrap my head around why. Where is God in this?”

I didn’t really know what to say at this point, other than to listen and ponder with her. I know God did not send this pandemic, but I will never know why it has occurred in this lifetime. I have tried to focus on only positive thoughts such as having more time to learn a new hobby, catching up on Netflix, spending time at home, and enjoying the presence of immediate family; however, the energy of the world is filled with fear, anxiety, and isolation.

Jesus describes the purpose of parables in Mark 4 by defining three different foundations of faith:

1. Rocky soil= hear the word, accept the word, but have no root and when tribulation comes, the faith falls away.

2. Thorns= hear the word, however the desires of the world overpowers the faith.

3. Good soil= hear the word, accept the word, and spread fruit (joy, faith, success) in multiples.

I would like to think that my faith has a foundation of good soil. I like to think that my optimistic persona will radiate and disperse the fear that is all around me. However, as I write this post, I feel like my faith is grown in thorns. The stresses and worry of current life are drowning my joy and hope I have in Jesus. In the words of my sweet lady, “where is God in this?”

I don’t know, but I do know that I will find out one day. For now, I will hope for the future as I know this too shall pass. I will continue to find joy in the little things. And I will continue to trust that God is with us.

Until next shift,

Shania

“And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:16-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/59/mrk.4.16-20.esv

Things I’ve Learned in Quarantine- A Personal Retreat (part 1)

by

  1. Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all of the time. It means that on hard days, you know that there are better ones coming.
  2. Take every day to count your blessings. I have a healthy family, a paying job, a home, etc.. Social isolation began about 3 weeks after the Nashville tornadoes. There were families who lost everything and now had to remain inside a stranger’s home until it was safe to rebuild. 340 employees were furloughed at my hospital, I am very fortunate.
  3. Being alone with my thoughts sucks. My anxiety exacerbates when I am isolated. This led to phone calls, video conferencing, among other activities to stay connected without complete social distancing.
  4. Joy and tragedy can coincide. When I run through the neighborhood, I see positive quotes from children written in chalk. Countless videos have been posted about people placing thank you signs around the hospitals for front-line staff. One of the most memorable videos is from a city in Georgia who stood on their balconies and congratulated nurses as they changed shifts at a highly populated hospital. Volunteers have made masks and donated food to essential workers and those in need.
  5. I love Yoga! A friend introduced me to online Yoga videos and I do at least one every day I am off work. It’s a relaxing work out, forces me to stretch, and allows me to be present in the moment.
  6. I love community. Before all of the forced social distancing, I willingly social distanced myself. It is easy to want to stay home and relax alone without having to worry about the schedules of other people. It is easy to text, call, or FaceTime a friend for social interaction. It is easy to choose to be virtually present for a race, meeting, etc rather than physically being present. But now that virtual interaction is the only safe means of connection, I realize that relationships and community are so important for a healthy soul. Being engaged in the lives of your friends, coworkers, church, group hobbies, and family creates a sense of self-worth. I may not be fully willing to go out of my comfort zone and seek connection, however when I do, I always feel so much better after. The conversations that can be had with people with common interests and those in my daily circles improve my life. Connections and experiences are what is remembered for years to come, not what I gift or create myself.
  7. The rise of telemedicine.
  8. Homemade peanut butter cups are easy and delicious. Not to mention they are great with afternoon coffee!
  9. I have grown more in love. This “staycation” with my fiancé has allowed us to do all of the things we enjoy for multiple days in a row.. morning coffee while reading on the couch, yoga, running, netflix marathons, cooking, and just being in each other’s presence. I was worried about our October wedding (we have been planning for 2 years) not happening, but just going on a big adventure together wouldn’t be so bad.
  10. I have revamped my acting career.. more info to come.
  11. I am the 2020 nursing preceptor of the year.
  12. I ran my first half marathon in 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 32 seconds.
  13. I enrolled in a clinical trial to test the use of plaquenil for COVID prevention.

Criticals, Cultures, and Codes

by

Today was a tough day from the beginning. At 0800, I got a discharge before I even completed the assessment or given any medications, then at 0900 I got a direct admission coming to an empty room, putting me at six patients. Throughout the rest of my med pass I got 3 critical labs, one unhappy family, beeping IVs, calls for pain medications, a positive blood culture, and telemetry notifications of abnormal rhythms. I finally got finished charting assessments, discharging my one patient, and admitting my new patient by 1430, which meant lunch time. Immediately upon my return, I got a second admission. Then, my extern ran to me and was concerned about our patient who was all of a sudden slow to respond to commands… that led to a rapid response call. Luckily, everything turned out to be fine with her and she slowly started to return to her baseline. By now I was at least an hour late on all of my medications, and got a call with a low blood sugar. Quickly, it was shift change at 1845 and I had yet to give 1700 medications.

Long story short, this was one of the worst days I have ever had as a nurse. It was a day where I barely had time to complete my checklist, could not build rapport, or read any progress notes. My motto of the day was “just keep swimming” and I was just treading water.

Until next shift,

Shania

What makes a good day?

by

A good day in the hospital is not like a good day on a day off. It is not a lack of patients, more free time to browse social media, or even a full 30 minute, uninterrupted lunch break (although, that would be nice).

A good day in the hospital is a day when each patient can be cared for individually, rather than quickly checking off the Cerner checklist. It’s a day with a 5 patient load and the chance to focus on the physical and emotional needs and wants of each patient.

It’s a good day when a patient wants to show me their family or a hobby they enjoy and I actual have time to sit down and listen.

It’s a good day when a patient who wants a bath is able to get one when they want it and even get a nice hairdo.

It’s a good day when a doctor appreciates the work that you do and the thought behind any questions.

It’s a good day when even when everything is going wrong, you know you couldn’t have done anything else.

It’s a good day when you have time to read progress notes.

It’s a good day when 0800 charting is done by 1100 when rounding began at 0730.

It’s a good day when there is time to walk a patient in the hallway or go outside in a wheelchair.

Its a good day when you find that one patient of the day that validates why you chose nursing.

It’s a good day when the power of prayer becomes evident.

It’s a good day when cancer has been ruled out.

It’s a good day when nurses work as a team.

What makes a good day?

There is good in every day, you decide how you see it.

Until next shift,

Shania

Inspirational Reads/Media

by

Podcasts:

  • Elevation with Steven Furtick- Christian
  • Life Church with Craig Groeschel- Christian
  • Fresh Life with Levi Lusko- Christian
  • Like a Doss with Ronnie Doss- daily inspiration and leadership talk
  • The Joe Rogan experience- interviews with various popular people
  • The House of Pod- 2 GI doctors discussing various medical topics

Books:

  • The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee- the origins of cancer biology and treatment to present day discoveries
  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl- a psychologist’s personal Holocaust survival and the meaning of life
  • Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande- end of life care and hospice experiences
  • You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt- 11 keys to a fulfilling life
  • The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu- a conversation between the Dalai Lama and archbishop Desmond Tutu on living in harmony and happiness.
  • When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi- a doctor’s battle with lung cancer

©2026 Shania Lynn Dubbert // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites
Website Hosting provided by UpperLevel Hosting

615-856-8181
shania@shanialynnvo.com