I was so wrong . . . let me explain. I first created this shirt back in 2019 - at the time I was focused on the word "BEST". As in, "Be Your BEST Self". However, going through 2021 and all the way through 2023 my depression began to grow - immensely. At a few points it absolutely has been debilitating. This is nothing new - I've battled depression, bipolar, and anxiety for many years - but this time - the cloud was much darker. Nursing can be tough. Find hope at NURSING.com ❤️ Happy Nursing! Jon Haws, RN

Find the full lesson here: https://academy.nursing.com/lesson/nursing-care-plan-ncp-for-abdominal-pain/

First, we're going to collect our data. Remember, our data is just our assessment, so subjective from the patient and objective from the nurse. A patient with abdominal pain, that's having symptoms, the subjective data for this patient is likely going to be the pain, maybe they have a decreased appetite, and how about some nausea? Those kinds of things are going to be all their subjective data.

For objective data, maybe they feel really restless. This is what the nurse is observing. Let's say we see on this patient, that the patient is having some guarding of the abdomen. Maybe some rebound tenderness when they're pushed down. Maybe we see, or assess the patient and realize they're constipated or have constant vomiting or diarrhea. These kinds of things will be our objective data.

My hypothetical patient for our care plan will say that they're having abdominal pain and it's from excessive vomiting. We have to analyze the information. This is going to help us to diagnose and prioritize. So what is the problem? Well, the problem is the pain and the problem is that they are having some excessive vomiting. So, what needs to be improved? What can we do to improve or what needs to be improved to help the patient, is going to be the pain, right, but more than that, we need to, for this patient, we need to fix the vomiting, so that can help fix the pain. What is our priority? So, our priority is going to be to stop the vomiting and to help that abdomen just not be so tender right, so stop that vomiting, which is going to help with the pain for this patient and relieve that pain.

Working as a nurse in the ICU, I cared for many patients who are burned into my mind and heart forever.

One of those patients was a young mom, in her early 40s with children in their early teens, who had suffered from cancer that had metastasized to her brain.

She was incredibly sick, and this cancer was extremely advanced.

One night as I cared for her, she was feeling exceptionally sick.

Just a couple hours into the shift, I was preparing her for bed. Her family stepped out and went home for the night. I could see that this night she was very upset - more so than other nights.

She was low on energy, she was sad, she looked weaker than normal.

Within moments of her family leaving for the night, she passed away quietly.

Nursing is hard, find hope at NURSING.com

❤️ Happy Nursing!

Jon Haws, RN

Them: "How can we help?"

Me: "I don't know . . ."

The hardest part is I honestly don't know what will help. [many of you know I struggle with depression, anxiety, bipolar, and OCD]

This is a conversation I've had countless times over the last year. If only I had some sort of ailment that could be SEEN and FIXED . . . why can't it be a broken arm? A simple cast would "fix" the problem in just a matter of weeks.

With mental health, you read the books, you do the checklists, you take the meds, you attend counseling . . . but at any moment . . . around any corner . . . there it is - ready to crush your hope and happiness.

Each time you start a new medication you feel hopeful . . . "this time it will work"

And each time a new medication doesn't help, you feel a bit more hopeless . . . "maybe I am beyond repair.

Visit us at NURSING.com to rekindle your hope.

❤️ Happy Nursing!

Jon Haws, RN

I've been where you are.

During my first semester of nursing school, I walked into a room of 25 students who would be my cohort. As I scanned the faces, a chill ran down my spine. "I'm the only lucky one here," I thought. "Everyone else is so much more prepared. I hope no one discovers how dumb I am." This feeling didn't go away after graduation.

On my first day as a new grad nurse in the Neuro ICU of a large Trauma I hospital in Dallas, I was sweating, out of breath, and utterly convinced I'd slipped through the cracks in the hiring process.

I was certain all the other new nurses had gone to better schools, done better internships, and would survive orientation when I wouldn't.

Visit NURSING.com to find the hope you need right now.

❤️ Happy Nursing!

Jon Haws, RN

The power of four simple words - "You CAN do this" - transformed one nursing student's life from the depths of despair to professional success. This remarkable story of resilience and hope centers on Heather, whose journey illustrates the devastating impact of self-doubt and the life-changing effect of support in healthcare education. Her experience resonates deeply with countless nursing students who face similar struggles, making it a powerful testament to the importance of community and perseverance.

Heather's journey began with her return from Iraq in 2008, where she developed PTSD, setting the stage for future challenges. As she pursued her nursing education, the weight of multiple pressures began to mount. She failed her medical-surgical nursing course by an agonizing 0.2%, while simultaneously grappling with a deteriorating marriage and overwhelming feelings of inadequacy as a parent. The combination of academic struggles and personal turmoil created a perfect storm that pushed her to contemplate suicide.

Find hope at NURSING.com

I still remember the night before my first pharmacology exam. 3 AM. Energy drinks scattered across my desk. Hundreds of flashcards in disorganized piles. My eyes burning from staring at tiny drug names for hours. And the worst part? I knew nothing was sticking. Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs—the names swirled together in my mind like alphabet soup. The side effects lists seemed endless. The contraindications felt arbitrary. How was I supposed to memorize this much information? Maybe you've had that same moment. Maybe you're having it right now.

Ready to master nursing pharm? Find all of our resources here: https://nursing.com/sock/

Struggling to stay on track in nursing school or NCLEX prep? This is the plan 300,000+ students have used to pass — with daily structure, Flash Notes™, SIMCLEX®, and a 200% guarantee.

👉 https://nursing.com/

You show up ready to learn. But your preceptor barely looks at you—or worse, tears you down. What do you do when the one person meant to guide you just… won't?

In this episode, we talk about what it really feels like to be stuck with a toxic preceptor—and how to protect your confidence, your learning, and your future as a nurse.

We'll cover:

• 5 red flags your preceptor is hurting more than helping

• How to still grow clinical judgment (without their help)

• What to say if you need to speak up—but don't want to be labeled a "problem"

• A tool that gives you the feedback they're not giving: Clinical Prep Cases

🎯 Start practicing today—no judgment, just growth: nursing.com/awful

Struggling to stay on track in nursing school or NCLEX prep? This is the plan 300,000+ students have used to pass — with daily structure, Flash Notes™, SIMCLEX®, and a 200% guarantee.

👉 https://nursing.com/

I almost walked away from nursing school.

Not because I wasn't cut out for it. Not because I couldn't handle the material. But because I believed the soul-crushing lies that nearly broke me – the same lies that might be breaking you right now.

In this raw, unfiltered episode, I share my personal journey through the darkest moments of nursing school – including the crippling anxiety that forced me to withdraw before my final semester. I reveal how the system is designed to make you feel inadequate, how the "unsafe" label is weaponized against passionate students, and why your struggles aren't signs of weakness but potential sources of strength.

Through tears, brutal honesty, and hard-earned wisdom from helping over 500,000 nursing students, I expose the toxic traditions masquerading as "education" and offer the validation you've been desperately seeking:

• It's not just you. Everyone's crying in their car.
• Your C isn't making you dangerous. Your resilience is making you exceptional.
• The qualities making school hard might make you revolutionary at the bedside.

This isn't just another pep talk. It's permission to reject the lies and embrace your truth – because nursing doesn't just need more nurses. It needs YOUR unique perspective.

Ready to transform your nursing school experience? Visit nursing.com/lies for our FREE guide on overcoming these toxic myths, plus exclusive resources designed specifically for the way YOUR brain learns best.

You aren't just capable of becoming a nurse. You're capable of transforming what nursing can be.

Struggling to stay on track in nursing school or NCLEX prep? This is the plan 300,000+ students have used to pass — with daily structure, Flash Notes™, SIMCLEX®, and a 200% guarantee.

👉 https://nursing.com/

Visit NURSING.com/different for exclusive resources designed specifically for nurses with learning differences.

In this deeply personal episode, Jon Haws, RN and founder of NURSING.com, shares his never-before-told story of withdrawing from nursing school due to crippling anxiety—and how that same anxiety later became his clinical superpower. Jon reveals shocking statistics showing that over 50% of nursing students have learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia, or anxiety, and how traditional nursing education fails these students.

Discover how these "different brains" aren't limitations, but unique advantages that healthcare desperately needs. Jon breaks down the specific strengths that come with ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety in nursing practice, sharing real stories of nurses who've transformed their cognitive differences into clinical excellence.

This isn't just a survival guide—it's a revolutionary manifesto for transforming nursing education and practice by embracing cognitive diversity. Whether you're struggling through nursing school or thriving in your career, Jon's vulnerable journey will inspire you to see your "different" brain as exactly what nursing needs.

Ready to join the revolution? Visit NURSING.com/different for exclusive resources designed specifically for nurses with learning differences.