Notes To Nurses

10/24/2026

Happy birthday Josiah!! Grammy loves you very much❤️❤️

10/24/2026

💊 EVERY NURSE MUST KNOW DRUG CALCULATIONS! 💉

Whether you’re still in nursing school, just starting your first nursing job, or have been at the bedside for years, these are 6 calculations every nurse should know.

📌 SAVE THIS! You’ll want to come back to it.

1️⃣ BASIC MEDICATION DOSAGE

Formula:
(Desired Dose ÷ Available Dose) × Quantity

Example:
Ordered: 500 mg
Available: 250 mg per tablet

(500 ÷ 250) × 1 = 2 tablets

2️⃣ POUNDS TO KILOGRAMS ⚖️

Formula:
Weight in pounds ÷ 2.2 = Weight in kilograms

Example:
Patient weighs 66 lbs.

66 ÷ 2.2 = 30 kg

Remember, weight-based medication calculations use kilograms, not pounds!

3️⃣ PEDIATRIC WEIGHT-BASED DOSAGE 👶

Formula:
Weight (kg) × Ordered Dose (mg/kg/dose)

Example:
Patient weighs 10 kg.
Ordered: 5 mg/kg/dose

10 × 5 = 50 mg per dose

⚠️ Always check the recommended pediatric dosage range and whether the order is per dose or per day.

4️⃣ IV INFUSION PUMP RATE 💧

Formula:
Total Volume (mL) ÷ Time (hours)

Example:
500 mL of IV fluid over 5 hours

500 ÷ 5 = 100 mL/hr

5️⃣ IV GRAVITY DRIP RATE

Formula:
(Volume in mL × Drop Factor in gtt/mL) ÷ Time in minutes

Example:
100 mL over 1 hour
Drop factor: 15 gtt/mL

(100 × 15) ÷ 60 = 25 drops/min

6️⃣ PERCENTAGE SOLUTIONS

For weight/volume (% w/v) solutions:

1% = 1 gram per 100 mL

Example:
50% solution = 50 g/100 mL

How many grams are in 2 mL?

(50 × 2) ÷ 100 = 1 gram

💡 A LITTLE ADVICE FROM AN EXPERIENCED NURSE:

After 36 years at the bedside, I can tell you that medication calculations aren’t something you want to rush through.

Know your formulas. Pay attention to your units. Double-check your answers. And if something doesn’t look right, stop and ask.

A calculation can be mathematically correct and still represent an unsafe dose. Always verify the order, concentration, recommended dose range, and your facility’s medication policies.

📚 Just starting your nursing career?

I wrote Welcome to the Profession to help new nurses navigate those early days at the bedside.

💬 Comment NURSEBOOK and I’ll send you the details!

❤️ A nurse supporting another nurse.

10/21/2026

Growth takes time. 💙

If you’re a new nurse feeling overwhelmed, hear me on this: every confident nurse you admire was once standing exactly where you’re standing, wondering, “Will I ever feel confident?”

You will. Just not all at once. Confidence grows one patient, one shift, one lesson at a time.

Don’t compare your beginning with someone else’s years of experience. You didn’t see their first day.

💬 Comment CHECKLIST and I’ll send you my free guide — 10 Things Every New Nurse Needs to Hear Before Their First Shift, plus a practical First Shift Checklist.

Follow along for encouragement for every shift. 💙

10/21/2026

🩺 10 Behaviors Nurses Don’t Realize Can Be Trauma Responses — Part 2

Sometimes the way we respond at work has more to do with what we’ve experienced than we realize.

1. 😶 Freezing during confrontation. You know what you want to say, but the words won’t come.
2. Saying yes to avoid conflict. You take on more because saying no feels uncomfortable or unsafe.
3. Needing to control everything. Unexpected changes make you anxious, even when you know how to adapt.
4. 💔 Emotionally shutting down. You handle a difficult situation, finish your shift, and feel almost nothing afterward.
5. Startling easily. Raised voices, alarms, or sudden movements put you on edge.
6. Assuming you’re in trouble. Your manager says, “Can we talk?” and your mind immediately goes to what you did wrong.
7. Struggling to accept compliments. Someone praises your nursing care, but you’re waiting for the criticism.
8. Feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions. A coworker is upset, and you immediately wonder if you caused it.
9. 🚨 Staying calm during emergencies, then falling apart afterward. Your body reacts once everything settles down.
10. Being afraid to speak up. One humiliating experience can make you hesitate to ask questions or raise concerns.

❤️ After 36+ years in nursing, I’ve seen how difficult experiences can affect the way nurses respond, sometimes without us even recognizing it.

Not every behavior is a trauma response. Stress, burnout, and other experiences can look similar.

💬 Which one have you recognized in yourself or another nurse?

🩵 To my newer nurses: Difficult shifts are part of nursing, but you shouldn’t have to figure everything out on your own.

I’ve put together a New Nurse Shift Survival Pack with practical tools to help you organize your shift, prioritize patient care, give report, and feel more prepared at the bedside.

📩 Comment SURVIVAL below, and I’ll send you the details!

❤️ From one nurse to another.

10/20/2026

🚨 NURSING STUDENTS: 5 Things You Should NEVER, EVER, EVER Do in Clinicals! (Part 2)

💊 1. Never perform procedures or administer medications without the required supervision!

I don’t care how many times you’ve practiced in the skills lab. If your school requires your instructor or assigned nurse to be present, don’t do it alone! You could be sent home, written up, or even dismissed from your nursing program.

🤝 2. Never ignore the CNAs or other members of the healthcare team.

You can learn so much from experienced CNAs, LVNs, respiratory therapists, and others. Respect everyone. Nursing is teamwork!

🚩 3. Never disappear from the unit without telling your instructor or assigned nurse.

Whether you’re going to lunch, taking a break, or leaving the clinical area, someone needs to know where you are.

❤️ 4. Never make assumptions about a patient based on the chart or report.

Your patient is a person, not a diagnosis. Introduce yourself, ask questions, listen, and do your own assessment within your student role.

🩺 5. Never walk into a patient’s room without knowing why you’re there.

Know your patient’s diagnosis, precautions, and what you’re supposed to be assessing or doing. Come prepared!

👩‍⚕️ After 36+ years in nursing and years teaching nursing students, I can tell you that the habits you develop in clinicals will follow you into your nursing career.

📚 Preparing for your nursing career? My book Welcome to the Profession is filled with encouragement and real-life nursing wisdom.

💬 Comment NURSEBOOK and I’ll send you the details!

10/18/2026

10/17/2026

🍼 10 Habits I’m Stealing From NICU Nurses!

Because NICU nurses have mastered the art of doing big things for the tiniest patients. ❤️

1. Tiny doesn’t mean weak. Never underestimate the smallest fighter in the room.
2. Measure EVERYTHING. Even amounts you can barely see. 😂
3. Notice the smallest changes. Sometimes the tiniest signs tell the biggest story.
4. Use gentle hands. How you touch a patient matters just as much as what you do.
5. Master the impossible diaper change. Around 47 wires, tubes, and monitors! 😂
6. Practice patience. Sometimes the best intervention is giving a baby time.
7. Celebrate the little milestones. One less tube, one better feeding, one more day of growing stronger.
8. Know when NOT to touch. Sometimes protecting a baby’s rest is exactly what is needed.
9. Make parents part of the team. Help them feel like Mom and Dad, not just visitors.
10. Celebrate every gram. Because a little weight gain is a BIG deal in the NICU! 🎉

❤️ NICU nurses, what habit did I miss? Tell me in the comments!

👩‍⚕️ New nurses, every specialty has something to teach us!

📘 Starting your nursing career? My book Welcome to the Profession is filled with encouragement and real-life wisdom for new nurses.

Comment NURSEBOOK and I’ll send you the details!

NotesToNurses

10/16/2026

🏡 7 Things Every New Nurse Should Do After a Shift to Leave Work at Work

Your shift may be over, but sometimes your mind is still at the hospital. 💙

Here are 7 ways to transition from nurse mode to home mode:

🚗 1. Decompress on your drive home. Listen to music, a podcast, pray, or enjoy the silence. Give your mind time to unwind.

🏡 2. Pause before going inside. This is something I do after every shift. Sit in your car for a few minutes, take some slow, deep breaths, and let yourself decompress. Make that mental break between leaving work behind and walking into your home.

💧 3. Hydrate and nourish yourself. You spent 12 hours caring for everyone else. Now take care of YOU.

🧠 4. Stop replaying your shift. Reflect on what you learned, but don’t spend your evening second-guessing every decision. If something needs follow-up, use the proper channels.

🚶‍♀️ 5. Move your body. Take a short walk, stretch, or sit outside for fresh air. Release some of that physical tension.

❤️ 6. Reconnect with life outside nursing. Hug your family, play with your kids, call a friend, or enjoy something that has nothing to do with healthcare.

😴 7. Protect your rest. Put your phone down, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and give yourself permission to recover. Night-shift nurses, that includes protecting your daytime sleep!

💙 New nurses, remember: You can be a compassionate, dedicated nurse without carrying the weight of every shift home with you.

💬 Nurses, what do YOU do to transition from work mode to home mode? Share your routine in the comments! Let’s help our newer nurses!

📦 Need practical tools to make those first shifts less overwhelming? My New Nurse Shift Survival Pack is designed to help you feel more organized, prepared, and confident.

👉 Comment SURVIVAL and I’ll send you the details!

💙 Follow Esther Lopez for real-life nursing wisdom, encouragement, and practical tips. Save and share with a nurse who needs this!

NursingTips NightShiftNurse NurseBurnout

10/13/2026

👩‍⚕️ 10 HABITS FEMALE NURSES HAVE MASTERED! 😂🩺

After 36+ years in nursing, I’ve worked with some incredible female nurses. Here are 10 habits worth stealing, especially if you’re a new nurse!

1. Noticing the little things. A slight change in a patient’s expression, breathing, or behavior? They catch it.
2. Carrying 47 things in their scrub pockets. Pens, scissors, tape, alcohol wipes, snacks… and somehow there’s still room for more! 😂
3. Making patients feel genuinely cared for. Sometimes it’s the extra blanket, the reassuring touch, or simply taking time to listen.
4. Remembering everybody’s everything. Patient preferences, family concerns, who needs what, and which coworker hasn’t eaten lunch.
5. Trusting their gut. When something doesn’t seem right, they don’t just ignore it. They investigate.
6. Communicating with one look. That look across the nurses’ station that says everything without saying a word! 😂
7. Advocating fiercely. When a patient needs something, they’re not afraid to speak up.
8. Turning chaos into a plan. Five things happening at once? Somehow they figure out what needs attention first.
9. Helping before anyone asks. They notice when another nurse is struggling and step in.
10. Caring for everybody while learning to care for themselves. Because even the strongest nurse needs rest and support.

❤️ New nurses, pay attention to the experienced nurses around you. There’s so much you can learn just by watching.

💬 Female nurses, what did I miss? What would you add to this list?

🩺 Need help getting organized for your shifts? Comment SURVIVAL and I’ll send you my New Nurse Shift Survival Pack!

Follow for real-life nursing advice, encouragement, and a little humor!

10/12/2026

🍎🏫 10 HABITS I’M STEALING FROM SCHOOL NURSES!

After 36+ years in nursing, I know every specialty has something to teach us. And school nurses? They deserve more credit! 😂❤️

1. Ready for ANYTHING! Scraped knees, asthma attacks, seizures, and bellyaches. All before lunch!
2. A one-nurse emergency department. No rapid response team down the hall. They know when to act and when to call 911.
3. Detective-level assessment skills. Stomachache, test anxiety, or something serious? They know what questions to ask. 🔎
4. Making a Band-Aid work miracles. Sometimes a little reassurance is the best medicine! 😂
5. Communicating with EVERYBODY. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and providers!
6. Looking beyond the symptoms. That child visiting the health office every day may need more than a temperature check.
7. Juggling chronic conditions and surprises. Diabetes, asthma, allergies, medications… and here comes another bloody nose!
8. Making kids feel safe. Earning the trust of a frightened five-year-old or embarrassed teenager takes skill. ❤️
9. Knowing when to send them back to class. And when it’s time to call for help. That’s excellent triage!
10. Wearing a dozen hats! Nurse, educator, advocate, emergency responder, and sometimes the safest place a child has all day.

💕 NEW NURSES: Learn from school nurses! Assess carefully, communicate clearly, and never underestimate the power of listening.

👇 SCHOOL NURSES, WHAT DID I MISS? What habit should we steal from you?

🎁 NEW NURSE SHIFT SURVIVAL PACK
Practical tools to help new nurses stay organized, prioritize care, and feel more prepared.

💬 Comment SURVIVAL and I’ll send you the details!

❤️ Follow Esther Lopez for real nursing wisdom and encouragement.

🔗 NotesToNurses.com