I am passionate about education in ALL forms, regardless of your profession or lifestyle. Excellent nursing demands constant learning, and it’s essential for the ICU. After about a year of nursing, I noticed that I hit a lull; I was still learning something every shift, but the constant stream of information that I was used to had started to slow. This girl was hungry for knowledge and eager to do anything it took to build my nursing confidence! Over the next few years, I began working through every resource I could get my hands on. I’ve compiled my favorite ICU nurse resources for your browsing pleasure! Check out the detailed list below!
#1: Straight A Nursing
The Straight A Nursing podcast is designed to cover an extensive range of nursing subjects, from OB to ER to ICU. It discusses specific diagnoses (using the author’s original LATTE method), current events in the nursing world, tips for studying for the NCLEX and managing your first year as a new grad. This podcast is a great resource regardless of nursing specialty and remains a good review even as an experienced nurse!
Created by “Nurse Mo,” the Straight A Nursing website also has a blog, online review courses, and study guides for new grads. She’s even in the process of creating a study app for nursing students! Mo has her master’s degree in nursing education and has years of experience in the ICU setting. Even experienced nurses will benefit from her website and podcast. I enjoy listening to her podcasts while folding laundry, commuting between travel assignments, etc. Mo has organized her podcasts into playlists to help you find the episodes that are most relevant for your nursing experience. Her podcast is my FAVORITE resource, hands down!
You can listen to her podcast for free on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, and Sticher. She has 265 podcast episodes uploaded on Apple Podcasts, and I’ve listened to 241 of them!
Note: Straight A Nursing’s paid products are currently 20% off for Black Friday 2022!
Another incredible podcast is FreshRN by Kati Kleber, an award-winning nurse educator and experienced critical care nurse. Kati designed her podcast for new grad nurses, especially in their first year, but any ICU nurse looking to grow their knowledge could benefit from FreshRN. Kati specialized in neuro ICU, so lots of her episodes reflect that knowledge. The FreshRN podcasts provide fantastic well-rounded tips for new grad ICU nurses in their first year. Kati also teaches various online courses via her website; options include “Charge Nurse Jumpstart,” “ICU Drips for Beginners,” “ECG Mastery,” and more! She has written five books (available on her website here).
You can find her podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio. She has 88 episodes uploaded, and her full list can be viewed here!
Originally started as a YouTube channel, the ICU Advantage website is the brainchild of Eddie Watson, a 10-year RN and Army veteran. His YouTube channel has over 14 million views and is a treasure trove of professional lectures that dive deep into critical care nursing, respiratory care, and pharmacology. ICU Advantage’s videos are designed specifically for ICU practitioners, so experienced nurses can easily find new information in his playlists.
Eddie teaches viewers about pulmonary artery catheters (Swan-Ganz), intraabdominal pressure monitoring, vent modes, CRRT, and more! You can find information about almost any ICU device on his channel, no matter how specialized. His lessons on hemodynamics and shock were vital to my success on the CCRN exam! If you are an experienced ICU nurse or find the previous podcasts too easy, the ICU Advantage channel is the place to go. His ICU nurse resources are unmatched. Click the images below to check out some of Eddie’s lessons!
#4 Core IM Podcast
The Core IM podcast focuses on putting complex internal medicine topics into digestible formats. It is run by doctors and medical students across the country, and they take turns teaching on topics that they are interested in! These podcast episodes are VERY thorough and require a certain level of medical knowledge beforehand. Personally, I find them most helpful to listen to after I had a shift with a similar patient diagnosis. If I had a patient in HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia), I might listen to Core IM’s podcast lesson on my way home!
Their podcasts are organized by series on the website. They have categories such as 5 Pearls, At The Bedside, Hoofbeats, and Mind The Gap! The 5 Pearls category is my favorite because it breaks a diagnosis down into 5 clinical “pearls” that you should remember. The creators intentionally slow down during difficult sections, use purposeful repetition for emphasis, and offer quiz questions throughout each podcast. Each episode has show notes with helpful images and a written breakdown of the lecture!
Note: The Core IM podcast is designed for medical residents, NOT primarily nurses. However, nurses at an advanced level or who have worked through the above resources would find value in this content. ICU nurses might find this resource more helpful than other specialties. Some of the episodes are too challenging for my level, so I attached my favorites below! I listen to their podcasts on iTunes and Spotify.
What makes a good or bad travel nurse? I cannot count how many travel nurses have complained to me, “Why did my contract not get extended?” Despite other travelers being extended and the unit being on fire every shift, some travelers get dropped like hot potatoes after their contract is complete. Below are some travel nurse tips to avoid losing or hating your job!
1. Laziness
Teamwork is the backbone of the nursing profession, and we all need to work together to keep our patients safe. Nursing is hard enough without dealing with lazy coworkers, especially travelers. Some staff nurses negatively perceive travel nurses, and laziness is a big reason. Just because you’re experienced and (hopefully well-paid) does not mean you are above a staff nurse! Being lazy is a great way to have your coworkers hate you.
My tip:Work hard with a good attitude even when it sucks. No one is ever thrilled to help change a soiled bed or grab endless items for unprepared coworkers, but a strong work ethic will get you far! Check on your fellow nurses, offer to help with turns, and be kind no matter what; these are the same people you’ll depend on when you get a new admission! 😉
Sometimes laziness is simply a symptom of burnout. Nursing is hard, and travel nursing comes with unique difficulties. As a new travel nurse, learning what self-care looks like in your new career is important!
Hospitals hire travel nurses because they are short-staffed and need experienced, flexible nurses to help with a shortage. Travel nurses should be able to function with minimal orientation to a new unit and serve as an asset, NOT a burden. Expect to float often, have your patient assignment changed on a dime, or have an inconvenient schedule. Nurses that complain about everything quickly annoy their coworkers, which is a HUGE reason travelers don’t get extended! This is not an encouragement to accept poor or unfair working conditions but a call to fulfill what we’re hired for: to be a temporary staffing solution.
My tip: Be aware that your skill set is likely more diverse than many other nurses on your unit. You are better equipped to float to a new unit because jumping straight in is what we do! Be willing to change patient assignments if you need to, as long as the new assignment is safe for you to care for. Show kindness towards stressed charge nurses and agree to float with grace. For very specific ways to remain adaptable, click here.
3. Refusal to Learn
EVERY hospital is going to be different from where you came from! Each facility will have individual policies, practices, and unit cultures, even if it is in the same system and only a block down the street. There are many IV pumps, ventilators, arterial line setups, bed functions, tube feeding, and monitor setups. Refusal to learn new machines and follow new policies will destroy your ability to continue travel nursing! Charting systems can be challenging to learn, and well-seasoned travel nurses definitely have personal preferences, but not following hospital policy with your charting will get you fired quickly.
So many machines to get to learn!
I remember a travel nurse named Michael (name changed for privacy) that I worked with frequently when he first started at my assignment. He was always missing when our patients were crashing and NEVER offered to help a single person during his shift. Even weeks after arriving, he had been labeled a “terrible traveler,” and everyone avoided working with him.
One night I was helping Michael with his patient, and he confided in me that he’d never used our charting system before. This grown man was terrified that someone would ask him to do something he didn’t know how to do, so he avoided everyone and everything!
Unfortunately, his contract was not extended, and most staff members were relieved that he was gone. If Michael had proactively asked for help with the charting system and admitted that he needed help, we would’ve been happy to teach him!
My tip: Ask people to teach you how to use unfamiliar devices. Explaining that you’ve never used something before and proactively looking for education will earn you some lenience with your coworkers! Traveling is a great time to build your skills and learn machines, systems, and procedures that you haven’t seen before. Don’t be a Michael!
4. Flaunting the Perks
This one is hard. Travel nursing isn’t easy, but it can be a dream come true for many of us! I’m happy to avoid the drama and logistics of being staff. I’m thrilled to see my hefty paycheck every Friday morning. I’m grateful for the scheduling flexibility that travel nursing offers me, and I can’t imagine returning staff somewhere! However, flaunting the perks of travel nursing is a great way to lose favor with your unit managers. If someone asks me specific questions about travel nursing, I’m happy to oblige, but raving about why everyone should be a travel nurse isn’t helpful in most scenarios.
My tip: Just be humble, stay out of drama, and collect that paycheck every week!
Sunshine. Ocean breezes. Endless dancing. Strong Cuban coffee. People hope for these things when they’re visiting Miami, and we found all of that plus more! After spending Halloween in Salem, we were lucky enough to travel to Miami, Florida, for another week of vacation in preparation for Jordan’s birthday. Below is our entire itinerary, highlights of our favorite attractions, and detailed reviews on restaurants, areas of town, and excursions out of town that we enjoyed!
Wednesday, Day 1
Having flown from Salem, MA, on the previous day, we slept in today (and every day, in fact). Click here for the Airbnb we stayed at in Downtown Miami! We felt very safe there and would return again. We walked to Honey Uninhibited, voted 2022’s #1 brunch spot in Miami and conveniently located near our Airbnb. Everything we had was great, but the mac-n-cheese truffle bites were uniquely delicious!
After brunch and a few cocktails, we took an Uber to Miami Beach. The city of Miami is on the mainland while Miami Beach is a large manufactured island stretching along the coast parallel to Miami. City buses have a route across the bridge, but no trains or metros go between them, so we chose Uber for efficiency! We had them take us to 1 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, a convenient beach access turnaround for Uber drop-offs/pickups. This was easy, and I’d highly recommend using this spot as a drop-off if you’re visiting Miami Beach! We were close to the beach and lounged on towels in the afternoon sun before heading home via Uber for a nap. Lincoln Road itself is a popular shopping area within South beach.
We went back to Miami Beach that evening to the southernmost point, locally called “South of Fifth.” We had 7 pm reservations at a Greek restaurant called Santorini by Georgios. The service was fantastic, and we got to try multiple Greek dishes and cocktails! Tables were arranged poolside with beautiful lighting, and a gentle ocean breeze made its way through the palm trees as we dined.
Thursday, Day 2
We booked tickets online for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for our second day visiting Miami. A beautiful tropical oasis just 30 minutes from downtown Miami, we were pleased to find that the grounds were perfectly maintained. Fairchild has a butterfly house filled with Central and South American butterflies, an expansive misty rainforest, countless waterfalls, giant trees, and walking paths that easily handle strollers. Friendly employees passed us in golf carts and offered occasional suggestions on where to go next. We purchased our tickets for $20/per person at the entrance. Our tickets got us in all day long, and they gave us a map to freely explore the grounds. They also have a café with indoor seating and large windows to look into the butterfly exhibit while you eat! We spent about 2 hours here relaxing and taking photos. Click here for video footage, or scroll below to see photos!
We had a tour booked for the afternoon, so we Ubered back to our Airbnb for lunch before heading to Little Havana, the vibrant Cuban neighborhood next to downtown Miami. We booked this tour via Airbnb Experiences, my favorite place to find unique experiences (thesaurus?) in new cities! When we booked online, we paid $40/per person, and the cost was well worth it. This is a CAN’T MISS when visiting Miami!
Our tour guide, Michael, is deeply invested in the Little Havana community and lives along the main road, Calle Ocho (or 8th Street). He regaled us with Cuban history, the struggles of migration, and the political climate in Little Havana regarding Cuba and immersed us in Miami’s Cuban culture. We enjoyed mojitos on the street, music that made us want to dance our hearts out, and delicious Cuban cafecitos handmade by Michael himself! The area enchanted me, and I would love to take a travel nurse contract here. Click the slideshow below to see pictures from Little Havana! Is visiting Miami on your bucket list yet?!
Inside Domino Park, only for people 55+!
Players posing in Domino Park
Skyler in front of Calle Ocho festival art
Cuban cafecitos made by Michael for our tour, essentially shots of sugar and expresso!
Cubaocho Museum & Dancehall with free salsa lessons, displaying rescued paintings from Cuba
“Abuela Maria” icecream with guava chunks, maria cookies, and cream cheese with guava syrup. From Azucar Ice Cream Shop
Bacardi originated in Cuba! The audio tour for Little Havana has Michael’s voice for this display!
Classic mojito made with dry ice from La Esquina de la Fama’s street window
Michael explaining the traditional process of making Cuban cigars
Skyler and Jordan in front of Comida Cubana, popular restaurant in Little Havana
Friday, Day 3
We took a 45-minute Uber to visit Patch of Heaven, a 20-acre wildlife sanctuary south of Miami protected by a nonprofit organization. Like Fairchild, we were released onto the grounds with a map and permission to explore! This site is filled with historical Asian sculptures, traditional architecture, and the largest koi fish I have ever seen! They also have a butterfly house filled with flowers and beautiful waterfalls. Patch of Heaven hosts weddings and events and self-guided tours like ours, so cabins and wedding areas were spread across the grounds and off-limits to tourists. Tickets were $20/per person when we booked online.
NOTE: Navigating this sanctuary was not easy, and only some of the paths are marked on the map, so be prepared to truly explore and even get a little lost! All paths eventually lead back to the main road, and we met employees working throughout the sanctuary, so you can also ask them for directions.
After Patch of Heaven, we headed back into inner-city Miami to swim at the Venetian Pool, a historic swimming grotto open to the public since 1923. They had caves, a large cascading waterfall, plenty of spots to lounge in the sun, and an on-site café. We paid $16/per person at the entrance and could stay as long as we wanted! This is a perfect spot to cool off for both adults and children.
After a quick nap at our Airbnb, we went to an interactive light-based art exhibit in downtown Miami called Superblue. Visitors are walked through the exhibits by guides, and we purchased our tickets online one week prior for $55/per person. Exhibits included:
An elaborate mirrored room
A room that reminded me of Squid Game
A vast space that changed scenery to allow visitors to interact with it
I made a TikTok to better display that final room; click here to view it!
My favorite area in Superblue was the Massless Clouds exhibit! We had to pay an extra $12/per person at booking to go through this room. Employees prepared us with ponchos, shoe covers, and masks before ushering us into a darkly lit room full of bubble clouds! We were allowed to roam the room, play in the clouds, and take as many photos as we wanted for about 15 minutes. Click here to see the exhibit!
Honestly, going through Superblue was expensive at $67/per person and was not worth the money to me. Go for it if you want to see the interactive rooms and have the dough to spend! If you have multiple children, are on a budget, or are short on time, try one of the other Miami attractions listed on this blog.
Saturday, Day 4
This day was unique because we took a day trip to Key West! We woke up while it was still dark to Uber to a Greyline pickup location by 7:15 am. We were transported in a double-decker bus that had A/C, wifi, and a restroom. Driving along Highway 1 took us from Miami through every single “Key” until we reached the furthest point, Key West! We paid $49/per person for tickets booked online one week in advance. If you’re considering visiting Miami, you can click here for our exact tour.
Our tour guide was friendly, chatty, and extremely helpful. During the drive, our guide gave us an overview of Key West and personally took our bookings for snorkeling tours, parasailing, and trolley tickets. After a scenic 4-hour drive and a quick breakfast stop at McDonald’s, our bus arrived in downtown Key West. Our tour guide had our trolley tickets ready for us on arrival and led us to a trolley stop. The Old Towne Trolley is a hop-on-hop-off system that circulates around Key West all day. It stops at multiple hotels on the island, major attractions, and restaurants downtown. The trolley drivers were our tour guides, sharing history and food suggestions throughout the narrated tour. Jordan and I rode the whole route (90 minutes) around the entire island before getting off downtown to find some lunch.
We found lunch at Sloppy Joe’s, a saloon in downtown Key West that has been open and thriving since Dec 5th, 1933 – the day that Prohibition was repealed! The bar was created by Joe Russell, and his close friend, Ernest Hemingway, was a frequent patron in the saloon’s early days. Sloppy Joe’s actually moved to its current position from a building across the street in 1937. According to their website, “In true Key West fashion, the bar never actually closed during the transition – customers simply picked up their drinks and carried them, along with every piece of furniture in the place, down the block to 201 Duval Street. Service resumed with barely a blink.” Modern Sloppy Joe’s has a long cocktail list, plenty of hot food, and live music all day long. We welcome the open-air, cheerful atmosphere after exploring under the Key West sun!
We met our bus driver at a pre-determined spot in downtown Key West at 5:30 pm and were back at our Airbnb by 10 pm that evening. Overall, we had about 6 hours of free time in Key West. Since the bus ride was so educational and the trolley ride was so relaxing, this was plenty of time for a day trip!
Sunday, Day 5
Today was the event we were visiting Miami for: Jordan’s birthday! We slept in and relaxed before we Ubered to brunch reservations at Nikki Beach, one of the hottest beach clubs in Miami. At $75/per person, we enjoyed fantastic service and an endless buffet of made-to-order breakfast items. The ambiance was perfect, and an ocean breeze kept us cool despite the Miami heat. We drank pina coladas from real coconut cups, soaked in the sunshine, and chatted for two hours before deciding we were too full to eat anymore! While expensive, this place is worth visiting if you’re celebrating or having a night out with friends.
We spent the afternoon at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a lavish estate located on the northern end of Biscayne Bay. After 3 years of construction, the mansion was completed in 1916 to serve as the winter home for James Deering, a wealthy bachelor from Chicago who hoped that the tropical weather would cure his anemia. The extensive Italian Renaissance gardens were completed in 1922, but unfortunately, James Deering died a few years later in 1925. His two nieces inherited the property and took care of it until 1952, when Miami-Dade County purchased the property. The estate was subsequently opened to the public as a museum. Check out our slideshow of beautiful photos below!
After our late afternoon nap, we went to dinner reservations at The Gramercy, a newer Miami restaurant serving American Brasserie cuisine and displaying the “everlasting style and charm of Manhattan.” An Instagrammer’s dream, this restaurant was dressed to the nines and filled with upbeat dance music! Luckily we could still hear each other over the music, and we spent over 2 hours enjoying the atmosphere. We highly recommend their mac-n-cheese side dish, which comes in little baby pots! The picture is attached below; you’re welcome!
Our entire trip was filled with sunshine, music, and relaxation. I’ve been hooked by the rich culture of Miami and am already planning my next trip back! We had an incredible time visiting Miami!
Before we went to Salem for Halloween, we had no idea what to expect! Did people wear normal costumes in Salem? Group costumes? Gory makeup? Was it kid-friendly? Pinterest and Tiktok helped very little, so I took PLENTY of photos during our trip to Salem to give you a glimpse. Check out the slideshow of our top 10 favorite costumes from Halloween 2022 in Salem, MA!
For more details about our Halloween trip to Salem, MA, click here.
To see our photoshoot costumes from WitchPix professional photo studio, click here.
When we visited Salem for Halloween, we booked a photo shoot with Witch Pix! They are a local photo business that opened in 2003.
The following is directly from their website: “Rated as one of the Most 9 Unique Travel Experiences in the USA by Trip Advisor, Witch Pix has been an award-winning witch-themed portrait photo studio and tourist destination since 2003. Dress up from our wardrobe of over 300 costumes for all sizes, generations, and genders, ranging from dark to vibrant with lighting and props, and take a journey into art, Hollywood, history, and fun with your photographer!
“Choose the photoshoot fantasy: Fly over the moon and look into the future at “Magic Avenue”, recapture life in 1692 at the “Olde Salem Village”, or practice your craft inside the “Witch’s Cottage”. Digital and print packages are prepared immediately.
You’ve seen Salem’s history; now make your own history in Witch City here. Appointments are encouraged, walk-ins are welcome! Our Witch Stitch Boutique offers one-of-a-kind witch hats and cloaks handmade of plush fabrics for pagans or partygoers. Witch Pix Cosmetix and gift shop merchandise available.”
Their website shows Witch Pix takes reservations from 10:30 am-6:00 pm. We had an appointment for 5:30 pm on Halloween night, and it was perfect! The whole session took about 30 minutes, and we had our photos in my email inbox less than 15 minutes after leaving the studio. It was centrally located on Essex Street and easy to find in the dark. We had a blast and would love to go back again! Both Jordan and I would highly recommend booking them for professional witch photos if you visit Salem any time of year! Check out more of our photos below from the Witch Pix shoot!
To read our full itinerary from Halloween in Salem, click here!
