Top Blogs by a Nurse

Check out these popular blogs for the latest and best in nursing.

1. Nurse Ratched’s Place: Stop here for the regularly updated and humor packed blog of an RN. Blog posts deal with the system, nursing, and a variety of other topics.

2. About A Nurse: This anonymous blogger writes about nursing and health news. A recent entry showed nurses how to deal with demented ER patients.

3. Head Nurse: Nurse Jo is not afraid to tell others, including doctors, how it is. A recent entry dealt with an argument over a patient’s medication and the results.

4. Florence Dot Com: Named after Nurse Nightingale, this nurse tackles things like medication errors, process issues, and how to prevent health care workers from killing people.

5. Reality Rounds: This blog is written by a nurse/mom who believes she is the best to cut through the BS of health care and life than the professionals who do it for a living. Follow her blog to get an upfront look at the healthcare system.

6. PixelRN: Before you visit her new blog, be sure to check out entries on what it takes to be a good nurse, Twitter, and mission statements. You can also find recent posts here as well.

7. Junkfood Science: Sandy is a BSN, RN, and CCP. Her blog is a critical examination of studies on myths and other topics that the mainstream media misses.

8. Digital Doorway: Keith is an RN who blogs on nursing adventures, healthcare, thoughtful reverie, and other topics. He is in the process of moving and writes about that, as well as nursing.

Top Blogs by a Specialty Nurse

Follow these nurse’s blogs from the delivery unit to the ER to get first hand accounts on how to become a better nurse.

9. Emergiblog: Kim’s nursing specialty is in the ER and she has 28 years of nursing experience. Get a regularly updated view of what goes on there, along with daily life.

10. Codeblog: Stop here for the blog of an intensive care nurse. A recent entry dealt with several H1N1 flu patients.

11. On Your Meds: Barbara is a registered nurse who has completed a fellowship with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. She blogs about improving medication and patient safety and recently received an email from David Axelrod and The White House.

12. At Your Cervix: She currently works in large teaching hospital in the labor and delivery unit as an RN. In addition to nursing life, she also writes about her gastric bypass surgery, subsequent weight loss, and the complications she faced.

13. Guitar Girl RN: GG enjoys bass rock and roll in addition to her duties as an ER nurse. Posts often deal with humorous and bizarre situations in the ER.

14. Madness: Tales of an Emergency Room Nurse: In addition to being an ER nurse in an inner city, she is also a veteran. Read about her latest adventures or things that interest her in the blog.

15. Weird Nursing Tales: Tex was an RRT for 10 years, an RN for the last 17 years, and currently works as a Critical Care Float Nurse at a hospital in North Carolina. Get blog posts on everything from life saving moments to the absurd.

16. Uncompromised Airways: E.J. is a registered nurse who works in neonatal intensive care. Blog posts are on nursing, sports happenings, and a recent one on dating within the workplace.

17. Crass Pollination: Nurse K works in an anonymous ER in the United States. A recent entry was overheard during a 3:00 a.m. pelvic exam and contained humor, along with explicit language.

18. Rebirth: This labor nurse and CNM is a new nurse-midwife. Through the blog, she hopes to make a mark in improving maternity care for women, babies, and their families.

Top Blogs by a Nurse Practitioner

One of the highest levels a nurse can achieve, read these blogs to help you get there, or just get expert insight.

19. In Our Own Words: Beka is an MS, NP, a clinical beside nurse, and blogs for Medscape. A recent entry asked her readers if they planned on staying at or leaving their jobs.

20. NP Place: This blogger is a Family Nurse Practitioner working in a rural health office. Visit the blog to read more about her work or daily life.

21. It Shouldn’t Happen in Health Care: Max is a Pediatric Nurse who got lost, ended up in A&E, then somehow as a Nurse Practitioner. With over 90,000 hits, posts are on benign, deadly funny, journal from behind the desk, and more.

22. A Grumpy RN: This blogger is a middle aged NP who has worked in the NHS for over 25 years. He blogs about anything and everything about the British public, good and bad, who use the NHS from a grumpy old male nurse.

23. Nurse Practitioners in Business: Get all sorts of information on the business of NP’s by checking out this blog. Categories include managing your practice, networking, startup growth, and tools.

24. Nursing Research: A group of nursing and nurse practitioner bloggers write on everything research related and beyond. The blog also serves as an open discussion forum for nurses and librarians interested in evidenced based nursing.

25. A Nurse Practitioner’s View: Stephen is an NP from New York who blogs about current issues affecting the healthcare system. Latest entries deal with prevention and whether or not NP’s should fill the current gap.

26. The Nurse Practitioner’s Place: She is a proud mother of four in Florida and an FNP. A recent post was on how not to have a good day.

27. The Beast…: Teresa is a FNP and has a husband with multiple myeloma. Her blog contains info on the disease, nursing, and daily life.

28. My New Reality: This blogger’s husband died from multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow, on Feb 28, 2009. Read about her life as a widow, as well as a nurse.

Top Blogs to Help You Get a Better Nurse Job

If you’re looking to land your first nursing job or move up the ladder, these nursing blogs will help you do so.

29. Nursing Jobs Blog: Although there hasn’t been a new entry since May, this blog is still full of information on preparing for and landing a nursing job. There are even entries on the workplace bully and when to quit your current job.

30. Nursing Handover: Each week a question is posted for discussion on the blog related to nursing and health care. In addition to education, you can also get general information.

31. Exit 95 on the Yellowbrick Road: Bo is a student nurse who dreams of Galveston, TX and is already practicing. Get updates on her daily life by checking out her blog.

32. Becoming A Nurse: Monika is from Brooklyn, recently graduated, and is on her way to becoming a nurse. Entries show you first steps, why she does it, and more.

33. N is For Nurse: Prisca is a RN in labor and delivery. She began her journey in 2006 and tells all about it.

34. A Nurse’s Guide to Nursing: This anonymous blogger gives you a look at where you’re going. Categories include the law, tools, career info, and more.

Top Blog to Help You Become a Better Nursing Student

Every nurse has to do it, and these nursing blogs show you how to get the most out of your education.

35. RN2B: This blogger started out writing about her student career, but she is now an RN. She also has Transverse Myelitis and blogs about it.

36. YKYW: Follow Jaxia from 2004 to 2009 to see how her nursing education went. Her final entry deals with the NCLEX.

37. How I Spent My Nursing Education: Someday nurse just completed her nursing education in August 2009. You can read all about her adventures, or follow her new blog on neuro-nursing.

38. School Nurse Jack: This mother of two finished an accelerated RN program, worked part-time as a school nurse, and began an MSN focusing on public health. Her last blog entry dealt with cancer in an explicit manner.

39. I Am A Nursing Student: Heather blogs on her life as a nursing student from 2005 through 2007. She is pursuing a BSN and even tells about her preparations for finishing.

40. Emergency Nurse Novice: Emma finished her Bachelor of Nursing and secured a graduate position in the ED of a busy hospital. Follow her whirlwind trip in this two year blog.

41. Student Nurse PRN: PRN stands for “when necessary” and gives a general meaning to the blog. Learn all about school and beyond here.

42. Congessions of a Student/RN Nurse: Katie sought after and completed her RN degree. Her last entry was full of advice for nursing students.

Top Blogs to Teach You About Health

Whether practicing or studying, these blogs will teach you all about health.

43. Better Health: A community of medical professionals from nurses to doctors blog about the latest in health. You can also get a health policy channel and the popular Grand Rounds.

44. Health in 30: Host Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA, conducts lively discussions on the radio with experts and listeners on a wide variety of health topics. Guest include both nurses and doctors, and Dr. Kevin Pho was recently featured.

45. Health Commentary: Dr. Mike Magee brings together all sorts of people to discuss healthcare. Topics include aging, nutrition, mental health, and much more.

46. WSJ Health Blog: “The Wall Street Journal” blogs on the business side of the healthcare realm. Popular posts include healthcare costs, sugar in your food, and weight loss.

47. The Health Care Blog: Stop here for everything you wanted to know about healthcare but were afraid to ask. Currently, their most commented posts include what people really want, Sarah Palin on the proposed health plan, and how to rein in medical costs.

48. Well Blog: Tara Parker Pope blogs for “The New York Times” on a variety of common and uncommon health issues. Stop by the regularly updated blog, or visit Patient Voices where true life sufferers of various diseases chime in.

49. iHealthBeat: Learn how technology is impacting healthcare by stopping here. You can read the front page, or check out the topics, perspectives, or features sections.

50. Disruptive Women in Health Care: A community of female medical professionals blog on provocative ideas, thoughts, and solutions in the health sphere. Recent posts deal with the healthcare crisis and how acupuncture can help drug addicts.

51. Health Beat: Maggie Mahar of The Century Foundation authors this blog and has appeared on NPR, Nightline, and Politico. Stop here to read her latest entry or learn more about her documentary.

Top Blogs by a Doctor

Get expert information from these primary physicians and their blogs.

52. Kevin MD: Dr. Pho provides all sorts of entries on everything medical in his blog. He often answers common medical questions or takes on the latest headlines.

53. Clinical Cases and Images: Dr. Dimov is a board-certified Internist, Allergy, and Immunology Fellow at Creighton University. Just like the title says, the blog provides images and commentary on issues such as pulmo, GI, endo, rheum, and others.

54. Effect Measure: A team of medical scientists and practitioners provide a forum for health discussion, arguments, and information. Recent posts are on the science of greenhouse gases, the W.H.O., and flu science.

55. Effect Measure: A team of medical scientists and practitioners provide a forum for health discussion, arguments, and information. Recent posts are on the science of greenhouse gases, the W.H.O., and flu science.

56. NHS Blog Doctor: This British doctor keeps a weekly diary of his trials and tribulations. Latest entries include ovarian cancer, homebirth, and paranoid doctors.

57. Polite Dissent: Scott served as a physician in the US Air Force and then moved to Southwestern and joined a family practice clinic. Along with medicine, he blogs on comics, television, and fun.

58. Musings of a Distractible Mind: Dr. Rob has a blog post for just about everything. Entries range from hype, anger, stories from the trenches, and more.

59. White Coat Underground: PalMD is a practicing internist in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. Latest entries deal with BMI, health reform, and nonsense.

60. M.D.O.D.: A variety of doctors with different specialties contribute to this blog. Posts vary from patient stories to random things.

Top Blogs by an Emergency Room Doctor

They are the first to see a patient in a crisis situation. Learn how to think as they do by following these blogs.

61. Receiving: Dr. Hem gets the top spot for constantly posting intriguing medical cases, then asking the reader to guess the diagnosis. Recent cases involve hands and fingers.

62. Grunt Doc: Popular for both his military service and personality, this blog is worth a visit. His favorite posts include a public health plan, TPA for Stroke, and his grandfather’s guns.

63. Ten Out of Ten: This anonymous ER doctor blogs about his experiences. Popular entries include drugs, next case, and others along the way.

64. Life in The Fast Lane: This emergency medicine blog provides vernacular insights and health 2.0 reasoning. Sections of the blog include exams, toxicology, clinical cases, and more.

65. ER Stories: This doctor is board certified in EM and worked full time at a suburban northeastern hospital. After being bombarded with requests of stories from the ER, this blog was started.

66. WhiteCoat’s Call Room: This is a collaborative blog of ER docs from Emergency Physicians Monthly. Stories vary from horrifying true life accounts or humorous quotes.

67. Scalpel or Sword: This ER doctor is from Texas and believes sometimes you need more than a scalpel. Recent posts dealt with how to fall off the wagon and a multi-part series on the healthcare crisis.

68. Your ER Doc: Brian Evans has been practicing emergency medicine in California for over ten years. He often answers questions from his readers and recently answered one from a policeman.

69. My Emergency Medicine Blog: Dr. Bearemy is an emergency medicine physician who works at a community ED near a major metropolitan U.S. city. Categories of his posts range from administrative to vascular.

Top Blogs by a Specialty Doctor

If you are a nurse in a specialty or just curious, check out these blogs.

70. Dr. Greene: He works with children and has many resources on his site including a blog, community, podcast, and more. Dr. Greene also occasionally schedules live chat sessions where you can ask your own questions.

71. Dr. Gwenn Is In: Another pediatrician, her sister site has loads of information for anyone working in or curious about the practice. Recent entries were on teen health and cell phone etiquette.

72. Tales From the Serenity Now Hospital: An ER doc and psych doc blog about their second year of residency in one of the largest county hospitals in the country. Get true life stories from the funny to the absurd on this blog.

73. Respectful Insolence: This surgeon/scientist has been on top of the blog scene for a while. Find out why by reading posts on autism quackery, anti-vaxers, and more.

74. The Cheerful Oncologist: Although Dr. Hildreth signed off permanently over a year ago, his blog is still a useful source of information from a private practice oncologist. His last entries dealt with dying patients, stress, and the waiting room.

75. Paper Mask: This anonymous doctor blogs all about medicine, surgery, and the Australian way of life. Get a different point of view by reading this blog.

76. Dr. Sanity: This blogger shines a psychological spotlight on a few insanities of life. Best posts include political paranoia, narcissists, and strategies for dealing with denial.

77. Denialism: What do you get when you cross two doctors and a lawyer? A blog about everything from sugar intake to natural selection and covered benefits.

78. Science Based Medicine: The staff of this blog is composed of physicians who, alarmed at unscientific health care ideas have infiltrated medicine at large, have decided to examine these claims. Categories include everything from acupuncture to vaccines.

79. Brain Blogger: Contributed to by neurosurgeons, psychologists, RNs, and more this blog covers everything on the brain. Popular posts include marijuana withdrawal syndrome, free will, and the genetics of alcoholism.

Top Blogs to Help You Better Understand Medications

An important part of nursing, learn more on these blogs.

80. In The Pipeline: Derek has worked for several major pharmaceutical companies since 1989 on drug discovery projects against schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases. Get entries on all sorts of drugs and diseases by stopping by.

81. DrugMonkey: These two bloggers are both funded by the NIH as a scientist and medical school faculty. Latest entries include web training lies, experimentalism, and how to argue.

82. Terra Sigillata: Abel Pharmboy is a researcher with a degree in pharmacology, therapeutics, and toxicology. He often blogs on various drugs, along with side effects and benefits.

83. Pharma Marketing Blog: John is the publisher of “Pharma Marketing News” and uses his blog to post his own opinions. In addition to the blog there are daily news briefs, forums, and podcasts.

84. NewsInferno: Stop by here to get over 1,200 entries on pharmaceuticals. You can also get the latest in health news on health concerns, legal news, defective products, and more.

85. Jerry Fahrni: He has been a licensed pharmacist in California since obtaining a Pharm.D. from the University of California in 1997. Recent posts on the blog include the safety of bar code scanners and touch screen technology.

86. Pharmalot: Journalist Ed Silverman brings you the latest in pharmaceutical news. Although he has signed off, you can still get information on Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and other related topics.

87. RxInformatics: This blog seeks to better the healthcare, pharmacy, and information technology community by providing an online presence for collaboration. Recent posts include a paperless hospital, jail time for a pharmacist, and pediatric knowledge.

Top Blogs to Help You Become a Better Hospital Nurse

A common area in nursing, these blogs tell you more.

88. A Happy Hospitalist: An anonymous blogger who runs an anonymous hospital blogs unapologetically. In addition to the regular blog posts, you can also get a coding clinic with more expert information.

89. Pookie MD’s Blog: Pookie is both a doctor and hospitalist and a self described “Extra MD.” A recent entry took on the many myths as to how doctors make their money.

90. Running A Hospital: Paul Levy is the president and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He blogs on medicine, healthcare, daily life, and more.

91. Notes From Dr. RW: Dr. Donnell is a hospitalist in Northwest Arkansas who opines on clinical topics. With 59 posts and counting for August alone, make time for this blog.

Top Blogs by a Patient

Don’t forget that the medical profession also is viewed entirely differently by those who need it. Become a better nurse by reading these patient’s blogs and getting their point of view.

92. e-Patients: A community of patient bloggers blog on all sorts of diseases and topics. You can join in the conversation or download “e-Patients: How They Can Help Us Heal Healthcare.”

93. Diabetes Mine: This blogger has gathered a four year history on living with diabetes. Along with personal stories, she also offers essentials, products, food, news, and even health 2.0.

94. Duncan Cross: He has a history of Crohn’s disease and was diagnosed with terminal ileitis in 1994. Duncan is a frequent and heavy user of the medical system and blogs about being ill, as well as anything relevant to that experience.

95. Everything Changes: Kairol started this blog to help other people in their twenties and thirties who are facing cancer. She also has a book, radio show, and often lets others guest post.

96. A Chronic Dose: Laurie Edwards blogs about her chronic illness, healthcare, and writing. Recent posts include health reform, illness vs. disability, and hope.

97. Sick Girl Speaks!: Tiffany has spent over 30 years in and out of hospitals for cystic fibrosis and resulting lung transplants. She recently wrote a book called "Finding Your Voice: A Patient Advocacy Workbook" and advises more through her blog.

98. Getting Closer to Myself: Follow Leslie from Michigan as she takes on rheumatoid arthritis and lupus in her twenties. She talks about daily life, gives book recommendations, and more via blog.

99. GUMBO: Kelli is 52 andhas MS, Fibromyalgia, CFS, DDD, chronic migraines/headaches, chronic pain and a host of other conditions. She also used to be an RN and blogs on a variety of topics.

100. The Daily Headache: This blogger takes a candid look at managing and living with chronic migraine headaches. Hundreds of posts range on topics from biology to community to coping.

Nursing can be a difficult, yet rewarding, profession. Learn how to make the most of it by reading these top 100 nursing, doctor, specialist, and patient blogs.

A friend of mine went through a torturous ordeal in her attempt to get pregnant. After suffering through innumerous IUI sittings that did not work and several IVF cycles that left her and her husband with only disappointment and a dent in their bank balance, she finally conceived through an intrauterine insemination procedure. Her jubilation knew no bounds, and since she was pushing 35, her family decided that she needed complete rest. Even so, she experienced spotting and bleeding around the sixth week, and when rushed to the hospital, learned that the fetal sac showed no heartbeat.

Dejected and disappointed beyond words, she underwent the necessary D&C procedure and then went home to recuperate from the physical and emotional trauma. Although she continued to experience dizziness and spells of nausea even after a few days, she attributed it to the aftereffects of the induced abortion. It was only when she began experiencing a severe pain in the abdomen that she realized that something was seriously wrong.

An ultrasound showed a 7-week fetus developing in her fallopian tube which had burst open. She was bleeding internally and had to be rushed for an emergency laparotomy. The good news is that she made it through the experience without too many physical complications, but on the other side of the coin, we have to question the oversight of the doctor who failed to diagnose that hers was a heterotopic pregnancy, a case where there is more than one fetus, one or more of which is in the uterus, and the other outside.

While this occurrence is rare in a natural pregnancy with only 1 in 30,000 women carrying both intra and extra uterine fetuses, it is more common in an assisted reproductive technique where ovulation is simulated and occurs in 1 in 100 women. With that being the case, shouldn’t the concerned OBGYN have been more careful when making her initial diagnosis since this is a potentially fatal condition?

This experience taught my friend (and all those connected to her) that It’s important to understand the inherent risks of fertility treatments before going in for the process. And it’s even more imperative that your doctor be totally efficient and careful so that a medical oversight does not turn into a fatal conclusion.