This week’s Nurse Report is brought to you by The IV Guy. Every nurse has the potential to be an IV superstar, and The IV Guy’s video courses are expertly crafted to help nurses elevate their IV game.

☀️ Good morning! 

We're back with another week of stories to sprinkle a little extra sparkle on your day with this edition of The Nurse Report.

Think of us as a double shot of espresso for your inbox and finances - potent, slightly addictive, and ready to kickstart your shift.

Today, we’re Reporting Live on:

🏆Our Superbowl Recap ICYMI: Loved it? Missed it? Let’s unpack it in case you need extra small talk firepower this week. Also trending, is a cute owl (#SuperbOwl). 

📝The Documentation Disco: We share the best practices to slice through that paperwork like a hot knife through butter– you are a samurai, and your sword is your EHR. 

💳 Credit Cards for Nurses 101: Are those swipes your financial BFFs or foe? Credit cards are as misunderstood as  Ross and Rachel's break in Friends– let’s break them down.

🏆Highlights from the Taylor Swift Closeup Montage SuperBowl

Who could have guessed that Taylor Swift, the anthem queen of our teenage angst, would dazzle us from the heart of football's grandest stage without singing a word? 

🙋🏼‍♀️

We did. 

From “She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, She's Cheer Captain, and I'm on the bleachers” to some of the best seats in the house and dating the winning team’s most popular star player– we love the coming-of-age poetry in motion. 

The Chiefs came back to win it in overtime 25-22, clinching the team’s 3rd Superbowl win in just five years. 

As always, the Super Bowl wasn't just a game; it was a spectacle wrapped in layers of controversy, whispers of rigged scripts, and a dash of undeniable excitement. 

Reports estimate it had over 120 million viewers, with at least four people watching per household. 

That means 120 million people were forced to watch at least three (it felt like sixty!) Temu commercials, with the discount-shopping app shelling out millions to put it on the big screen. 

The star-studded halftime show was everyone’s favorite 2000s pop Spotify playlist. Usher led the show, and appearances from Alicia Keys,  Lil John, Ludacris, and will.i.am– You know, the jams your old sister partied to unironically back in the day.  

It was a blast from the past that had us all feeling nostalgic for our own coming-of-age stories– no irony, just pure, unadulterated jams.

💌 Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

📝A Nurse's Playbook to the Documentation Disco 

Guess what typically takes about 40% of those shifts that feel like marathons?

Good ol’ charting.

It’s a little dance we do between patient care and cry-laughing with our nurse bestie in the supply room. 

Let's talk about a few tips on how to document more efficiently without completely losing your sanity.

💻 Get cozy with your digital sidekick, the electronic health record (EHR) system, and spend the time to learn the tricks of the trade – we’re talking like memorizing the exact questions to ask and keyboard shortcuts that can make your life easier. 

Get so good at clicking through your EHR system that you can do it with your eyes closed…and maybe even while assessing your patient to really cut down on wasted time. 

🔍 Focus on what matters. Invest time in understanding what's essential to document and what’s not. It's like detective work – figuring out what clues (aka details) are crucial to the case (aka patient care), and we all know so well that if you didn’t document it – did it even happen?

Plus, it’ll take you less time than that murder mystery podcast you’ve had queued up for a few weeks (spoiler alert… it was definitely the guy from the dating app).

📃 Dive into those organizational policies and sus out the standards for double charting because, most of the time, you don’t need to repeat data in a narrative format. So, if you're doing the documentation two-step twice, it's time to cut in and change the dance. 

We all know charting is a time-consuming and annoying task, but it is absolutely essential for providing quality healthcare and saving your booty if you’re ever called into court – a necessary evil, in our opinion. 🤫

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💳 Credit Cards 101: Financial BFF or Foe?

Credit cards can be as confusing as a Billie Eilish lyric. 

They can be your savvy spending sidekick, racking up rewards while you shop, but if you misuse them, they could throw a wrench in your dreams of homeownership or that sweet new car.

Here’s the skinny:

🛠 How Credit Cards Work:

Snagging a credit card means getting a spending limit determined by your credit score. 

Each swipe is the credit card company fronting your bill.

The credit card company incentivizes you to keep spending and swiping by offering you points or a % cash back. 

Come month-end, you've got to settle up what you've spent. 

Fail to do so, and hello, interest charges!

💡 Credit Score Unpacked:

Your credit score is like the crystal ball lenders use to gauge if you'll ghost them or pay up.

A low credit score is a major red flag, especially when it comes to big purchases like a car or a house. It’ll also increase the interest rates for any loan you do end up getting, potentially costing you thousands more per year. 

A stellar credit score is that beautiful smile that opens financial doors, and it makes sue you can get the best possible rates. 

The Credit Card Golden Rule: 

Credit cards are for flexing financial muscle, not for fantasy spending sprees.

Use it for the essentials or that 'treat yourself' moment you've budgeted for, reaping rewards without the financial hangover.

The rookie mistake is falling into a "buy now, stress later" spiral, spending on things out of your budget. 

Interest piles up faster than laundry after a week of back-to-back shifts, turning a $700 shopping spree into a never-ending debt spiral.

Automate your credit card payments with a "full statement balance" setting and put your financial health on autopilot, dodging those pesky interest fees and credit hits. 

To take a step further, find credit cards that reward your regular and necessary spending habits. For example, if you’re a travel nurse, use a travel-friendly credit card that helps you rack up points you can use on personal flights and hotels– hello free vacay! 

In a nutshell, use your credit card responsibly like the powerful tool it is, and it'll treat you right, sweetening your financial well-being for years to come.

Wondering what the best card is for you? Just reply here and we’ll give you our thoughts.