Well it’s that time again. I’ve decided to make another top 10 nursing blogs list to follow in 2017. I had a lot of extra submissions from my 2015 nursing blogs list, which made this list very difficult to drill down to only 10. A lot has happened in the almost two years since I last wrote my list. Digital media continues to be more mainstream. Blogs still remain the best way to have a voice online. These blogs are individual nurses, companies, or educators. It isn’t easy picking blogs for this list since there are a ton of great blogs out there with terrific writers and contributors.
The criterion to be included on this list has remained the same. The information on the blog has to be worth reading. Did it keep my interest and was it informative? Did I learn something from following this blog and reading their articles? There are many different types of nursing blogs out there. We have blogs focused on a certain age group, certain settings or specialties, point of view, and just general information about the nursing industry and profession.
In order to make the list, the nursing blog must also be fresh. Yes, even our company doesn’t update our blog every day, week, or sometimes month (we haven’t written an article in a while). But we are not being judged here, nursing blogs are! Some blogs could have the best information, but the information is stale and not up to date. The blog may only be updated every few months. Those types of blogs did not make my list. The blogs that made the list are usually updated on a regular basis.
Uniqueness counts for something. Did the blog just put out information that is common knowledge, or did it give the reader a different and unique spin on nursing or nurses? I love blogs that give me information that I can’t find anywhere else.
A huge component of a great blog is ease of navigation. How easy is it to get to where you want to go? Blogs that have ads everywhere and are difficult to navigate did not make the top 10. The user experience has everything to do with how well a blog performs.
The top 10 nursing blogs for 2017 listed below have a short description of what the blog is about, a profile/description of the blog author or curator, and a link so you can visit the blog yourself. I did not rank them 1-10, but do have them listed in no particular order. Some blogs are repeat offenders from the 2015 list, Enjoy!
This is a great site for nursing students and people that need to pass the NCLEX. Nacole gives you hints on how to pass the exam, how to survive nursing school, nursing tips, and much more! Nacole Riccaboni is a bedside nurse located in Orlando, Florida. Nacole understands just how stressful nursing can be and what resources will help students and current professionals. This is a website well worth your time to check out!
Your Nurse Attorney + Empowered Nurses
2 for the price of 1! Lorie Brown, RN, MN, JD writes for two blogs. Both blogs inspire nurses to stand up for themselves and “protect their license”. Lorie is an attorney that fights for nurses and also writes articles about her experiences and what nurses should do in certain situations. It’s a unique point of view, a nurse also being an attorney. You don’t see many of those around! Give the sites a gander.
What’s a top nursing blog list without the Nerdy Nurse? Brittney Wilson, BSN, RN once again makes our list. Brittney has an enormous following and is well known in the nursing community. Her site offers a lot more than just blog articles. I suggest checking it out for yourself and diving into the massive amount of information available for consumption.
The Nerdy Nurse, is an award-winning author and blogger, international keynote speaker, and a highly influential social media personality in the nursing and healthcare IT communities.
Nurse.org is a hospital review site for nurses by nurses (it says so on the homepage!). Along with being able to search for which hospitals have great reviews (or bad ones), they also have a blog. The blog has very unique articles and is updated regularly. I love the layout of their posts, its crisp and easy to navigate.
Wow, there is a TON of information on this site. Though it’s not strictly a blog, they do have articles for you to peruse. The website is a comprehensive search engine designed for students who are interested in learning more about nursing programs around the country.
From their website: “Welcome to Nursing Degree Guide, one of the most prolific nursing education resources on the web. We have researched, written, and spoken with expert nurses to help create the most useful nursing resource for you to find the right nursing program.”
RTConnections is run by Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, CMSRN. She is the CEO and president. After more than 20 years as a nurse, Renee took a leap of faith, quit a really secure job as a nurse executive, and started RTConnections. Since then she has become one of our country’s leading authorities on nurse bullying, professional development, and helping nurses articulate their value.
I love this line on her about page: “To stay connected with the challenges that nurses and nursing leaders face, I continue to practice as a bedside nurse. Knowing what nurses go through on a daily bases helps me to help them.”
Nursing Center offers nurses many different resources and articles. You have the continuing education articles, clinical resources, career resources, and publications. This site has a lot of information to go through, but well worth your time. I especially like one of their latest blog posts “10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holiday Nursing Shift.”
This is Nurse Barb’s 2nd appearance on our top 10 list.
Barb Dehn is a practicing Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, award winning author, and a nationally recognized health expert. She has over 20 years experience listening to and caring for women. She’s helped countless women and couples navigate their way through infertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. Her blog has many different topics, from women’s health, parenting, caregiving, healthy living, and health conditions. The main focus is on women’s health, since that has been her field of study for over 20 years. Her is updated on a regular basis and has some really interesting content.
This blog is focused on helping international nurses become successful wherever they are. Joyce Fiodembo runs the blog. You’ll find articles on resume writing, interviews, work culture, nurse-leadership, career tips, wellness and lots more. This blog is dedicated to writing and publishing material that will give nurses practical ideas, inspire and support you, and make it easier for you to settle and thrive.
The Gypsy Nurse is an online blog and community dedicated to nurses and medical professionals with an interest in traveling for a living. There are many articles dedicated to travel nursing. Gypsy Nurse has a cool map of all the places she’s been on assignment. I especially like the nurse interview section. Like all the blogs on this list, there is a lot of information to digest, so dig in!
So that’s that. I’ve completed my top 10 nursing blogs to follow for 2017. Do you think I missed some great blogs? I can’t put every great blog on this list, butttttt if you want, you can Email me your blog and I’ll see if you should be added to this list.