How Being an ICU Nurse Prepared Me to be NLM Director

Posted on by Patti Brennan

In mid-May, at their 2022 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition in Houston, Texas, I received a great honor from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN): the AACN Pioneering Spirit Award. I was delighted to receive this prestigious award, which recognizes significant contributions that influence progressive and critical care nursing worldwide and … Continue reading How Being an ICU Nurse Prepared Me to be NLM Director

Nursing in the Headlines

Posted on by Patti Brennan

Every year, we celebrate National Nurses Week between May 6, which is National Nurses Day, and May 12, which happens to be Florence Nightingale’s birthday. If you haven’t picked up a specialty journal or public newspaper in the past few months, you may not know that nursing has made it to the headlines: Third of … Continue reading Nursing in the Headlines

Partners on the Health Care Team: Librarians Collaborating with Nurses

Posted on by Guest Author

Guest post by Annie “Nicky” Nickum, BSN, MLIS, AHIP, and Rebecca Raszewski, MS, AHIP, faculty and nursing liaison librarians at the University of Illinois Chicago. Occasionally we focus on the intersection between libraries and special clinical practices. Librarians are important partners for nurses who seek to improve their practice within their workplace and continue to … Continue reading Partners on the Health Care Team: Librarians Collaborating with Nurses

Imagination – The Cornerstone of Innovation

Posted on by Patti Brennan

Part 1 of a series discussing the importance of imagination. Everyone is talking about the “new normal” now — the post-pandemic space after we return to the physical location of work, school or play— and asking, what will life be like? There are many calls for innovative thinking. One of the best things about a … Continue reading Imagination – The Cornerstone of Innovation

To the Nurses Today… And The Nurses Yet To Be

Posted on by Patti Brennan

In early May, I had the pleasure of giving the virtual commencement speech to the graduating class of the University of Illinois College of Nursing. It was an honor to speak to the next generation of nurses as they step into a world forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a normal year, it takes … Continue reading To the Nurses Today… And The Nurses Yet To Be

Thank You, My Nurse Colleagues

Posted on by Patti Brennan
A group of nurses.

Writing these blog posts gives me a chance to showcase some of the great work done by our team at NLM, and reflect on the roles I play as part of the NIH leadership team, Director of the National Library of Medicine, a mother-daughter-sister-aunt-friend, and an advocate for self-care management education and support for all … Continue reading Thank You, My Nurse Colleagues

Nursing and Libraries – Powerful Forces in Motion

Posted on by Patti Brennan

This month, NLM joins the Nation in celebrating Black History Month. Libraries play an important role in ensuring equity of access to information. From my career as a nurse, I know that libraries are important vehicles for delivering trusted information. To celebrate my dual allegiances to nursing and libraries, in this post, I am tuning … Continue reading Nursing and Libraries – Powerful Forces in Motion

Didn’t you used to be a nurse?

Posted on by Patti Brennan
cross shape comprised of medican icons in the center of which is the NLM logo

Didn’t you used to be a nurse? I get this question more often than you might expect—and frankly, a little more often than I would expect. I am a nurse who presently serves as the director of the National Library of Medicine. I’m the first nurse to direct the Library but not the first licensed … Continue reading Didn’t you used to be a nurse?