The state of Georgia may be filling its nursing gap quickly with a plan to graduate 50% more new nurses in the next three years. Sixteen campuses across the state will benefit from a $3 million program funded by the University System of Georgia, which oversees the public institutions of higher learning in the state. Each campus will receive between $140,000 and $200,000 to implement new strategies that include more faculty members, increased faculty salaries,...  Read More »

by Diana Lang One of my students called me the other day from Paris, requesting that I send a copy of my meditation CD to her as quickly as possible. She asked if I would send it overnight for her 7-year-old son. It was an emergency, she told me. They had forgotten it at home in Los Angeles, and her son just doesn’t go to sleep without it. I mailed it out, smiling to myself. What a great honor, I thought, that this little guy uses my meditation to help...  Read More »

Maintaining solid communication among coworkers is essential to any work environment. But when that line of communication breaks down and conflict ensues, confronting the discord is an important step in upholding positive relationships and avoiding paying grim costs. “There are all kinds of potential consequences from ineffective communication patterns,” says Catherine Witsberger, MSN, RN-BC, nurse educator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical...  Read More »

Remember when you looked forward to Halloween? Remember when it wasn’t just another made-up holiday? Remember when you spent sleepless nights thinking about swimming in a pool of chocolate and marshmallow? Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the point. The days of getting free candy, marching in parades, and awaiting the Great Pumpkin may be lost in your rearview mirror of memories, but there is still fun to be had. If you take a quick look at...  Read More »

“They paid! They paid! Medicare actually paid!” And the winner is . . . (drum roll, please) . . . Stephanie Bond! Congratulations, Stephanie! Thanks to everyone who submitted a caption. They were all hilarious! And, we’ll be back next week with a brand new cartoon! Will YOU be the next winner?   Read More »

When you are faced with a job offer, consider all options and make the best choice for you. You’ll need to look at the following: The organization. What is its reputation? Does it have a solid background or has it been plagued with financial difficulties and/or high employee turnover? The facility. Is the location good for you? How long is the commute? What is the atmosphere? How is employee morale? The job. Is the job what you are looking for? Are...  Read More »

If you hesitate to approach your manager, ask yourself why. What is the fear or hesitation about? Did you have a bad past experience? Or is it just lack of experience? Understanding and acknowledging how you feel will set the tone for communication (which is the relationship). Feeling secure when speaking to your manager is all about your level of self-awareness. The confidence that arises when you take care of your own needs will keep you plugged into your...  Read More »

The image of a nurse getting into bed with a male patient because of the freshness of his gum was intended to draw laughs and arousal from the audience. Instead it drew ire from the Center for Nursing Advocacy and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. Thanks to a feverish letter-writing and phone-calling campaign, the two organizations were able to convince Cadbury Schweppes to pull its Dentyne Ice ad from Canadian television. In total, more...  Read More »

by Diana Lang After one of my previous posts “Stress reduction starts with a breath,” I received many responses from people saying that, while they realized the importance of conscious breathing in their daily lives, they had difficulty remembering to do it. We would all like to remember to take deep, oxygen-filled breaths many times in a day, but we are often so caught up in the moment–busy at work, busy with children, busy with life–that...  Read More »

In this week’s edition of Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, we highlight the Center for Nursing Advocacy in our “In the news” section. The Center, with the help of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, convinced Cadbury Schweppes to pull its Dentyne Ice gum ad that features “naughty nurses.” The ad, according to a release from the Center, displayed “imagery [that] reinforces a stereotype of workplace sexual availability...  Read More »