Has anyone ever asked, "Are you listening to me?" Did you snap back with an "I heard you"? Think back on that conversation. You were probably nodding and offering an intermittent "umm-hmmm" to indicate your interest. But instead of focusing and processing and really listening, you were probably planning your response. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing is easy; listening takes work. Let’s all get to work!

Donna's Book Pix: Health Matters: A Pocket Guide for Working with Diverse Cultures and Underserved Populations by Michele Yehieli, DPH, and Mark A. Grey, PhD Health Matters provides information on the role of culture in health. Readers are given tips on interacting with more than a dozen cultural groups, including Arab Muslims and Southeast Asians. This guide provides succinct, practical information for anyone delivering healthcare in our rapidly changing communities. The authors explain how each human being is unique and show how social and cultural forces shape us individually.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
Inside Out
Inside Out is a documentary unit producing long-format radio programs and multi-part series. Experienced reporters from WBUR (Boston’s NPR station) turn a topic inside out to give it context, perspective, and understanding. "Nursing a Shortage: Inside Out" details how the shortage has come about and why it matters for nurses, hospitals, and patients. Listen to the full documentary online via Real Audio or download an MP3. And don’t miss the photo gallery.

If you have a cool nursing web site you'd like to share, please send it to me at editor@dcardillo.com.

What's Donna Blogging About?
Online Nursing Community; Self-care for Nurses; Nurses as Media Hosts and more. Log-in and voice your opinion.

Career Article:
Listen Up!
When most of us think about effective communication, we think about how to best get our point across, right? Yet talking is only one aspect of communication, and some would say it’s the least important. Listening is key to the exchange of information and messages. There’s a saying that goes, "None of us ever really communicates; we just take turns talking." During the time we should be listening in a conversation, we’re usually thinking about what we just said, what we’re going to say next, or what we should have said — or we’re distracted by things in our environment. Read more.

News You Can Use:
Nurses Tops for Honesty, Ethics
For the eighth consecutive year, the nursing profession tops ratings for the highest honesty and ethical standards, the Gallup Poll says.

Eighty-four percent of people ranked nurses "very high" or "high" in these categories in a poll of 1,009 American adults conducted in early December 2006.

Four of the next five professions with a very high/high rating for honesty and ethics come from the medical area: pharmacists (69), veterinarians (69), physicians (63), and dentists (58).

Quote of the Month:
The door that nobody else will go in at, seems always to swing open widely for me.
— Clara Barton

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Jenny Herrick, RN, is a nurse who likes to kid around a lot. In her speaking and training business, All Kidding Aside, she brings laughter and levity to her audiences while she addresses subjects like attitude, humor, joy on the job, and the value and importance of laughter. In her own words, she talks about "anything and everything to do with not taking life too seriously!" Having been widowed at age 27, Jenny values every minute on this earth; in fact, she has been referred to as a "life enthusiast." She even holds the designation of Certified Laughter Leader (CLL)!

Jenny had been doing presentations for about 13 years, mostly on behalf of her hospital employer, prior to breaking out on her own in 1995. She explains, "I never gave it a thought that I might be good enough to ask a fee. The day that determined I should go ‘pro’ was the day I had just completed a speech for a Women’s Retreat (700 women) and there was a line of women from the stage to the door waiting to give me a hug, ask for an autograph, inquire what my fees were, etc. I didn’t have a business card, let alone a book, tape, or anything else! It was then that I determined I had better get myself established in my own business!"

When asked what she likes most about being in business for herself, Jenny replies, "I like that I can declare when, where, and how much I want to work — and consequently how hard I want to work! There are mornings where I work in my office in my PJs, with hot coffee at my elbow, and I can quit, go shower, and take off for lunch with a friend whenever I please. And there are many days when I work at my business from early morning until late at night. I do all my own marketing (sending out media/marketing kits, e-mailing potential clients, submitting proposals, answering questionnaires, making cold colds, etc.)." Jenny admits that there is a lot of paperwork to contend with. I guess there’s no getting away from that in nursing!

What would Jenny tell another nurse who is contemplating business ownership? "Go for it! If you have something to share with the world, it’s out there for anybody and everybody! I would tell her/him to read, study, research, ask questions, work hard, and find a mentor. I did it, and I can testify it works! I have a passion that has been in me forever, but I became ‘fired up’ after going to China with Dr. Patch Adams. I was so lucky to see what conditions in healthcare are like in another country and to have the experience of witnessing the power and benefit of humor in our lives while traveling with him." Find out more about Jenny, her business, and her programs at www.allkiddingaside.biz.

Come Meet Donna:

Nurse Power!™
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Recruitment Event
February 24, 2007 - Burbank, CA

Nurse Power!™
Learn to Speak With Style
Nursing Spectrum Career Fair
March 2, 2007 - Melville, NY

Seminar Double Header
Career Alternatives For Nurses®
How to Start Your Own Business or Consulting Practice
March 5- 6, 2007 – Atlantic City, NJ
July 16-17, 2007 – New York, NY

Going for the Brass Ring
Nursing the Next Generation
US Military Healthcare Conference
March 11-15, 2007 - Bad Kissingen, Germany

Induction Ceremony Address
Omicron Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International
April 15, 2007 - Woodbridge Hilton, Iselin, NJ

Nurse Power!™ - Keynote
Take Your Career to the Next Level
Nursing: The Next Generation
Nursing Symposium 2007
April 16, 2007 - Foxwoods Resort & Casino in CT
July 10, 2007 - Las Vegas, NV
September 27, 2007 - Atlantic City, NJ

Position Yourself for Success
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN)
October 3, 2007 – Washington, DC

For additional program info visit http://www.dcardillo.com/events.html.

Your 1^st Year As A Nurse Ordering Information
Order a personalized, autographed copy of Your 1^st Year as a Nurse directly from Cardillo & Associates. It makes a great personal or professional gift.

For colleges and healthcare facilities, Your 1^st Year as a Nurse can be purchased at a bulk discount from online booksellers and directly from the publisher. Contact us for more information at 800-801-5796.

Career Alternatives for Nurses® Product Specials
The audiocassette and VHS versions of Career Alternatives for Nurses® are being phased out, so we are offering you special closeout prices. Hurry, only a few copies left — this offer is valid only while current supplies last!

Video Cassette (VHS) – 2 tape set originally $149.95 now $105.99 plus shipping and handling
Audio Cassette – 4 tape set originally $99.95 now $69.99 plus shipping and handling
Order your copy today. ONLY A FEW COPIES LEFT!

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