The beginning of a new year is always exciting because it presents a great opportunity for a fresh start. This month’s edition of Nursing Connections^TM is dedicated to helping you get off on the right foot for the coming year. So here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2005 and may all your dreams come true!

Notice:
Do you do volunteer work in healthcare or elsewhere? Let me know what you do and what you get out of it. I may include it in an upcoming edition of Nursing Connections^TM. E-Mail me at editor@dcardillo.com

Donna's Book Pix: Take Time for Your Life - A 7-Step Program for Creating the Life You Want by Cheryl Richardson This is a terrific book by the country's leading lifestyle expert. It's the perfect starting point for getting your life on track, increasing your energy, setting your priorities, and nurturing yourself. The book is chock full of practical and realistic strategies and lessons for creating a happy, healthy, and productive life. Check out other books by Cheryl, too.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
Medi-Smart Nursing Humor
Here's a great compilation of nursing and medical jokes, humor, and wit. I particularly like the medical/charting bloopers. No matter how many times I've read these they still make me laugh. Laughter is good medicine for whatever ails you and a great way to start the year! Aside from the outdated political commentary at the end of the article, I was particularly tickled by the bit titled "ResusciAnnie Found Unresponsive."

Career Article:
Set Goals and Change your Life
January is the perfect time to reflect on where you are in your life and career and to think about what you’d like to accomplish in the future. Maybe you’d like to lose some weight, begin exercising regularly, or get more organized. Perhaps you’ve been contemplating going back to school, getting certified in your specialty, or running for office in your professional association. You may even be thinking about doing more writing or speaking or transitioning into a management position. Thoughts, ideas, and dreams are great, but they don’t create action — and action is what gets things done. There’s no better way to create positive action in your life than by writing down your goals. Read more.

News You Can Use:
The Gallup Organization's annual poll on professional honesty and ethical standards ranked nurses number one for the third consecutive year. Nurses have topped the list every year, except one, since they were added to the survey in 1999. The yearly poll of more than 1,000 adults, 79 percent of those surveyed rated the honesty and ethical standards of nurses "very high'" or "high." Grade school teachers came in second (73 percent), followed by pharmacists (72 percent) and military officers (72 percent). Medical doctors fared almost as well, scoring very high or high with 67 percent of those surveyed.

Quote of the Month:
Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will change history. Give me a man without a goal and I'll give you a stock clerk. — J.C. Penney

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Amy Bosich, RN, CCRN, is a nurse with her head, and her business, in the clouds. She is founder and owner of Flying Nurses International Medical Transport Service. Flying Nurses provides medical travel services for patients in transition between healthcare facilities and home, both domestic and abroad.

Originally from Cleveland, Amy visited Hawaii in 1989 as a travel nurse. She fell in love with the state and never left. A single mom, she worked as a trauma ICU nurse, moonlighting on an air ambulance and occasionally accompanying patients on commercial flights. She saw a growing need for high quality medical air transport services and started her own business in 1996. Not surprisingly, Amy has always had an interest in flying and took a few flying lessons in her life. What a creative way to combine nursing with another passion!

Amy says she had no real model to follow in starting the business and had to figure things out on her own. "I was flying by the seat of my pants when I first got started." No pun intended. Her hard work and determination, not to mention quality service, has obviously paid off. The company, originally called Flying Nurses of Hawaii, has expanded rapidly and now offers services extending to all four corners of the country. Amy works with 4 other RN flight coordinators to run the business. She contracts with 50 nurses across the country to provide the service. Learn more about Amy and her company at http://www.flyingnurse.com/index.html.

Come Meet Donna at:
Conventions

March 18	New Jersey Emergency Nurses Association, Atlantic City, NJ
March 19	New York Student Nurses Association, Tarrytown, NY
March 31	American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, Anaheim, CA

Nursing Spectrum Career Fitness Expo^SM

March 2	Los Angeles, CA
March 15	Phoenix, AZ
March 22	King of Prussia, PA
March 30	Seattle, WA

Double Header Seminar in Atlantic City, NJ
March 7 - Career Alternatives for Nurses^TM
March 8 - How to Start Your Own Business or Consulting Practice

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

Book Donna Today
Planning a Nurses Week celebration, educational conference, or leadership training program? Looking for a speaker for a new graduate orientation program, student nurse luncheon, or recruitment event? Donna has a program to meet your needs. Her 2005 calendar is already filling up so don’t miss the opportunity to bring the country’s leading career management expert and motivational speaker for nurses to your event. Call 800-801-5796 or e-mail at donna@dcardillo.com for rates, availability, and program topics. Fill out an inquiry form if you prefer.

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