"Listen, do you want to know a secret/do you promise not to tell . . ." Keep reading to find out the "secrets" behind networking and the dangers of working overtime, and unlock the key to the medical internet.

Donna's Book Pix: Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Leaders Who Changed the Profession, Volume II by Beth P. Houser, RN, DNSc, FNP-C, CNAA, and Kathy N. Player, RN, EdD Authors Beth P. Houser, RN, DNSc, FNP-C, CNAA, and Kathy N. Player, RN, EdD, weave historical events and remarkable storytelling into engaging and personal glimpses into the lives of 11 nurse leaders who made pivotal changes in the profession. These groundbreakers combined knowledge, commitment and will to push their ideas forward and change the status quo. The book profiles 11 nurse visionaries, including —

• Mary Elizabeth Carnegie, RN, DPA, FAAN, who dedicated her career to breaking down racial barriers for black nurses.
• Margaret L. McClure, RN, EdD, FAAN, who gave birth to the hospital Magnet Recognition Program when she investigated and replicated why nurses stay at certain hospitals.
• Grayce Sills, RN, PhD, FAAN, who became a compassionate voice for humane psychiatric mental health nursing after witnessing cruel psychiatric treatments in the 1940s and 1950s.
• Florence Schorske Wald, RN, MN, MS, FAAN, a founder of the U.S. hospice movement.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
Merck Medicus
This site is chock-full of useful info. Licensed healthcare professionals residing in the United States who register can download and continue to update for free the Merck Manual, Harrison's Practice, Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests, and other tools that allow you to look up Medline, Reuters, and a service that gives you alerts from organizations like the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization. News, alerts, and patient education materials are available to any site visitor.

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

Career Article:
Myths About Networking
If you’ve ever read my online column, spoken to a career coach, or read any best-selling books on career management, you’ll know that networking is one of the best things you can do for professional success. But misunderstandings and misconceptions about networking and what it can do for you abound. Here are a few of the more-common myths. Read more.

News You Can Use:
Overtime Effects Quality of Care
It’s no secret that the use of extended work shifts and overtime has escalated as hospitals cope with the RN shortage. But what you might not know is that working too much overtime can negatively impact the quality of care you deliver. According to "The Working Hours of Hospital Staff Nurses And Patient Safety," published in a recent edition of Health Affairs, logbooks completed by 393 hospital staff nurses revealed that participants usually worked longer than scheduled and that about 40% of the 5,317 work shifts they logged exceeded 12 hours. The risks of making an error were significantly increased when work shifts were longer than 12 hours, when nurses worked overtime, or when they worked more than 40 hours per week.

Quote of the Month:
A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.
— Charles Dickens

Donna’s Blog:
When a patient or family member compliments you on the great care you gave, do you respond with "It’s just my job" or "That’s what I get paid for"? Learn to honor yourself, your profession, and the person who offers the praise. . . Read more at http://www.nurse-power.net/blog/

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Laura Zimmerman RN, MA, always dreamed about being involved in a private practice integrating nursing training with wellness initiatives. Today, she lives her dream: She is the owner of Daily Living Wellness, which offers bodywork therapies, imagery sessions, group and individualized programs on meditation, infant massage instruction, and even CPR training.

Her role as caregiver to family members experiencing chronic illness and disability led Laura to seek ways of enhancing their quality of life through modalities that could be integrated into their health plan. She trained in massage and reflexology so she could help her stepfather move around better and have less pain – and it worked. After seeing how humor positively affected her grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s, she trained in stress management and became a certified laughter leader.

For the past 6 years, mostly through hospital employers, she has been doing presentations on stress management and holistic nursing philosophy, among other topics. With an increase in requests to offer courses and through being mentored – she began to gain the confidence she needed to develop her own business plan, goals and, in her own words, "basically ‘hanging the shingle’ out there."

Laura says that nurses considering business ownership should read up on the topic, seek out mentors, create a plan, and then take action and leap.

"We as nurses have so much to offer to our families, our communities, the world," Laura says. "It all begins with the love and compassion that make us who we are."

Find out more about Laura, her business, and her programs at www.dailylivingwellness.com.

Upcoming Seminars:
Career Alternatives for Nurses®
July 16, 2007 – New York City, NY

How to Start Your Own Business or Consulting Practice
July 17, 2007 – New York City, NY

Come Meet Donna:
Nursing Symposium 2007
July 10, 2007 – Las Vegas, NV

Nursing Spectrum Career Fair
August 14, 2007 - Ontario, CA

For additional program info visit http://www.dcardillo.com/eventseminars.htm.

Book Donna Today
Planning a convention, 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. 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.

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.

Newsletter Archives