Using the right keyword makes an Internet search a snap. Entering the right keywords when posting an online resume draws recruiters right to your door. And using key words in conversations can unite or divide. Choose carefully.

Donna's Book Pix: Womankind: Connection & Wisdom Around the World Nancy Leigh Harless, NP Womankind is a compilation of stories from real women across the world that Harless, a women’s healthcare nurse practitioner, has encountered in her travels. The author answers Mayan mothers’ questions in the Belize rainforest and races a laboring woman to a hospital in the Kosovo countryside. In her collection of inspiring, sometimes heart-wrenching experiences, readers will encounter and learn from the many different women encountered in Harless’ travels.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
National Guideline Clearinghouse
Interested in getting information on clinical practice guidelines? Check out the National Guideline Clearinghouse™, a public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. To view the website, go to http://www.guideline.gov/about/about.aspx.

Career Article:
Keywords Are Key to Getting Your Online Resume Read
If you’ve ever posted you resume online, you were probably asked to fill out a section entitled "keywords." Knowing the right keywords to use can make the difference in your resume being identified for further scrutiny or getting passed over in a sea of data. Read more.

News You Can Use:
New Offer for Nursing Students
The American Nurses Association wants to expose students to all that ANA has to offer while they are in nursing school by giving them free access to the Members Only section of NursingWorld.org. The valuable information contained on this site will be helpful to students in school and help prepare them for their nursing career. To sign up, visit http://nursingworld.org/students. Students will be asked for a Promo Code and should use PROF.

Quote of the Month:
When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.
— William Shakespeare

Donna’s Blog: Talk About What You Do
I was recently named one of "50 Best Women in Business" by NJBIZ magazine. As such, I was invited to attend a networking reception for all honorees. When people heard I was an RN they were very interested to hear more about what I do and about the nursing profession in general or to tell me about someone in their family who is a nurse. Some asked about the "shortage" assuming it existed because no one wanted to be a nurse anymore. I, of course, set them straight. Read more at http://www.nurse-power.net/blog.

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Ellen Reilley Farrell, MS, CRNP, is owner of Gericalls LLC. She is a geriatric nurse practitioner (NP) who provides medical care in the homes of patients who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes to access care. Although she mainly caters to the elderly, she has a few younger patients with chronic issues such as MS or spinal cord injury.

As a home health nurse for many years, she saw the need for patients to have care like this in their homes. So she entered an RN-to-MSN program to become an NP specifically to do this. After school, she worked part-time for an HMO for about a year as she launched her business. This is a perfect example of finding a need and filing it.

Ellen says that her biggest challenge "has been running a one-girl office. I cannot afford to pay anyone — Medicare reimbursement has decreased every year I have been in business. So I see patients during the day and catch up with the other things in the evenings. There is a lot more paperwork than I envisioned." But there are some advantages: "The advantage of being your own boss and setting your own schedule is wonderful."

Ellen’s advice to other nurses who want to have their own business is "Just do it!" She has mentored NPs who are interested in starting their own practices. "I get calls from around the country and love to help with their plans," says Ellen. "I tell them to get out there and do it. The advantage of nursing is that we can usually find a nursing job to pay the bills while we start a new business."

She also encourages new business owners to keep overhead low. "You don’t have to invest in a lot of stuff right away," she says. "Contact other nurses who have done it and pick their brains. I found others were happy to help."

To learn more about Ellen and her business, visit www.gericalls.com.

Career Fairs:
Nurse Power!
Learn to Speak with Style
Nursing Spectrum Career Fair
March 27, 2008 - Teaneck, NJ

Power Networking - The Key to Your Success
Position Yourself for Success
Taking Care of Your, Inc., The Business of Self-Care
Nursing Spectrum Networking and Education Event
April 22, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA

Going for the Brass Ring
Taking Care of Your, Inc., The Business of Self-Care
Nursing Spectrum Career Fair
April 23, 2008 - Greenbelt, MD

Upcoming Seminars:
Career Alternatives for Nurses®
March 10, 2008 — Atlantic City, NJ

How to Start Your Own Business or Consulting Practice
March 11, 2008 — Atlantic City, NJ

Come Meet Donna:
NJ State School Nurses Association — Annual Convention
March 14, 2008 — Eatontown, NJ

Centra Health — Nursing Summit
March 18-19, 2008 — Lynchburg, VA

The Reading Hospital and Medical Center — Recruitment Event
March 29, 2008 — West Reading, PA

Enloe Medical Center — Recruitment Event
April 5, 2008 — Chico, CA

Sigma Theta Tau — Alpha Tau Chapter Induction Ceremony
April 13, 2008 — Basking Ridge, NJ

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

Book Donna Today
Donna still has some availability for Nurses Week Celebrations along with some great programs to get nurses feeling pumped up and positive about nursing. Call (800) 801-5796 or e-mail 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.