Happy National Nurses Week! This year’s theme, "Nurses: Strength, Commitment, Compassion" celebrates your practice and the gift of self you offer to the well, the sick, the recovering, and the dying. Use this special week, celebrated May 6 through May 12 each year, as an excuse to do something special for yourself — get a massage or manicure or indulge in a Starbucks Blackberry Green Tea Frappuccino®. Don’t forget to wish colleagues a Happy Nurses Day on May 6 and enjoy a slice of cake on May 12 in honor of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Meanwhile read on to see what goodies are in this edition of Nursing Connections™.

Donna's Book Pix: The Best Year of Your Life by Debbie Ford The Best Year of Your Life offers a practical blueprint for making today — "this moment" — the beginning of the best year of your life. And getting started is easy: Sections "Dream It," "Plan It," and "Live It" offer information on creating a conscious intent to better your life, examining obstacles in your path, and reveling in the moment. "It’s time to break through the illusion that the best year of your life exists somewhere out here, in the future, when the reality is that it exists right here and now," says Ford. So start the best year of your life today.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
Frontier Nursing Service
The Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) was the first organization in America to use nurses qualified as midwives. The nurses were also expected to serve as public health nurses. The organization has offered family-oriented healthcare to rural and underserved populations for more than 80 years and educational opportunities for more than 65 years. Today, the FNS combines education and service through a hospital, home health agency, rural healthcare clinics, and a school of nurse midwifery and family nursing. Be sure to check out the 80th anniversary video to learn more about the founder Mary Breckinridge, RN and the beginnings of the FNS.

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

Career Article:
Give Yourself a Career Makeover
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a national makeover craze going on. People are getting their homes redecorated, their wardrobes updated, or their noses fixed. In keeping with that theme, it may be time for a career makeover. Here are five areas in your professional life that could likely use a "lift." Read more.

News You Can Use:
Nurses for America is a professional nursing corps, similar to those that employ teachers and other public service workers nationwide. By participating in the Nurses for America program, nurses can help to improve access to health care for vulnerable populations living in underserved communities. Program participants receive a two-year salaried position at a community health center, faith-based neighborhood clinic, or public health department and are eligible for student loan deferment and/or an educational award of $4,725 for each of two years of service. For details, call (202) 687-4772 or visit the organization’s website.

Quote of the Month:
Never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.
— Florence Nightingale

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
"Two heads are better than one" was the philosophy of Julie Fuimano, RN, BSN, MBA, and Cindy Diccianni, RN, CSA, CLTC, when they met to discuss their respective business plans in 2002. At that time, Cindy was working as a financial planner, and Julie had recently started a coaching business. They discovered that they wanted the same thing for healthcare professionals: to be successful in life, career, and finances. Hence, their business, Nurturing Your Success Inc., was born.

"We decided to join forces to create the synergy and strength that comes from collaboration and partnership," notes Julie.

Julie and Cindy work with individuals, groups, and companies to maximize their experiences in life, careers, relationships, and finances through coaching services, teleclasses, speaking, writing, and financial advising.

Julie, who has a background in psychiatric nursing, recruiting, and staff development, says, "Nursing is such an incredible profession, and nurses are such incredible people! It’s time someone nurtured their success, and that is what we are in business to do. As a coach, I partner with nurses so they can learn ways to nurture themselves and put themselves first." Julie is author of the book, The Journey Called YOU: A Roadmap to Self-Discovery and Acceptance. Julie writes several columns in healthcare publications, including "Personal Best" in Advance for Nurses.

Cindy, a former operating room nurse, inspires people to become interested and excited about creating financial independence. She became interested in financial planning when she discovered she could generate a passive income through investing. Cindy wanted to share her knowledge and her passion with other healthcare professionals. She realized that many, if not most nurses, have very little financial planning experience and virtually no place to find reliable resources or people who understand the profession and what it involves. She writes a regular column in Advance for Nurses called "Financial Rx."

Both Julie and Cindy agree that one’s own negative thoughts and self-doubts can be an obstacle when starting a business. They also agree that patience and persistence, along with staying focused on your ultimate goal, is what will get you through.

Learn more about Julie, Cindy, and their business http://www.nurturingyoursuccess.com.

Come Meet Donna:
Centra Health
Nurse Power!™
May 10, 2006 – Lynchburg, VA

Live Online Chat - Nurse Entrepreneurship
June 21, 2006     Time: 8 - 10 p.m.
Click here for a direct link to the chat.

Position Yourself for Success
Northeastern University School Health Summer Institute
June 27, 2006 - Hyannis, MA
For more information, visit http://www.ace.neu.edu/shi/pro grams/summer

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 close-out prices on those. Hurry — this offer is valid 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.

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