Nurses are pretty terrific. And from May 6 through 12 — National Nurses Week — it seems as if the whole world joins together to tell us so. So get ready to enjoy your spot in the limelight. And do me a favor: When someone tells you how wonderful you are, accept the compliment!

Donna's Book Pix: Tenderly Lift Me: Nurses Honored, Celebrated, and Remembered Jeanne Bryner, RN, BA, CEN Author, poet, and registered nurse Jeanne Bryner has gathered biographical sketches of remarkable nurses, each accompanied by poetry and photographs. In the process, she has created a unique, compassionate and complex work. This is not another book of "feel good" stories about angels of mercy. Rather it is a poignant, sometimes raw, very human portrayal of real nurses, their lives, and their work. Both the stories and Bryner’s poetry blew me away. Don’t miss this one.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
Symbol of a Profession: 100 Years of Nurses’ Caps
Until the 1970s, trained nurses were instantly recognized by their caps. Each school and hospital had its own cap design and means of indicating the level of training. This site showcases caps donated to the Canadian Museum of Civilization by Gloria Kay, a retired nurse, who believed that the caps should be preserved.

Career Article:
Accepting Compliments
We’re all guilty of it at one time or another: Someone thanks you for helping him or her, and you respond, "It was nothing." A patient or family member praises you for the excellent care you gave, and you reply, "It’s just my job." Read more.

News You Can Use:
Nursing Biographies Needed
The Center for Nursing Advocacy is calling for biographies of nursing pioneers. Their aim is to educate the press about how nurses autonomously save and improve lives. They are looking for biographies of 500-600 words that avoid depictions of nurses as angelic or virtuous. Read more.

Quote of the Month:
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. — Buddha

Donna’s Blog: Nursing a "Best Career"
The March 24 issue of U.S. News & World Report lists registered nurse as one of 31 of the best careers for the future. This list was compiled based on job satisfaction, training difficulty, prestige, job market outlook, and pay. Read more at http://www.nurse-power.net/blog.

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Tracey Christenson Wolfman, RNC, BSN i, is a nurse with daycare issues. She is co-owner of We Care Adult Care, Inc. We Care provides adult daycare, which is an alternative to long-term care facility placement and also provides relief to caregivers who are caring for loved ones at home. The business was incorporated in 1998 and finally opened its doors in 2000 after construction, administrative, and licensing issues were taken care of. Today, along with her partner Dawn Johnson, RNC, BSN, they have approximately 80 patient clients in their roster and 15 employees.

Tracey got the idea to start an adult daycare center while working as a travel nurse in Florida where she saw several such centers. With her background in long-term care, she had seen many elderly people admitted to long-term care facilities who were only there because they had no one to help with activities of daily living or with healthcare monitoring. After researching the business further, she saw a need for a certain level and quality of care and service in her home state of New Jersey.

What Tracey likes most about being self-employed is "the freedom to be able to provide service that meets my standards of quality of care." What she likes least is "the administrative part, such as payroll, employee evaluations, etc. It takes away from hands-on care, which is why I got into this business." The best thing she did in getting started is taking "courses at my local community college offered by the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) on how to write a business plan. This allowed me to secure a loan and built the foundation for my business. That business plan, and the subsequent relationship with my bank, also won me awards and publicity. It was an imperative step in the start-up process." To learn more about Tracey's business, go to http://www.wecareadultdaycare.com.

Come Meet Donna:
Temple University Health System - Nurses Week Celebration
May 5, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA

CentraState Medical Center — Nurses Week Celebration
May 6, 2008 — Freehold, NJ

South Jersey Healthcare — Nurses Week Celebration
May 7, 2008 — Vineland, NJ

Nursing Excellence Dinner
June 5, 2008 — Teaneck, NJ

American Library Association — Annual Convention
June 30, 2008 — Anaheim, CA

Live Chat:
An Evening with Dear Donna
May 21, 2008
Time: 8 PM to 10 PM (Eastern Time)
Topic: Career related issues including nurse entrepreneurship, career alternatives and more!
Chat URL: http://www.nurse.com/chat

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

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 iinquiry 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.