Although January is the official start of the new year and the traditional time to make resolutions, there's something about September that encourages new beginnings, too. Maybe it's all the years we spend "starting over" in a new grade at school. This month’s edition of Nursing Connections™ offers some suggestions for getting your brain and body in high gear. It's never too late to get the ball rolling.

Donna's Book Pix: Shape Your Self by Martina Navratilova Martina Navratilova is fit — both mentally and physically. She’s had to be to keep playing professional tennis well into her 40s. In Shape Your Self, Navratilova details a series of small, gradual changes that people can make without feeling deprived or getting frustrated. The book features recipes, menu plans, and exercise programs for people at varying levels of fitness. Charming and conversational, this book can help readers achieve balance in their lives — physically, mentally, and emotionally in harmony.

Cool Nursing Web Site:
All Nursing Schools
Looking for an online RN-to-BSN program, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, or doctoral program in nursing? Interested in becoming a nurse midwife, legal nurse consultant, or forensic nurse? Having a tough time deciding what school to go to? At the All Nursing Schools website, you can search for nursing programs by degree type, location, or specialty. The site features detailed fact sheets on featured schools and contact information for admissions officers.

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

Career Article:
Go Back to School and Change Your Life
I have a confession to make: I never cared too much for school, and I was never a particularly good student. I always considered myself a "hands-on" person who wanted to dive right into things and learn as I went — in other words, on-the-job training. I never had much patience for the classroom and usually found myself falling asleep, doodling, or thinking about what else I could be doing with my time. Read more.

News You Can Use:
AHRQ Looks at Bariatric Surgery’s Pros, Cons

About 22% of obesity surgery patients develop a complication while hospitalized, but that statistic climbs to nearly 40% after six months, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says in the most far-reaching look yet at postsurgical complications of bariatric surgery. Previous studies have studied complication rates only 30 days beyond discharge.

Based on insurance data for 2,522 people under age 65 who underwent the procedure, AHRQ analysts found that within six months, nearly 20% experienced dumping syndrome (vomiting, reflux, and diarrhea), the most frequent complication. Other problems included leaks or strictures in the juncture of the intestine and stomach (12%), abdominal hernia (7%), infection (6%), and pneumonia (4%).

Nurses should be aware of these possible complications so that they can discuss them with patients who are considering bariatric surgery.

For more information, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2006/obessurgpr.htm.

Quote of the Month:
Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.
— Billie Jean King

Entrepreneur Spotlight:
Pat Carroll, RN, MS, RRT, CEN, has taken the model of nurse as health care expert and developed it into a thriving business — and she’s become a television personality in the process! She is the founder of Educational Medical Consultants (EdMed) and Nurses Notebook, LLC. EdMed provides education, medical writing, and consulting to health care professionals and facilities. Nurses Notebook LLC is focused on consumer health education and writing, including her popular book What Nurses Know and Doctors Don’t Have Time to Tell You. Pat is the author of more than 100 articles and several additional books. She regularly dispenses health care advice on ABC’s The View (she’s been referred to as the Heloise of Health Care); she had her own PBS special, Hints on Health, in 2004; and she has been a guest on many morning news shows.

Pat started her first business in 1983 after being contacted by a medical manufacturing company that had seen one of her articles on suctioning (Pat’s a registered respiratory therapist as well as an RN). "As a respiratory therapist, I had the technical background to write about respiratory topics, but with a nurse’s sensibility. The company tracked me down and asked if I did consulting with medical manufacturers, and I just said, ‘Yes, sure!’"

When asked what she likes most about being self-employed, Pat replies, "Being financially rewarded for doing excellent work. My clients are paying for my best, which motivates me to go that extra step to give them work that will help them stand apart from their competitors. That’s fun. Other than patient care, my passions are writing and teaching. Having my own business allows me to do both."

Pat notes that self-employment has many challenges, too. In her case those include getting road weary after so many years in business and rarely feeling off-duty because her office is in her home. Plus, "buying health insurance on the open market just plain stinks," she laments.

Pat’s advice to other nurses considering entrepreneurship: "Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to get clients first. This is the hard part. Legal nurse consulting training courses tell prospective students they can earn large sums of money, which is true — if you have the clients. You have to be able to market yourself and sell yourself — all activities that you have to do off the clock, where you’re not earning money. Talk to others in your community or state or region who are making a good living on their own. It’s hard, and for nurses, it’s all about relationship-building over a matter of years."

Find out more about Pat, her books, and her products and services at www.nursesnotebook.com, www.patcarroll.net, and www.whatnursesknow.com.

Come Meet Donna:

Nursing – The Next Generation
September 7, 2006 – Lake Lanier, Georgia
Grady Health Systems – Nursing Perspectives Conference

Take Your Career to the Next Level
September 14 – Parsippany, NJ
Atlantic Health Systems Recruitment Event

Take Your Career to the Next Level
September 16, 2006 – Dallas, Texas
21st Century Professional and Civil Society Conference

Seminar Double Header – Las Vegas, NV
October 16, 2006 – Career Alternatives For Nurses™
October 17, 2006 – How to Start Your Own Business or Consulting Practice

NursePower!™ and Take Your Career to the Next Level
October 13, 2006 – Tinley Park, IL
Nursing Spectrum Career Fair

Nurse Power!™
Learn to Speak With Style
October 25-29, 2006 – Cancun, Mexico
Educational Enterprises – Nursing Symposium

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 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.

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. ONLY A FEW COPIES LEFT!

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