Blog Entries - August 2008

An Interesting Friday at the Clinic

amherstlaughteryoga@gmail.com — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:57:28 +0100

Yesterday, I was working in a community health center where I do a few shifts a week. A woman came in complaining of chest pain, and although there were more than three dozen people waiting for scheduled appointments, we had to bring her into the pods and assess her right away. We generally discourage people from coming to the health center with acute complaints that should warrant a call to 911, but sometimes people show up on our doorstep and we have no choice.

Although we could have [...]

A wild night and the loss of a regualr...

disappearingjohn@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Last night was simply an wild night! Our town was hit with a horrendous storm, knocking down power poles all around us, and leaving 25,000 without power this morning according to the local newspaper.

It was made even wilder by the loss of a regualr patient. Read about it here on my regular blog, DisappearingJohn RN...

Barack Obama

amherstlaughteryoga@gmail.com — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

While I am somewhat cynical about any politician, I am feeling hopeful---yes, hopeful---about the possibilities of an Obama presidency. While he may talk about the War on Terror and other such hawkish things, I also feel that he may very well deliver some form of healthcare reform that will insure more Americans than have ever had coverage before. I am, however, very disappointed that he never mentions the nursing shortage in his plans and policies.

I won't hold my breath to see if [...]

Abuse in Nursing Homes

amherstlaughteryoga@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I was absolutely appalled to read a blog post about doctors' failure to report suspected elder abuse in nursing homes.

The Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog stated today that "only 2% of all cases of suspected nursing home or other elder abuse/neglect is reported by doctors", and previous studies have shown that the percentage is actually lower than that!

Now, I'm aware that the population of the United States is becoming older, and as the Baby Boomers begin to reti [...]

Lobbyists, Healthcare, and Open Secrets

nursekeith@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read my recent post on my other blog (Digital Doorway) about the role of lobbyists in healthcare. A recent study shows clearly how much money is spent in the halls of Congress by the healthcare industry. You may be shocked.

Religion and Discrimination in Healthcare

nursekeith@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read my recent post on Digital Doorway (my long-standing blog) about the recent decision by the California Supreme Court vis-a-vis reproductive rights, sexual orientation, gender, and doctors' rights to refuse to treat selected groups.

Blogging for the First Time!

amherstlaughteryoga@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Hello there. I have been a nurse for about a decade, but I have never blogged before. I have been reading blogs for many years---especially nursing blogs---and found Nurse LinkUp through NurseKeith's blog, Digital Doorway . I also love Nurse Ratched's Place, ImpactED Nurse, Emergiblog, and Disappearing John. And when speaking of nurse blogs, Change of Shift is always the best place to keep up with what nurses are writing.

As for my own blogging, I'm not sure what I want to [...]

Studying for International Certification Program for Healthcare Quality Professionals

rhuveldt@rgh-associates.com — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I am interested in getting a CPHQ certified. Does anyone in this community gotten their certificate? If you have, can you recommend a study guide. I have a background in TQM from the business industry, however I realize that the health care industry has very specific requirements. Any information that anyone can share on how to prepare for the test will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, rhuveldt

Why do you do what you do?

disappearingjohn@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I have had three different people ask me, in essence, the same question in the past few weeks, and it sort of pisses me off...

The question was, basically, Is it true (or did I become one because) emergency room nurses can easily get narcotics...

The first time I basically laughed it off... It was just casual conversation while I was starting an IV, and this little old lady looked at me and said, "You know, I heard that when nurses get burned out, they become ER nur [...]

Lonely Blogger Still Seeking Friends Willing to Blog......

nursekeith@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I hate to beg, fellow LinkUpians, but I'm hoping that several of you will join me in posting blog posts and other interesting tidbits here on Nurse LinkUp. While I do maintain a blog elsewhere, Nurse LinkUp is an easy place to post one's thoughts and observations about nursing and life, and I would be thrilled if some of you would join me in that practice.

As we grow, we hope that more and more nurses will realize that Nurse LinkUp is actually the only online nurse netwo [...]

A Visiting Nurse and the Puzzle of Humanity

nursekeith@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read a recent post on my blog, Digital Doorway , about my reactions to class differences in patients observed during home visits.

Tax Deductable Vacation to Paris, France and 10 Contact Hours!!!

ceu411@yahoo.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

**********************ATTENTION NURSES************************

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Continuing Education Units 411 (CEU 411). The primary goals are to provide nurses with a tax deductable vacation, obtain nursing contact hours, enriched with multicultural and travel experiences. To provide you with an idea of the available educational services, please visit the website.

The next nursing seminar will be held in November, 20 [...]

One Hundred Years of Laughter

nursekeith@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read a recent post on my blog, Digital Doorway, about a wonderful 100th birthday celebration at an inner-city senior center for low-income Latino elders.

Nursing Student Sues School for F

bgehman@onlinelinkup.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

June 24, 2007 -- Columbia University gave him an "F," but he deserves an "A" for audacity.

Nicholas Perrino was kicked out of the Ivy League institution's School of Nursing for missing an exam, and now he is suing to get back in.

"I should have went to Yale," moaned Perrino, who is representing himself in the case.

The 27-year-old Illinois native said he was working toward two master's degrees last summer, when his grandparen [...]

Keep Your Minds Open

dmazment@yahoo.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Ok, so I'm climbing on my soap box again. Over the last several weeks, a nursing site I hang out at besides this one, (http://www.nursinglink.com) many nursing students are just badgering us older nurses on what speciality should they choose. They are actually panicking because they just don't know what direction they should go towards.

I've always felt, the speciality you end up in, isn't what you choose, but what chooses you. Never in my wi [...]

Pain, Depression, Service, and Healing

nursekeith@gmail.com — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read the story of a journey of service and healing that I experienced in my personal life today.

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NurseKeith is a nurse, consultant, writer and blogger. Please feel free to visit his blog, Digital Doorway .

Lonely Blogger Seeks Others NLU Bloggers

nursekeith@gmail.com — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Although I've been blogging for years about nursing, healthcare, and medicine at my own blog, Digital Doorway, I enjoy blogging here on Nurse LinkUp and am looking for other NLU members to join the blogging world.

Over the years, I 've mentored several new nurse bloggers, and if you have any inkling to start writing about your experiences as a nurse, please feel free to email me and I'd be happy to walk you through starting a blog and connecting with nurse bloggers in [...]

Welcome to Our New Members!

admin@nurselinkup.com — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

The team here at Nurse LinkUp is happy to announce that our membership has grown to over 300 strong! We encourage all of our new members to peruse the forums, read through the article archives, and and consider starting a blog and sharing your experiences, both clinical or personal.

We hope that the site will continue to grow and that members will begin to interact in the various ways that our platforms allow, such as forums, blogs, comments on blog posts and articles, and even a [...]

Graduating From Hospice

nursekeith@gmail.com — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Sometimes patients on hospice get better. Please click here to read a recent post on my blog, Digital Doorway, about a patient who "graduates" from hospice care.

Be Silent and Listen

nursekeith@gmail.com — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Please click here to read a recent post about an enlightening home visit with a psychiatric patient on my blog, Digital Doorway.