Nurse Talk Blog | Coming Up on Nurse Talk

THIS week...the segment you have all been waiting for...Comedian Lynn Ruth Miller's In My Day. It's a jewel!

Have you ever listened to a baby laugh? You know, the kind of laugh that is so contagious YOU start to laugh? Well, who knew laughing was so good for you! We thought we’d reminder ourselves and our listeners that laughter really is the best medicine. As more and more research is done, there are now many published studies that prove the positive mental and medical effects of laughter.

Studies show that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. Now that’s an impressive list of accomplishments!

Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor's 25th Conference is Coming Up. Hurry! Early bird registration ends Feb 18th.

And if there’s anybody who knows the positive effects of humor (and music) it’s RN Deb Gauldin. Deb is the incoming president of The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor and has long practiced what she preaches. She is a professional humorist and entertainer specializing in health care morale and women’s well being. Deb joins Casey and Dan to talk about humor and the upcoming 25th annual conference where all they do is laugh and talk, and laugh and talk, and then laugh some more.

Why quit your job as an English professor to become an RN? Theresa Brown did. Before becoming a nurse, Theresa obtained a Ph.D in English from the University of Chicago and taught literature for three years. After being an RN for four years, she’s written a book called, Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life and Everything in Between. She’s also a contributor to The New York Times‘ Tara Pope’s health blog, Well. We’ll talk with Theresa about her career and her very interesting and poignant book.

“A must read for anyone who wants to understand health care. This extraordinary book will open your eyes to the reality of nursing. If you or your loved one ends up in the hospital, you’ll wish you had someone like Nurse Brown at your side.”

–Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent

And we share a recent interview (from our friends at Labour Radio) with RN Karen  Higgins. Karen addresses questions about the proposed Financial Transaction Tax. .50 per $100 ? Wow, so little could raise billions of dollars for vital health care education and other services. Why is this so hard?
Check it out: http://www.nursetalksite.com/KarenHiggins-LabourRadio

And we’re gonna get all nursey on you because even the Nurse Talk Golden Bed Pan Award this week goes to a nurse. Courageous RN Allison Bates takes home the prize. You might remember her in last month’s news for donating a kidney to a patient.

Happy News: RN Allison Bates donates kidney to a patient

A big “hello” and “thank you” to all our listeners out there and a salute to all the nurses that make the world a better place!

You can listen every week in the Boston area on station WWZN 1510AM every Saturday at 11 am EST or live stream at www.revolutionboston.com and in the San Francisco Bay area Sundays at 2PM PST on KNEW 960AM or live stream at www.960knew.com. Check out the iHeartRadio app for free and live custom radio. You can also download and listen to any show anytime here at NurseTalkSite.com or oniTunes. Like us on Facebook, and you can listen there too.

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