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Ahhhh, technology! It’s a very good thing, but when are we going too far? Should ROBOTS replace doctors and nurses? Can they diagnose and treat patients? Well it’s already happening in some hospitals. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly on this emerging trend when Casey and Shayne visit with National Nurses United RN Deborah Burger.

Also, Jean Ross, recaps on the importance of the Inclusive Prosperity Act and reports back on the SEA OF RED SCRUBS march.   Read more…

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Ahhhh, technology! It’s a very good thing, but when are we going too far? Should ROBOTS replace doctors and nurses? Can they diagnose and treat patients? Well it’s already happening in some hospitals. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly on this emerging trend when Casey and Shayne visit with National Nurses United RN Deborah Burger.

Our bodies and our hungers carry messages; carry wisdom. Turning these into our enemies in order to lose weight, or try to change other habits, is almost never sustainable. Author and psychologist David Bedrick returns to the show and will show us how to listen to our bodies, befriend our hungers, and develop more loving strategies to affect change.

David is the author of the best-selling book, Talking  Back To Dr. Phil, Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology. David facilitates an on-air process with Casey about “losing weight.” Check it out on our website or visit www.talkingbacktodrphil.com.

AND, this weeks top 10 craziest things patients have insisted on keeping in their hospital rooms. A hint: A cherished, stuffed, real dog; the family pet for 20 years who recently passed on. Read more…

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Ahhhh, technology! It’s a very good thing, but when are we going too far? Should ROBOTS replace doctors and nurses? Casey and Shayne visit with National Nurses United RN Deborah Burger.

Psychologist David Bedrick is the author of the best-selling book, Talking  Back To Dr. Phil, Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology. David facilitates an on-air process with Casey about “losing weight.” Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:46 — 73.8MB) | Embed

Ahhhh, technology! It’s a very good thing, but when are we going too far? Should ROBOTS replace doctors and nurses? Can they diagnose and treat patients? Well it’s already happening in some hospitals. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly on this emerging trend when Casey and Shayne visit with National Nurses United RN Deborah Burger.

Our bodies and our hungers carry messages; carry wisdom. Turning these into our enemies in order to lose weight, or try to change other habits, is almost never sustainable. Author and psychologist David Bedrick returns to the show and will show us how to listen to our bodies, befriend our hungers, and develop more loving strategies to effect change.

David is the author of the best-selling book, Talking Back To Dr. Phil, Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology. David facilitates an on-air process with Casey about “losing weight”. Check it out on our website or visit www.talkingbacktodrphil.com.

AND, this week’s top 10 craziest things patients have insisted on keeping in their hospital rooms. A hint: A cherished, stuffed, real dog; the family pet for 20 years who recently passed on.

Here’s a thought for all of you nurses out there who have been thinking about getting your Master of Science in Nursing degree. Read more…

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Shayne and Casey welcome RN and Co-President of National Nurses United, Deborah Burger. Deborah is a frequent guest on Nurse Talk. She recently wrote an article about the need to restore our mental health system. In the wake of the tragic shooting in Connecticut and gun violence at an all time high in our country—many questions are left unanswered. Most of us agree that guns are a huge problem and laws to restrict automatic and semi-automatic weapons must be passed and enforced. But that alone is not sufficient, we must look at and restore access to mental health services and continue to work towards universal healthcare for all.

And related to the tragedy in Connecticut we wanted to share something with our listeners that we find to be a beautiful tribute to the souls who were lost that day. It’s a song written by up and coming songwriter Alex Hobbs (who does happen to be Casey’s nephew). Alex’s heartfelt song is called “Heaven Wasn’t Ready For This.” We were so moved by his tasteful and beautiful gift we wanted to share it with others. Alex will be with us later in the show.

And Shayne gives Casey a pop quiz about “professional boundaries,” one of her favorite topics. Read more…

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Nurses around the country mourn the loss of life marked by the shooting of innocents in Connecticut. Every day a massive tragedy is being played out on a smaller scale in emergency rooms, in mental health facilities and on the street across our country where, with sometimes devastating consequences, mental health is underfunded to a shocking and sometimes deadly degree.

Casey and Shayne speak with RN Deborah Burger who says we must insist private health insurance systems reverse pervasive cuts to mental health services. Why does someone have to cause physical harm in order for an intervention to take place? Are all of the children, responders and families who have been scarred in Newtown going to get the mental health services they need?

Listen to the whole show. Read more…

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Shayne and Casey welcome RN and Co-President of National Nurses United, Deborah Burger. Deborah is a frequent guest on Nurse Talk. She recently wrote an article about the need to restore our mental health system. In the wake of the tragic shooting in Connecticut and gun violence at an all time high in our country—many questions are left unanswered. Most of us agree that guns are a huge problem and laws to restrict automatic and semi-automatic weapons must be passed and enforced. But that alone is not sufficient, we must look at and restore access to mental health services and continue to work towards universal healthcare for all.

And related to the tragedy in Connecticut we wanted to share something with our listeners that we find to be a beautiful tribute to the souls who were lost that day. It’s a song written by up and coming songwriter Alex Hobbs (who does happen to be Casey’s nephew). Alex’s heartfelt song is called “Heaven Wasn’t Ready For This.” We were so moved by his tasteful and beautiful gift we wanted to share it with others. Alex will be with us later in the show.

And Shayne gives Casey a pop quiz about “professional boundaries,” one of her favorite topics. Read more…

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We check in with RN and Friend of Nurse Talk, Deborah Burger. Deborah is also co-president of National Nurses United. She’ll talk about California Proposition 30 endorsed by the California Nurses Association and supported by Governor Jerry Brown. Prop. 30 would raise from $6 billion to $9 billion every year, mostly through a small increase in taxes for the top income brackets, starting at households making $250,000 or more per year, as well as a temporary one-quarter of a cent increase in the state sales tax—with the revenue going for healthcare, education, childcare and other critical services. Read more…

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Most of us don’t run with the crowd that attends the Annual Fall Fashion Week in New York City. BUT…it does seem somewhat exciting and it certainly highlights all of the beautiful fall fashions and—SADLY—the fact that eating disorders are alive and well in the fashion industry. Well, just because we are boring old nurses doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun and run with the “it” people. Nurse Talk presents our 3rd annual FALL FLU FASHION SHOW—and believe me it is a doozy!

And we welcome back Dr. Francine Shapiro. Dr. Shapiro returns to talk about her successful treatment of veterans with PTSD. Dr. Shapiro discovered one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of psychology, EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Her new book is Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy.

We also have two of her colleagues, Dr. E. C. Hurley, Ph.D., who has been working with soldiers and veterans since he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, and Dr. Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., who is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, and board certified clinical psychologist, with 26-years of military experience. Read more…

Hello everyone. This week we have a rewind for you but before we chat about that—I do want to put in a plug for our wonderful Nurse Talk blog. Every time I read a new post I am either moved to tears or laughter. Honestly—take a few minutes and check it out.

We’ve mentioned Missy Vaughan and Barbara Taylor Vaughan before. Missy is Barbara’s daughter and she takes great care of Barbara who has Alzheimer’s. Their ongoing blog posts talk candidly about the progression of Barbara’s disease, the ups and downs and everything in between. Oh—and did I mention Missy has M.S.? Together they articulate the “reality” of their lives in Alzheimer’s in the First Person.

And then there’s Brandi Chase. Brandi’s blog called Lymphoblaster is an online chronicle through her bout with Leukemia. In one of Brandi’s entries she writes:

“The litany against fear is an incantation spoken by the Bene Gesserit, a secret sisterhood from the Dune book series, in order to focus their minds in times of peril.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

I confess, I use it, and it works. Upon waking for the first time after having my central line installed, I was overwhelmed with fear. The pain from the procedure was upon me, and every movement hard, and unfamiliar. I saw two years of this and wondered how I would ever endure it. It was a dark place, and I looked into it, long and deep. It passed over me, and through me. And here I am. Day 23. I remain.” Read more…

This week we’re featuring a redux of show 449 where we share touching stories like these from our Nurse Talk blog and salute the great writers and contributors that are featured each week. We also have an interview with Deborah Burger on the one-woman play about nursing in America, Tell Us Where it Hurts by Anna Deavere Smith.

Anna is also known as Gloria Akalitus on television’s Nurse Jackie. We share some touching stories recreated by Smith in the play from the caretakers—career RNs—who have also been hit by the failing economy and healthcare costs. Their stories are told with honesty and courage. Share the humanity of what is happening all across the country.

Casey and Shayne also have fun with some—well—rather messy nurses notes, like this one from cardiology: “Patient has chest pains if she lies on her left side for over a year by the time she was admitted to the hospital, her rapid heart had stopped and she was feeling much better.” We also hear from an old friend, Lucille Jones—a rather crazy one at that (no offense Lucille). Lucille’s stories have been memorialized in our Nurse Talk Comedy Pharm…Check them out!