Podcast (boston-edition): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:30 — 4.8MB) | Embed

A fierce leader, and one of our favorite guests, Healthcare and Human Rights Advocate Donna Smith, will join us. As some of you know, Donna has been leading the charge for the past 8 years for a universal healthcare system in our country. Donna was featured in Michael Moore’s film “Sicko.” For the past 5 years she worked as the Legislative Coordinator for National Nurses United. She is now the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado. We’ll talk with Donna about all things healthcare, a little politics, the effects of the sequester – particularly the ones you don’t hear about — and more. For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado, visit healthcareforallcolorado.org. Read more…

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

Listen to our guest this week RN Jeff Breslin of the Michigan Nurses Association on The Safe Patient Care Act “Every Michigan resident deserves to receive safe care at every hospital, every time. Michigan’s nurses are simply asking for our leaders’ support to make that happen.” Jeff will talk with us about this important initiative that is sweeping the country.

And later, a fierce leader, and one of our favorite guests, Healthcare and Human Rights Advocate Donna Smith, will join us. As some of you know, Donna has been leading the charge for the past 8 years for a universal healthcare system in our country. Donna was featured in Michael Moore’s film “Sicko.” For the past 5 years she worked as the Legislative Coordinator for National Nurses United. She is now the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado. We’ll talk with Donna about all things healthcare, a little politics, the effects of the sequester – particularly the ones you don’t hear about — and more. For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado, visit healthcareforallcolorado.org.

And don’t forget, our resident health and fitness expert Joanie Greggains with another edition of “Fit Happens.” We’ll also tend to email questions and a few “off-the-grid” jokes that only nurses can tell and insist they aren’t going to be bleeped! Read more…

Who didn’t love the amazing Jonathan Winters? He was the master of improvisational comedy.

As we celebrate National Nurses Week, Casey and Shayne found some interesting gestures of generosity toward those in their profession. One in particular stood out:

It happened in Kearney, Nebraska. A beauty salon (that shall remain nameless) gave nurses free makeovers if they showed up in their scrubs!  Just what you want to do? Lets see…

“Hey Mary, my 12 hour shift is over and I heard X salon was giving nurses FREE makeovers. I think I’ll just swing by and get one.”

“Don’t forget to wear those dirty bloody scrubs you have on or they won’t give it to you!”

As they say, it’s really the thought that counts…

Listen to our guest this week RN Jeff Breslin of the Michigan Nurses Association on The Safe Patient Care Act. “Every Michigan resident deserves to receive safe care at every hospital, every time. Michigan’s nurses are simply asking for our leaders’ support to make that happen.” Jeff will talk with us about this important initiative that is sweeping the country.

And later, a fierce leader, and one of our favorite guests, Healthcare and Human Rights Advocate Donna Smith, will join us. Read more…

In America, we take our pound of flesh and our profits wherever we may find them. In our U.S. health care system, the opportunities to profit are plentiful no matter the pain, illness, worry or other suffering inflicted. For me, I now face a decision I have faced at other points in my life, but this time I am older and allegedly wiser.

This is a story played out all over America in homes where hard working people who have health concerns are faced with unimaginable choices. Just a few short weeks ago, I had a really good job with decent health insurance benefits. My husband is on Medicare (he’s older), and we also have purchased a really good supplemental (not an Advantage plan) for him. He has heart problems, and having good insurance is literally a matter of life and death for him. So, he is our priority and has been for the past 20-plus years in terms of health coverage.

It wasn’t until several years into my previous, really good, job that a colleague pushed me to sign my husband up for his supplemental coverage through my employer-based plan. I had tried in the past, but somehow the paperwork never quite went through the HR department, and we had spent more than $300/month for four years on that coverage. Read more…

This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado.

Having (successfully) gone through two bouts of cancer, Donna has great advice on how to make your insurance company accountable–at least to some degree. In her new role she will do what she has done for many years, advocate and educate people about what can be done to access healthcare and to eventually change the current system to a nationwide universal healthcare system.

For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado and National Nurses United visit: healthcareforallcolorado.org and nationalnursesunited.org.

And—it’s time to get HIP about the issue of “low bone density.” That’s right it’s time to talk about your “bones.” And no one is more qualified than Dr. Kenneth C. Howayeck. He is an author, lecturer and osteoporosis educator.

Dr. Howayeck is an author of books on self-care, including Bone Health Made Easy.. Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:32 — 13.1MB) | Embed

This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado.

Having (successfully) gone through two bouts of cancer, Donna has great advice on how to make your insurance company accountable–at least to some degree. In her new role she will do what she has done for many years, advocate and educate people about what can be done to access healthcare and to eventually change the current system to a nationwide universal healthcare system.

For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado and National Nurses United visit: healthcareforallcolorado.org and nationalnursesunited.org. Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:45 — 73.8MB) | Embed

For those of you old enough to remember cassettes or even 8-tracks (yikes!) this week’s show is a “rewind,” but it isn’t as old as an 8-track. That makes no sense and sometimes neither do we…but this show is a Best of Nurse Talk and you don’t want to miss it. Check out all the Nurse Talk broadcasts at www.nursetalksite.com.

Coming up next week, if you haven’t found this great app called iTriage, look no further than the Nurse Talk website—in fact here’s the direct link http://nursetalksite.com/itriage/.

iTriage is an amazing resource for everyone. For example: have a symptom? Go to the iTriage symptom checker. Need information about a disease? You’ll find complete clinical descriptions from A-Z. Is your medical issue an emergency or do you need to find a clinic or hospital near you? Yip, you guessed it; a complete directory of everything in your area including WAIT times. It’s incredible and we use it all the time. You should too, its free and it works. Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Wayne Guerra joins us for a conversation on this revolutionary tool.
Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:32 — 13.1MB) | Embed

This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado.

Having (successfully) gone through two bouts of cancer, Donna has great advice on how to make your insurance company accountable–at least to some degree. In her new role she will do what she has done for many years, advocate and educate people about what can be done to access healthcare and to eventually change the current system to a nationwide universal healthcare system.

For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado and National Nurses United visit: healthcareforallcolorado.org and nationalnursesunited.org. Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:45 — 73.8MB) | Embed

This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado.

Having (successfully) gone through two bouts of cancer, Donna has great advice on how to make your insurance company accountable–at least to some degree. In her new role she will do what she has done for many years, advocate and educate people about what can be done to access healthcare and to eventually change the current system to a nationwide universal healthcare system.

For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado and National Nurses United visit: healthcareforallcolorado.org and nationalnursesunited.org.

And—it’s time to get HIP about the issue of “low bone density.” That’s right it’s time to talk about your “bones.” And no one is more qualified than Dr. Kenneth C. Howayeck. He is an author, lecturer and osteoporosis educator.

Dr. Howayeck is an author of books on self-care, including Bone Health Made Easy.. Read more…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:45 — 73.8MB) | Embed

This week Shayne goes home to Oklahoma! Well at least on the radio—as we give a big warm welcome to our new affiliate 1610 AM The LaZer, America’s progressive station in Cowlington, Oklahoma. Greetings and thanks for letting us into your great state.

Shayne: “Well, Casey I am just wondering if anyone else is as confused and tired of the drama that continues to play out in our nation’s capitol? First it was the “debt ceiling,” then it was the “fiscal cliff,” now it’s the 4-door Ford “Sequester.” Have we always had these themed dramas? Lord, I even found instructions on the Internet on what to do if the “fiscal cliff” happens. Check this out:

First, relax! Then call your representative in Congress. Then turn off the TV. Postpone spending. Get some cash ready.

Why didn’t I think of that?”

This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado. Read more…