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We check in on what is happening at Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, California. Over 23,000 nurses went on a one-day strike against Sutter Health here in Northern California. At issue are cuts that impact patient safety. Sutter Health locked out nurses for an additional 4 days. During that lock out a patient died from what is described as a “medical error,” while under the care of a 23-year old replacement nurse. We have an update on this unfortunate tragedy.

And whiz kid Cameron Harris joins us. Cameron is our resident expert on Type 1 diabetes and has his own podcast show called In Range. On the show Cameron gives great tips and information on how to live a healthy life with Type 1. Read more…

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If any of you remember the late great televangelist Katheryn Kuhlman then your just about as old as we are! We couldn’t help ourselves so we open the show with some words of wisdom from Ms. Kuhlman.

And we check in on what is happening at Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, California. As many of you know, over 23000 nurses went on a one-day strike against Sutter Health here in Northern California. At issue are cuts that impact patient safety. As planned, the nurses were only out one day then Sutter Health announced they would be locked out for an additional 4 days. During that lock out a patient died from what is described as a “medical error,” while under the care of a 23-year old replacement nurse. We’ll have an update on this unfortunate tragedy.

And whiz kid Cameron Harris joins us. Cameron is our resident expert on Type 1 diabetes and has his own podcast show called In Range. On the show Cameron gives great tips and information on how to live a healthy life with Type 1.

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Casey and Dan talk with a delightful woman named Judith Stark Frost, a second grade school teacher for over 30 years. Judith’s very funny book Priceless Proverbs From the Tongue of the Young, shows how funny kids can be without even knowing it!

Later in the show RN Rita Batchley talks about her career as a labor and delivery nurse in a southern California public sector hospital, and her new book, Labor Pains. Read more…

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News Flash! Meg Whitman is selling her campaign bus on ebay!! Well, after $160 million plus to her campaign, Meg has retired to her Atherton home to lick her wounds. She can’t call a nurse cause she—well—lets just say she made some enemies along the way. Never one to let grass grow under her feet we  heard she just listed her campaign bus, 1,062 office chairs, 890 desks, a fleet of telephones, 1,600 computers and a variety of two-piece women’s pant suits—all on ebay. Clearance sales can be a bite!

On to the show…this week Casey and Dan talk with a delightful woman named Judith Stark Frost. Judith was a second grade school teacher for over 30 years. She loved teaching her kids how to read but even more than that she loved the humorous things they said. She wrote a very funny book called Priceless Proverbs From the Tongue of the Young. How about these: “A penny saved is…not much” and  “He who marries for money…better be nice to his wife.” We all know how funny kids can be without even knowing it!

And later in the show RN Rita Batchleytalks about her career as a labor and delivery nurse in a southern California public sector hospital. Rita has also written a book called Labor Pains, an inspirational book for all nurses about authentic power and finding your true purpose. A very interesting perspective on connecting with your “inner nurse,” health care reform and social change.And of course all the tricks…some funny…some….well, questionable.  Read more…

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Casey and Dan continue the discussion about California gubernatorial investor—oh sorry—candidate, Meg Whitman and the legendary country singer Slim Whitman. The facts are in and they are indeed sixth cousins.When reached for comment Whitman (Slim) had this to say, “Pray for me. I’ve tried to keep this a secret for many years. I’m just glad I’m 89 and off the circuit. If not, this news would have killed my career.” Ms. Whitman could not be reached for comment.AND ON TO something of greater importance. This week we visit with RN Linda Carter. Linda works in Augusta, Georgia for the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. It seems the hospital has an 8 million dollar shortfall so they are not replacing much needed RN positions and increasing work hours for the RN staff.

This formula is unfortunately, the “practice” in many hospitals around the country. Without mandated safe nurse patient ratios, this practice will not only continue where its already been implemented, but other medical centers will follow. This cannot happen! Recent studies have shown what nurses have already known–that nurse patient ratios save lives. Listen to Linda–its a great conversation.And of course we feel like a little laughter so Casey and Dan do “Is Anybody Out There Laughing?” Find out—some people are—and some people aren’t.Guess the Phobia of the Week and hang with us while we read some email questions and hear some phone calls. Plus, a call from an old (and we mean old) friend. Read more…

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Are Slim Whitman (the country singer) and Meg Whitman related? Well you might think that’s just a spoof or not true. You would be wrong. This week Nurse Talk invested $110.00 to hire a “family tree” consultant to follow the Whitman roots. It turns out indeed the Whitmans are sixth cousins. Neither has acknowledged being related but then again we don’t think anyone except us really even gave it a second thought. Stay with us as this story develops.

We have a great show this week, RN Deborah Burger is with us talking about everything from politics to national issues that impact all of our lives. Deborah is one of three co-presidents of National Nurses United. She has been a nurse for 37 years and an advocate for thousands. We always love to have her with us.Also Dr. Allan Bernstein shares with us information about the importance of early Alzheimer’s studies and treatment.And of course the usual Casey and Dan talking amongst themselves.

Just a reminder to check out Cal One Care, the campaign for single payer healthcare for all Californians. We can do this! www.calonecare.orgYou can listen…to Nurse Talk every Sunday at 2PM PST on Green 960AM in the San Francisco Bay area or live stream at www.green960.com. Coming to you in the Boston area on station WWZN 1510AM every Saturday at 11 am and live stream at www.wwzn.com.

You can also download and listen anytime at www.NurseTalkSite.com andwww.TheRadioFactory.com or on iTunes. Read more…

By Jack ChangSacramento BeeSeptember 7, 2010Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman was leading a triumphant rally at the state GOP convention last month when she announced that New Yorkers were excited about the California governor’s race.At a fundraiser she held in New York, Whitman said she met with people who “have suffered the financial reforms that are going to crimp our ability to raise capital, and they want California to turn the corner.”Whitman’s Democratic rival, Jerry Brown, and his supporters pounced on the remark, saying it proved that “Wall Street Whitman” was looking out more for captains of industry than the average Californian toughing out the recession.Democrats have long accused Republicans of being beholden to big business, but the rhetoric is extra loud this year because Whitman, the former CEO of online auction firm eBay, claims longtime ties to the nation’s financial sector.She made more than $1 billion, largely from eBay stock, and spent more than a year on the board of investment bank Goldman Sachs, for which she received $475,000 in stock and options.Now the financial industry has lined up behind her gubernatorial campaign.According to a Bee estimate, investment banks and firms, private investors, financial advisers, venture capitalists and even the chairman of the Federal Reserve in San Francisco have poured $4.7 million into her effort, more than a fifth of total outside contributions she’s received. Whitman has also given her campaign $104 million of her own money.The industry has been less generous to Brown, who has received about $1 million from the sector.As Whitman hinted during the state GOP convention, she’s held fundraisers in New York, Chicago, California and elsewhere attended by finance industry leaders.Mill Neck, N.Y.-based hedge fund manager David Knott said many in the business world see Whitman as an ally who appreciates the burdens government places on companies. Read more…

By Juliet WilliamsAssociated PressAugust 27, 2010Hundreds of union members celebrating the 90th anniversary of women’s suffrage rallied Thursday at the state Capitol, holding signs that said “Women vote for women who vote” an attack on the state’s first female Republican nominee for governor.The signs were criticizing the abysmal voting record of former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman, who has acknowledged that she failed to vote for most of her adult life. The rally was organized by the California Nurses Association, a vocal Whitman critic.Many marchers wore wide-brimmed hats adorned with flowers, long skirts and high necklines, in reference to the attire of the era of suffragettes. While some speeches focused on the struggles women went through to secure the passage of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, other speakers touched on a modern political issue: the upcoming November election.A group of California Teachers Association members chanted “Teachers vote without fail, California’s not for sale.”Whitman, a billionaire businesswoman, has contributed $104 million to her campaign to date, breaking all previous state spending records.At a campaign event Thursday in the City of Industry, Whitman called the rally a distraction from the most pressing issues facing the state.”That is the union bosses trying to distract from the fact that I will go to Sacramento and I will change Sacramento,” she said. “I will get the public pension under control. I will fix our K-12 education system. So in my view, my voting record isn’t perfect, but the main issue here is how are we going to turn California around, and I think I have a plan.”Whitman has been a vocal critic of public employee unions, which largely support her Democratic challenger, state Attorney General Jerry Brown. Read more…

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Casey and Dan come up with some better ways for California governator hopeful, Meg Whitman to spend the $100 million she’s pumped into her campaign.

And apparently you can be your own gym! That’s according to super trainer Mark Lauren who has just written the bible, You Are Your Own Gym, on sensible low-impact workouts that you can do at home, with no equipment and in relative calm.

  Read more…

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COMING UP ON NURSE TALK……..CHECK PLEASE….Meg Whitman + $100 million = YIKES…please don’t let the trend of buying your way into office get even bigger and more common. Casey and Dan try to help California governator hopeful, Meg spend her money in what they think are more meaningful ways…well, I know that is totally subjective!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? YOU ARE  YOUR OWN GYM! That’s right you can be your own gym according to super trainer Mark Lauren who has just written the “bible” on sensible low impact workouts that you can do at home, with no equipment and relative calm. If you are anything like we are …this sounds like a good alternative to “macho man” at the gym. Mark has some great tips and workouts and you can pick up his book by going to the Nurse Talk Must Read Bookstore.

AND DON’T forget….Boston here we come! Nurse Talk will make its debut in Boston ( one of our favorite cities) after Labor Day on 50K watt station WWZN 1510 AM. A big thank you to our friends at the Massachusetts Nurses Association and of course California Nurses Association and NNU for making it possible to bring you Nurse Talk in expanded markets. And coming up next week a very compelling discussion on workplace violence in hospitals and other health care facilities. We are joined by RN’s Karen Coughlin and Linda Conlin for a very compelling look at what is happening in our hospitals.Remember you can listen…to Nurse Talk every Sunday at 2PM PST on Green 960AM or live stream at green960.com. Read more…