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I’m sure our listeners have heard us talk about the Robin Hood Tax—a small change for banks—a big change for people. This idea is global not local. A small transaction fee on the banks would raise billions to provide education, healthcare parity, infrastructure, and yes, even care for our fragile planet. What was once a movement—is now legislation—thanks to Minnesota Representative –Keith Ellison. We’ll have our friend RN Jean Ross from the state of Minnesota tell us why this is so important. The UK-based (they named it) worldwide campaign for the Robin Hood tax was launched on 10 February 10, 2010 and is run by a coalition of over 50 charities and organizations, including Christian Aid, Comic Relief and UNICEF.

And we welcome back Hal Isen, the creator of Core Wisdom. What nourishes your spirit and empowers you to live each day with wisdom, vitality and joy? What enables you to fulfill the dreams you have for yourself, your family, and your workplace? How do you unleash your creativity and your power to take effective action? We’ll be talking with Hal about one aspect of that equation called “being present.” What does that mean? Hope you can take some time to listen because this is an engaging conversation that can help nurses express compassion without going into an emotional black hole. Hal will be part of the new Nurse Talk interactive online chat series starting in November. Read more…

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I’m sure our listeners have heard us talk about the Robin Hood Tax—a small change for banks—a big change for people. This idea is global not local. A small transaction fee on the banks would raise billions to provide education, healthcare parity, infrastructure, and yes, even care for our fragile planet. What was once a movement—is now legislation—thanks to Minnesota Representative –Keith Ellison. We’ll have our friend RN Jean Ross from the state of Minnesota tell us why this is so important. The UK-based (they named it) worldwide campaign for the Robin Hood tax was launched on 10 February 10, 2010 and is run by a coalition of over 50 charities and organizations, including Christian Aid, Comic Relief and UNICEF. Read more…

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A little something to prime your funny bone, we have a clip of Vicki Lawrence playing Mama in which she gripes about the lengths she must take to get discovered as a spokesperson for an appropriate product like Depends or Super Poly Grip. I always loved Mama! I guess she got jealous when they discovered the homeless man with the “golden voice” a few years back…

Now on with the show…I’m sure our listeners have heard us talk about the Robin Hood Tax—a small change for banks—a big change for people. This idea is global not local. A small transaction fee on the banks would raise billions to provide education, healthcare parity, infrastructure, and yes, even care for our fragile planet. What was once a movement—is now legislation—thanks to Minnesota Representative, Keith Ellison. Read more…

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While the cats are away, the Best of Nurse Talk will play.

Casey and Dan visit with Texas RN Monica Sanchez about the vote the resulted in RNs in five Texas cities voting to join National Nurses United. They now join thousands of other bedside nurses across the country who are fighting for patient rights and better conditions for RNs.

Also on the show is RN Janet Izzo, who has written a book called Hotel Hennepin. Janet chronicles the poignant, sad and hysterically funny stories from her career as a staff and charge nurse on the obstetrics unit at a large county hospital in Minneapolis.

This show originally aired June 12-13, 2011. Read more…

We thought you’d like to hear how patients in Minnesota reacted to the largest-ever strike.According to the Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, (Twin Cities nurses strike stays calm, but pressure on by JOSEPHINE MARCOTTY and CHEN MAY YEE, Jun 11, 2010), the day long strike was an opportunity to show their numbers and passion for patient safety showing up to picket in the damp and wind.As for the patients, according to the newspaper, “Outside United Hospital in St. Paul, a pregnant woman wearing a patient’s robe walked from the hospital to the picket line, spoke with some of the nurses, picked up a picket sign and went back inside.”At another hospital, a woman living near North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, offered her bathroom to the striking nurses. A friend of Colleen Patterson, a patient recently discharged after a reported 25-day stay.”Patterson, wearing a baseball cap to cover the surgical scar on her head, sat in the back yard of the house, hugging nurses who showed up.”"I hundred percent support the nurses,” she said. “They’re angels in disguise. Everything they’re asking for they’re absolutely entitled to,” reported the Star Tribune. READ MORE

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HEY—we have a great show coming up. Casey visits with Minnesota RN Mary McGibbon. Minnesota Nurses just voted to strike last Wednesday. Over 12,000 nurses make this the largest strike of its kind in U.S. history. PLEASE—it’s not the money and benefits they are fighting over. It is the ability to treat all patients with safety and good care as the number one priority.DAN FOUND HIS “THING” …TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR YOU TO GUESS WHAT IT IS.WHAT an exhilarating experience! Casey returns from the National Nurses United D.C. Rally where over 1,000 RNs marched to the Capitol in support of patients’ rights.AND speaking of remarkable, legendary White House reporter Helen Thomas was honored with the “Speaking Truth To Power” award by National Nurses United. Please check out the clip of this INSPIRING woman. READ MORE

Big strike vote set in Minnesota, if approved would be the largest in U.S. history. Linda Hamilton, RN in the Children’s Hospital System and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association writes, “Everybody knows a nurse. And right now, more than 12,000 of us are in the fight of our lives with six different Twin Cities hospital systems…What are we fighting for? Nurses never have been and never will be in this profession for the money. We are in the profession for one simple reason – we care about you.” READ MORE