RN.FM Radio Seeks Nurse Intern!

RN.FM Radio, our popular and ever-growing Internet radio station for nurses, is currently seeking a nurse intern who's willing to jump in and join our team!

The Nursing Oscars?

Last night, while watching the Academy Awards at a friend's home (true confessions), I realized several things. First, I realized that there's no valid reason for me to watch the Oscars. I also realized that nurses need the kind of recognition that seems to only be reserved for movie stars, athletes and musicians. How can we change the reality of this poorly balanced equation?

A Nursing Valentine

Nurses, it doesn't take teddy bear scrubs or a box of candy at the nurses station to celebrate Valentine's Day. In fact, all of the hearts and flowers in the world can't really address the lives you save, the souls you soothe, and the care you give. When it comes down to it, self-love and self appreciation are the balms that will serve you best this Valentine's Day.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Introduces the National Nurse Act of 2013

Since the issue first came to my attention several years ago, I have strongly supported the passage of the National Nurse Act and the establishment of a National Nurse for Public Health. The following is a press release distributed on February 4th by the National Nursing Network Organization Board of Directors. It is reproduced with their kind permission.

Book Review: "Reflections From Common Ground"

"Reflections From Common Ground: Cultural Awareness in Healthcare" by Beth Lincoln, MSN, RN, is a timely and important guide to developing and strengthening cultural competence in the arena of healthcare.

The Nurse Listens

Today on the Facebook page for Nurse Keith Coaching, I posted a question about listening that really got me thinking. Listening is a skill that all nurses need to develop and hone over the course of their career. But what does it really mean to listen well, and what if we think about listening metaphorically rather than literally?

Eight Years of Digital Doorway

Today--January 18th, 2013--is the 8th birthday of Digital Doorway, and I want to take this opportunity to pause and reflect on this auspicious occasion.

Book Review: "Social Media for Nurses"

Social media and the growth of the internet are more crucial to healthcare and the nursing profession than ever. The new book, "Social Media for Nurses: Educating Practitioners and Patients in a Networked World", is the perfect guide for nurses, nursing students and healthcare professionals who want to be well-informed on the ways that social media continues to change the healthcare landscape, and will continue to do so for years to come.

RN.FM Radio Celebrates One Year!

In January of 2012, RN.FM Radio opened its virtual doors and began broadcasting as the newest radio voice in nursing. This month, we're celebrating our first birthday and looking back at a stellar first year while we look forward to an even more stellar second year!

Reviving (and Nurturing) Your Nursing Career in 2013

With the coming of a new year, many of us choose to make resolutions and promises in hopes of achieving our goals or fulfilling our personal aspirations. In terms of your nursing career, this can also be a good time to plot the course for how you would like to revive (and/or nurture) your professional life.

Happy Holidays To All!

To my beloved readers,

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your encouragement, readership, comments and obvious passion for the best in nursing and healthcare. It's my joy to continue to bring Digital Doorway to you as its eighth anniversary approaches in January of 2013!

Meanwhile, my coaching practice at Nurse Keith Coaching will be marching into its second exciting year, and I'm thrilled to be developing new programs and initiatives that will deliver even more benefits to nurses seeking self-renewal and enhanced wellness.

As I take a blogging break until the New Year dawns, please feel free to read my most recent newsletter for my year-end wrap-up.

Thank you for being here, thanks for returning time and again, and please come back and visit me in 2013!

With gratitude,

Nurse Keith

Of Tragedy, Courage, Compassion and Love

America has been in the grip of grief and shock since news of the senseless and violent massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. The loss of so many innocent children is difficult to comprehend, and we mourn with those who are bereft of their loved ones.

Hang in There, Nurses--The Tsunami is Coming!

Many new nurses and nursing students are voicing a great deal of concern over the lack of positions and competitive salaries in the current job market. While this may be disconcerting to some, I encourage all nurses to hang in there as we wait for the economy to rebound and the "Silver Tsunami" to reach its peak.

Nursing and Social Media

Social media is central to many of our lives in this most technologically oriented century, and nurses are no exception. Nurses' use of social media has boomed, and the benefits of this explosion are still being measured.

25 Outstanding Medical Blogs By Nurses

I am honored and humbled that Digital Doorway has been chosen by KwikMed.org as one of 25 outstanding medical blogs by nurses.

Coaching For the Future of Nursing

Sometimes, when I tell people that I'm a coach who coaches nurses, they ask me why nurses need coaching in the first place. I tell them that nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry, and that healthy, happy nurses are the key to successful outcomes and happy patients! Nurses are key to the delivery of care, so it serves to maintain a healthy nursing workforce that can withstand the stress of nursing and the demands of the profession.

Book Review: "Last Acts of Kindness"

Judith Redwing Keysarr is the Director of Palliative and End of Life Care of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the San Fransisco Bay Area. Her book, “Last Acts of Kindness: Lessons for the Living From the Bedsides of the Dying” was recognized as the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year in 2011. Ms. Keysarr will appear as our guest onRN.FM Radio on Monday, November 26th, 2012. (As always, I received no compensation for this book review.) 

A Nurse Mensch Is Something to Be

According to the annual poll by Gallup, nurses are the most trusted professionals in the United States, and those of us who love nurses understand why. We're the backbone of the healthcare system, and we interface with consumers more than any other members of the healthcare team. But when it comes to being the best we can be, the notion of being a "nurse mensch" is one worth exploring.

Magnet Hospital Study Says So Much

A recent study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing shows a dramatically lower mortality rate and better patient outcomes at Magnet hospitals. The authors concluded that these results are largely due to "measured nursing characteristics". It's yet another feather in nurses' (non-existent) caps.

Book Review: "The Comfort Garden: Tales From the Trauma Unit"

Once in a while, a book comes along that makes one look long and hard at one's own relationship with work, the role of the caregiver, and the ways in which caring for others can take a toll on one's own personal and professional life. Laurie Barkin's "The Comfort Garden: Tales From the Trauma Unit" is a heartbreaking, inspiring and deeply thoughtful book that has done just that for me--and so much more.

Nurses Know the Score

Recently, a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (and recently published in the journal Research in Nursing and Health) demonstrates very clearly that nurses are excellent judges of the quality of care delivered in the facilities where they are employed. In fact, the study concludes that nurses' honesty and keen perception of what actually goes on in their workplaces could (and perhaps should, I would add) be a source of useful information regarding patient outcomes, quality of care, and other important factors.

A Grieving Ode to Tina

With the recent loss of my 17-year-old dog just under a week ago, I am, of course, quite conscious of the issues of loss and grief once again. Whether it's human loss or the loss of a beloved pet, the pain can run deep as we ride the waves that grief delivers to our doorstep.

Patients and Self-Advocacy

Several recent studies have brought to light some disturbing issues regarding patients, medical providers, and the relationships between them. These studies underscore the importance of positive relationships between patients and providers, and how important it is that healthcare consumers feel empowered to advocate for themselves.

Martine Ehrenclou and "The Take-Charge Patient"

Martine Ehrenclou is a well-known and talented writer whose books "Critical Conditions" and "The Take-Charge Patient" have received well-deserved attention and praise. I have been happy to become acquainted with Martine through our connections on social media, and I'm happy to provide this review of "The Take-Charge Patient", published by Lemon Grove Press in 2012. As always, I received no compensation for this post other than a review copy of the author's book.

Nursing: More Than Meets The Eye

Many of my online endeavors put me in contact with a growing number of nurses, and what strikes me most is that nurses are an incredibly diverse, passionate, talented and interesting group of people. I'm honored to be a nurse, and find the profession simply blossoming with richness and diversity.