"The American Nurse"

If you haven't heard already, the new documentary, "The American Nurse", has been taking the country by storm since it's release during Nurses Week. If you haven't yet seen the film, brace yourselves and make sure you do so as soon as possible. It is a testament to our profession.

Book Review: "Bellehaven"

"Bellehaven" by Margaret Hawke is an enjoyable novel set in 1960s America. The book drops us directly into the life of Kate Bannion, a homemaker, wife and mother who had previously set aside her career as a nurse but is forced by circumstance to once again don her nursing cap and find work to support her family at a time when women breadwinners are a new phenomenon. Kate faces many challenges at home and on the job, and the novel moves easily along the trajectory of Kate's life, marriage, and professional development.

Book Review: "The Call of Nursing"

"The Call Of Nursing: Stories From the Front Line of Health Care" by William B. Patrick, is a timely and precious book that highlights the diverse voices of nurses employed in various aspects of an equally diverse profession. Created from a massive undertaking of in-depth interviews with its subjects, this book is a honorable transcription of nurses' spoken narratives onto the page. These stories are a moving testament to the power of nursing, and the continued power of storytelling in the 21st century.

Nurse Keith Sends Nurses Week Greetings from Phoenix

During this Nurses Week, I spoke at the Infusion Nurses Society 2014 Annual Convention and Industrial Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona, and I was thrilled to be in the presence of so many dedicated nurses.

Nurse Keith on Interviews, Part 2

Job interviews are an important aspect of any professional's life (unless you're a business owner, sole proprietor or entrepreneur, that is!) To view the first video in the series, click here.

Meanwhile, here's the second in a series of videos about how to be at your professional best during the interview experience.

Nurse Keith on Interviews, Part 1

Job interviews are an unfortunate reality that many of us simply have to tolerate, and there are plenty of ways to make interviews more tolerable and successful. Here's a quick video---the first in a series---that discusses a few strategies that I feel are important when navigating the interview landscape.

"The Art of Nursing" is Coming!

In case you've forgotten, Nurses Week will be here in just over a month, and I'd like you to know about a very special online event in which I'll be participating and that you certainly don't want to miss. The event is entitled "The Art of Nursing", and it will be hosted by my friend and colleague, the wonderful Elizabeth Scala.

Five Days to Nursing Empowerment

Today is the day when the "Five Days to Nursing Empowerment Telesummit" hosted by Lorie Brown begins, and I encourage nurses everywhere to tune in for five days of inspiration from some of the leading voices in American nursing.

Nurse Keith on Emotional Labor

Emotional labor is a concept that's new to me, and potentially new to many nurses, as well. In a nutshell, emotional labor is the emotional regulation that we as nurses and healthcare providers have to practice in order to be present with our patients. Suppressing our emotions can take a toll in the short term and the long term. As a nurse, how do you care for yourself emotionally? Please watch this short video and leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Nurse Keith on Nursing and Social Media

Nurses use social media in large numbers, and there are certain platforms that seem to be more popular than others. Facebook, Linked In, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ seem to be the places where nurses tend to digitally congregate these days. Here's my latest YouTube video about nurses and their interface with social media.

Nurses and Our Addictions

When we think of the addicted nurse, we may often think of addiction to prescription drugs, alcohol or illicit drugs. But other types of addictions can also have negative effects on our lives as well. Of course, addiction to alcohol, meth or heroin is indeed an enormous health risk and problem for many individuals---including nurses---but today's post is going to place our focus elsewhere.

Nurse Keith's Messages For Nurses

Many of you are aware that I'm the resident blogger for LPNtoBSNOnline.org. Recently, I've written a four-week series of "messages" for nurses, and I'm so pleased with the results that I'd like to share them with the readers of Digital Doorway.

A Nurse Keith Video on The Nurse's Future Self

Based on this week's most recent blog post, here's a new YouTube video with my ruminations on what kind of career that you, my fellow nurses, may want to look back on. I'd love your comments and thoughts!

Nurse Keith on Your Linked In Summary

Since many of you have expressed interest in more videos about Linked In, social media and authentic networking, here's a new short video---along with an explanatory blog post---about your Linked In summary.

Creating Authentic Linked In Connections

I love Linked In, and I also believe that building an authentic professional network is paramount. So, when you want to connect with someone on Linked In, why send them a generic invitation instead of a personalized one? This video is about my strong feelings regarding how to reach out authentically to the professionals you want to connect with. It's a word to the wise.

Nurse Keith on YouTube!

Well folks, I've finally joined the 21st century and hopped on board the video revolution! While I'll still be writing here on Digital Doorway as regularly as always, I'm adding a new dimension to my online presence with video!

Speaking To The Nurse's Heart

On this Valentine's Day, I'd like to speak directly to the nurse's heart, sending my support, compassion and gratitude on this special day that focuses on love.

Don't Drink The Nursing Kool Aid

For those of you too young to remember, "Drinking the Kool Aid" is an expression dating back from the late 1970s when followers of Reverend Jim Jones blindly and naively drank Kool Aid laced with cyanide, a collective action that resulted in many deaths and great trauma.

So, although nurses' experience in no way compares to what happened in Jonestown in 1978, the notion of drinking poison from a particular collective well certainly sounds familiar to me. Having said that, what Kool Aid do nurses drink?

Nursing Innovation in the 21st Century

When the average person thinks of a nurse, he or she may not readily recognize that nurse as an innovator. But in reality, nurses are indeed true innovators, and that power of innovation is our professional birthright.

Book Review: "Hospice Voices"

Here on Digital Doorway, I've reviewed many books written by healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses. In contrast, "Hospice Voices: Lessons For Living at the End of Life" is a memoir written by a lay hospice volunteer who shares with us his moving story of spending time with those facing their mortality. It's a beautiful book, deeply instructive to the professional and layperson alike.

Digital Doorway is Nine Years Old!

Well folks, time certainly does fly, because today--January 18th, 2014--marks the ninth birthday of Digital Doorway! How did it happen? How have I maintained this blog all these years? I don't rightly know, but I have you, dear Readers, to thank for its success.

New Year, New Beginning, New Nurse

While 2014 is still in its infancy, the year has certainly begun in earnest. And for many of us, plans are afoot for what this year could actually look like in the bigger picture. Are you making plans and dreaming dreams?

Your Wild And Precious Nursing Career

As the New Year dawns, it's a time when many of us look backward and forward to assess many aspects of our lives, our careers not least among them. How do you feel as you say goodbye to 2013 and hello to 2014?

Happy Holidays To All

Greetings and happy holidays! What a year it's been!

Of Flu Season and Nurse Martyrs

Nurses are often notorious for being martyrs, caring for others when they really need to be caring for themselves. And when flu season strikes, many nurses may heed the call of duty rather than the call of their own bed.