Get More Iron---On BlackDoctor.org

My newest editorial---"Get More Iron (The Natural Way)"---is up on BlackDoctor.org as of today. If you'd like to increase your dietary iron intake, feel free to check it out!

Disaster Relief Nursing on WorkingNurse.com

I was recently asked to write an article on the specialty of Disaster Relief Nursing for WorkingNurse.com, and that article was published online today, and will also be in print beginning this week in Southern California.

I am very grateful to WorkingNurse for this opportunity, and look forward to writing an article on Home Health Nursing for the June edition of the magazine.

Thank you again to WorkingNurse!

Health Care Reform at Last?

It appears that health care reform in all it's tattered and tainted glory has finally passed through both the House and the Senate. While reports state that the legislation is indeed imperfect and will make as many enemies as friends, some semblance of reform is now on its way to the American people. Some behind-the-scenes tweaking will still certainly take place, but it seems that the reform train has now left the station and will eventually arrive at a health plan near (most of) you, with the majority of changes beginning in 2014.

From my personal point of view, this train has been delayed for decades, especially taking into consideration that the United States is the only industrialized nation that does not offer universal health coverage to most of its citizens, or at least guarantee access to such coverage.

According to the information gleaned from articles and online sources, I understand that some of the salient points are thus:

• Parents will be able to keep dependent adult children on their health plans through age 26, and this benefit (which will necessitate an extra fee) will be enacted almost immediately.
• Beginning in 2014, Americans with employer-based health plans who lose their jobs will be able to buy their own (hopefully affordable) insurance without being denied or charged extra due to pre-existing conditions.
• Apparently, chronically ill children will be covered almost immediately, and chronically ill adults may have access to certain pools of coverage quite soon.
• An expansion of Medicaid coverage for the poor now seems to be a certainty after 2014.
• Some tax credits for small businesses will make it easier for coverage to be offered to be employees, and this reform may also be enacted rather soon.
• Medicaid will be expanded to cover an additional 16 million poor Americans.
  
• Price gouging by insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions will no longer be allowed by the new regulations.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to cancel the policies of consumers who become ill, a practice that has become all too common.
• Insurance companies will also no longer be able to place a spending cap on the amount of money they are willing to spend on a consumer in any given year (or perhaps over a lifetime).
• In six months, all new health plans will have to cover the full cost of all preventive care.
  
• Beginning July 1st of this year, low-income seniors on Medicare will enjoy a 50% discount on brand-name drugs.
  
• By 2019, it seems that more than 90% of Americans will have health care coverage of some kind.
• Most importantly, it seems that reforms of Medicare and Medicaid are in the works, and a complicated array of regulatory reforms may indeed change the face of health care in this country by cutting costs, streamlining the delivery and payment system, and reining in health care inflation.

There is no doubt that conservative pundits will do their best to cast doubt on these reforms in an attempt to turn the American people against what will most likely be billed as "socialism" and a government take-over of health care and medicine. Many will complain that the government has no place in regulating health care, even as those same complainers enjoy the vast benefits of their (government regulated) Medicare coverage. It is ironic that so many Americans forget that Medicare, a government benefit that changed the face of health care for older and disabled Americans many decades ago, is a hugely successful program of government-based health care reform.

It is disgraceful that so many millions of Americans still live without health insurance. Due to the cost of medical care, homes are foreclosed, jobs are lost, lives are destroyed, and the most basic and important health maintenance screenings (like PAP smears, prostate exams and annual physicals) are missed due to lack of insurance coverage.

With both houses of Congress passing this historic legislation, the health care reform train has indeed left the station. There's no doubt that there will be many arguments and problems along the way, but there now exists the true probability that, within our lifetimes, all Americans will enjoy what the citizens of other industrialized nations have enjoyed for decades.

-----

To read 10 things that every American should know about health care reform according to MoveOn.org, please click here.

Dear (Juris)prudence

Well, I did it. After poring over more than 4oo pages of the Texas Nurse Practice Act and the rules and regulations according to the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), I successfully passed the Texas Board of Nursing Jurisprudence Exam.

This exam was the final hoop through which I had to leap in order to obtain my Texas nursing license, and thanks to my wife who helped me to calm my mind and understand how the documents were organized, I was able to sit for just under two hours and pass the test after studying and understanding what was expected of me.

I must admit that I was shocked and rather unhappy at the relative difficulty of the exam and the amount of pressure and stress that was involved in trying to answer 50 detailed questions as the timer was running in the corner of the computer screen. While some questions were common sense queries regarding the legal aspects of nursing practice, the majority required time-consuming research of more than 400 pages of legalese which was very frustrating to navigate while watching the minutes tick by.

While the nursing boards themselves were quite difficult and a trying experience for me, I never expected that I would need to so thoroughly research the legal aspects of nursing practice in order to obtain a license in any state. I understand that the Texas BON would like nurses practicing in Texas to comprehend the legal ramifications of nursing, but I would recommend that the Texas BON concentrate instead on the clinical aspects of nursing practice, using questions which truly assess a nurse's ability to think critically and clearly about issues salient to the art and science of nursing.

I am thrilled that this chapter of my application for licensure has passed, and I will be even more thrilled when that crucial piece of paper arrives in my mailbox, a license that will be reciprocally recognized in 21 states.

Here's to Dear (Juris)prudence!

100 Reasons to Become A Nurse

A new post at the Nurse Practitioner Schools Blog lists 100 reasons to become a nurse. While it might not speak to everyone, it's a thought-provoking and interesting list well worth perusing.

A few questions I have about the list are as follows:

Why do writers and bloggers and magazines continue to use those old-fashioned images of nurses in little white caps in order to erroneously represent the image of the modern nurse?

The assertion that every nurse is guaranteed a job is somewhat misleading. Hiring freezes and stifled budgets are not necessarily making finding a job easy for everyone. Nursing is somewhat recession proof, but mandatory overtime and higher nurse-patient rations can be the result of staffing cuts.

No matter my questions, the list may stimulate some to consider nursing as a career option. For others, it may confirm a career choice or inspire an interest in an online nursing program. And for still others, it may send them running in the opposite direction!

Nursing Jurisprudence: Exam Anxiety

Jusidprudence: the theory and philosophy of law (Wikipedia)

Well, now that I've successfully submitted my application and fingerprints in order to obtain a nursing license in Texas, the next (and final) hoop through which I must leap is taking a 2-hour online exam on nursing jurisprudence in the Lone Star State. While I have no idea just how difficult the exam is, I do know that I need to download a 254-page document from which the answers can be gleaned.

Based on my experience with the nursing board exams and the anxiety which I experienced at that time in my life prior to becoming a licensed nurse, I am admittedly none too happy that this exam has reared its ugly head. I am a terrible test-taker, and while I'm thrilled that the Texas Board of Nursing does not require me to retake the nursing boards (Heaven forbid!), I'm dragging my heels about this upcoming test of my ability to speed-read 250 pages of legalese and translate it into a passing grade on a multiple-choice exam. Here's an idea: in lieu of this test of my fortitude, just let me perform a physical assessment, take a blood pressure, draw some blood or start an IV (on second thought, skip the IV and the blood draw---I'm way too rusty!)

At any rate, perhaps the exam will prove to be nothing more than legal common sense and a few hours of frantically leafing through a 250-page pdf document. Please stay tuned as I psych myself up for this next phase in obtaining my new nursing license, and if anyone knows anything about the legal aspects of nursing practice in Texas, I'm all ears!

Mamatrauma Hosts Change of Shift

New nurse and blogger Mamatrauma is hosting Change of Shift this week. Please surf over and pay her a visit to read some of the freshest blogging by nurses on the web!

The National Nurse Act of 2010: HR 4601

Unbeknownst to many Americans, a grassroots campaign to create an Office of the National Nurse has been underway for several years. While many in the nursing community recognize that the Surgeon General plays an important role in managing and overseeing the health and health education of the nation, it is also recognized that nurses are woefully underrepresented when it comes to our national priorities vis-a-vis healthcare and prevention.

Now, a bill has been introduced (HR 4601) before the House of Representatives, calling for the establishment of the Office of the National Nurse. This bill before the 111th Congress---is named "The National Nurse Act of 2010, and will serve as an amendment to Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act.

Some history of the Surgeon General and the drive for an Office of the National Nurse:

Since 1871, the Surgeon General of the United States---the nation's "chief health educator"---has overseen and guided the health of Americans. Charged with overseeing the U.S. Public Health Service, the Surgeon General is appointed by the President and approved by Congress for a four-year term. According to the official website of the Surgeon General, this individual's duties include, but are not limited, to:

• Protect and advance the health of the Nation through educating the public, advocating for effective disease prevention and health promotion programs and activities, and, providing a highly recognized symbol of national commitment to protecting and improving the public's health
• Articulate scientifically based health policy analysis and advice to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the full range of critical public health, medical, and health system issues facing the nation
• Provide leadership in promoting special Departmental health initiatives, e.g., tobacco and HIV prevention efforts, with other governmental and non-governmental entities, both domestically and internationally
• Administer the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps, which is a uniquely expert, diverse, flexible, and committed career force of public health professionals who can respond to both current and long-term health needs of the Nation
• Provide leadership and management oversight for PHS Commissioned Corps involvement in Departmental emergency preparedness and response activities
• Elevate the quality of public health practice in the professional disciplines through the advancement of appropriate standards and research priorities, and
• Fulfill statutory and customary departmental representational functions on a wide variety of federal boards and governing bodies of non-Federal health organizations, including the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the National Library of Medicine, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, and the American Medical Association.

From a nurse's perspective, what is missing from the Surgeon General's overall equation is the more robust input of a nurse who would serve more as an equal to the Surgeon General in terms of his or her ability to effect and implement healthcare policy in the interest of the American people. At this time, the U.S. Public Health Chief Nurse Officer (CNO) serves as Assistant Surgeon General, representing the Surgeon General's interests and opinions, and otherwise working in a subjugated role that the medical community might deem fit for a nurse.

The goal of the organizations and individuals behind the drive for an Office of the National Nurse is "to elevate and enhance the Office of the PHS Chief Nurse to bring more visibility to the critical role nursing occupies in promoting, protecting, and advancing the nation's health."

The proposed role of the National Nurse would be to:

• Assist in the initiation of a nationwide cultural shift to prevention.
• Bolster efforts to focus the public on healthy living.
• Intensify roles for nurses, including students and retirees, in community health promotion.
• Provide greater support to the Surgeon General in calling for improvements in health literacy and reduction in health disparities.
• Encourage all nurses to spread prevention messages in their communities.
• Encourage participation of nurses in Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units.
• Provide leadership to network with existing volunteer health promotion efforts.
• Strengthen linkages with providers, nursing programs, and public health leadership.
• Serve as a visible national spokesperson for professional nursing.
• Increase public awareness of nursing roles and contributions.
• Enhance nursing recruitment and education throughout all communities.
• Support and justify additional funding for nursing education, research and service.

The National Nurse would work to slow the growth of preventable diseases; promote health awareness, increase health literacy, and reduce health disparities; promote health careers and increased resources; enhance visibility and public recognition of nursing.

It is the opinion of many involved in the call for the establishment of the Office of the National Nurse that it is time for nursing to have a seat at the nation's healthcare table. While some might argue that the aforementioned Chief Nurse Officer of the U.S. Department of Public Health already adequately fulfills that role, most still see that role as one of subservience to the Surgeon General rather than one of professional equality. Just as nurses are rarely consulted by the media for their expert opinions vis-a-vis the various challenges faced by the nation and its beleaguered healthcare system, the government also fails to fully utilize nursing's unique and crucial input to the fullest extent possible, in the interest of the health and well-being of the American people.

The establishment of the Office of the National Nurse would set a new standard for a more accurate and realistic recognition of nursing's importance to health and healthcare in the United States. If the federal government enthusiastically and publicly embraced nursing, making its crucial contributions crystal clear, perhaps the public, the media and the private sector would all then have a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the multitudinous ways in which nursing impacts the health of millions of Americans.

Most importantly, however, the establishment of this office would certainly bring an important voice even more strongly to the ongoing conversation about health and health care in America. A National Nurse could, in effect, deliver a unified message of preventive health at a time when millions of Americans---including millions of children---live without health insurance or access to regular primary care. At a time of crisis and uncertainty vis-a-vis the health of the country, the Office of the National Nurse could very well be a welcome, stabilizing and empowering voice of reason and prevention.

I fully support the passage of HR 4601, and I urge readers of Digital Doorway to contact their representatives in order to urge them to support this important health care legislation. For more information, please visit the website of the National Nurse Campaign, join their Facebook page, or make a donation to the campaign.

I fully support the passage of HR 4601, and recognize that the time for a National Nurse has indeed come. Perhaps 2010 will see this campaign finally come to fruition, and we will all benefit greatly from such a long-awaited outcome that will positively impact the health and well-being of the entire nation.

Suzanne Gordon Offers A New Book for Nurses

Suzanne Gordon, an esteemed author previously discussed on this blog (click here and here for two of those posts), has now published a new book about nursing that will certainly be required reading for anyone desirous of a realistic view of issues facing nurses in the 21st century.

"When Chicken Soup Isn't Enough: Stories of Nurses Standing Up for Themselves, Their Patients, and Their Profession", is a response to the soft and sentimental genre of feel-good books which have been published, according to Gordon, to lift the spirits of overworked and unappreciated nurses without thought of empowerment or a true representation of what nurses actually do. Gordon says on her website:

"The problem is, in this heavily sentimental genre, the real-world context of long hours, increased patient loads, and chronic understaffing quickly fades into the background. In the foreground we see traditional images of nurses as people (generally women) who “make a difference” through their touch–always gentle–and niceness. Rarely are their abilities or technical knowledge–represented in a true-to-life setting–the subjects of the story…"

I for one greatly appreciate Gordon's response to what I see as an insipid "Chicken Soup" book culture that uses platitudes and niceties to gloss over the true reality behind the myth of nurses as angels of mercy who simply need a pat on the back and an inspirational story in order to continue working double shifts and mandatory overtime without complaint.

Gordon continues on her website:

"No wonder the public clings to this sentimentalized vision of nurses and texts that are produced to inspire nurses deliver up story after saccharine story that reinforce traditional stereotypes of nursing and women’s work. Nurses are plied from every direction with a narrative that depicts them as modern angels endowed with extraordinary powers of empathy and compassion–qualities that are never depicted as the products of education or experience on the job."

The "angel of mercy" image of nurses---long a myth brought forward since the time of Florence Nightingale---has indeed secured a place in the modern view of nurses, and it is authors like Suzanne Gordon who seek to shatter that image and paint a picture of nurses' challenges and true professionalism with realistic hues.

I sincerely hope that I myself have not inadvertently contributed to this widespread sentimentalism about nurses and nursing through my own writings in print and online, but as a nurse on the front lines since the mid-90's, I hope I have indeed written enough about the vicissitudes of nursing over the years to make up for any notions of sentimentality on my part.

Suzanne Gordon's consistent championing of the cause of 21st-century nursing is heartening and encouraging. Gordon brings a sober journalist's eye to a subject that, according to her keen observation, has been watered down and delivered without consideration regarding how to move nurses from sentimental caricature to real life. Gordon believes that nurses need "crucial tools" such as negotiation and conflict resolution in order to have a true seat at the health care table, and the "inspirational narratives" so often published about nurses focus too much on feeling and not enough on the nitty gritty action that portrays nurses in a true light.

I greatly look forward to reading Gordon's new book, and applaud her for her advocacy and courage as a writer and journalist. Gordon has done a great deal for nurses through her work as an author, and I'm certain that this new collection will only add to the canon of literature that truly defines the reality of modern-day nursing.

The National Health Service

As Congress argues about whether national health care can ever be a reality here in the United States (with fears of socialism abounding), the British National Health Service (NHS) is often brought up as an example of socialized medicine gone awry.

Just a few days ago, I received an email from a contact who wanted me to share with my readers some real facts about the NHS in order to counter many of the falsehoods bandied about. The NHS was established in 1948 for the benefit of the residents of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and contrary to popular opinion here in the US, residents of those countries can indeed purchase private health insurance, go to private hospitals and otherwise pursue high-quality care.

An article on Health Express extolls many of the positive aspects of the NHS, readers can click here to peruse the article in its entirety.

A few highlights of this review of the NHS include:

• The first successful "test-tube baby" was born under the auspices of the NHS in 1978
• Nurses make up 30% of the NHS workforce
• Almost 1 out of every 23 residents of Wales and England are employed by the NHS
• The NHS pays for and supports 16,000 home births per year
• Life expectancy for both men and women has increased by 10 years since the NHS was founded

While I have no illusions that the NHS is perfect, and I have no doubt that there are plenty of British citizens ready to complain about their healthcare (or lack thereof), it's interesting to hear of the successes of the NHS, and have additional information from which to form an opinion.

Meanwhile, millions of American children and adults still live without any health insurance whatsoever, and a considerable percentage of home foreclosures in the US are due to health care bills which homeowners simply cannot pay.

Health care in the US is frequently a sad state of affairs, and perhaps some day we'll look back on the millions of uninsured as a sad stain on our health care history. Til then, the debate rages on........

A Nursing Student in Taos

Sitting in a Middle Eastern cafe in Taos, New Mexico this afternoon, my wife and I were lucky to strike up a conversation with a young man with whom we were sharing a low table surrounded by comfy pillows.

In the course of our conversation, it turned out that he's pursuing a degree in nursing, and it's quite heartening to see a thoughtful young man of heart and intelligence planning to enter the field. Nursing still seems to be all the rage among young people seeking an honest and remunerative career, and when I meet someone like this, I'm pleased to feel that, yes, I would want this person at my bedside when I'm in the ER.

Even as some areas of the country are seeing hiring freezes and a dearth of jobs in comparison to the number of students being churned out by nursing schools, it seems that some states (like Florida and Texas) still enjoy a high number of positions waiting to be filled. Apparently, demand may actually outstrip supply in Texas in 2010.

There are so many good people entering the field of nursing, and I'm very pleased that the profession is attracting many mature, educated individuals who are bringing their life experience and knowledge to the fore. I know several extremely intelligent and kind people now in the throes of their nursing education, and I'm certain that they will bring great compassion and thoughtful regard to their work in the very near future.

May the continued flow of high quality nursing students continue for years to come as long as the demand for their service persists, a scenario made very likely by the aging of our society and the need of the retiring Baby Boom generation for medical care. Nurses are still the backbone of the medical industry, and a strong backbone it is.

Persevering on the Spiritual Path

As we follow the teachings and as we practice, we will inevitably discover certain truths about ourselves that stand out prominently: There are places where we always get stuck; there are habitual patterns and strategies that are the legacy of negative karma, which we continuously repeat and reinforce; there are particular ways of seeing things—those tired old explanations of ourselves and the world around us—that are quite mistaken yet which we hold onto as authentic, and so distort our whole view of reality.

When we persevere on the spiritual path, and examine ourselves honestly, it begins to dawn on us more and more that our perceptions are nothing more than a web of illusions. Simply to acknowledge our confusion, even though we cannot accept it completely, can bring some light of understanding and spark off in us a new process, a process of healing.

---Sogyal Rinpoche

A Lone Star Nurse

Having left Massachusetts for the great American West, I am in the process of applying for a nursing license in Texas, the state where I now have legal residence. Having only received a license in Massachusetts in the past, I am somewhat overwhelmed by the circuitous and complicated nature of the application process in the Lone Star State, bearing in mind that a Texas nursing license will allow me to practice in 20 other states thanks to the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Once I had begun the online application process to apply for a Texas nursing license, I was interested to learn that the application required me to present myself to the nearest Sheriff's office for fingerprinting. Never having had the opportunity for such an indignity in the past, this novel experience was indeed quite novel, and I left the Georgetown, Texas Sheriff's Department with a very official-looking set of fingerprints, paying the paltry sum of five dollars for the privilege.

Delving further into the application procedures found me calling the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing to ascertain the date on which I took my nursing board exams (good thing they didn't ask for my score!), as well as paying an additional fee to have an electronic verification of my Massachusetts license sent to the Texas Board of Nursing.

The fees for my new license application were as follows:

• Fingerprinting: $5.00
• Online application: $200.00
• Online license verification: $30.00
  

Finally completing the application and mailing the fingerprint card to Austin, I learned that yet another step would be required in order for me to receive my permanent Texas nursing license. This final step entails studying over 250 pages of rules and regulations pertaining to the practice of nursing in the state of Texas, and subsequently taking an online exam that may require up to two hours to complete. Passing this exam of "nursing jurisprudence" will be the last hoop through which I will need to jump in order to ultimately be allowed to practice in the Lone Star State, as well as in 20 other states mentioned earlier.

The most disconcerting aspect of this application was a question which required me to reveal if I have been treated or diagnosed in the last five years with Antisocial Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Paranoid Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or several other mental illnesses. While I understand the reasoning behind such questions (images of Nurse Ratched come to mind), it seems a grave violation of privacy to demand such personal and confidential medical/psychiatric information from a licensure applicant. While I'm not certain what may have occurred had I selected "yes" for a psychiatric treatment history, it seems fairly apparent that revealing such information would not necessarily win over the hearts and minds of the members of the Texas Board of Nursing who would be reviewing my application.

While I admit to feeling both inconvenienced and annoyed at the frankly burdensome nature of this process, I understand that it is indeed a privilege to practice as a nurse in any state or country, and both nursing education and licensure are difficult for a reason: to winnow down the applicants to the hearty few who can see the transaction through to the bitter end. From seeking admission to nursing school to surviving clinical to passing the nursing boards, nothing about becoming a nurse---or remaining one---is simple, and perhaps that is, in fact, for the best.

I will indeed be grateful to receive my Texas nursing license---and the rights and responsibilities therein---and will frankly breathe an enormous sigh of relief when the red tape has been sufficiently satisfied. It has been an intimidatingly complicated business, and obtaining that license will be a moment of great satisfaction indeed.

Change of Shift at INQRI Blog

The newest edition of Change of Shift, the nursing blog carnival, is up at The Blog of the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI), with the focus being education.

The primary goal of INQRI is "to generate, disseminate and translate research to understand how nurses contribute to and can improve the quality of patient care." I am new to INQRI and will be perusing their site to gather more information about their work and research.

Freelance Writing

It seems that my work as a freelance nurse writer is beginning to bear increasing fruit. Digital Doorway has been in existence for five years now, and it has been a slow but steady process of becoming published in a variety of venues and media.

I have been an "Expert Blogger" on BlackDoctor for a year, and I have now been asked to provide a weekly editorial article on that site beginning later this month. This will allow me to use my skills as a writer and nurse to reach a slightly wider audience on a regular basis. I'm grateful to the editors at BlackDoctor for this opportunity.

Just this week, I completed an article on "Disaster Relief Nursing" for the Southern California-based Working Nurse. The article will appear on the Working Nurse website and in their print version, which reaches 100,000 nurses at home and at work. With the ongoing situation in Haiti, it couldn't be a better time for nurses to learn more about disaster relief as a specialty.

In terms of books, two stories of mine will be appearing in a new collection entitled "Nurses on the Run" which is scheduled for publication by Dog Ear Publishing later this year.

Drumming up work as a writer is not always easy, but my level of satisfaction is currently high with so much good news to report. I will continue to pursue further opportunities, and fully appreciate the trust and support I have received from so many people along the way.

Tax Returns For Nurses

For the nurses who read this blog, there is a new website dedicated to providing tax return help for nurses and caregivers. I have not researched this site, nor is this an endorsement. I am posting this simply as a resource for nurses who might want to check out the site.

Change of Shift at RehabRN

The newest edition of Change of Shift is up at RehabRN. Please pay her a visit to read the freshest blog entries by some of the best nurse bloggers around.

The Fresh Air Fund...

Here's a great video for the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that I periodically promote via this blog. Please consider supporting them.....

Making a Difference in Haiti

Nurses and other health professionals from around the world have descended on Haiti to assist in the recovery effort following the recent earthquake. According to National Nurses United, a national nursing union based in California, more than 7,000 nurses have already volunteered to travel to Haiti, and more are signing up each day. These are impressive numbers, and there's no doubt that nurses are playing a major role in the Haitian effort. The California Nurses Association seems to be at the forefront of this undertaking, and it is incredibly heartening to see my chosen profession so well represented at such a crucial time of need.

For myself personally, I am deeply sorry to not be in a position in my life to travel to Haiti and pitch in as so many others are doing. Timing and personal circumstances are important, and I regret not being able to go. Taking part could be a life-changing experience, and I hope the best for the nurses who are going to Haiti.

When Katrina hit Mississippi and Louisiana several years ago, I was also not able to go to the Gulf personally, and instead took part in fundraisers and other events back in Massachusetts. Similarly for Haiti, I am raising funds for Partners in Health, and readers are encouraged to click here if you would like to donate to this excellent organization's work in Haiti.

Living with chronic pain and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity make participating in such work seem somewhat untenable for me at this time in my life, and I regret that my current physical health prevents me from taking part. Still, my heart goes out to the people of Haiti and those who are volunteering their time in this massive recovery effort.

May we all---myself included---realize how our own petty grievances and wants are so small in light of the suffering endured by so many, and may the people of Haiti be uplifted by the outpouring of support and love flowing their way from around the world.

50 Best Blogs for New Nurses

Digital Doorway has been named as one of the 50 best blogs for new nurses on the Nurse Practitioner Schools website. It's an honor to be on this list of excellent and interesting nurse bloggers, and I hope that Digital Doorway can continue to live up to such attention.

Digital Doorway Turns Five

On January 18th, Digital Doorway quietly turned five years old, and this important anniversary passed me by without notice.

Over these last five years, this blog has been the repository of a great deal of my musings about nursing, health care, medicine, spirituality, life with chronic pain and chronic illness, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and many other notions and experiences along the way. While some nurse bloggers focus keenly on nursing, Digital Doorway's life has been an itinerant one, wandering from subject to subject, meandering through many doors along life's innumerable corridors.

Blogs have a life of their own, and this blog has lived through any number of permutations. Along the way, there have been awards and recognition, and my writings here have actually led to paid work as a writer both in print and online, with some projects still underway.

I'm grateful for the opportunities that writing this blog have afforded me for the last five years, and although I may have lost some readers by not staying more clear and focused in my choice of subject matter, it has been a consistently gratifying ride.

Since my wife and I are still on the road and blogging about our experience, my blogging attention has admittedly been drawn elsewhere, but Digital Doorway will continue to be a place where I document my life, my thoughts, and my future work as a nurse when our traveling days are over.

Please stay tuned as I continue to retool and reevaluate what Digital Doorway is truly about, and thanks for being here.

Change of Shift, and Digital Doorway Makes the Cut!

Well, folks, I finally made the cut and submitted two pieces to the most recent edition of Change of Shift, the ever wonderful nursing blog carnival that consistently pleases and enlightens readers around the globe every two weeks! Please click here to read what's on offer this time around!

Fundraising for Haitian Relief

Dear Readers,

On this Martin Luther King Day, I am taking action by creating a personal fund-raising page on the website of Partners in Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor of the world.

Founded by Dr. Paul Farmer on a shoestring budget decades ago, PIH now works in a number of countries around the world, but has worked specifically in Haiti for more 20 years. With boots on the ground in Haiti for so many years, PIH was able to be one of the first organizations to respond to the recent disaster, and I am honored to actively raise money on their behalf. My goal is to raise $1000 in the next week, and I ask that you consider donating today in memory of Dr. King and his historic legacy.

Please click here to visit my personal donation page on the Partners in Health website.

Thank you!

Quick Links to Haiti Updates on the Ground

To navigate quickly to several organizations' Haiti-related updates, please follow these links:

Partners in Health (PIH)

Doctors Without Borders

Yele.org

Google's Haiti relief web page

Haiti Relief Fund

Fonkoze

Mercy Corps

Responding to Haiti

With news of the devastation in Haiti coming to light, we all pray for the survivors, relief workers, and those searching for missing loved ones. With the death toll rising in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it is hard to fathom how much more the people of Haiti can take. President Obama pledged $100 million in aid today, and there is no telling how much it will take to rebuild the country, bury the dead, and tend to the wounded and traumatized.

As I write this, a National Public Radio reporter is crying as he reports on the plethora of injured children and adults laying on cots in a hotel driveway in downtown Port au Prince.

Money is pouring in from all corners of the globe, and you can make a difference by donating to organizations such as Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders. The online organization Care2 offers a useful selection of information on the crisis, and National Public Radio also has a list of resources available on their website.

When making donations, please be cautious that you are giving money through a secure and reliable website, and be aware that some scams have already been detected as people scramble to donate money quickly.

There have been some rumors circulating that American Airlines is offering to fly nurses and doctors to Haiti for free, but I have not been able to independently confirm that information.

We keep the people of Haiti in our prayers and thoughts, and join with others in the sense of helplessness that many of us can feel when devastation strikes. May we all do what we can, give what we are able, and hold the people of Haiti in our hearts and prayers.