Next, a practice that is under reported but carries with it deadly consequences. It’s called FRACKING. Communities across the country are being poisoned by toxic chemicals used in natural gas drilling and the energy companies want to keep this top secret. This is becoming a huge public health risk.

Those fighting the spread of fracking, nurses, doctors, nearby residents, and other environmental activists, are finding themselves at a severe disadvantage because they lack one critical thing: information. What every RN needs to know about fracking, and how they must fight back against the industry. We talk with Pennsylvania RN Patti Eakin. Read more...

Recently V.A. System RNs won a NATIONAL CONTRACT that they say will ensure vets the level of QUALITY CARE they deserve. At issue for a long time has been the lack of sufficient staffing among other safety concerns. V.A. RN Irma Westmoreland is with us to talk about this landmark contract.

For those of you who live in the Bay Area—you probably already know and love Joanie Greggains, one of America’s favorite health and exercise personalities. Her TV exercise show, Morning Stretch, aired for 18 years, and her popular #1 talk radio show, The Joanie Greggains Show, was heard for 25 years on KGO Radio 810 AM in San Francisco, CA. Both have made her a familiar, popular, and respected authority in the health and fitness field. Joanie begins to drill through ten “Barriers to Exercise.” Turns out Casey has every one of them. Check out Joanie’s website at www.joaniegreggains.com. Read more...

We all know the V.A. hospital system is a lifeline for our returning veterans. What we don’t know or may not think about is the overwhelming case loads for the healthcare practitioners who care for these vets. Recently V.A. System RNs won a NATIONAL CONTRACT that they say will ensure vets the level of QUALITY CARE they deserve. At issue for a long time has been the lack of sufficient staffing among other safety concerns. V.A. RN Irma Westmoreland is with us to talk about this landmark contract. Irma also talks about the advances that have been made within the system to increase and improve immediate care for Veterans. We don’t hear enough about the good that is being done and the improvements being made so this is great news to share. This show was originally broadcast on October 20, 2012. Read more...

A Best of Nurse Talk for you this week while Casey and Shayne sleep off their tryptophan comas. We know you all have healthy happy relationships with your families and only fond memories of holidays past, but here’s a show for some of your friends who could use some help getting past pain from the past. In this show we speak with EMDR expert Francine Shapiro on her successful treatment of PTSD and her new book. AND flu season isn’t over so we are re-broadcasting our Fall Flu Fashion Show. Here are the details:

Most of us don’t run with the crowd that attends the Annual Fall Fashion Week in New York City. BUT…it does seem somewhat exciting and it certainly highlights all of the beautiful fall fashions and—SADLY—the fact that eating disorders are alive and well in the fashion industry. Well, just because we are boring old nurses doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun and run with the “it” people. Read more...

A Best of Nurse Talk we check in with RN and Friend of Nurse Talk, Deborah Burger. Deborah is also co-president of National Nurses United. She’ll talk about California Proposition 30 endorsed by the California Nurses Association and supported by Governor Jerry Brown. Prop. 30 would raise from $6 billion to $9 billion every year, mostly through a small increase in taxes for the top income brackets, starting at households making $250,000 or more per year, as well as a temporary one-quarter of a cent increase in the state sales tax—with the revenue going for healthcare, education, childcare and other critical services.

This show was originally broadcast September 15, 2012. Read more...

This week we’re sharing  a vintage clip of one our favorite funny ladies, Ellen Degeneres in her first appearance on the Johnny Carson to start you off with some chuckles.

And Casey offers scientific evidence that “laughter is the best medicine.” What happens when we laugh? We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter’s effects on the body and turned up some potentially interesting information on how it affects us:

 Blood Flow

Immune Response

Blood Sugar Levels

Relaxation and Sleep

Just to test the affects on blood flow and blood pressure, Casey and Shayne conduct a very dangerous “on air” experiment. You won’t want to miss it.

On a bit of a serious note, November is National Diabetes Month, including World Diabetes Day on Nov. Read more...

And RNs Jean Ross and Karen Higgins join us to talk about the recent elections, what the results mean to our country and respective states. Both Jean and Karen are full time RNs and also serve as two of the three co-presidents for National Nurses United.

And Dr. Christina Purpora joins us to talk about “horizontal violence.” A veteran RN writes, “A silent killer has made its way into nursing and slowly eaten away at the core of who we are as nurses.” This epidemic is becoming so widespread that everyone from administrators to nurses’ aides are affected by it. Dr. Purpora is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco (USF). Prior to beginning her academic career in 2010, she earned a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Read more...

RNs Jean Ross and Karen Higgins join us to talk about the recent elections, what the results mean to our country and respective states. Both Jean and Karen are full time RNs and also serve as two of the three co-presidents for National Nurses United. Why be involved in patient advocacy beyond the bedside? Read more...

A tribute to our nurses from National Nurses United and all nurses around the world. As we always report, nurses are at the top of the list every year for being the most admired and respected profession. Nurses take an oath to advocate for their patients and they take it very seriously — sometimes a great peril to themselves. This week we take a look back at 2012 when the nurses fought for everything from RN-to-patient ratios to ensure safer staffing for patients, to Medicare for All, the Robin Hood Tax and the fight to save Social Security as we know it.

At the front of the fight on many of these issues was Donna Smith, NNU’s legislative and healthcare for all advocate. While Donna was literally marching on the streets for others she herself was once again diagnosed with cancer. After a bout with cancer in the mid 90′s that left Donna and her husband Larry broke — the cancer returned. Read more...

Welcome once again to Nurse Talk where laughter is the best medicine. Who is Miss Sylvia? Well, for those of you who were fans of Mad TV, (and we are if you haven’t already guessed) Aunt Sylvia was sometimes the school nurse, and sometimes the “fragile” absent minded pharmacist. Here she gives a class lesson on a rather private topic:

AND so goes another episode of Nurse Talk. BUT of course there’s more to us than that! Comedian, writer, storyteller, sitcom star Marilyn Kentz chats with Casey and Shayne about her new one woman show Will I Ever Wear A Bikini Again? Some of you may remember Marilyn and her friend and neighbor (from Petaluma, Calif.), Caryl Christensen from their 1990′s hit sitcom “The Mommies.” Marilyn talks about the value of humor in her life as well as the joys of aging without grace!

A tribute to our nurses from National Nurses United and all nurses around the world. Read more...