Happy Friday everyone! Before we get to the news for today, I have a quick scrubs story to share with you. Last night I went to the movies (and finally saw The Dark Knight after weeks of hearing about it!). I arrived at the movie theatre and was driving through the parking lot trying to find a spot, as I did I noticed a woman and her child walking to their car and the woman was wearing uniform scrubs. Living a block away from a hospital I see people wearing scrubs everyday and don’t feel the need to share it with you, but this instance was noteworthy because she was wearing one of my favorite medical uniform tops: the Koi Harlow Top. I was excited to see an actual medical professional wearing this top because it confirmed for me that it looks just as good on a real medical professional as it does in our catalog! Luckily for this woman I was running late for the movie, otherwise she might have been bombarded with questions about her designer medical scrubs by a certain Lydia’s Uniforms' employee.

So do any of you have this medical uniform top by Koi? Do you love it or hate it? The woman I saw had it in steel/pink, but I think all of the color combos are really cute and versatile. The cocoa/sky combo in the picture above is probabaly my favorite.

And now, here’s the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• House Panel OKs More Visas for Foreign Nurses, Rollover Green Card Allotments
• American Dental Education Association Awards Open To Dental Educators And Students
• Legislation Would Protect Physicians Who Volunteer To Treat Low-Income, Uninsured Patients From Liability Claims
• Lack of school nurses put kids at risk
• Visiting Nurse Service of New York Breaks with Home Health Care Advertising Traditions

Health News:

• Scientists create stem cells for 10 disorders
• CDC: Average ER Wait Time an Hour
• Fertility treatments 'no benefit'
• Dachshunds’ gene 'blindness clue'

Blogs:

• The Nursing Shortage: Political and Personal
• Will Hiring Foreign Nurses Solve the Nursing Shortage?

I love reading, but I hate getting excited to read a new book and then discovering three pages into it that it's not at all what I expected (in a bad way). So that’s what’s great about today’s post; today my post features an excerpt from a book titled Hot Nursing Careers for the 21st Century by Micheline Birger. Not only does it give you a sneak peek into the book, but there’s also a Q&A that I did with the author and the chance to read the first 20 pages of the book online!

The book consists of 111 questions and answers about virtually everything to do with nursing. After reading the intro about the author and her 36 years of experience in the field, doing everything from pediatric neurology to insurance reviews, I was a bit intrigued.

So if you’re a nurse, you’re in nursing school or you’re thinking about doing either, there’s a chance you might want to read this. Here’s an excerpt from Hot Nursing Careers for the 21st Century:

6. Suppose I don’t want to work in a hospital, what other places can I work in as a nurse?
That depends on the individual nurse and what their specific qualifications are. For example, suppose a nurse has a background in sales. He/she could be hired to market pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Usually the employers will put them through their own training program for the particular product that they are marketing/selling.

If the nurse has a background in the written word, they may be hired for medical editing or medical journalism. A nurse may have a computer background. They could be hired as consultants in planning medical information technology. A nurse may also work with lawyers or do chart reviews for insurance companies. Once again, usually this requires solid hospital experience.

Generally, if a new nurse wants to work in an alternative setting such as a clinic or doctor’s office, the one year of solid hospital experience generally applies. Again, this is a highly individual process. Each potential employer will evaluate the specific skills of the nurse.

8. What kind of money will I make as a nurse?
That’s a good question. It depends on location, location, location. Initially, in order to entice new graduates to hospitals, hospitals offer high starting salaries for new grads. If a nurse decides to stay in a particular facility then they would receive yearly increments or cost of living increases. Places like New York City and San Francisco pay nurses more but the cost of living is much higher than other areas of the USA.

Generally speaking (and this is subject to change in a heartbeat and a sneeze in health care), the Southern States pay less. The best way to find out is to look on the Internet and do a search under Career Builders or some other job search engine. But, no matter which way you cut, dice or splice it, you can make a living as a nurse. If you want to get rich as a nurse, write a best-selling book, win the lottery or have a relative who is a savvy investment whiz show you how to leverage your hard-earned money.

19. Suppose I don’t want to work nights and week-ends when I graduate. Will I be forced to do that once I am hired as a new graduate in a hospital?
Once again, that all depends on you and what you want to do once you graduate. In general, if the hospital needs a night nurse and you need the experience then one must do what one must do in order to get where one needs to go. Look at it as a win-win situation. You get a job, you get experience and the hospital gets a night-nurse. Usually there is no way around it unless you marry the Chairman of the Board or the Head of the Department.

As if answering 111 questions for her book wasn’t enough; I asked the author a few questions of my own.

What prompted you to write Hot Nursing Careers for the 21st Century?
What prompted me to write the book was nurses themselves. I had worked a lot of travel nursing assignments nationally and the nurses that I would come into contact with were looking for alternatives to the traditional hospital setting. They were experienced but weren't quite clear about what their next step would be. They were looking for ideas. A lot of them didn't want to get their Masters and teach, they weren't interested in administration. They knew that they wanted to continue in the field but were unsure about what was available.
 
Another thing that prompted me was people who thought about nursing but didn't know the questions to ask or how to get started. Face it, the average person thinking about the field of nursing thinks of the shows ER ,General Hospital or MASH! It is/was my intention to educate, enlighten and entertain people about learning more about the nursing profession. I used to think there has to be a book out about that kind of thing that wasn't overly academic and so dry that would put me to sleep. Then I thought, well then, I guess I have to write it. It was an organic process. It just kind of unfolded. As I kept asking questions, I kept getting answers. I wish when I started out in nursing 100 years ago that I had this book.
 
What is astonishing to me is, even nurses that have been nurses for years didn't know about some of the directions and other disciplines in nursing. It was news to them! That is why I included on the cover - A Practical Guide for New or Seasoned Nurses. I also think with the general state of the economy as it stands now; people are worried about their futures and their families. Face it, without the nurse in society, medicine could not function. That is why it is specialized knowledge. People want to enter into something that pays decently and is respected in society. Also I wrote the book to help demystify all the questions that people want to ask but didn't know how to ask them.
 
What is the single most valuable tool that you've found for acquiring a nursing job?
I do believe that the single most valuable tool is being positive. Smile a lot. Answer the questions that the interviewer poses to the best of your ability. Depending on what type of nursing job do your homework about the facility itself and how you would be an asset to the organization. Other than the standards of dressing nice and being polite, be approachable and likable. Be classy.
 
 
What do you think the outlook for the nursing industry is for the future? 
Nursing/health care is one of the big growth industries for the 21st Century. We live in a specialized society and so any special/technical education will always be an asset. I do strongly emphasize that a new RN gets experience. Experience is paramount! Ask questions....do your homework. There is no substitute for a firm foundation and knowledge base.
 
 
Out of all the jobs you've had in this industry which one did you enjoy the most and why? 
Interesting question, each job that I have had in the industry has always been a learning situation. When I first got out of school in the 70's I worked in Adult Neurology and Neuro- surgery. At that time I thought it was fascinating to see how the brain controlled the body. I gained valuable experience in addition to critical thinking skills.

But to answer your question, which job did I enjoy the most and why I would say that anything that involved teaching or directing groups. I worked in one of the premier psychiatric facilities and ran groups in a Day Hospital. I loved teaching my seminars on laughter and health when I was on the West Coast. I taught nurse's aides for their certification. In all that I always had stories to give the students because I had such an abundance of experience.
 
 
If you had to give one piece of advice to someone starting a nursing career what would it be? 
Make it a priority to have fun in your life. Don't forget to laugh. Don't throw other ambitions by the wayside. Keep a well-balanced life.  Strive for excellence. Also, remember that the people that you serve are just that - just people. Treat them with respect. Treat yourself with respect. Another thing to remember is customer service. Always have good customer service skills.

Also, keep expanding your horizons.  Once one has the firm foundation of the education one has a solid basis in life.
 
In the introduction to your book, you stated you only went to nursing school because your mother wanted you to.  After 36 years in the profession, are you glad you did that?
Yes, I do believe that the knowledge I have gained throughout the years has been invaluable. More importantly is the insight one develops working with people on such an intimate level. One sees people at their worst most times, and that is where you truly learn about life.

When I watch the TV journalists conduct interviews about anything to do with health care I laugh. It all sounds so Madison Ave. Real healing, the kind that transforms life is a personal journey of insight/acceptance and self-love. I'm not talking a narcissistic love but a true acceptance of ones failures. Failures as well as successes. And more importantly the ability to forgive oneself or others. One must learn to take personal responsibility for their health/life.

So, to answer your question, yes. In today's oversaturated conflicting information boom I am glad that I have the knowledge about health care and what I can do to keep myself sane and healthy on an ongoing basis

So if you would like to read more, the first 20 pages of this book are available here. These pages really give you an idea of whether or not you want to continue reading the book. They contain an introduction about the author, a list of all 111 questions included in the book, and the first 27 questions and answers.

If you have any other book recommendations for nurses or nurses to be, leave a comment and share your suggestions.

This weekend I was thinking about how I should start doing volunteer work. I’ve volunteered in the past, but recently my life has been extremely busy and volunteering was pushed to the back of my mind. Now my life is a little less hectic and I would love to start again.

While I was thinking about all of this it made me consider how many volunteer opportunities there are for medical professionals.  Of course anyone can volunteer, but it’s awesome if you have a specialized skill like nursing that you can use.So for today I looked through some sites and compiled a list of places that you can check out if you want to volunteer.

So if you wear medical scrubs and you have some time to spare, check out these sites:

International Health Volunteers
This site connect health care professionals who are looking to volunteer with organizations that are focused on improving health care, disaster relief or medical education in domestic and international locations. One opportunity that is currently listed at this site is for volunteer radiologists at Mount Kilimanjaro

Doctors Without Borders
This organization seeks physicians and other medical professionals to provide international care.

Nurse Job Shop
This site provides job listings for nurses and also has listings for volunteer opportunities. It provides links to organizations that offer domestic and international positions for volunteers.

If there are other organizations that you’re involved with or opportunities that you are aware of, feel free to leave a comment and share it with all of our readers.

And if you want to read about how some of our employees here at Lydia's give back, check out this blog post.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the stylish uniforms featured on our homepage. They’re all extremely fashionable and they made me realize that it’s a good thing I don’t wear scrubs because I would never be able to decide which ones to buy!

Happy Friday everyone! Another busy week filled with stylish medical scrubs and discount medical uniforms has passed by again. We’ve been busy working on all sorts of different projects here at Lydia’s. One thing we did this week is add the Share This button to the blog. If you haven’t already seen it, it’s that green button at the bottom of each post. Here’s an example of how you could use it: Say there’s a blog post featuring affordable women’s uniforms. You decide that these scrubs are a great deal and you want to tell your best friend from work about the deal.  This button makes it simple, just click on it and you can share the post through e-mail or social networking sites. Now you and your co-worker both know about the great deal on affordable women’s uniforms. Test it out when you have a spare minute.

Now here’s the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• Association Of Academic Health Centers Calls For National Plan To Recruit, Retain Health Care Workers
• Drexel University College Of Nursing Receives $1.4 MM Federal Grant To Spread Nursing Technology Expertise Nationally, USA
• School Nurse Shortages Prompt Teachers, Staff To Substitute

Health News:

• Oxygen therapies may relieve headache pain
• Asthma risk from too many nuts in pregnancy
• AP: Food industry bitten by its lobbying success
• HIV Patients Living Longer

Blogs:

• A “real” nursing job
  

I also came across this opportunity:

• Know a nurse that deserves to be honored? Nominate her to be featured in the New York Times Magazine. You have ‘til August 1st!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. And if you’re subscribed to Lydia’s Uniform’s e-mail list, keep your eyes open for a great deal that will be coming your way tomorrow!

Working at Lydia’s Uniforms allows me to give you insight on what’s new, stylish and popular in the world of medical uniforms. But as much as I like to give my opinion, I also love hearing yours because you wear medical uniforms everyday. You know how they fit, hold up and really look. So today I’m taking a break and sharing with you the opinions of two customers who tested out two different medical uniforms from Lydia’s.  One customer reviewed her Cherokee Medical Scrubs nursing uniforms and the other reviewed her It’s Happy Bunny medical uniform.  See what they had to say.

Cherokee Medical Scrubs Road Test by Barbara

Which scrubs did you choose for the road test?
Cherokee Authentic Workwear Unisex Scrub Pant and Cherokee Authentic Workwear Solid Color Two Pocket Scrub Top

What’s your profession?
Respiratory Therapy student

How often do you wear scrubs?
5 days a week while in school, 3-5 days a week during clinicals

How often do you wear these particular Cherokee scrubs?
At least 4 out of those 5 days

What color do you have these Cherokee scrubs in?
I have those in Caribbean Blue, Ceil Blue, Eggplant, Hunter Green, Shocking Pink and Navy.
 
Which color do you wear the most? Do you wear that color as part of a dress code?
The color I wear the most is Hunter Green, since green is the color Respiratory Therapy students must wear while in class.

How do these scrubs fit?
I have purchased multiple pairs of these scrubs in many different colors and they all run about the same. I am 5'8" so I buy the talls, which not very many brands carry. They wash up great, with no bleeding, fading or shrinking. I prefer the drawstring waist for comfort.  

What are you likes/dislikes about these scrubs? What’s your favorite thing about them?
I don’t have any dislikes about these scrubs at all. I have been very pleased with every color I have purchased and I love that Lydia's color coordinates the bottoms with the print tops for convenient online shopping.  

Have you received any compliments on your Cherokee scrubs?
I have recieved many compliments on my printed tops with color coordinating bottoms.  

Do you have any stories about what these scrubs have been through?
My scrubs went with me from being bored in class to the excitement of saving someone's life responding to a code blue.

It’s Happy Bunny Scrubs Road Test by Beth

Which scrubs did you choose for the road test?
The It’s Happy Bunny Sash Scrub Top and Drawstring Cargo Scrub Pant in black.

What’s your profession?
C.N.A.

How often do you wear nurse uniforms?
I work 6 days a week plus 3 evenings during the week so you can say I’m in scrubs a lot.

How often do you wear these
particular scrubs?
2 times a week

How do these scrubs fit?
They run a little smaller than other brands, but do fit well.

What are you likes/dislikes about these scrubs? What’s your favorite part about them?
My favorite part about them is that they fit well all over, you know, they’re not low rise, they fit on the hips nicely.

Have you received any compliments on them?
Many compliments from all my co-workers, and even people that work in management have said nice things about them.

Hopefully these reviews are helpful for anyone who wants to purchase Cherokee Medical Scrubs or new nurse uniforms from It’s Happy Bunny. Thanks to Barbara and Beth for sharing their knowledge on their medical uniforms. And if anyone has helpful insight regarding these particular medical uniforms, leave a comment and share your thoughts!

P.S. Barbara and Beth both volunteered their opinions to Lydia’s via MySpace. If you’re on MySpace come find Lydia’s Uniforms; I would love to add you as a friend! It’s a great place to interact with Lydia’s, ask questions, leave comments and communicate with others who wear medical uniforms.

Since I won’t be here tomorrow, today is a lot like Friday. Hopefully, today is a lot like Friday for many of you as well because there’s nothing like a long weekend once in awhile. Since it’s the end of the week I’m doing what I normally do on Friday and giving you a recap of the week’s news. Below are stories from this week, ranging from topics of healthcare to tips for new EM grads. So read on!

News Stories: Doctors and Nurses in the News:

• Home Care Nurses Drive More Miles For Their Job Each Week Than The Average UPS Driver, USA
• Barcode Systems to Reduce Hospital Drug Errors Not Foolproof
• MSU Great Falls Ranked #1 For Nursing Program
• New test may help doctors track tumors in ‘real time’
• Medicare fees to doctors to fall starting Tuesday

News Stories: Health News

• Mosquito threat multiplies after Midwest floods
• Helping kids get well one car ride at a time
• Oldest women hit hard by dementia

Blogs:

• Practice Tips for New EM Grads

Once again, whether you’re wearing medical scrubs or staying home and leaving the medical scrub uniforms in the closet; have a happy holiday weekend! But if you do wear your medical uniform, don’t forget to wear your red, white and blue.

I’m just one of many employees here at Lydia’s Uniforms. Since you get to hear what I have to say about nursing scrubs and medical clothing uniforms on a regular basis I thought you might be interested in hearing from some of our other employees via the blog. So today I’ll be sharing with you write ups from two different employees, Mandy and Char. They each wrote about the time they've spend working at Lydia’s, discussing what they do here and why the love it. I was intrigued by their write ups because as an employee it’s encouraging to hear about other employees’ positive experiences. Hopefully you’ll find what they have to say interesting as well. After all, you might just end up talking to one of them if you ever buy medical uniforms over the phone. If you have a question about your new nursing scrubs from Lydia’s, they might be on the other end of the line when you call and ask.  So if you've ever wondered: What it's like at Lydia's? Read what they have to say.

Mandy: Team Leader in Customer Service

I have been an employee of Lydia’s Professional Uniforms for over five years. I cannot express enough gratitude toward this family owned company. I started my first year with this company in the Returns Department processing orders and enjoyed working in an environment where all of my co-workers and supervisors were extremely helpful and courteous. At that point I knew they treated the employees just as they do every customer.

I then received the opportunity to move to the call center where all the orders are placed. I remember being so excited to work with customers first hand and help each person find uniforms that they would be comfortable in and fit their body type.

Lydia’s gave me new opportunities and also worked around my schedule of being a full-time college student. Lydia’s not only was supportive through my college career but they are also looking out for our customers too! Did you know they offer a Nursing Scholarship program? Having been in school myself I know how much that can help out. I really appreciate everything that Lydia’s has done for me over the past five years and am happy to work for a company that takes pride in their work everyday.

Char: Special Accounts Representative

Sometimes I wonder where 20 years have gone. I have been with Lydia’s for the better part of 16 years. I did try other things, but it’s like coming home. I can truly say that 90% of my work has been fun. The company I work for has always had my back, in good times and bad.

A lot of things have changed in 20 years, but I am still proud of the integrity of Lydia’s. They really do care about the customers and the staff that serves them. As a customer you can feel confident that you’re dealing with an honest company. Like any company, we sometimes make mistakes, but we have been trained to do whatever we can to keep you as a long time customer. As a long time staff member I know that Lydia’s will treat you right.

I have customers from all over the country that brighten my day, make me crazy and make me laugh; I owe this to a unique company. Thank you Uniform Warehouse and Lydia’s Uniforms.