I was writing a response to a comment on ''Balancing Expectation'' (blog post 7/16) when I realized it really deserved a post of its own. Paula writes, ''...sometimes I think I let my kids down and they don't do things or think more of themselves cause I didn't have higher expectations and said just that.'' Paula makes a good ...

Day one was an unreal experience. I spent my first day in the NICU assisting in caring for subarachnoid hemorrhage and organ donation patient. Stepping into one patient room, I could not believe all the invasive lines and subsequent vital sign monitoring. The nurse informed me that on this floor nurses look out for even the minute changes in vital ...

For many of our patients, their HIV status is the least of their problems. The population of people we deal with not only suffers from the disease, but from their addictions, homelessness, abusive relationships and indifference. I've come to learn that these people view our clinic as much more than just their doctor's office. For a lot of ...

Officials this week have released the financial toll of the floods that ravaged Iowa a month ago. The University of Iowa in Iowa City incurred more than $230 million in damages. In Cedar Rapids, the price tag is likely to exceed $1 billion. Despite the destruction, the residents of the state continue to band together in their ...

It can be the irate, highly credentialed surgeon who throws an instrument tray at a questioning nurse; it can be the staff nurse who bullies a new grad; or it could be the lab tech who berates a member of the housekeeping staff. These types of disruptive and intimidating behaviors affect everyone, at all levels of a healthcare organization, and ...

This post is all about customizing your dates!  Here's the plan--each person writes down his/her five favorite activities.  List your individual favorite things to do, not necessarily what the two of you normally do together.  You can do this with a friend, spouse, parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, etc.  Make sure all ideas ...

Since becoming the editor of ADVANCE in 2000, the thought has often occurred to me that PTs and PTAs are a surprisingly well-informed and opinionated bunch. But they are also a lot of fun as well. This was proved to me on June 13 at the annual APTA conference in San Antonio, as APTA premiered its first Oxford Debate. PT experts on both sides ...

LPNs often comment on the lack of respect they receive from others in the medical field, particularly RNs. In some instances, RNs fail to acknowledge the education LPNs have, confining LPNs' abilities to a small range of tasks and their intelligence to an even smaller scope, some LPNs say. RNs are also accused of taking for granted the LPN's ...

A list of the top 10 jobs for staying fit was released by a men's fitness publication in early 2008. The list ranges from being a farmer to a child care worker or bike messenger. Each profession obviously involves exercise: construction workers erect and tear down structures, regularly lift, move and operate heavy machinery; cameramen don't sit ...

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the guys from the country music band Emerson Drive. Their song ''Moments'' has had an impact on me greater than I was able to express to them that night. It is difficult for me to put into words the emotions I have regarding this song. There are many complex pieces to put together, about homelessness and ...