Sunday, March 10, 2013

Financial Inequality "The 99%" and why Nurses Should Care

One big issue in our nation right now is the level of financial inequality. You may have heard that the wealthiest in our nation control an exorbitant amount of money but
Why should this matter to nurses?

The truth is that this extreme polarity is much worse than most people realize.

Watch it! You will find that you couldn't even comprehend!



Ok so why should this matter to nurses?

We do alright and who am I to say that another shouldn't succeed?

The truth is that Extreme Financial Inequality is inversely correlated with almost every negative

health concern, social problem and vital issue that is hurting our nation!

Richard Wilkinson Presents the Evidence in this Excellent Video.

At least check out the first few minutes it will make a lot of sense.




I especially loved the part where he discusses how it doesn't matter how we get there it only matters that we do.

It also was very eye opening how the level of wealth in a nation compared to other nations doesn't really matter.

This means we need to lose the idea that we need to grow our economy and start to
Balance and Heal our economy!


Sunday, March 3, 2013

What Fuels your Innovation?


Ellen 't Hoen: Pool medical patents, save lives.










        This is an intriguing video I can really identify with. I have stated in earlier posts how the "business" of health care can detract from patient outcomes. I have also discussed how publicly funded research is far more beneficial to society as a whole. This video confirms my feelings and goes much farther in depth. Please Enjoy, Thanks.

Interview Process No Nos

      With Graduation and the impending job search looming it is nice to find a little comfort in some early preparation. If there is one thing I have learned in nursing school it is that preparation is the key to overcoming almost every anxiety producing endeavor.

With this in mind I have read and summarized an article by Hannah Morgan of U.S. News that I found to be very helpful.


This article is about improving communication in the job seeking and interview process. The author outlines three common mistakes to avoid, including:
          1- Confessing the irrelevant
          2- Interview Mishaps
          3- Overstating Generalities
She goes into depth on each of these three topics as well as emphasizing the important alternative to these mistakes.

Confessing the Irrelevant is something to avoid. It is not required to say, "I was laid off for this reason in 2002" or be overly forthcoming with information that makes you look bad. You do not want the employer feeling sorry for you or looking at you in a negative light. There is plenty of time for that after you get the job. It isn’t dishonest to withhold information that is irrelevant (Morgan, 2012).
        Fixing this entails focusing on your strength and the quantifiable contributions you have made in the past. You want to capture attention and keep it short and sweet.

Interview Mishaps should be avoided as well. Primarily this means overly focusing on your own needs and wants.
Examples Include:
-expressing dissatisfaction with payment/salary when asked.
-expressing a delay surrounding the timetable for starting the position.
-extreme scheduling concerns.
        Fixing these revolves around showing the employer that you are serious about the position and can make it the priority. Tell them what they want to hear, anything else can be construed as hesitancy or lack of interest (Morgan, 2012).

Lastly and Possibly Most Important
        Generalities Don’t Set You Apart. While it is good to use specifics from the job description in your resume and application it doesn’t help to state unquantifiable generalities that don’t set you apart.

Examples Include:
-Great team member
-Problem Solver
-Interpersonal Communicator
        Fixing this is done by stating what you have done, things that set you apart, projects and successes that are quantifiable and provable. Line up the companies specific interests with your specific skill set and the evidence supporting your skill set (Morgan, 2012).

An example from My life:

         Instead of stating Class Representative, while that may sound impressive, I would say Collaborated with faculty and other student leaders in revising the Clinical student/teacher Evaluation process. Helping to ensure students receive the critical feedback they need for success and ensuring the high standards of the CCNE accreditation were met.
        
        While this may sound like overkill it is accurate and quantifiable. I shared in depth at a meeting regarding this topic and while I didn't write any policies I feel strongly that I contributed to the process. A class representative who had not done so would not be able to quantify their participation in such a manner.

Morgan, H. (2012). Search With Style: 3 Ways to Improve Communication in a Job Hunt. Retrieved from: