There has to be something our top bloggers know that I don’t. Because for the life of me I cannot figure out how you guys (and gals!) find time to do all the things you do!
Today’s Battle of the Blog spotlight is on our FIRST NURSING blogger!
This is Keith Carlson, RN (aka: “NurseKeith”)
NurseKeith is a registered nurse, professional coach, writer, AND rock star blogger. Oh, excuse me, did I forget to mention he also co-founded an internet radio station called “RN.FM Radio: Nursing Unleashed”?
Seriously, people, how can you pull all this off!?
The name of Keith’s blog (well….one of them) is Digital Doorway. In his blog posts, NurseKeith discusses everything from the latest happenings in the world of nursing to book reviews to personal stories from his nursing experiences.
The real miracle is that Keith found some time to talk to us about his blog. Learn more below!
How would you describe Digital Doorway?
Digital Doorway is a venue for my thoughts, opinions and reflections on issues related to nursing, health care, and coaching.
What would you say is the focus or mission?
The mission of my blog is to be informative, thought-provoking, and intellectually stimulating, and to communicate important and timely information related to nursing and healthcare, as well as social justice and related topics.
What inspired you to start it?
I started Digital Doorway as a means to use my voice as a nurse and writer in a public format.
My blog began more as a personal exploration of issues important to me, and in the last 4 to 5 years it has become increasingly focused on nursing and health care.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog?
Digital Doorway has been active since January of 2005.
Do you have a favorite thing to write about?
My favorite subjects to write about are nursing, health care, social justice, and health.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ …
My blog community is varied and sundry. I am sometimes surprised by the amount of attention that certain posts engender, and I am frequently gratified by the wonderful encouragement and feedback that I receive.
What would you say has been your best experience as a blogger?
My best experience as a blogger has been the ongoing relationships with other nurse bloggers that I have developed over the years, as well as the organic notoriety that has been created by the blog.
I have actually met several people face to face with whom I first connected through Digital Doorway. It’s wonderful to create a real friendship out of an online connection.
What have you learned through the experience?
I have learned a great deal about writing, blogging, the internet, nursing, and the intersection between internet technology and healthcare.
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why?
I will be likely to donate my $200 winnings to Madre, an excellent organization that assists women and children around the world.
Other than the blog, where can we find you on the web?
We are so happy to have our first Nursing blogger profile! To learn more about Nurse Keith and check out some of his blog posts, click here. To vote for your favorite Nursing Blog in Battle of the Blogs, click here!
If we know anything about our nurses, it’s that they are one BUSY group of people.
Long shifts, grueling work, emotional fatigue… it’s a lot.
So stopping to think about nurses’ auto insurance probably isn’t how you’d like to spend your very limited free time…
This would be much nicer, huh?
But it is important to know the options when it comes to insurance for nurses…
…and your risks
Did you know: One study found that in a pool of 895 hospital staff nurses, 67% reported at least 1 episode of drowsy driving per month. Some even reported drowsy driving after EVERY shift. Drowsy driving more than QUADRUPLES the risk of a crash.*
Nurses, with all the work you put into keeping everyone else safe, don’t forget about yourselves!
California Casualty is proud to work with you to provide home and auto insurance for nurses that matches up with your profession. Here are some of our nurse-specific benefits:
We know you are busy and frequently work nights, so we make our service—and your accounts—available around the clock. Nurses can manage their accounts online, 24 hours a day! If you have a home or auto insurance claim, we are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help you.
We know you nurses frequently volunteer your time; you should be able to serve the community without stressing over your car. We will protect your car if it is parked within 500 feet of the facility where you work OR volunteer. We will reduce up to $500 from your deductible for collision and vandalism that occurs near where you are working or volunteering and even cover up to $500 of the personal property inside your car for no additional cost.
You protect others, let us protect you. California Casualty offers free ID defense. If your identity is stolen, we will work with you—one-on-one, for as long as it takes—to resolve the problem. To help prevent identity theft, we will monitor your credit for fraud and report any suspicious activity at no additional cost.
Spend less time thinking about nurses’ home and auto insurance. Our low rates are locked in for a full year—even if you have a claim. That’s twice as long as most companies, so you’ll spend half as much time making sure you’re covered at a fair rate.
Nurses are good drivers, and we reward them for it. We are proud to extended good student, multi-policy, and even mature driving discounts to our nurses.
Nurses, we know spending time on the beach may be more fun, but we hope you take time to make sure you are protected. We are proud to offer nurses home and auto insurance that offers great discounts, excellent service, and profession-specific perks.
And hey, if all that drowsy driving talk got you thinking you need a break… let us send you to the spa! We know how hard our nurses work, so we’re sending 4 to the Hershey Chocolate Spa! Click here to enter.
Have you ever had one of those experiences where something just keeps popping up in your life?
You meet someone with a peculiar name, and next thing you know you’re seeing it everywhere: the credits of movies, a book you’re reading, the nametag of your waitress. You hear a song you like and suddenly it’s on in the grocery store, running in the background of a TV ad, playing while you’re on hold.
Well, that’s what’s happening to me right now.
And it all started with this:
Yes, I am being stalked by chocolate beauty products.
That chocolate scented lotion is in the bathroom at work. It smells heavenly. I have quickly become a chocolate lotion addict.
So chocolate-themed beauty products were already on my mind.
Apparently, aside from providing nurses auto insurance, we also like to provide them with chocolate facials. Who knew!?
I had to get to the bottom of this chocolate products craze. And guys, it doesn’t stop at facials. Hershey’s offers chocolate sugar scrubs, cocoa massages, whipped cocoa bathes, chocolate fondue wrap, chocolate immersion!!!
So I had to know, what’s the deal? Does coating ourselves in chocolates do anything more than lead to wicked candy bar cravings? After extensive googling, here’s what I learned:
Cocoa beans are high in antioxidant phenolic phytochemicals (say that three times fast…). Those anti-oxidant properties prevent damage to skin’s elastin and collagen. In other words, it could help smoothen out/prevent wrinkles. (One study even shows that chocolate can contain more antioxidants per cup than red wine or green tea!)
Chocolate contains Shea butter. Shea butter! Now there’s something I recognize. Shea butter is a fairly common moisturizer and skin softener. It can do wonders for dry skin
The cocoa butter in chocolate also serves as a natural skin softener as well as conditioner
The caffeine in chocolate can stimulate circulation and give your skin a healthy glow
That great chocolate smell causes the brain to release serotonin. That’s the same hormone that promotes happy feelings (like falling in love) and reduces stress
So, I was pretty sold on this whole chocolate shtick. (Honestly, it didn’t take tooo much convincing.) And then today, I had to get my oil changed. I’m flipping through a magazine and what do I see?!?
This ad:
It’s a crazy, chocolate world out there, kids.
[And hey, if you’re a nurse and you wanna give this whole chocolate thing a try (and take three people with you!) enter to win the Hershey Spa Giveaway from California Casualty by clicking here!]
The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc. has some great ideas to celebrate all the GI and Endoscopy nurses out there today. These folks work hard every day to help patients who are undergoing diagnosis and treatment for all sorts of disorders – from acid reflux to certain cancers. I agree – they deserve a nod of appreciation today!
I have to say, one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen has been a cake template that you can print off and take to a bakery. I would imagine it’s a big hit around the break room! Click here to learn more and download the template!
We’ve got a winner! Melanie Guilbeau, who’s a critical care trauma nurse in Walnut Creek, CA is the winner of our $200 Valentine’s Day gift card. While we ran the contest straight through to the big day, we’re hoping Melanie can use the card for something great!
We heard a lot of good options on our Facebook Page – and we’re hoping Melanie will come by and tell us how she spent hers!
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