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Best of Nurse Talk--Show 224: September 5, 2010

An encore presentation of Casey Hobbs RN Host of Nurse Talk interviewing KAY MCVAY. KAY IS A RETIRED RN WHO SHARES HER STORY ABOUT A NOT SO BLISS FULL RETIREMENT. KAY WAS THE TYPE OF NURSE WHO ONCE INSISTED ON RIDING ALONG IN THE AMBULANCE WITH A PATIENT WITH A HEART CONDITION TO MAKE SURE HE GOT THE CARE HE NEEDED. "I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THIS PATIENT GETS TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY TREAT HIM--NOT TURN HIM AWAY."

KAY RETIRED IN 1995 JUST 7 SHORT YEARS BEFORE HER HOSPITAL ESTABLISHED RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR NURSES. She served as a past president for California Nurses Association and continues to work with the organization as President Emeritus.

And the debut of Dan Grady as guest host. Dan is a hospice nurse, musician and all around funny man...

Casey also chats with Francine Russo who has written a great new book called, They're Your Parents Too. She is a widely recognized journalist known for her alertness to developing trends, especially in her own boomer generation. For nearly a decade Russo covered the boomer beat for TIME Magazine. She brings a rich personal history to her writing as a daughter, sister, wife, widow, mother of two, and stepmother of three. She has a Ph.D in English and lives in Manhattan.

(Originally aired February 7, 2010.)

Nurse Talk--Show 247 : August 29, 2010

Dan’s back from Disneyland and updates us on the new and improved “It‘s a Small World” ride. Anyone who has ever been to Disneyland knows just how annoying this ride was---get ready---Danny boy says it’s even worse now---but hey, don't tell your kids.

Casey and Dan visit with an RN from San Francisco’s St. Lukes Hospital. The hospital has recently been under fire for discriminatory hiring practices. This is yet another issue that has plagued the hospital since Sutter Health took it over.

Later in the show we visit with RN consultant and inspirational speaker Terri Tate. Terri introduces a very sensitive topic known as “lateral violence,” or nurse-on-nurse violence. This is a very interesting and important conversation you won’t want to miss.

Nurse Talk--Show 246 : August 22, 2010

Dan’s on vacation so after a series of her own “medication errors,” Pattie steps in and oh...it‘s a bad hair day! It just makes us realize how much we miss Elvis!

BUT help is on the way when Casey talks to RN‘s Karen Coughlin and Linda Condon about the epidemic of Workplace Violence against nurses and other healthcare workers. This is something you don‘t hear about and the conversation will shock you. Did you know that Nurses were on par with Prison Guards and Police Officers for the highest rate of workplace violence? For many years it has been looked at as just “part of the job.” Help is on the way and the nurses are on the front lines to change legislation to protect against this abuse.

Nurse Talk--Show 245 : August 15, 2010

CHECK PLEASE….Meg Whitman + $100 million = YIKES…please don’t let the trend of buying your way into office get even bigger and more common. Casey and Dan try to help California governator hopeful, Meg, spend her money in what they think are more meaningful ways…well, I know that is totally subjective!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? YOU ARE YOUR OWN GYM! That’s right, you can be your own gym, according to super trainer Mark Lauren, who has just written the “bible” on sensible low-impact workouts that you can do at home, with no equipment and relative calm. If you are anything like we are…this sounds like a good alternative to “macho man” at the gym. Mark has some great tips and workouts and you can pick up his book by going to the Nurse Talk Must Read Bookstore.

Nurse Talk--Show 244 : August 8, 2010

Whole lotta shakin’ going on! Casey and Dan talk to RN Kathy Carder about earthquake safety (or the lack thereof) in hospitals. Kathy resides in Venice, California, and is a Nursing Practice Representative for Cal Nurses. She explains that there are literally hundreds of California hospitals that were built in the 1950s and earlier that are at extreme risk when another large earthquake hits. NOW PLEASE DO NOT PUT OFF THOSE SCHEDULED SURGERIES BECAUSE YOU ARE MORE AFRAID OF AN EARTHQUAKE WHILE YOU ARE IN THE HOSPITAL... Do listen to what Kathy has to say and then take action by calling your local representatives to help hospitals see the light.

AND she’s back! Our friend Dr. Nieca Goldberg, the author of the best-selling book The Complete Guide To Women's Health. The good doctor has some great advice on what you should do before taking your vacation. YES---we’re talking to you. Dr. Goldberg says you would be shocked to find out how people suffer from a lapse of common sense prior to and during their vacations when it comes to their health and well-being. Check it out...it's really good advice.

Dan sings the blues, Casey reads the news and they both laugh themselves into better health.

Oh and you won't want to miss hearing about the new "fall lineup" of Flus and Other Viruses.

Best of Nurse Talk -- Show 210: August 1, 2010

Nurse Casey and Company welcome Marsha Podd, AKA The Baby Whisperer, and retired RN activist Barbara Williams. Barbara will talk about the importance of being and staying active in the fight for patients rights and the rights of RNs and other health-care workers. Marsha and Casey take questions from listeners about babies, toddlers and new mothers. Then, a surprise guest, Carmela Carlyle from Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga is gaining momentum as a legitimate therapy that helps relieve stress and ease pain. (Originally aired October 25, 2009)

Nurse Talk--Show 243 : July 25, 2010

Oh the summer is flying by so fast! Nurse Talk hosts Casey Hobbs and Dan Grady talk about everything from car fires and catalytic converters to what is happening on the "hill" these days.

Our good friend Donna Smith from the National Nurses United D.C. office checks in with us on all things Capitol Hill. Donna is always a wealth of information and stresses the importance of the upcoming elections. One that stands out for us is the re-election of California Senator Barbara Boxer. Senator Boxer has been an outstanding friend and advocate for nurses in California as well as across the country.

Later in the show Casey and Dan talk with our "former" student nurse and now full fledged RN--Bryan Lo. Bryan has passed the California State Boards and is now looking for work. Bryan has such a great spirit as he listens to Casey put the fear of god in him about what he might expect as he embarks on his new career. Thanks Bryan for being such a good sport!

Then, nurses notes and email questions finish off the show and there you have it.

Best of Nurse Talk--Show 208: July 18, 2010

The callers just keep getting better! This week a caller describes the agony of her "gas problem" in DETAIL. What do we expect with the tag line, "cause laughter is the best medicine?"

Later in the show, Casey talks with De Ann McEwen about H1N1 Swine Flu policy issued by California Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing Committee.

On a lighter note we welcome Hob Osterlund, RN. Wait until you hear what she is up to! Hob is a Clinical Nurse Specialist living in Hawaii. She is working in the area of humor and health-care and performs a comedy alter-ego "Ivy Push, RN." She also serves as President and Producer of the Health, Humor and Hospitals Project. How about the Chuckle Channel! TUNE IN AND FIND OUT MORE. (Originally aired October 11. 2009)

Show 242: July 11, 2010

Hosts Casey and Dan look back on some of the guests and issues they have had the opportunity to share with Nurse Talk listeners. From Boston to San Francisco and many places in between. The issues are front and center for the nurses and with the advent of a National Union they are more empowered than ever--- by the national support of their RN sisters and brothers!

Show 241: July 4, 2010

How often do we get the chance to talk with the former White House Doctor? Well, next week join us for an interview with Dr. Connie Mariano who was nominated to the rank of Rear Admiral by President Bill Clinton and eventually served as the White House Physician for President Clinton and President George W. Bush. She has written a wonderful new book called The White House Doctor, a riveting look into the personal lives of our presidents.

Also, QUEEN MEG dishes with Nurse Talk hosts Dan and Casey about her tireless efforts to convince the nurses she is for them not against them. BUT...the real excitement starts with a near "mini riot" between Queen Meg and her sister Queen Pain. Some how Queen Pain got a phone line into the Nurse Talk studio and caused some upset with big sis QM. The scoop? Seems the shoving started a long time ago! Check it out.

Best of Nurse Talk--Show 235: June 27, 2010

Casey talks about her recent skirmish at an Arizona checkpoint, Dan's "thing" is now green and Marsha Podd, aka The Baby Whisperer---ROCKS! Also---RN-To-Patient staffing laws reduce patient mortality. Casey has a conversation with RN Trande Phillips about a major new study led by one of the nations most eminent nurse researchers. The study verifies what nurses have long known: California's landmark RN-to-patient staffing law saves lives. Trande has over 38 years of experience as an RN and serves on the Board of Directors for the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United. (Originally aired May 9, 2010.)

Show 240: June 20, 2010

DAN’S THING IS REVEALED AND LESLIE WHITE IS THE WINNER OF THE “DAN’S THING” CONTEST.

Casey and Dan visit with the California Nurses Association’s Beth Kean about the recent ruling by a Superior Court judge that stopped the walk-out of over 12,000 UC Medical Center RNs. The RNs have been trying to call attention to the fact that UC Medical Centers (most notably U.C. Davis in Sacramento) have not been complying with the California RN-to-Patient Ratio law.

AND CAN WE TALK? Yes we can and we are talking about the POWER OF REST by Dr. Matthew Edlund. Dr. Edlund’s book is really a different approach to sleep and he makes a distinction between SLEEP AND REST.

Show 239: June 13, 2010

ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK...Casey and Dan visit with Texas RN Monica Sanchez about the union vote that recently occurred in Texas and made history as the first of its kind. Texas RNs in five cities voted to join National Nurses United. They will now join thousands of other bedside nurses across the country who are fighting for patient rights and better conditions for RNs.

ALSO WITH US IS RN Janet Izzo. Janet is a Minneapolis RN who has written a book called Hotel Hennepin (named after the Hennepin County Hospital where Janet works). In the newly released book Janet chronicles her career working in a large county hospital as a staff and charge nurse on the obstetrics unit. The stories are poignant, sad, hysterically funny and all amazingly true! Check out Janet's book and all other authors featured on Nurse Talk at www.nursetalksite.com.

Show 238: June 6, 2010

What do Fergie, Meg Whitman, a smoking two-year-old, “Queen Meg,” RN-Patient ratios, Mentos and soda, and comedian Lynn Ruth Miller...ALL HAVE IN COMMON? Absolutely nothing...but what fun it is to talk about them. Join hosts Casey Hobbs and Dan Grady for another episode of Nurse Talk.

Find out what happens in the absence of scheduled guest "Queen Meg." Who is Queen Meg? She just happens to be trying to buy her way into the California Governor's office. BUT due to a scheduling conflict QM had to cancel and her sister steps in. Insanity ensues!

Also our friend, Comedian Lynn Ruth Miller, stops by the studio to laugh with Casey and Dan. Lynn Ruth is just back from her "world comedy tour" called Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's, Cha...Cha...Cha. She just happens to be one of the funniest seventy-seven year olds you'll ever meet.

Show 237: May 30, 2010

WHAT an exhilarating experience! Casey returns from the National Nurses United D.C. Rally where over 1,000 RNs marched to the Capitol in support of patients' rights. “I never thought walking could be so much fun...let alone the amazing feeling of ‘power’ in a united cause," says Casey. “Just kidding about the walking--but the feeling of making something happen out of a strong commitment and a tour de force is a remarkable experience.”

HEY---we have a great show this week. Casey visits with Minnesota RN Mary McGibbon. Minnesota nurses just voted to strike last Wednesday. Over 12,000 nurses make this the largest strike of its kind in U.S. history. PLEASE---it’s not the money and benefits they are fighting over. It is the ability to treat all patients with safety and good care as the number one priority. I say this because I am learning a lot about nurses being advocates for patients. I am not a nurse but I have been a patient, and (God forbid) will probably be one again. I am thrilled that someone has my best interest at heart. Honestly!

AND---GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES because we have an absolutely mandatory interview about PROSTATE CANCER on the show. Casey talks with Dr. Arthur L. Burnett and Norman S. Morris--who have co-written a book called PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS SPEAK THEIR MINDS---Advice on Options, Treatments and Aftereffects. Dr. Burnett is Director of Male Consultation Clinics for Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and Norman S. Morris is an Emmy-award winning journalist and a prostate cancer survivor. You must listen to this and buy the book too! Go to our website for more information on all of the topics above.

Best of Nurse Talk -- Show 226: May 23, 2010

A repeat of a super show:

A great conversation with D.C.-based nurse practitioner and activist Sandra Falwell. Sandra has been in the profession for 40 years and shares some AMAZING stories.

Dr. Nieca Goldberg is with us for Women's Heart Health Month. She poses the question: IS STRESS KILLING US OR IS IT SALT? Dr. Goldberg has written the Complete Guide To Women’s Health and has agreed to be Nurse Talk’s resident Heart Health Specialist.

AND check out “Flip Flops For Haiti‚” at www.jclfund.org. Kim Whitehurst, President of the Jeanie C. Linders Fund tells us about this great and simple way to help. Also, Steve Curtain from Nurse Together will check in with us. (Originally aired February 21, 2010.)

Show 236: May 16, 2010

Join Casey and Dan for a conversation with Keith Merrit, one of the RNs at Cypress-Fairbanks Hospital in Houston who recently voted to remain members of National Nurses Organizing Committee-Texas, the state affiliate of National Nurses United, the national union and professional association for RNs. And as always, enjoy news, the Square Needle Award, Phobia of the Week, Nurses Note, and "Is Anybody Out There Laughing?"

Show 235: May 9, 2010

Casey talks about her recent skirmish at an Arizona checkpoint, Dan's "thing" is now green and Marsha Podd, aka The Baby Whisperer---ROCKS! Also---listen to what RN Trande Phillips has to say about a new study that proves RN/Patient Ratios save lives.

Best of Nurse Talk -- Show 230: May 2, 2010

Well, Nurse Talk does its own version of ALL IN THE FAMILY as Co-host Dan Grady's mom, Rita, stops by. Lovely Rita, as we like to call her, is a retired RN now working as a full-time volunteer for the Red Cross. It seems as though the apple does not fall far from the tree—Rita is as wild and wacky as her son!

This week Casey and Dan talk with RN Laurie Bahr. Laurie has been an RN for 16 years and currently works in the Cardiac Surgical ICU at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She sheds some light on current Pension Bargaining Efforts taking place in her state. It seems that hospitals are using the "economic downturn" to cut benefits that most RNs have been paying into for years. Laurie is active in the Minnesota Nurses Association, the organization that works to protect patients and the nurses who serve them.

A quick update from RN Carol Rodgers. You may remember Carol has been heading up efforts to save San Leandro Hospital in California from closure. She has good news and will update us on recent developments.

Also a moving account of some of the RN's back from Haiti and the usual playful antics—the Square Needle Award, "Is Anybody Laughing," Phobia of the Week and some email questions. (Originally aired March 21, 2010)

Show 234: April 25, 2010

This week RNs talk about a new study just out that proves “patient ratios save lives.” We'll also talk with Karen Coughlin about workplace violence and what is being done to stop it.

We'll be airing an encore presentation of Casey's interview with Kay McVay from February 7, 2010. Kay is a retired RN who shares her story about a not-so-blissful retirement. KAY RETIRED IN 1995, JUST SEVEN SHORT YEARS BEFORE HER HOSPITAL ESTABLISHED RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR NURSES. Kay was the type of nurse who once insisted on riding along in the ambulance with a patient with a heart condition to make sure he got the care he needed. “I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THIS PATIENT GETS TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY TREAT HIM--NOT TURN HIM AWAY.” She served as a past president for California Nurses Association and continues to work with the organization as President Emeritus.

Best of Nurse Talk -- Show 210: April 18, 2010

Nurse Casey and Company welcome Marsha Podd, AKA The Baby Whisperer, and retired RN activist Barbara Williams. Barbara will talk about the importance of being and staying active in the fight for patients rights and the rights of RNs and other health-care workers. Marsha and Casey take questions from listeners about babies, toddlers and new mothers. Then, a surprise guest—Carmela Carlyle from Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga is gaining momentum as a legitimate therapy that helps relieve stress and ease pain. (Originally aired October 25, 2009)

Show 233: April 11, 2010

Casey talks with a Student Nurse Panel from the College of San Mateo School of Nursing. It is a wonderful conversation with four very smart senior nursing students. They talk about why they were called to nursing, the challenges they have faced and will face and of course they share a funny story or two because after all, "laughter is the best medicine."

ALSO WE visit with RN Patty Eakin from Temple University Medical Center about the current strike. This is a very important conversation that affects everybody in this country. It is not just about nurses and patients -- it is about large corporations systematically dismantling labor unions and stripping away the voices of workers and communities.

"If you want your constitutional rights, you need to go somewhere else," Robert Birnbrauer, Human Resources, Temple University Hospital, DECLARED.

AND JUST WHO DO YOU THINK GETS THE SQUARE NEEDLE AWARD THIS WEEK? Well, it isn't a politician, banker, lawyer, criminal or the like. It is someone who square dances when their partner is doing the cha cha cha!

Show 232: April 4, 2010

Casey and Dan speak with Andrew McGuire the Executive Director of California One Care. Andrew talks about the founding coalition and the campaign that is under way to pass SB 810, State Senator Mark Leno’s legislation for Single Payer Health Insurance for ALL Californians. Andrew has created an amazing campaign that includes a new 30-second spot every day for 365 days. These ads feature proponents of "single payer" doing their own ads. Anyone can submit an ad and so far there have been ordinary folk like you and me, and celebrities such as Lily Tomlin, AKA Ernestine and Paula Poundstone just to name a few. Don't miss this great discussion. For more information on California One Care and how you too can make your own commercial, go to www.californiaonecare.org.

And‚ Casey and Dan talk with RN Tim Thomas. Tim who is one of the Nurses who went to Haiti as part of National Nurses United's RN Response Network. Over 12,000 nurses have volunteered to help. In an effort to acknowledge these selfless acts of service the RN Response Network launched the RN Heroes Project. This interview is one of a series that will be featured in the coming months. For more information visit www.rnheroes.org.

Show 231: March 28, 2010

CNA/NNU's Donna Smith joins the hosts of Nurse Talk, Casey Hobbs and Dan Grady--to introduce the "RN Heroes" Project. Donna gives a warm introduction to the project and is followed by a conversation with Massachusetts RN Kathy Reardon. Kathy speaks with humility about her time and service in Haiti and shares some very moving comments about her experience. When asked if she thought of herself as a hero..."Not at all, I just did my job," replies Kathy.

In the coming months, Nurse Talk will speak with "RN Heroes" and share their inspiring stories. Thanks to the RN Response Network, CNA and National Nurses United for acknowledging the heroes that walk among us:

"Nurses do not seek out the situations in which heroes are identified and sometimes glorified; nurses offer themselves into the service of patient care whether that care is needed in the rubble of Haiti, the devastation of Sri Lanka after the tsunami or the flood-damaged Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans after Katrina."

Later in the show, a guest you've all been waiting for, Dr. Gail Altschuler, an expert at helping people lose weight, will answer your questions about weight loss and health. Her 30 years of experience as a physician, as well as losing 50 lbs herself, have helped her find some keys to weight loss success. Did you know that stress causes a metabolic reaction that causes weight gain...besides just making you eat more? Take a break, tune in to Nurse Talk and learn more.

Show 230: March 21, 2010

Well, Nurse Talk does its own version of ALL IN THE FAMILY as Co-host Dan Grady's mom, Rita, stops by. Lovely Rita, as we like to call her, is a retired RN now working as a full-time volunteer for the Red Cross. It seems as though the apple does not fall far from the tree—Rita is as wild and wacky as her son!

This week Casey and Dan talk with RN Laurie Bahr. Laurie has been an RN for 16 years and currently works in the Cardiac Surgical ICU at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She sheds some light on current Pension Bargaining Efforts taking place in her state. It seems that hospitals are using the "economic downturn" to cut benefits that most RNs have been paying into for years. Laurie is active in the Minnesota Nurses Association, the organization that works to protect patients and the nurses who serve them.

A quick update from RN Carol Rodgers. You may remember Carol has been heading up efforts to save San Leandro Hospital in California from closure. She has good news and will update us on recent developments.

Also a moving account of some of the RN's back from Haiti and the usual playful antics—the Square Needle Award, "Is Anybody Laughing," Phobia of the Week and some email questions.

Show 229: March 14, 2010

Confused and disillusioned about health care reform? Well, join the rest of us. Our go-to expert, CNA/NNU's Donna Smith, visits with Casey and Dan and doesn’t hold out much hope for anything resembling a single-payer or a public option. Yes, there is some good that will come out of this but Donna urges all of us to call our Congress and Senate members and let them know we still want a single-payer or Medicare buy-in system.

Later in the show, “Is Anybody Out There Laughing?” Oh my, we got some work to do pilgrims! America is not laughing as much as we need to be, so Casey and Dan are out to change that one call at a time. Lo and behold‚ Nurse Talk's Maggie McDermott ends up on the segment talking about her pink slip.

Show 228: March 7, 2010

Casey and Dan talk with two Florida-based RNs who share their experiences in a state where RNs have not had the "voice" or the collective power to fight for patients rights, better work conditions and better laws. Things are changing and RNs Gwen Collins and Ansie Blot share about their involvement in new workplace campaigns.

Also with us during our “Is Anybody Out There Laughing?” segment is RN Deb Gauldin. Deb is a power house and loves to laugh. She's a musician and humorist has a cartoon and column, Deb's Last Laugh in the Journal of Perinatal Education.

Square Needle, "News‚" and most times our views, Phobia of the Week and some email questions and calls.

Show 227: February 28, 2010

A very touching and insightful conversation with RN Tim Thomas, just returned from Haiti where he volunteered on the U.S.S. Comfort. Tim talks about his experience and how he would go back in a minute. He is full of gratitude for the extraordinary opportunity to serve such appreciative people. Tim was among the first of thousands of RNs who will be going to Haiti over the next months and years. The RN Response Network and National Nurses United are heading up this important task.

Later in the show...Dan and Casey inaugurate a new Nurse Talk segment called "Is Anybody Out There Laughing?" What happens when you make random calls and ask if people are laughing? Oh...let's just say you really have to listen to the show to find out.

Allison McDermott from Fireburndoctor.com checks in again. Just to remind you Nurse Talk does not necessarily endorse or subscribe to some of the opinions or practices we feature on the show...but we find this very interesting and worth a look.

Show 226: February 21, 2010

Houston, we have a wonderful addition to Nurse Talk. As some of you may know our Maggie McDermott has limited her role with Nurse Talk but still remains a part of our show. We have been searching for months for a perfect fit to co-host the show with Casey and we found him! Welcome Dan Grady, a hospice nurse and a very funny and talented guy too.

This week we welcome D.C.-based nurse practitioner and activist Sandra Falwell. This is a great conversation, as Sandra has been in the profession for 40 years and shares some AMAZING stories.

Dr. Nieca Goldberg is with us for Women's Heart Health Month. She poses the question: IS STRESS KILLING US OR IS IT SALT? Dr. Goldberg has written the Complete Guide To Women's Health and has agreed to be Nurse Talk's resident Heart Health Specialist.

AND check out "Flip Flops For Haiti" at www.jclfund.org. Kim Whitehurst, President of the Jeanie C. Linders Fund tells us about this great and simple way to help. Also, Steve Curtain from Nurse Together will check in with us.

Show 225: February 14, 2010

Casey invites Dan Grady to join her as guest co-host and together...well...they giggle through the show. Dan is a Hospice Nurse and loves to laugh, share his experiences and express his opinions...sounds like someone else we know.

Casey talks with Nurse Practioner, Kevin Barrett. Kevin has a Master of Science in Nursing and for the last eight years, has hosted a cable access TV show called AIDS.

And Casey and Dan visit with Chip Lutz a former Navel Officer (with a sense of humor!) CHIP CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE BOARD OF THE Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH). HE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FABULOUS UPCOMING 23rd Annual Conference.

Show 224: February 7, 2010

Casey Hobbs RN Host of Nurse Talk will TALK WITH KAY MCVAY. KAY IS A RETIRED RN WHO SHARES HER STORY ABOUT A NOT SO BLISS FULL RETIREMENT. KAY WAS THE TYPE OF NURSE WHO ONCE INSISTED ON RIDING ALONG IN THE AMBULANCE WITH A PATIENT WITH A HEART CONDITION TO MAKE SURE HE GOT THE CARE HE NEEDED. "I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THIS PATIENT GETS TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY TREAT HIM--NOT TURN HIM AWAY."

KAY RETIRED IN 1995 JUST 7 SHORT YEARS BEFORE HER HOSPITAL ESTABLISHED RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR NURSES. She served as a past president for California Nurses Association and continues to work with the organization as President Emeritus.

Casey's Guest Co-Host this week is Dan Grady. Dan is a hospice nurse, musician and all around funny man...

Casey also chats with Francine Russo who has written a great new book called, They're Your Parents Too. She is a widely recognized journalist known for her alertness to developing trends, especially in her own boomer generation. For nearly a decade Russo covered the boomer beat for TIME Magazine. She brings a rich personal history to her writing as a daughter, sister, wife, widow, mother of two, and stepmother of three. She has a PH.D in English and lives in Manhattan.

Show 223: January 31, 2010

In Casey's words...Welcome to Nurse Talk--I'm Casey Hobbs and I am the nurse on duty...I am seeking refuge in the sound studio--away from annoying call buttons and the smell of overcooked roast beef and gravy...oh, I digress. We have a great show today and we also have a guest co-host--our friend, Lynn Ruth Miller is with us in the studio--at least I think she is--she's so short, I can only see the top of her head over the music stand.

CNA's Donna Smith To The Rescue. Hey is it safe to say we are all completely confused, annoyed and depressed about the state of the healthcare reform bill? It seems like nothing short of disaster--so we have called on our friend Donna Smith who always tells it like it is.

Show 221: January 17, 2010

CASEY welcomes Michael Lighty Director of Public Policy for California Nurses Association. He will give us his perspective on the PROPOSED National HEALTH CARE BILL AND HOW IT FALLS SHORT OF REFORM. BUT HE HAS SOME GOOD IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD STATE-BY-STATE WITH SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE.

We also check in with Adrian Nunez from Healthy San Francisco, the city's innovative healthcare access program that is working very well and was spearheaded by Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Get ready for a very intriguing story about healing burns over the phone. We know it sounds way out there but you won't want to miss this information. Join Casey as she talks with Allison McDermott WHO IS AN RN AND A SPOKESPERSON FOR FIREBURNDOCTOR.COM. Very Interesting to say the least!

A student nurse calls in from out of the blue to tell his story--ever so slowly, but charming. Maggie and Casey look back to give the 2009 SUPER STAR SQUARE NEEDLE AWARD to the year's best of the best!

Show 219: December 27, 2009

Nurse Talk speaks with RN Carole Rodgers. Carole works at the Alameda County Medical Center and has recently been active in the fight to keep San Leandro Hospital open. The hospital is now run by Sutter Health Group who is trying to close it. Closing facilities that serve the "underserved" is a pattern that is practiced by Sutter. Carole was a postgraduate fellow at George Washington University; she has a Masters Degree in Public Health and a B.S. in Community Health.

Show 218: December 20, 2009

Brace yourselves! Karyn Buxman is in the house. Karyn is an RN, MSN, and publisher of the Journal of Nursing Jocularity, a humor magazine for RNs. If you are allergic to laughter...don't say we didn't warn you!

CNA/NNOC's Donna Smith sets the record straight about current healthcare reform and talks about the advent of the new "Super Union" National Nurses United. Donna (as many of you know) works in the D.C. office and is a fierce advocate for single payer healthcare legislation and other critical issues that face RNs and patients in our country. She and her family were featured in Michael Moore's movie, Sicko. Nurse Talk Host Casey Hobbs catches up with Donna in a bowling alley in Chicago where she and a group of single payer loyalists are raising money for the cause. Always informed and passionate about the issues‚ Donna tells it like it is.

Show 217: December 13, 2009

Talk about your kitchen sink! Well, we do cover a lot of topics this week on Nurse Talk. Casey will talk with RN Jean Ross who is the newly appointed National Nurses United Co-President. Jean discusses the new "super union" and what this means not just for RNs across the country but for health care in general. It's all good!

Later on in the show we'll talk with Johnny Trotman -- the hardest working guy in showbiz -- at least that is what he tells us. Johnny will talk about JLaChic Productions Theatre 39 @ Pier 39.

Lynn Ruth Miller calls in to cheer us all up. All she has to do is tell us how old she is and we all feel better! She said it, we didn't. Lynn Ruth is always fun and inspiring.

Show 216: December 6, 2009

Is it a bird...a plane...a helicopter..? NO...its Winnie from the Kinsey Sicks, America's Favorite Beauty Shop Dragapella group. Casey talks to Winnie (peppy and hilarious) during the second half of our show. We are giving away tickets to see the Kinsey Sicks during our Holiday Party Giveaway. Register to win at nursetalksite.com.

This week in our RN segment we'll visit with Karen Higgins, RN, President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Karen has worked at Boston Medical Center for the past 35 years and has seen and experienced radical changes in the healthcare industry. She shares with us her point of view about healthcare reform and the current Massachusetts system that is being touted as a model for a national system. Karen is also one of the co-presidents of the new 150,000-member National Nurses United, the largest RN union and professional association in U.S. history.

Show 215: November 29, 2009

Casey Hobbs RN Co-Host of Nurse Talk has a casual and informative visit with Cokie Giles. Cokie talks about the importance of organizing and the progress that has been made in her great state of Maine particularly since joining with CNA/NNOC.

Cokie graduated with a BSN from University of Maine in 1978. She has worked as a staff nurse for 31 years, the last 13 years in the endoscopy department at Eastern Maine Medical Center. She has her national certification in gastroenterology nursing. Cokie has been a member of the Maine State Nursing Association for 20 years, and has been a steward for the last seven years. She acted as treasurer of Unit 1 for four years and was elected president of MSNA in 2009 and sits on the Board of Directors of the CNA.

Show 213: November 15, 2009

Our first guest this week is RN Patty Eakin. Patty is the President of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. As an emergency room nurse at Philadelphia’s Temple University, Patty has direct experience caring for thousands of uninsured patients who would have no place to go if they could not be treated in the ER.

Patty spends also spends a great deal of her time advocating for safety and quality healthcare for patients. She credits the California Nurses Association for their 12-year fight to establish requirements for safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.

Later in the show we talk to Terri Tate, a remarkable woman and a down-to-earth inspirational teacher disguised as a stand-up comedienne.

Show 212: November 8, 2009

HEROES ARE everywhere and we take a few minutes to acknowledge a few personal heroes as well as some Heath Care Reform Heroes like Rose Ann DeMoro, CNA/NNOC Executive Director and one of the Modern Healthcare Magazine's 100 most influential people in health care for the past five years running.

Casey and Maggie visit with Michael Michaud host of Life Without Limitations. Michael has an absolutely remarkable story about his recovery from HIV-AIDS and other medical complications. Michael speaks eloquently about this miracle. Life Without Limitations can be heard on EnergyTalk Radio.com -- an up and coming Internet radio station that Michael co-created.

Show 211: November 1, 2009

REMEMBER MICHAEL MOORE'S MOVIE SICKO? Well, Donna Smith, whose family was featured in the movie will be with us and she is a Power House! Donna took adversity and turned it into a passion to make insurance available to EVERYONE! She has a great story -- you won't want to miss her.

Later in the show...WHIZ KID Cameron Harris will talk about his video podcast show "In Range." Cameron created the show to share tips on how to manage Diabetes. He has Type One which was diagnosed when he was 8 years old. We've asked Cameron to be a regular on the show.

Show 210: October 25,2009

Nurse Casey and Company welcome Marsha Podd, AKA The Baby Whisperer, and retired RN activist Barbara Williams. Barbara will talk about the importance of being and staying active in the fight for patients rights and the rights of RNs and other health-care workers. Marsha and Casey take questions from listeners about babies, toddlers and new mothers. Then, a surprise guest‚ Carmela Carlyle from Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga is gaining momentum as a legitimate therapy that helps relieve stress and ease pain.

Show 209: October 18,2009

On the show this week, Casey interviews RN Kim Kutcher. Kim lives and works in Orange County and has been fighting her insurance company, Blue Cross, for 2 years. She needs back surgery to correct a critical injury (most likely work-related) and has been denied time after time by her insurance company. This unfortunately is an all too common story.

In the studio with us will be RN Helen Greenspan. Helen wrote a great story about her workplace evaluation. It's funny and alarming at the same time. RNs compared to cars? Tune in and find out.

Show 208: October 11,2009

The callers just keep getting better! This week a caller describes the agony of her "gas problem" in DETAIL. What do we expect with the tag line, "cause laughter is the best medicine?"

Later in the show, Casey talks with De Ann McEwen about a recent H1N1 Swine Flu policy issued by California Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing Committee.

On a lighter note we welcome Hob Osterlund, RN. Wait until you hear what she is up to! Hob is a Clinical Nurse Specialist living in Hawaii. She is working in the area of humor and health-care and performs a comedy alter-ego "Ivy Push, RN." She also serves as President and Producer of the Health, Humor and Hospitals Project. How about the Chuckle Channel! TUNE IN AND FIND OUT MORE.

Show 207: October 4, 2009

Look out ol' Maggie is Back. Fresh off her photo shoot for "Sassy Seniors" Magazine. Is this the start of something new for Maggie? She shares a list of models that have come before her -- Former First Lady Barbara Bush, Conservative Madame Phyllis Shafley, the Late Governor Ann Richards. My...she is in good company.

Casey shares more clips from conversations from the California Nurses Association Conference. The conference brought in over 1,200 RNs from all over the world.

Also on the show is Nicole Britvan speaking on behalf of the American Heart Association. Nicole talks about the new and important guidelines for sugar intake.

Show 206: September 27, 2009

Casey welcomes Linda Silas, RN, and president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. We'll talk to Linda about health care in Canada and dispel some of the myths that we have all become familiar with during the U.S. health care reform debate.

Casey takes calls and visits with -- well -- lets just say a VERY interesting lady who willingly gives her name "Lillian Thall." She talks with Casey about her first pedicure and wonders if it was a safe thing to have done. The horse is out of the barn on that one Lillian!

Show 205: September 20, 2009

Casey recently attended the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee Conference in San Francisco where the new RN "Super Union" was endorsed. She visited with RNs from all over the U.S., and other countries.

Casey shares a conversation she had with Angela Gorman, an RN from Wales who started a foundation to save the lives of Sub-Saharan African women dying after giving birth. Angela talks about how and why she started the foundation that now supplies medication costing less than 50 cents per dose, but was simply not available until her vow to make it happen. She also shares why she's shocked at Americans' resistance to universal health care, and her views about why U.S. health care and the lack of support for nurses is "missing the mark."

To learn more about the conference and the new RN "Super Union" visit http://www.calnurses.org.

Show 204: September 13, 2009

Casey talks with Linette Davis, a Health-care Information Technology Educator with the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy -- about a very interesting and important perspective that RNs should be aware of in this age of emerging technology in hospitals and clinics.

Later, Casey has a joyful conversation with writer/comedian Lynn Ruth Miller. Lynn Ruth is a remarkable young woman (75 years young) who talks about what laughter has meant in her life. We think you will find her fun and inspiring.

Show 203: September 6, 2009

This show features a great interview with an RN from Austin, Texas that shares a story you won't want to miss. It involves two RNs in Kermit, Texas that have been brought up on serious charges and face 10-15 years in prison. FOR WHAT YOU ASK? The answer--for advocating for their patients by informing the Texas Medical Board of a doctor's unsafe practices.

Show 202: August 30, 2009

Deborah Burger Co-President of California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee gives our listeners a "state of the state" about Health Care Reform and the role CNA/NNOC is playing in the process.

Casey and Maggie talk to two MAD AS HELL DOCTORS...

Show 201: August 23, 2009

Casey interviews Jeanie Linders writer/producer of the smash hit, Menopause the Musical.

Also, a critical discussion about the Critical Gaps in Swine Flu Preparednesss and Growing RN Infections. You won't want to miss this.