Mary Seacole's Autobiography

The autobiography of Mary Seacole is now freely available to download from the Gutenberg Project:
"The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole
in Many Lands" by Mary Seacole, 1857.
Also in the Library we have a lending copy on display of the 2004 book
"Mary Seacole: The most famous black woman of the Victorian Age" by Jane Robinson.

Check out the excellent website of the Mary Seacole Centre
to learn even more about this amazing, couragous, Jamaican born nurse,
called by some "the greatest black Briton in history"!

Experienced Stressors and Coping Strategies Among Iranian Nursing Students

Research Article: Open Source
by Naiemeh Seyedfatemi, Maryam Tafreshi and Hamid Hagani
BMC Nursing 2007, 6:11doi:10.1186/1472-6955-6-11
Published: 13 November 2007

Background:
College students are prone to stress due to the transitional nature of college life. High levels of stress are believed to affect students' health and academic functions. If the stress is not dealt with effectively, feelings of loneliness, nervousness, sleeplessness and worrying may result. Effective coping strategies facilitate the return to a balanced state, reducing the negative effects of stress.

Conclusions:
First year nursing students are exposed to a variety of stressors. Establishing a student support system during the first year and improving it throughout nursing school is necessary to equip nursing students with effective coping skills. Efforts should include counseling helpers and their teachers, strategies that can be called upon in these students' future nursing careers.

International Research Internship for Nurse Researchers

Multiple Interventions for Community Health:

Are you a graduate-prepared nurse with a research focus on community health?
Looking for a training opportunity to take your research career to the next level?
Want to develop research networks that extend to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean?
READ more ...
Application deadline: January 7, 2008

We're Bringing Nursing Back

A 'just for fun' nursing promotional video created by
some nursing students and first posted on
You Tube ~ Nov 14, 2006!.
Enjoy!

Be Prepared for your New Responsibilities

"There is a nasty rumor that abounds throughout the nursing community that "nurses eat their young" or "their own." The truth is, in any field and even in life in general, you will find those who will step on anyone including their own mother or children to get ahead. Some nurses do this, and others are intimidated by new nurses and their enthusiasm. They will do anything to keep them down.
Nurses are thought of as loving, caring, compassionate individuals who probably wouldn't hurt a flea. So to think of nurses as being competitive and back stabbing is unnerving. Like any other field however, there are leaders and followers. There have to be managers and worker bees to get the job done..."
click on title to read more [from About.com: Nursing]

Senate bill aids recruitment of overseas RNs

October 29, 2007 ~ AHANews Now
The Senate last week approved legislation designed to reopen the supply of foreign-born registered nurses (RN) and physical therapists (PT) to U.S. hospitals.

The measure, part of H.R. 3043, the Senate-passed fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, authorizes the government to claim 61,000 unused employment-based (EB) visas from past years and make them available to RNs and PTs from the Philippines – the primary source of overseas RNs for American hospitals – and other countries. The legislation also imposes a $1,500 fee for each nurse visa issued. Funds raised by the fee will educate more U.S. nurse faculty and enable nursing programs to enroll more nursing students....
Click title to access full report.

Quick Facts on Registered Nurses (RN's)

from the US Dept of Labour, Women's Bureau.

...Job opportunities for RNs in all specialties are expected to be excellent. Between the 2004-2014 period, employment of RNs is expected to grow at 29.4 percent--much faster than the 13.0 percent average for all occupations.

BLS also projects that there will be 1.2 million total job openings for RNs due to growth and net replacements between the 2004-2014 period....

ANA Nurse's Career Center

The ANA Nurses Career Center - run by Healthecareers, provides RN's with useful tools such as the 'career assessment tool' to learn more about their personal work style. Whether you are actively looking or just keeping yourself up-to-date in your field, you will find this a useful resource!

Improve your job search with advanced features and benefits:

Personal Profile Page
– Create your own secure site complete with URL
Résumé Wizard
– Upload or create multiple résumés and make them visible to top employers
Free Job Search
- Fast, confidential access to a credible selection of targeted employment opportunities

Search and fill nursing jobs in your neighborhood or across the US at this one stop resource for registered nurses.

The Salary Calculator

Keep in mind that salaries and cost-of-living in the US varies considerable depending in the city and state.
Here is a handy "Salary Calculator" which can help you compare the average salaries for RN's across the country.
Here are a few examples of average annual incomes from around the country:
Naples, Florida = $53,000
Ann Arbor, Michigan = $65,000
Las Vegas, Nevada = $61,000
Boise, Idaho = $55,000

BMJ Careers Fair: London UK

The eighth BMJ Careers Fair in London
will take place 5 – 6 October 2007
at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

Register now for seminar booking and free entry to the exhibition.

Whatever your grade and specialty, the BMJ Careers Fair has a lot to offer.

As well as more than 25 seminars covering interview skills, CV writing, MMC updates, application forms, working abroad, working outside of the NHS, GP seminars and more; you can visit the exhibition stands to receive careers advice, find a new job and identify alternative career pathways. Healthcare recruiters from across UK and Ireland will be in attendance.

International Migration of Nurses

Health Services Research
Published on behalf of Health Research and Educational Trust in cooperation with AcademyHealth

June 2007 - Vol. 42 Issue 3p2 Page 1275-1438

Free full text is available for this important issue focusing on
the "International Migration of Nurses".

NOTE: IUON is mentioned in the article entitled
"Managed Migration: The Caribbean approach to addressing nursing services capacity" by Marla Salmon [et al], see p.1365.

Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program

Dear students,
I should have mentioned that the deadline for 2007 applications have passed. However, when you go to the website, you can read about the program and sign up to be notified about the 2008 application.
Professor C. Stone
________________________________________________________________________
Applications For NELRP
The Nursing Education Repayment Program (NELRP) provides repayment of
up to 60% of outstanding student loans to qualified nurses who agree
to work in eligible health care facilities for two years. Participants
may be eligible to work a third year and receive an additional 25% of
the qualifying loan balance. For an application and guidance information,
see http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm.

The 2007 on-line application deadline was 5 pm ET March 9, 2007, however you can sign up to be notified by e-mail when the 2008 application is available.

Not There Yet: Improving the Working Conditions of Canadian Nurses

by Renee Torgerson
It's called the caring profession. Popular quotations play on its strengths: "nurses are patient people" – or "nurses can take the pressure." But this research paper, Not There Yet: Improving the Working Conditions of Canadian Nurses, has found that not enough is being done to help the people who help us when we use the health care system.
Release Date: 21 Jun 2007
Number of pages: 33
Canadian Policy Research Network Doc#: 48150

The Parable of the Eagle

by James Aggrey

Once a man found a young eagle in a forest and took it home and put it in his barnyard. The eagle ate the chicken feed and behaved just as chickens do. One day a naturalist friend noticed it and asked the owner why the eagle, king of all birds, confined with the chickens, "Since I have given chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it has never learned to fly" answered the man.

"Still", insisted the naturalist. "It has heart of an eagle and certainly it can be taught to fly".

The two agreed to find out whether it was possible. The naturalist took the eagle and said "You belong to the sky and not the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly". The eagle was confused and refused to make an attempt. The second day the naturalist took the eagle to the roof and urged the eagle again. But the eagle was afraid and jumped down for the chicken feed. On the third day the naturalist took it to the top ofa mountain. He held the eagle high above him and said. "You are an eagle. You belong to the sky as well as the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly".

The eagle slowly looked around, upto the sky and down to the barnyard. The naturalist lifted him further up, and the eagle started trembling, slowly he stretched his wings and with a triumphant cry, he soared away into the heavens.

Friends, eagles are known for their strength and keennees of vision. According to Kentucky Fried Chicken dealers, chickens are known for their taste. Which one you would like to be? Eagle or chicken? Decide for yourselves.

But the happy fact is that we nurses are all born eagles. Then why are so many of us chickens? Most of us joined nursing to do a socially relevant job, but now job frustrations outweigh job satisfactions. Responsibilities are great, rewards are few. Assertiveness training is the need of today and in future. It can give us skill, courage and persistence to handle difficult tasks and stand hand in hand with our medical colleagues as equal partners in healthcare.

Perhaps like the eagle we are confused and tremble and that is not surprising. We can begin slowly and may take long to become a fullfledged eagle. Once we have flown, we can never go back to live like a chicken. It is not a delusion to think we can fly; it is a delusion to think we can't. Don't be afraid. Come up, the weather is fine. Stretch forth your wings and fly to a better future.

cTrained Nurses' Association of India Jan 2003

Being a Nurse in Ontario

Check out the website HealthForceOntario
~ Making Ontario the Employer-of-Choice in Health Care

International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing

ICHRN Website ~ Notice the spotlight interview feature
with prominent international figures in the area of
global human resources in nursing.

Occupational Health for Health Care Providers

MedlinePlus will keep you up-to-date on topics of concern regarding your own health on the job as you move forward in your nursing careers.

New Web-Based Tool Provides a One-Stop Destination for Accessing Health Care Workforce Information

Health Workforce Solutions LLC Introduces Comprehensive Workforce Resource Database

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recognizing the lack of a single comprehensive national resource on the health care workforce, Health Workforce Solutions LLC (HWS) has developed a database of over 500 Internet-based workforce resources that will continue to expand over time. This easy-to-navigate resource database can be accessed at www.healthws.net.

Featuring up-to-the-minute health workforce news headlines from the American Hospital Association, a detailed listing of upcoming workforce conferences, and an intuitive, easy-to-use search taxonomy, this resource consolidates a wealth of disparate health workforce information in one place.

"Our ambition with this resource is to provide the ultimate portal for individuals seeking information on health workforce issues, trends, research and data," said David Cherner, Managing Partner of HWS. "We want this resource warehouse to become the first and most effective tool that individuals turn to when they have workforce-related questions and data needs."

The Canadian Nursing Scene

Here are some key links to the World of Nursing in Canada:

NurseOne Portal

Canadian Nurses Association

Obtaining CNA Certification

Information for International Applicants on Becoming a Registered Nurse in Canada

Job site of note ~ Workopolis

AORN Foundation Scholarships

AORN Foundation (Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses)
offers scholarships to allow you to continue your nursing education.

Ontario Immigration

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/english/index.asp

Here is a brand new site from the Ontario provincial government (Canada)designed to assist and inform new immigrants to that province.
I will be posting more information on nursing jobs in Canada shortly.

Cayman Islands

Human Resources Manager,
Cayman Islands Health Services Authority,
P.O. Box 915GT, Cayman Islands
Fax:(345) 945-0890
Email: hsjobs@hsa.ky

Currently 5 jobs on MedHunter for the Cayman Islands.
If you are licenced in Jamaica, Canada, US or the UK you can apply for jobs there.

http://www.medhunters.com/nursing-jobs/cym.html

http://jobs.classifieds1000.com/Cayman_Islands/Nurse_Jobs

Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago Registered Nurses Association
N° 4 Fitz Blackman Drive & Wrightson Road
Extension
Port-of-Spain
Trinidad & Tobago
Tel.: +1 868 623 1567
Fax: +1 868 623 1567
Email: ttrna@tstt.net.tt

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_780.htm

Trinidad and Tobago has a shortage of nurses. There was some recent improvement, following the recommencement of Nursing training in 1989, and new nurses entering the system from 1992. There are many vacancies for nurses in the Community Services - but this is related not only to training but recruitment and qualification issues.

ILO – Laborsta:
Professional Nurse average monthly wage = $2891.00 TTD$ (2000)
[= $457.00US$ p/m]

Current opening with the South-West Regional Health Authority
http://www.swrha.co.tt
see ad at:
http://www.caribbeanjobs.com/jobdesc.asp?MID=82&ID=3450

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses Association
P.O. Box 843
Kingstown
St. Vincent, West Indies
Phone: +1 784 457 9860
Fax: +1 784 457 1014
E-Mail: svgna@vincysurf.com

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_670.htm

In 2000, the Nursing Council's register included 398 trained nurses (362 per 100,000 populations). There were 42 registered nursing aides, 45 community health aides, and 7 nursing tutors. Nursing training is provided at the Government's St. Vincent’s School of Nursing. Health care workers also receive training internationally, including in North America and Europe. The Ministry of Health has endorsed continuing medical education to improve efficiency and productivity, and has financed organization and hosting of such activities.

ILO – Laborsta:
Professional Nurse average monthly wage = $2291.00 EC$ (2003)
[= $858.00 US$ p/m]

St. Lucia

St. Lucia Nurses Association
PO Box 819
Castries
St. Lucia
Tel.: +1 758 452 1403
Fax: +1 758 456 0121
Email: Stlucianursesassociation@candw.lc

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_662.htm

Personnel employed by the health (public-sector) increased between 1985 and 1999. Between 1989 and 1999 the ratio of physicians, trained nurses and dentists per 10,000 populations increased from 4.3 to 5.3, from 19 to 20, and from 0.76 to 0.85 respectively.

St. Kitts & Nevis

Henrietta Douglas,
Principal Nursing Officer.

2 main hospitals, and 17 health centers:
Joseph N. France General Hospital – 153 beds.
Mary Charles Hospital – 10 beds
Pogson Hospital – 35 beds.
Cardin Home – 100 beds.
Alexandria Hospital (Nevis) - 54 beds + 24 Inf.
Health Centres – St. Kitts = 11.
Health Centres – Nevis = 6.

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_659.htm
In 1998 -198 nurses, 65 nursing assistants/community workers, An in-service education department was established in 2000 to train nurses; this is separate from the Nursing School.

ILO – Laborsta:
Professional Nurse average monthly wage = $2502.50 EC$ (2000)
[= $934.00 US p/m]

Jamaica

Nurses Association of Jamaica
4, Trevennion Park Road
PO Box 277
Kingston 5
Jamaica
Tel.: +1 876 929 5213
Fax: +1 876 968 2200
Email: naj@cwjamaica.com

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_388.htm

Training programs have not been able to meet the demand for health personnel except in the area of medical doctors, dental nurses, and community health aides. Shortages are compounded by the continual loss of public sector personnel to the private sector, and by migration of personnel to other countries.

Guyana

Guyana Nurses Association
178 Alexander and Charlotte Street
PO Box 10462
Lacytown
Georgetown
Guyana
Tel.: +592 227 2188
Email: guy_nurses@yahoo.com
Web : http://www.geocities.com/guy_nurses

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_328.htm
In the public health sector, staff vacancy rates range between 25% and 50% in most categories. There is a continuing loss of trained personnel from the public to the private sector and to other countries. From 1997-1999 nurses ranged from 7 to 15 per 10,000 population.

ILO – Laborsta:
Professional Nurse average monthly wage = $34491.00 GYD$ (2000)
[ = $181.53 US$ p/m]

Grenada

Grenada Nurses Association
PO Box 2389
St. Georges
Grenada
Phone: +1 473 435 2519
Fax: +1 473 440 6615
E-mail: grenadanurses@yahoo.com

The Department of Human Resource (DHR) makes all staffing decisions. There is a 240 bed General Hospital, and two rural hospitals, with 60 beds and 40 beds. There is also a 20-bed psychiatric unit at the General Hospital.
Health services are provided mainly through public facilities but private health care facilities are increasing.

http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_308.htm

There were 242 registered nurses with a ratio of 1 per 413 populations. In addition, there are 40 community health aides and 84 nursing assistants.
In 1998, per capita recurrent health expenditure was US$ 118.

Dominica

Princess Margaret Hospital, with a capacity of 225 beds.
http://www.paho.org/English/DD/AIS/cp_212.htm

Health personnel have been secured through assistance programs from the governments of France, Cuba and Nigeria . Two Dominican institutions train health care professionals; the government run School of Nursing and Ross University School of Medicine. Continuous education for nurses is delivered through the nursing school.

Bermuda

Bermuda Nurses' Association
PO Box HM 1466
Hamilton HM FX
Bermuda
Tel.: +1 441 239 2055 ext. 1707
Fax: +1 441 236 4239
Email: rchriso@logic.bm

http://www.bermudahospitals.bm/

There are two acute care hospitals on the island with 234 total beds and a psychiatric hospital with 166 beds. Both hospitals are operated by the Bermuda Hospitals Board which is appointed by the Government. There are no private hospitals on the island.
Long-term care facilities are operated by the Hospitals Board and the Government. Skilled nursing center facilities provide 147 beds. A facility was opened in 1991 to provide care for individuals with AIDS and other terminal illnesses. It is operated by the Hospitals Board and partially subsidized by public funds. There are 11 residential care facilities for the elderly including nursing homes. Most of these facilities are partially funded through public monies.

Starting RN - $4500.00 US Gross p/month (per job ad's)
11 job openings now see --
http://www.medhunters.com/customPages/8a0ax421775xcex5b60672.html

Nurses represent the largest group of health care providers in the country; there were 689 licensed nurses, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses and psychiatric nurses in 1995. Registered nurses constitute over 75% of the nurses on the island. The greater percentage of nurses are hospital based.

Belize

Nurses Association of Belize
PO Box 1573
Cor. Princess Margaret Dr. and St. Joseph Dr.
Belize City
Belize
Tel.: +501 203 4078
Fax: +501 223 3081
Email: nabz1573@hotmail.com

http://www.paho.org/english/DD/AIS/cp_084.htm

According to 2003 data, there were 465 nurses (17 per 10,000). The country has one of the lowest coverage of physicians in the region and an average coverage of nurses. There is a large concentration of health personnel in the district of Belize, where more than half of the health staff is employed (54% physicians, 52% practical nurses, and 57% professional nurses). As to the rural and urban areas, the distribution is unequal in all the districts for both, physicians and nurses. Almost 75% of the health personnel work in the public sector with the largest group being the practical and professional nurses (84%). Approximately 14% of health personnel work in both, public and private sector. As part of an agreement with the Cuban Government, there are 67 Cuban doctors involved in the delivery of medical care in rural areas. The Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Belize, continues to produce approximately 20 nurses per year.

According to 2003 data Belize's expenditure on health is 2.4% of the GDP with a per capita expenditure of US$ 85.50.

Antigua & Barbuda

http://www.paho.org/english/DD/AIS/cp_028.htm
The health expenditure per capita was US$ 312 in 1998.

Bahamas

Nurses Association of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Longley House
PO Box N-1691
Nassau
Bahamas
Tel.: +1 242 322 2461
Fax: +1 242 341 7950
Email: nacb@netbahamas.com

http://www.phabahamas.org/

Public Hospitals Authority In 1996, there were 667 nurses in the public sector. The Nursing School trains nurses in collaboration with the College of The Bahamas; most postgraduate training in nursing is done at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Out migration of health personnel is not a problem, rather health professionals are attracted.

Public health expenditure per capita was US$ 420, 1999-2000.

ILO – Laborsta:
Professional Nurse average monthly wage = $1709.50 BSD$ (2004)
[= $1709.50 US$ p/m]

Barbados

Barbados Registered Nurses Association
PO Box 120C "Gibson House", Lower Collymore Rock St. Michael Bridgetown 5 Barbados Tel.: +1 246 427 5627 Fax: +1 246 436 6279 Email: brna@sunbeach.net

http://www.paho.org/english/SHA/prflbar.htm

According to the Ministry of Health’s Statistical Records, in 1994, Barbados had 898 nurses. In 1988, the Ministry of Health prepared a five-year development training plan. Much emphasis has been placed on in-service and local training, especially in priority areas such as geriatric nursing, radiography, orthopedics, environmental impact assessment, health planning, and hospital management. The Barbados Community College School of Nursing provides apprenticeships for nurses. In general, the numbers in medical and nursing professions have reached an equilibrium, in that enough are produced to meet the needs of the country.