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A great show this week. Shayne shares his softer side when he tells Casey he has already been thinking about a holiday gift for her. Shayne to Casey: "O.K Casey --- its sort of a personal thing so I hope you won't be mad --- but I researched some exercise options for you and want to gift you a membership to whichever one of these resonates with you." Casey responds, "O.K. if you must --- it’s better than having to do the research myself --- what ya got?"   Shayne: "O.K.: Weighted Hula Hooping. Bally's fitness is now offering classes. Strippercise. Toned celebrities like Kate Hudson and Carmen Electra started shilling this female-only fad five years ago, boasting both body and boudoir benefits from sensual "aerobic striptease" classes. This is a cousin to Pole Dancing. The Bodyblade. Take the long, sword-like plastic bar, hoist it overhead and shake vigorously for a trunk-targeted workout that supposedly causes up to 270 muscle contractions per minute, giving you washboard abs and ropey shoulders that are rounded, not chiseled. Or Cirque du Soleil-Inspired "Aerial Aerobics." The breathtaking stunts of the world's best-known circus acrobatics troupe first inspired workouts at trendy gyms like Crunch and Equinox and have now spawned "aerial fitness studios" where you tone up by defying gravity." Which ones does Casey choose and why? Tune In. Next, a practice that is under reported but carries with it deadly consequences. It’s called FRACKING. Communities across the country are being poisoned by toxic chemicals used in natural gas drilling and the energy companies want to keep this top secret. This is becoming a huge public health risk. Those fighting the spread of fracking, nurses, doctors, nearby residents, and other environmental activists, are finding themselves at a severe disadvantage because they lack one critical thing: information. What every RN needs to know about fracking, and how they must fight back against the industry. We’ll talk with Pennsylvania RN Patti Eakin later in the show. And roll out the barrel because we’re going to have some fun with Irwin Keller, a.k.a. Winnie from America’s favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, the Kinsey Sicks. Of course the Kinseys will be on stage here in San Francisco with their holiday show Oy Vey In A Manger, when Jewish-Gentile tensions surface, and mayhem ensues--all in glorious four-part harmony. Don't miss the Chanukah spa classic "I Had a Little Facial" and, of course, the requisite and new Christmas cuisine standard, "Soylent Night." Video viewing warning for the faint of humor: "A ribald, ridiculous, raunchy, decidedly R-rated romp through the best and worst of Christmas." http://youtu.be/i338mDx2vIc All this and the usual --- email questions and health trivia. A listener emails a question about eating over the holidays. He wants to, he will, he has and he wants to know how to avoid tummy aches and acid reflex. Hmmmm. Listen to some good tips and if you too suffer from this uncomfortable disorder we recommend you check out Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure by Dr. Jamie Koufman.

Addicted to clean water to drink? Learn about a practice that is under reported but carries with it deadly consequences. It’s called FRACKING. Communities across the country are being poisoned by toxic chemicals used in natural gas drilling and the energy companies want to keep this top secret. This is becoming a huge public health risk. Those fighting the spread of fracking, nurses, doctors, nearby residents, and other environmental activists, are finding themselves at a severe disadvantage because they lack one critical thing: information. What every RN needs to know about fracking, and how they must fight back against the industry. We talk with Pennsylvania RN Patti Eakin.

Next, a practice that is under reported but carries with it deadly consequences. It’s called FRACKING. Communities across the country are being poisoned by toxic chemicals used in natural gas drilling and the energy companies want to keep this top secret. This is becoming a huge public health risk. Those fighting the spread of fracking, nurses, doctors, nearby residents, and other environmental activists, are finding themselves at a severe disadvantage because they lack one critical thing: information. What every RN needs to know about fracking, and how they must fight back against the industry. We talk with Pennsylvania RN Patti Eakin.

Recently V.A. System RNs won a NATIONAL CONTRACT that they say will ensure vets the level of QUALITY CARE they deserve. At issue for a long time has been the lack of sufficient staffing among other safety concerns. V.A. RN Irma Westmoreland is with us to talk about this landmark contract. For those of you who live in the Bay Area---you probably already know and love Joanie Greggains, one of America’s favorite health and exercise personalities. Her TV exercise show, Morning Stretch, aired for 18 years, and her popular #1 talk radio show, The Joanie Greggains Show, was heard for 25 years on KGO Radio 810 AM in San Francisco, CA. Both have made her a familiar, popular, and respected authority in the health and fitness field. Joanie begins to drill through ten "Barriers to Exercise." Turns out Casey has every one of them. Check out Joanie's website at www.joaniegreggains.com. You can listen to the whole show too! This show was originally broadcast October 20, 2012.

Oh lord…on the show this week we have a horrible sound ensemble that includes what is now being touted as “The worst sound EVER”---a knife against a glass bottle, followed by the screeching sound of chalk on a chalkboard, the sound of a ruler on a bottle, and the sound of nails on a chalkboard. If these noises don't raise the hair on your chin---well---then you must be really Zen or hard of hearing. More fun with this on the show. AND---we all know the V.A. hospital system is a lifeline for our returning veterans. What we don’t know or may not think about is the overwhelming case loads for the healthcare practitioners who care for these vets. Recently V.A. System RNs won a NATIONAL CONTRACT that they say will ensure vets the level of QUALITY CARE they deserve. At issue for a long time has been the lack of sufficient staffing among other safety concerns. V.A. RN Irma Westmoreland is with us to talk about this landmark contract. Irma also talks about the advances that have been made within the system to increase and improve immediate care for Veterans. We don't hear enough about the good that is being done and the improvements being made so this is great news to share. For those of you who live in the Bay Area---you probably already know and love Joanie Greggains, one of America’s favorite health and exercise personalities. Her TV exercise show, Morning Stretch, aired for 18 years, and her popular #1 talk radio show, The Joanie Greggains Show, was heard for 25 years on KGO Radio 810 AM in San Francisco, CA. Both have made her a familiar, popular, and respected authority in the health and fitness field. Joanie drills through ten "Barriers to Exercise." Turns out Casey has every one of them. Check out Joanie's website at www.joaniegreggains.com. Casey and Shayne talk a little bit about the meningitis outbreak. For the non-nurses in the audience, what is meningitis? How does one get it? What are the treatments? Is it always deadly? This show was originally broadcast October 20, 2012.

We all know the V.A. hospital system is a lifeline for our returning veterans. What we don’t know or may not think about is the overwhelming case loads for the healthcare practitioners who care for these vets. Recently V.A. System RNs won a NATIONAL CONTRACT that they say will ensure vets the level of QUALITY CARE they deserve. At issue for a long time has been the lack of sufficient staffing among other safety concerns. V.A. RN Irma Westmoreland is with us to talk about this landmark contract. Irma also talks about the advances that have been made within the system to increase and improve immediate care for Veterans. We don't hear enough about the good that is being done and the improvements being made so this is great news to share. This show was originally broadcast on October 20, 2012.

A Best of Nurse Talk we check in with RN and Friend of Nurse Talk, Deborah Burger. Deborah is also co-president of National Nurses United. She’ll talk about California Proposition 30 endorsed by the California Nurses Association and supported by Governor Jerry Brown. Prop. 30 would raise from $6 billion to $9 billion every year, mostly through a small increase in taxes for the top income brackets, starting at households making $250,000 or more per year, as well as a temporary one-quarter of a cent increase in the state sales tax---with the revenue going for healthcare, education, childcare and other critical services. This show was originally broadcast September 15, 2012.

A Best of Nurse Talk for you this week while Casey and Shayne sleep off their tryptophan comas. We know you all have healthy happy relationships with your families and only fond memories of holidays past, but here's a show for some of your friends who could use some help getting past pain from the past. In this show we speak with EMDR expert Francine Shapiro on her successful treatment of PTSD and her new book. AND flu season isn't over so we are re-broadcasting our Fall Flu Fashion Show. Here are the details: Most of us don’t run with the crowd that attends the Annual Fall Fashion Week in New York City. BUT...it does seem somewhat exciting and it certainly highlights all of the beautiful fall fashions and---SADLY---the fact that eating disorders are alive and well in the fashion industry. Well, just because we are boring old nurses doesn’t mean we can't have some fun and run with the “it” people. Nurse Talk presents our 3rd annual FALL FLU FASHION SHOW---and believe me it is a doozy! Speaking of fashion...oooohhh, oh, ouch. Avert your eyes.   And we welcome back Dr. Francine Shapiro. Dr. Shapiro returns to talk about her successful treatment of veterans with PTSD. Dr. Shapiro discovered one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of psychology, EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Her new book is Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy. We also have two of her colleagues, Dr. E. C. Hurley, Ph.D., who has been working with soldiers and veterans since he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, and Dr. Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., who is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, and board certified clinical psychologist, with 26-years of military experience. Together with the help of EMDR therapy---these clinicians are producing groundbreaking results for these soldiers with PTSD. Dr. Shapiro also talks about HAP, the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program, the mental health equivalent of Doctors Without Borders: a global network of clinicians who travel anywhere there is a need to stop suffering and prevent the after-effects of trauma and violence. Visit http://www.emdrhap.org/home/index.php AND we’ll check in with RN and Friend of Nurse Talk, Deborah Burger. Deborah is also co-president of National Nurses United. She’ll talk about California Proposition 30 endorsed by the California Nurses Association and supported by Governor Jerry Brown. Prop. 30 would raise from $6 billion to $9 billion every year, mostly through a small increase in taxes for the top income brackets, starting at households making $250,000 or more per year, as well as a temporary one-quarter of a cent increase in the state sales tax---with the revenue going for healthcare, education, childcare and other critical services. This show was originally broadcast September 15, 2012. Check us out at TUNE IN. Listen anywhere, anytime for any reason or no reason at all!

And RNs Jean Ross and Karen Higgins join us to talk about the recent elections, what the results mean to our country and respective states. Both Jean and Karen are full time RNs and also serve as two of the three co-presidents for National Nurses United. And Dr. Christina Purpora joins us to talk about "horizontal violence." A veteran RN writes, "A silent killer has made its way into nursing and slowly eaten away at the core of who we are as nurses." This epidemic is becoming so widespread that everyone from administrators to nurses' aides are affected by it. Dr. Purpora is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco (USF). Prior to beginning her academic career in 2010, she earned a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

This week we're sharing  a vintage clip of one our favorite funny ladies, Ellen Degeneres in her first appearance on the Johnny Carson to start you off with some chuckles. And Casey offers scientific evidence that "laughter is the best medicine." What happens when we laugh? We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter's effects on the body and turned up some potentially interesting information on how it affects us:  Blood Flow Immune Response Blood Sugar Levels Relaxation and Sleep Just to test the affects on blood flow and blood pressure, Casey and Shayne conduct a very dangerous "on air" experiment. You won't want to miss it. On a bit of a serious note, November is National Diabetes Month, including World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14th. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) urges people to take action and make simple but important lifestyle changes to achieve their health goals --- whether they have diabetes or are at risk for the disease. For more information about Diabetes Education and Resources visit http://ndep.nih.gov/. And RNs Jean Ross and Karen Higgins join us to talk about the recent elections, what the results mean to our country and respective states. Both Jean and Karen are full time RNs and also serve as two of the three co-presidents for National Nurses United. And Dr. Christina Purpora joins us to talk about "horizontal violence." A veteran RN writes, "A silent killer has made its way into nursing and slowly eaten away at the core of who we are as nurses." This epidemic is becoming so widespread that everyone from administrators to nurses' aides are affected by it. Dr. Purpora is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco (USF). Prior to beginning her academic career in 2010, she earned a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  

RNs Jean Ross and Karen Higgins join us to talk about the recent elections, what the results mean to our country and respective states. Both Jean and Karen are full time RNs and also serve as two of the three co-presidents for National Nurses United. Why be involved in patient advocacy beyond the bedside?

A tribute to our nurses from National Nurses United and all nurses around the world. As we always report, nurses are at the top of the list every year for being the most admired and respected profession. Nurses take an oath to advocate for their patients and they take it very seriously --- sometimes a great peril to themselves. This week we take a look back at 2012 when the nurses fought for everything from RN-to-patient ratios to ensure safer staffing for patients, to Medicare for All, the Robin Hood Tax and the fight to save Social Security as we know it. At the front of the fight on many of these issues was Donna Smith, NNU's legislative and healthcare for all advocate. While Donna was literally marching on the streets for others she herself was once again diagnosed with cancer. After a bout with cancer in the mid 90's that left Donna and her husband Larry broke --- the cancer returned. Now it was her turn to fight once again for herself.

Welcome once again to Nurse Talk where laughter is the best medicine. Who is Miss Sylvia? Well, for those of you who were fans of Mad TV, (and we are if you haven't already guessed) Aunt Sylvia was sometimes the school nurse, and sometimes the "fragile" absent minded pharmacist. Here she gives a class lesson on a rather private topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ha5ArUQUQA AND so goes another episode of Nurse Talk. BUT of course there's more to us than that! Comedian, writer, storyteller, sitcom star Marilyn Kentz chats with Casey and Shayne about her new one woman show Will I Ever Wear A Bikini Again? Some of you may remember Marilyn and her friend and neighbor (from Petaluma, Calif.), Caryl Christensen from their 1990's hit sitcom "The Mommies." Marilyn talks about the value of humor in her life as well as the joys of aging without grace! A tribute to our nurses from National Nurses United and all nurses around the world. As we always report, nurses are at the top of the list every year for being the most admired and respected profession. Nurses take an oath to advocate for their patients and they take it very seriously --- sometimes a great peril to themselves. This week we take a look back at 2012 when the nurses fought for everything from RN-to-patient ratios to ensure safer staffing for patients, to Medicare for All, the Robin Hood Tax and the fight to save Social Security as we know it. At the front of the fight on many of these issues was Donna Smith, NNU's legislative and healthcare for all advocate. While Donna was literally marching on the streets for others she herself was once again diagnosed with cancer. After a bout with cancer in the mid 90's that left Donna and her husband Larry broke --- the cancer returned. Now it was her turn to fight once again for herself. What does it take to "live a good life for the rest of your life?" Seeing your doctor and staying healthy is always a good thing and approaching your health from a preventive perspective is even better. Our guests Ron Cain and Dave Parkes, financial consultants at Pacific Advisors in the San Francisco Bay Area, tell us that it is imperative we approach our financial well-being exactly the same way. Great advice if I do say so myself! To get your own Living Balance Sheet and schedule your financial check-up with Ron and Dave, contact them here: www.pacificadvisors.com/davep www.pacificadvisors.com/rcain

A tribute to our nurses from National Nurses United and all nurses around the world. As we always report, nurses are at the top of the list every year for being the most admired and respected profession. Nurses take an oath to advocate for their patients and they take it very seriously --- sometimes at great peril to themselves. This week we take a look back at 2012 when the nurses fought for everything from RN-to-patient ratios to ensure safer staffing for patients, to Medicare for All, the Robin Hood Tax and the fight to save Social Security as we know it. At the front of the fight on many of these issues was Donna Smith, NNU's legislative and healthcare for all advocate. While Donna was literally marching on the streets for others she herself was once again diagnosed with cancer. After a bout with cancer in the mid 90's that left Donna and her husband Larry broke --- the cancer returned. Now it was her turn to fight once again for herself. What does it take to "live a good life for the rest of your life?" Seeing your doctor and staying healthy is always a good thing and approaching your health from a preventive perspective is even better. Our guests Ron Cain and Dave Parkes, financial consultants at Pacific Advisors in the San Francisco Bay Area, tell us that it is imperative we approach our financial well-being exactly the same way. Great advice if I do say so myself! To get your own Living Balance Sheet and schedule your financial check-up with Ron and Dave, contact them here: www.pacificadvisors.com/davep Www.pacificadvisors.com/rcain

As we continue to celebrate Nurse Talk’s 4th birthday we, of course, had to drag out yet another blast from the beginning days of Nurse Talk with then co-host Maggie McDermott and one of our favorite callers Muriel. And for those of you who might be concerned about Muriel — we recently contacted her and she has completely recovered from her “chortling” disorder. She is remarried and has started a new career as a minister—a woman of the cloth. Well, it’s always nice to find a happy ending. You can listen to Muriel’s call at the Nurse Talk Comedy Pharm. And speaking of politics — -oh,  I don’t think we were speaking of politics — BUT let’s. Our guest this week is Michael Lighty. Michael is the Director of Public Policy for the California Nurses Association. He talks with us about the upcoming election and the high stakes in California with Propositions 30 and 32. Often times these propositions are written in such a way that they are very difficult to understand — or shall we say interpret.  Michael helps decode and tells us why voting yes on 30 and no on 32 is important for nurses and patients. For more  California voting information or a national voting guide visit nationalnursesunited.org. Do you ever have one of those nagging recurring nightmares — NAKED IN THE NURSING HOME? Well, Naked In The Nursing Home, The Women’s Guide to Paying for Long-Term Care Without Going Broke written by Harold L Lustig might help reduce the frequency of that dream. Mr. Lustig is a financial adviser who specializes in working with the elderly and their families. So important, and the book is fun to read as well. Here are some of the things you can check out in the book: Tricks and Traps of Medicaid, including mistakes to avoid and secrets to navigating the system; why you may be eligible for free long-term care if you’re a wartime veteran, or the spouse or surviving spouse of one. All worth the price of admission — figuratively speaking!