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What up with male politicians?? Twitter, Facebook, bathroom stalls, mountain trails, pay-offs borrowed from Mom and Dad!! Yikes can anyone imagine a female in high office getting away with any of this? Barbara Boxer tweeting bra-less photos of herself to a 21-year-old guy?? Join Casey and Dan for a walk down "naughty politician lane." And more discussion about the role nurses are playing in leading the voice of opposition to cuts in Medicare and Social Security and fighting for taxation on wall street transactions. Listen, we are not talking about about persecuting those who do business on Wall Street---we are simply calling for a fair transaction tax in the amount of a half a penny per. Our D.C. friend and expert on all things Capitol Hill, RN Donna Smith is with us to make sense out of the sometimes senseless. Later in the show Casey and Dan talk with RN, MSN, humorist Karyn Buxman. Karyn reminds us that in July we acknowledge the 30-year anniversary of the first diagnosed case of AIDS. Karyn shares about the fear, lack of understanding, treatment and protocol in hospitals, and shame surrounding the patients. We've come along way---but where are we now? We welcome an old friend to the studio, RN Wilda Ruthier. Wilda is traveling around the country with her partner Bonnie in their RV--doing anything they please! They stopped by to visit and we literally dragged Wilda into the studio and made her speak. Sad--but we did. Years ago Wilda started the first of its kind, Alzheimer's assisted living facility in Burlington, Vermont. This was before anyone really knew what it was. She and her staff worked on treatment protocols that are still used in facilities around the country. Congratulations to her innovation and years of care and service to others. A big salute to all of our RN friends from the Massachusetts Nurses Association! You can listen in the Boston area on station WWZN 1510AM every Saturday at 11 am EST or live stream at www.revolutionboston.com and in the San Francisco Bay area Sundays at 2PM PST on Green 960AM or live stream at www.green960.com. You can also listen anytime right here on NurseTalkSite.com and iTunes. Like us on Facebook, and you can listen there too. Remember "laughter is the best medicine."

Our Nation's capitol just got hit by a big storm this week. One thousand RNs on a mission to remind elected officials they need to listen to those of us on Main Street--not Wall Street. http://youtu.be/z8AkJZ-epms Is our country really broke? Is it really necessary to cut Medicare and Social Security? Why are nurses taking the lead in the fight to return to values such as caring, compassion and community? We'll talk about that and more on the Main Street Contract for America from our friend, and National Nurses United Co-President RN Deborah Burger. And more discussion in the coming weeks on Nurse Talk.

Can you be in the Army without joining the Army? Maybe...check it out! Main Street not Wall Street...and Casey and Dan get an email from a woman who has lost her charm... COMING UP...on Nurse Talk. Our Nation's capitol just got hit by a big storm this week. One thousand RNs on a mission to remind elected officials they need to listen to those of us on Main Street--not Wall Street. Read more >

Casey talks with RN and co-president of National Nurses United, Deborah Burger about "The Main Street Contract." Will we be a "me" society...or a "we" society? It's time for a main street contract...heal America/tax Wall Street. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O53I4LlOhI Find out how you can join the fight to raise standards for America’s working people! With the erosion of living standards for many, and new attacks almost daily from Wall Street-funded politicians, all Americans need a new contract, a binding relationship for their security, for their families, and for future generations.

This week on Nurse Talk Casey talks with RN and co-president of National Nurses United, Deborah Burger about "The Main Street Contract". Will we be a "me" society..or a "we" society? It's time for a Main Street contract...heal America/tax Wall Street. Find out how you can join the fight to raise standards for America’s working people! With the erosion of living standards for many, and new attacks almost daily from Wall Street-funded politicians, all Americans need a new contract, a binding relationship for their security, for their families, and for future generations. All this and more in our Bonus Podcast.

Wow...I'm glad we decided not to go Camping last weekend! As in Harold Camping...the genius who predicted or calculated it was Judgment Day. Something went terribly wrong. Thank God! Mr. Camping now says he might have been one number off in his calculations. I had no idea Judgment Day was a calculation! If there's anybody out there that remembers Professor Irwin Corey...I think we found his brother! Stay tuned for RN Dennis Kosuth on the assault of the public sector and RN-playwright-actor Alison Whittaker on her play, Vital Signs

Casey and Dan check in with Boston RN and president of Massachusetts Nurses Association, Donna Kelly-Williams. Every week we take a look at what is happening in health care all around our country and if you have listened to the news and/or---our show---you may have come to the conclusion that things are spinning out of control a bit. Donna will share with us about some very important issues in her state including cutbacks in services and hospital staffing, nurses benefits being reduced, and in some cases eliminated, and retaliation for nurses organizing in support of patient safety and care.

What do The Real McCoys, American Idol, Dad, Angels and Dogs, Boston and sore feet have to do with one another? Not much...but this week on Nurse Talk...you'll hear a little about them all. Casey and Dan check in with Boston RN and president of Massachusetts Nurses Association, Donna Kelly-Williams. Every week we take a look at what is happening in health care all around our country and if you have listened to the news and/or---our show---you may have come to the conclusion that things are spinning out of control a bit. Donna will share with us about some very important issues in her state including cutbacks in services and hospital staffing, nurses benefits being reduced, and in some cases eliminated, and retaliation for nurses organizing in support of patient safety and care. And first time author, longtime nurse, Maggie Hogan joins Casey and Dan to talk about her inspiring new book called Dad, Angels and Dogs. After being a nurse for 32 years Maggie was called to service by a request of her mother's before she died. "Maggie please promise me you will take care of your father after I'm gone." Well...Maggie kept that promise and took care of her father until his death. Through her journey she met and depended on the love and kindness of many...including angels and dogs. Yes, we said angels and dogs. Her poignant and down to earth story is an inspiration to all. Coming up...continuing discussions about single payer health care, a new look at hospitals that are contracting with prisons to take care of inmates (there's an interesting twist to this story), a conversation about unions from a "different" point of view. That's right---we'll be talking with a few nurses who are opposed to organizing and unions. They have their reasons and we thought it would be valuable to listen to what they have to say. And---get this---remodeling your kitchen to have better kitchen sex? I do not kid! I would never make that up! This summer we'll talk to the authors of a new book about ways to improve your sex life...and the kitchen, my good friends, is one of them!

Once public employees who serve their communities as teachers, fire fighters, police and public health care nurses---were thought of as heroes. Now they are being vilified as the cause of these real and in some cases, perceived fiscal crises. Casey and Dan talk with ER RN Dennis Kosuth. Dennis works at Chicago's John Stroger (Cook County) Hospital and shares with us the damage that is mounting in county hospitals all over the country. He specifically shares his experience as an ER nurse at Stroger---one of the busiest county hospital in Chicago.

RN Judy Brown calls in to play “Wheel of Misfortune” with us. Of course that is the game where you spin the wheel and land on one of the country’s ten worst governors. Right now Arizona governor Jan Brewer is ahead by one spin! Judy lives and works in Bangor, Maine and has been a nurse at the Eastern Maine Medical Center since 1982. She has been on the board of the Maine State Nurses Association for 15 years. Judy will give us a “state of healthcare” update for her state and talk about her governor’s proposed legislation and how it will impact patient care.

The cat's away so Maggie and Casey play. Dan is off on vacation this week so Maggie stepped in to sleep in the chair. It's been a while since she was in the studio and the producer forgot to give her a tumbler of box wine before she put on her headset. Sorry Maggie. Good show this week---RN Judy Brown calls in to play "Wheel of Misfortune" with us. Of course that is the game where you spin the wheel and land on one of the country's ten worst governors. Right now Arizona governor Jan Brewer is ahead by one spin! Judy lives and works in Bangor, Maine and has been a nurse at the Eastern Maine Medical Center since 1982. She has been on the board of the Maine State Nurses Association for 15 years. Judy will give us a "state of healthcare" update for her state and talk about her governor's proposed legislation and how it will impact patient care. And later Casey and Maggie talk with our friend from Hawaii, Advanced Practice RN Hob Osterland. Hob talks with us about the new video Humor Rumor that she created to promote a recent study she conducted at Queens Medical Center in Honolulu. The study called COMIC (comedy in chemotherapy) was a randomized controlled trial that examined the impact of comedy on symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy. While cancer is no laughing matter...the study was. Listen to find out the results. And check out Hob's video the Humor Rumor. And coming up in June---Nurse Talk travels to our nation's capitol to join over 1000 nurses as they come together at the National Nurses United staff assembly. We'll interview all kinds of interesting people; politicians, nurses from around the world, mini mart clerks and more.

Let's play Wheel Of Misfortune! Find out if you live in one of ten states with the worst governor. It's easy...just spin the wheel and a governor will pop up---complete with the list of why he/she is in the running! Listen this week as our friend Donna Smith helps us inaugurate the game! Who did the wheel land on this week? And Dan and Casey have a conversation with Donna about all things Capitol Hill and beyond. How about cuts to social security, vouchers for medicare, patient safety and more. Donna Smith as most of you know, is a legislative advocate for National Nurses United.

Let's play Wheel Of Misfortune! Find out if you live in one of ten states with the worst governor. It's easy...just spin the wheel and a governor will pop up---complete with the list of why he/she is in the running! Listen this week as our friend Donna Smith helps us inaugurate the game! Who did the wheel land on this week? And Dan and Casey have a conversation with Donna about all things Capitol Hill and beyond. How about cuts to social security, vouchers for medicare, patient safety and more. Donna Smith as most of you know, is a legislative advocate for National Nurses United. Then...wake up it's time for a conversation about sleep apnea. Wow were we surprised to hear about how many people are diagnosed with it, how many go undiagnosed...and the serious health risks that are associated with it...particularity if left untreated. Our nurse on duty Casey Hobbs has a special interest in this conversation...as she was recently diagnosed and is now plugged in to her brand new 2011 2-door CPAP machine. Casey was so impressed with her Kaiser Respiratory Therapist, Grace Bartee, that she invited her to come on the show and talk about sleep apnea and all that goes with it. A big shout out to our listeners in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond! You can listen in the Boston area on station WWZN 1510AM every Saturday at 11 am EST or live stream at www.revolutionboston.com and in the San Francisco Bay area Sundays at 2PM PST on Green 960AM or live stream at www.green960.com. You can also download and listen anytime here at NurseTalkSite.com and iTunes. Like us on Facebook, and you can listen there too. Remember "laughter is the best medicine."

And...Rewind that show! So good we're playing it again, Sam. Joining us is Minnesota RN Jean Ross. Jean is one of three co-presidents for National Nurses United and has been an RN for over 30 years. Checking in about national issues from single-payer healthcare to the proposed Medicaid and Social Security cuts. With over 160k members National Nurses United is a powerful political force on the national political scene.

Have we got something for you! Bonus Podcast this week friends, plus a special trip down memory lane with a best of the best of Nurse Talk featuring RN Jean Ross and Dr. Yvonne Thornton. But first, here's this: California Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones joins in the lawsuit against Sutter Health. Sutter is being sued for "alleged" fraudulent billing to the tune of $millions of dollars since 2009. Why does this affect all of us? So many reasons---fraud carries a heavy price for patients, healthcare providers and insurance companies---and contributes to the rising cost of healthcare for everyone.   Casey talks with RN Susan Wittstock about this and other issues that are impacting us all. Susan has been an RN at Sutter Medical Center (formerly Alta Bates) since 1987 and has seen a myriad of changes over the years. Check it out on www.nursetalksite.com! And...Rewind that show! So good we're playing it again, Sam. Hunting from a recliner? No, it’s not Sarah Palin but it’s a great story. Tune-in as Casey and Dan talk about this and much more. Joining us is Minnesota RN Jean Ross. Jean is one of three co-presidents for National Nurses United and has been an RN for over 30 years. Checking in about national issues from single-payer healthcare to the proposed Medicaid and Social Security cuts. With over 160k members National Nurses United is a powerful political force on the national political scene. And later…we host an incredible woman, Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton, author of the best selling book, The Ditchdigger’s Daughters. Dr. Thornton has just finished her second book, Something to Prove, A daughter’s legacy to fulfill a father’s legacy. When she was a little girl her father had a dream that all five of his daughters would be doctors. He knew that would not happen if they stayed in the housing projects so he moved the family to a different state and the rest of the story you won’t believe! Oh, how about five doctors in the family? Try four and one nurse. This is a story that you will hear and be clear that anything is possible! This show was originally broadcast December 26, 2010. Calling all cars, calling all cars...we are looking for great nurse stories or patient stories or anything health care or health insurance related. Good, bad, funny or sad...we want you! Call us and leave your story (anonymous if you wish) on our hot line at 1-800-977-1863 or Email to pattie@nursetalksite.com or post it on Facebook!