Boring title, huh?  Stretching.  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, look, stretching admittedly is not the most stimulating topic in the world, but truth be told, it is definitely one of the most important yet under appreciated components of physical fitness.  For anybody - Nurse or not - stretching should be a daily routine item, much like brushing your teeth.   But too many times, stretching gets ignored.  (I'm definitely guilty of it too!)

Stretching can be awfully boring and be uncomfortably annoying.  It takes a solid 10-15 minutes to do it properly - time that most exercisers feel they should spend working up a sweat.  So it's no wonder most people forego it all together.



So why should you bother?  Why should an RN worry for two seconds about her flexibility?  You've probably heard or read about the statistics showing the number of nurses that leave our profession prematurely due to musculoskeletal injuries incurred while on the job.  As a group, Nurses who work in Hospitals have the second highest incidence rate for back injuries of any job in the country.  Only truck drivers (who load and unload boxes and drive hundreds of miles every day) have a higher incidence rate.  Link to Avoiding Back Injuries for the Nurse - for the full details.  That is a staggering statistic.  Stretching certainly is not the magical cure for this, but a consistent routine will help reduce the chances you'll get injured on the job.

Here's what stretching does:

• It reduces tension
• It increases your range of movement at the joint
• It increases circulation to various parts of the body and enhances muscular coordination
• It increases energy (as a result of the boost in circulation)

In short, when you can increase the range of motion in your joints, your limbs and joints can move further before injury occurs.  Think of it like the old metaphor using the tree branch:  the unstretched body is like the old brittle twig; the flexible, loose stretch body is like a young malleable green twig.  To beat the tree metaphor to death, like the tree you also don't necessarily visually see the benefits of your stretching.  The results can be felt when your limbs and body are stressed and do not injure.

As Nurses, there's so many unavoidable opportunities to tweak our bodies  - think about lifting a patient from bed, bracing an older patient's slip or fall, transporting patients throughout the hospital, or even just picking something up off the ground.  You know the simple "Bend with your Knees, Not your Back" advice is simply not real life (click for more details on this).



How to Stretch
While it may seem like a good idea to bounce your stretch, don't do it.  There are a few techniques where slight bouncing may be acceptable, but for our purposes you want gentle, slow and controlled stretches.  This is called 'static stretching'.  Ggradually ease into the stretch, so as to not pull or injure any muscle fibers.  Once you find your maximum point - the point at which the stretch is uncomfortable - back off a touch and hold the stretch. You should strive to hold the stretch at that tension, working up to 1 minute of holding.  Start with a :10 or :15 hold and work your way up over time.  Keep your breathing soft and consistent in a normal rhythm during the hold. Relax and move on to the next movement. Over time, you will gain more flexibility and be able to stretch further with more comfort.  Stretching should NEVER be painful.  Uncomfortable is OK, but painful never is. 

You always want to stretch opposing muscle groups:  in other words, your hamstrings (back of upper leg) with quadriceps (front of upper leg).  This helps avoids injury due to muscular imbalance.  Always make sure you warm up first - just get the blood flowing somehow.
 
A Nurse's Routine
Full body flexibility is the key for an RN.  You're using your entire body at work, so you can't neglect any area.  Maybe some people - like runners - can focus primarily on their lower body, but not an RN!  This link has a wonderful routine with photos that everybody can do and benefit from.  Print it out and follow the instructions.  I would just add one stretch to the routine, for the Chest, which can be found at this link.  Do both of these routines every other day and you'll be well on your way to increased flexibility and reduced chance of injury while on the job.  All of these can be done at home with no equipment, and many of them can be done even at work.

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

I came across these videos on YouTube this morning and thought they'd be worth posting.  I think they source from something called Expert Village, which is a site that includes user-submitted videos for how to do anything and almost everything.  The woman in these videos posted her tips for preparing for a shift, including food choices, work bag preparation, and sleep.  When you're done with these videos, if you have more interest on tips for better living while working the night shift, check these two links:

• The Importance of Breakfast for a Nurse
• Techniques for Managing Stress

 

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

Like me, you've probably read or heard that public speaking is the #1 fear reported by people in the US, a fear reported even more than that of death.  Today I did the obligatory Google search to find out the source of this statistic.  Apparently it was first published in a 1973 London Sunday Times article citing the results of a survey of 3000 Americans, and has been verified by countless other studies and surveys in the years since.  The original Times study found that 41% of respondents listed "speaking in public" as their biggest fear, with death tallying only 19%.

That's a crazy statistic, but I guess it makes sense.  Death can be so abstract, but getting up in front of a room and talking is a tangible, relatable experience.

Within the Nursing community, there's really not much discussion about Public Speaking.  Since the typical RN is not charged with giving major presentations or new business pitches, it is assumed that skill development in this area needs little to no attention.  But like anybody who struggles with this fear knows, the lack of a 'major presentation' is not the point:  any speaking engagement in front of a group of people is nerve-wracking and basically, um, sucks.

Actually, Nursing requires a lot of public speaking.  Consider, for example:
- giving report during staff meetings,
- discussing a patient's condition with her family,
- acting as SuperUser for a new technology or software on the Unit and being required to teach peers.

While Nurses may not find themselves behind a podium like a public relations manager, a politician, an actor or a broadcaster, they must be in constant interaction with different groups of people, and public speaking - even if at the small group level - is expected.

SYMPTOMS
Do I need to waste time writing about symptoms?  You know the symptoms:  sweating, high blood pressure, butterflies, visions and thoughts of horror.  The symptoms are so severe for some people that they become pros at finding ways to avoid the speaking engagement all together ("I'm sick, sorry!" "I have a sore throat and can't talk", "My car got a flat tire on the way in to the office"). 

WHAT CAUSES THE FEAR?
Lots of theories here.  Some experts in the field point to - as usual - childhood.  Children who are meant to feel like their opinions and ideas are meaningless grow up afraid to express themselves publicly.  Others point to bad experiences in the past.  Still others say certain people are naturally anxious and more prone to being afraid of such experiences. 

Whatever.  For my money, I think it comes down to people placing unrealistic expectations on themselves and on the importance of what they're talking about.  Human nature type stuff - everybody wants to do their best and come across as brilliant and important.  Many people get so wrapped up assuming they have to be perfect - no stuttering, no ums or ahs, no referring to notes - that they generate fear of failure and ridicule.  Those who avoid speaking in public all together may feel they have to speak with the eloquence of Barak Obama, the vision of Martin Luther King Jr., or the passion of Adolf Hitler (seriously, have you ever heard him give a speech?)

HOW A NURSE CAN COPE
There are SOOOOO many articles on the web and books at the bookstore covering this topic that you could spend years going through them.  Here's two I like:  How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear,  Conquering Your Fear of Public Speaking.  In these and other articles, the advice and tips boil down to a few key points

• Figure out who your audience is, and try to anticipate what information will be valuable to them
• Have two or three key points of relevant information to tell your audience
• You are allowed to stutter, stumble, lose your place, forget what you wanted to say and use humor.
• Don't strive to mirror anybody else's style - be yourself!  Those who are successful are themselves when they speak in public.
• Get out there and DO IT.  Like riding a bike, you started with training wheels, fell a bunch, but eventually learned to do it and now it's second nature.  The same applies to public speaking.  Don't be afraid to fail a dozen times - you'll be better off for it.  And you won't scrape your knee.

Above all, remember that ultimately your audience wants you to do well.  Nobody is secretly judging you and tallying up how many times you jumble your words.  Nobody is going to point and laugh if you lose your place.  The articles above go into depth about the extent to which people can skew their impression of their audience's motivations.

I don't really buy into all that "pretend your audience is naked" crap.  Who wants to do that?  Most of the people in your audience probably look like mutants - do yourself a favor, keep their clothes on.  I like to refer back to that London Times statistic that claims 41% of people cite public speaking as their #1 fear.  If that's the case, just about 1/2 of my audience will commend me just for getting up and doing it!  Even if I'm a total idiot and mess everything up!

So pop around the internet - you'll find plenty of advice articles besides what's above.  YouTube has some nice free videos - here's one:

And finally, get the support of others.....online Nursing communities usually have a thread or two of Nurses sharing public speaking stories and tips.  Talk to some people in the same situation as you and help each other out.  To start you off, one such thread can be found here at allnurses.com. 

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

This week's STAT Workout for Nurses continues with some Leg exercises but incorporates more upper body work.  You will need a sturdy chair for this week's routine -- no chair on rollers and no chairs that show any instability.  You will also need two equal light weights - use whatever -- 2 books, two 1-liter bottles of water, whatever.  As usual, our workout principles remain the same.  Check out the STAT Workout Introduction for a brief refresher on our principles and what this series is about.

Print this page, head to work, and bring it out when you have ten free minutes in your schedule!

STAT WORKOUT #3

Overview:   
10 minutes / 10 moves / :30 each

Details:

• You will perform each exercise for :30, then rest for :30, then move to the next on the list.  Continue to end.
• If you can't complete :30 for each move, stop, take the breather, and pick up where you left off.  It's OK - you'll build up to it.
• Don't overdo it.  If it hurts or you feel dizzy, stop. 
• Always be sure you have plenty of room and are on a stable surface.

Workout:

:30    Side Lunges

• Start with legs together, feet facing front.  Hands on hips or in front (as shown above).
• Lunge to one side with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot.
• Lower body by flexing knee and hip of lead leg, keeping knee pointed the same direction of foot.
• Return to original standing position by forcibly extending the hip and knee of the lead leg.
• Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite leg.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Leg Extensions

• Sit on chair.  Your back should be aligned with chair back - no slouching.  Hold on to arms of chair.
• Lift both legs to parallel to floor.
• Hold!  See how long you can go.  Try 5 second increments, then work up to 10, then upwards from there.  Your ultimate goal is to hold position for full :30.  Work within the :30 allocated time and do your best - if you can only get 1 set of 5 seconds, that's OK.  You'll work up to it later.
• You can also do this exercise 1 leg at a time (as shown).  If you prefer this route, focus on one leg for the :30.  You can do the other leg on the following set.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Seated Row

• Sit upright in your chair, your weights in each hand (see above for appropriate weights!), arms at your sides.
• Lean forward from the waist and keep your head up.
• Weights should be hanging down at your sides with palms facing in.
• Pull the weights up to your lower abs, keeping elbows close to the body.
• Lower the weights in a controlled manner.
• You can also do by alternating arms, as shown.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Chair Triceps Dip

• Sit in chair, scoot to front.
• Place hands on front of chair arms.  Move your legs out and hold up your body so your butt is hovering just over front of chair.  Legs should be at 90 degree angle to floor.
• Press up and down.  Do not let your upper arms go further than parallel to floor.  Keep your elbows in tight against your body - do not flare them outward.
• For starters:  Do :15, then rest for :05.  Finish up with :10.  Advanced:  full :30.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Seated Crunches

• Sitting upright in chair, lean forward and contract your abs while breathing out. It doesn't take much of a forward lean to feel the squeeze.
• Hold your squeeze for two or three seconds and then return to an upright position.
• Continue for entire :30 duration.
• To advance, hold contraction longer.

:30    Rest
-----

Now REPEAT that whole sequence again, starting at the top.  That's 10 minutes.
Keep in mind you can always do one sequence and come back after a few minutes if need be.

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

 

        

One of the coolest parts of my job is the process of hiring a Nurse and then doing my part to help her achieve her personal and professional goals.  Some RNs look for scheduling flexibility to have more time with family, some want help getting in shape, some (read: most!) want more money.  Whatever the end goal, working through the details and building a plan with the RN is very rewarding. 

But this posting isn't some dopey soul-bearing narrative about work and passion.  Instead, it's about Resumes.  I review a number of them on any given day, and every single one is unique in its own right (that's good).  Unfortunately, some of them need a lot of help.  I've seen the extremely wordy and redundant ones that spill on to 4 pages and are redundant, the unstructured ones that don't position the RN's work appropriately, and resumes that simply don't include any of the most important information, like Licenses, Certifications or even contact information.

I'm sure I've been guilty of passing on some perfectly well-qualified, outstanding Nurses because their resume, for whatever reason, didn't grab me.  I know these same RNs are saying 'Why didn't that idiot offer me a job?  Can't he see I'm perfect for it?'



So that's what this is about:  building the optimal Nursing resume.  Hell, not for my sake.  For the Nurse's.

Business schools regularly teach their students how to craft a well-organized resume, but that class is nowhere to be found on a typical Nursing curriculum.  Articles abound on business-related websites that offer advice and tips, but RNs typically have no reason to search out such sites.  So it's not surprising at all that Nurse resumes vary wildly in structure and quality.  A strong resume always increases your chance of receiving a call-back from the employer(s) you're targeting.

Here's a neat video I found that is a great place to start.  It offers valuable tips and ideas that can apply to any Nursing resume and cover letter:

Monster.com has also published a great Nursing-specific Resume tip article that should be a big help.  Find that here.

Keep your resume fresh and incorporate some of these tips and you'll be sure to elicit a lot of response when you decide to look for a new position.

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

One of the keys to maintaining your fitness is to change up your routine a lot.  Many people make the mistake of always doing the same routine when they exercise and can't understand why they're not shaping up.  If you're a gym-goer, you've probably seen it:  the guy with the doughy arms who has been ripping out 3 sets of bicep curls with the same weights every day for the last year.

Truth is, your body learns to adapt remarkably quickly.  On the plus side, adapting quickly means your body finds a way to rise to the demands being placed on it.  Conversely, it's always starving for new stimulus - not the same old same old - to overcome an exercise plateau and continue to reap positive benefits.      

With this in mind, this week's STAT Workout is a build off last week's program, and will continue your progress and help avoid any plateaus.  Our vision behind the STAT Workout remains the same:

A quick 10-minute, very effective full-body fitness routine you can do while working on the unit that requires NO gym equipment.

Check out the Introduction to the STAT Workout for a refresher on the benefits of the workout and some of the core principles.  Then come back here, print and bring to work, and break it out when you have 10 minutes free.

STAT WORKOUT #2

Overview:   
10 minutes / 10 moves / :30 each

Details:

• You will perform each exercise for :30, then rest for :30, then move to the next on the list.  Continue to end.
• If you can't complete :30 for each move, stop, take the breather, and pick up where you left off.  It's OK - you'll build up to it.
• Don't overdo it.  If it hurts or you feel dizzy, stop. 
• Always be sure you have plenty of room and are on a stable surface.

Workout:

:30    Lunge

• Step forward with one leg about 2 feet.
• With your torso and toes pointing forward at all times, lower your body using your legs.  Go down until your front thigh is parallel to the floor.  Push down in your front heel and rise back up.
• Be sure your front knee does not travel past your front foot.  If it does, position that foot further in front of you.  (Your knee should always be directly above or just behind your front foot)
• Repeat - up and down - for :15 seconds
• Change legs.  Lead with other leg, repeat for :15 seconds.

:30    Rest 
-----

:30    Plie Squat with Reach

• Stand with feet more than shoulder width apart.
• Point toes outward
• Hands in Prayer formation in front of chest (not shown in photo)
• Bend your knees and lower your body towards the floor.  Make sure to keep your back and abs straight and tight throughout.  Knees should track over your feet, not past them.  (Use wider stance if needed).
• At bottom of movement, push down through your heels and rise back up.
• As you rise, bring your arms and hands up to the ceiling and slightly out from center.  As you near the top of the move, your body will be shaped like a big 'X'. (arm raise not shown in photo)
• Bring hands back down to Prayer formation, repeat sequence.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Runners Squat (for your Core)

• Start by squatting with one leg slightly in front of the other, as if you were lining up at a gate to start a race.
• Swing your arms in an uppercut motion quickly as you would if you were running fast.
• Keep your core and back TIGHT as you do this.  Swing those arms fast!
• The lower you go in your squat while you do this, the better the workout.
• If you're feeling crazy, jump and switch leg positions every 7 or 10 seconds.

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Incline Push-Up (same as last week...do it again)

• Need a STURDY desk for this one.  Put your hands on the edge of your desk, shoulder-width apart.
• Feet on floor, shoulder-width apart, behind you so your torso forms a 45 degree angle with the floor
• Keep your back straight and your head looking straight down in front of you
• Lower your body so your chest lowers to near your hands
• Push back up
• Repeat
• Note:  if this is too much, try the same move against a wall - hands on wall

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Standing Calf Raise

• Find a support for balance - a desk, chair, wall, whatever.
• Stand on one foot.  Keeping back straight, head and chest up, rise up onto your tip toes.  Hold for 1/2 second.  Down.
• Repeat for :15 on that same leg, then switch legs.

:30    Rest
-----

Now REPEAT that whole sequence again, starting at the top.  That's 10 minutes.  You've focused mostly on legs and your core muscles.  Next week you'll continue with legs but place more emphasis on your upper body.

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

The Center for Nursing Advocacy is a great organization - all RNs should be familiar with their message.  This is a group that is tired of the way Nurses are portrayed in the media, and are working towards change.  For the purpose of 'good television', the role of Nurses is many times misrepresented, inaccurate or inadequate.  For the millions of casual TV or movie viewers, like anything, perception has a way of becoming reality.  The Center points out many striking examples of poor Nurse representation throughout movies, television or other media outlets (even crossword puzzles!).  Here's one most everybody is familiar with:

You can read their interesting review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Nurse Ratched here.

Ultimately, this organization's goal is to balance out the media portrayal of Nurses, and use the more positive image to recruit and retain Nurses.  For any Nurse who feels stretched thin or overworked (umm...everybody), this is a relevant and worthy cause.  Check out the site for much more detail and to make a donation.

By the way, I happened upon the Center through a link from the LiveSmarter blog.  This is a young site without a lot of content yet, but I like the direction they're headed.  The people at LiveSmarter are blogging about ways to improve your daily life, whether through finance, wellness, health or education.  Similar to what we do here, many of their articles are about helping Nurses live better lives, and definitely worth a read.  Two good ones to date are:  10 Terrible Patients and How to Deal with Them, and The 10 Most Important Political Issues for Nurses in 2008.  Hopefully they'll keep writing and sharing more ideas.

        

I suspect many RNs have great intentions when it comes to working out and maintaining their fitness, but get sidetracked because of a crazy work schedule.  Let's be fair - a 12 hour shift is no easy feat.  For those of you who start the 7A shift, you're usually leaving the house sometime just after 6AM to punch in on time, and not returning home - exhausted and hungry - until 8.  Where's the time to work out?  (Damn those lucky nine to fivers.)

Introducing the STAT Workout.  This is a new section I'm creating and plan to update weekly.  The STAT Workout is a simple concept:

A quick 10-minute, very effective full-body fitness routine you can do while working on the unit that requires NO gym equipment.

The STAT Workout is for the Nurse looking to incorporate basic strength and conditioning moves to build up his or her general fitness level, but do so quickly.  It's designed to be done at work, and can be done during every shift.  Here's the facts: 

• you have little down time (if any!) on the unit, 
• you can't change clothes and don't want to be sweating profusely in your scrubs
• you have no equipment available - bars, weights, bands, etc
• you don't want to get down and make contact with the floor

Studies show just 10 minutes of exercise per day can have a dramatic effect versus a sedentary lifestyle.

The STAT Workout will work your entire body - legs, core muscles, chest and everything else - quickly and effectively, and won't leave you sweaty and gross, or without energy to finish your shift.  Tired, yep, but fully ready to jump up and attend to a patient's needs.

So print out this article, stuff it in your work bag, and bring it out at work when you're ready to go.  10 minutes is all you'll need!

STAT WORKOUT #1

Overview:    
10 minutes / 10 moves / :30 each

Details: 

• You will perform each exercise for :30, then rest for :30, then move to the next on the list.  Continue to end.
• If you can't complete :30 for each move, stop, take the breather, and pick up where you left off.  It's OK - you'll build up to it.
• Don't overdo it.  If it hurts or you feel dizzy, stop. 
• Always be sure you have plenty of room and are on a stable surface.

Workout:

:30    Body Weight Squat

• Arms crossed over chest or in front of you (for balance)
• Legs shoulder-width apart, feet pointing forward
• Keep your back straight and lower down so your thighs are parallel with the floor
• Rise back up
• Repeat

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Wall Squat

• Find a wall.  Put your back against the wall and scoot down so your thighs are parallel with the floor and you're 'sitting' against the wall.  Nothing is under your butt - just your back against the wall.
• Hold for :30 !

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Incline Push-Up

• Need a STURDY desk for this one.  Put your hands on the edge of your desk, shoulder-width apart.
• Feet on floor, shoulder-width apart, behind you so your torso forms a 45 degree angle with the floor
• Keep your back straight and your head looking straight down in front of you
• Lower your body so your chest lowers to near your hands
• Push back up
• Repeat
• Note:  if this is too much, try the same move against a wall - hands on wall

:30    Rest
-----

:30    Elbows-to-Knees March

• Stand up tall, hands inter-locked behind head, elbows out
• Bring right knee up towards chest.  At same time rotate your upper body so left elbow touches right knee.
• Lower knee, bring upper body back to center.
• Bring left knee up towards chest.  At same time rotate your upper body so right elbow touches left knee.
• Lower knee, bring upper body back to center.
• Repeat pattern - right, left, right, left

:30    Rest
-----

:30     Shoulder Circles

• Stand up tall.  Arms out to your sides, parallel to floor.
• Point fingertips up towards ceiling.  Make small, forward circular motions with your arms, both at the same time.  Continue forward motion for :15
• Stop, quickly turn fingertips down to point at floor, and reverse circular motion.  Continue backwards motion for :15.

:30    Rest
-----

Now REPEAT the entire sequence above.

That's your 10 minutes.  Congrats - How'd you do?

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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

I really try my best to keep this blog focused against topics of which I have at least a bit of understanding.  Let's be honest, I need to stick with stuff I know.  I can't make up for a lack of substance with verbal - er, written - gymnastics (see?).  My vocabulary stinks and my prose probably annoys the hell out of the Grammar Curmudgeon.  So I'm sitting here staring at a screen with a lot of white space trying to figure out how to start writing about the virtual reality world called Second Life (where I am a novice!) and what it means for the Nursing community.  I know there's something here, but where do I begin?

I guess I'll start with what I know:
Second Life is a 3-D virtual reality world accessed through the internet that is defined by its users.   Every day, thousands of people visit this world and create Avatars, which are basically characters created by the user to explore the online environment.  Your Avatars can explore huge spaces in the virtual world, including shopping  malls, carnivals, clubs, homes and cities.  He or She (or It!) can meet new people and join groups.  Some people buy virtual land within the world and create businesses on their property with the goal of attracting people to their parcel.  Many people even make real money selling 'virtual goods' to other Avatars for real cash.

Never mind...that probably doesn't do it justice - check out this article and this one - they do a much better job of explaining whats up.  Or check out the clip below.  (Hopefully you can stomach the incredibly annoying voice.)

For the Nursing community, Second Life (SL) offers some intriguing current and future applications.  For starters, it's easy to join the world, create your Avatar, and link up with other Nurses through groups.  Even now, there are dozens of Nursing groups in SL.  From my experience, the SL Nursing groups are just a patchwork of people who share a common interest or occupation; there are no organized meetings or collaborative share groups.

That will likely change quickly, as do most things in SL.  The near future will bring about SL Nursing communities that share ideas, best practices and stories.  User-developed virtual hospitals already exist - soon Nurses will visit the hospitals and practice taking care of patients, simulating real-life scenarios.  Don't believe it?  Check out this clip showing what's already going on right now:

(You can find more of these demos on YouTube.)

Pretty neat stuff.  Who knows where this will go in the future - the possibilities are endless.  Instead of getting continuing education credits online, you might visit a virtual simulation or classroom.  Universities might use SL as part of the curriculum, helping teach students to deal with difficult patient situations.  Hospitals will likely have a virtual version of their facility on SL and you could 'test drive' working on their unit prior to accepting a job in the Real World.  New technologies may be introduced into the virtual world and reviewed by RNs prior to being installed or incorporated into Units in the Real World.

As a Nurse, it's worth knowing about this and understanding how it could affect your job in the future.  Even if just for a little while, go sign up (it's free) and look around.  Right now - at least from my perspective - SL is difficult to navigate and accomplish much.  It's impossible, though, to not be impressed and be excited about where the technology might take us in the future.

By the way, if you do join, look me up and say hello:  MikeD396 Meredith.  My Avatar, below, is not as flashy and fancy as some of what I see in SL, but he'll get better.  Right now he's basically a total disaster - I don't really know what to do with him.  He mostly just stands around like a big lummox.  But I'll work on him and try to make him cool.  



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This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!

        

I found a neat new product in the grocery stores that is a PERFECT way for Nurses to eat healthy while at work.  Most Nurses only have access to a break room with a small refrigerator and microwave.  To pack a healthy meal usually means shoving a Lean Cuisine in your bag or a can of soup.  While not the worst choices, both are high in sodium and generally low in fulfillment.  I know personally, I would eat anything in sight a few hours later if that was dinner.

Ziploc has come out with a great item that will help you eat better at work.  Their new Zip'n Steam bags might look like regular Ziploc bags, but they have patented vents that allow food to be steamed under pressure so that it is cooked thoroughly and evenly for healthy meals in the microwave.



I've tried using the bags to cook vegetables and even protein - like fish or chicken.  Both recipes provided in the package turned out great - nothing was like eating cardboard.  I was hesitant at first, thinking everything would taste like dog crap, but I was wrong.

It's easy to throw some stuff in the Ziploc bag - fish, chicken, fresh vegetables, etc - and bring everything to work with you.  Cooking only takes a matter of minutes, and you get a healthy meal full of proteins and slow-digesting carbs that stays with you throughout the day.

Give them a try and see what you think.  You can find the bags at your local grocery store in the Food Storage section (bags/wraps, etc) - where you would typically find Ziploc bags.  Some retailers even place them in the Produce aisle, so look there too.



Ziploc's website has some good recipe ideas and more information about the product.