How to budget as a nurse

Looking to get better at budgeting but not sure where to start? We spoke with Lauren Mochizuki, an ER Nurse of 11 years. Together with her husband, she paid off $266,329.01 of debt in 33 months through intense budgeting. Whether you need to focus on budgeting to pay off debt or are looking to build up to a life that's "work optional," there’s an opportunity to prioritize your financial health for years to come. Here's how Lauren, the ER Nurse of 11 years who showed us how, recommends you get started. Read more

29 extra minutes of sleep —

Soomi Lee and her colleagues at USF and the Moffitt Cancer Center followed 61 nurses for two weeks, examining various characteristics of sleep health. They found that nurses’ mindful attention (one step above "simply being awake") was greater than average on the nights that they received an additional 29 minutes of sleep. This improved state of present awareness following these slightly extended nights of sleep reveal an association with better patient care during the day. If this is the case, then perhaps improving sleep in the caregiving population may lead to overall better patient health outcomes. Read more

The link between healthcare and climate change —

Can improving healthcare be a tool in the arsenal of combating climate change? Researchers at UC Santa Barbara recently found that improving healthcare in parts of rural Indonesia reduced local incentives for illegal logging in a nearby national park. In fact, the study found that deforestation within the national park declined 70% in the decade following the opening of an affordable health care clinic in the area. The difference in logging equates to at least $65 million worth of avoided carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Andy MacDonald, an assistant researcher at the Earth Research Institute, stated, "The results illustrate a strong link between human health and conservation in tropical forests in the developing world." Can a similar correlation be drawn in the developed world? Read more

Do you know a nurse with diabetes? —

We all know that working as a nurse consists of long, strenuous hours of caring for everyone other than yourself. And many nurses battle with chronic illness, disease, and life-changing conditions just the same as non-nurses. In honor of November being National Diabetes Month, we did a little bit of research into living and working as a nurse with the disease. Here are a few critical tips to remember when working long hours to ensure you protect your health all shift long. Read more

The power of a surprise ballet recital —

A young girl in the UK named Isabel Fletcher has been hospitalized for a long time throughout her second fight with cancer. Recently, however, she's been feeling a bit better and was surprised by two of her doctors, who danced into her room and performed a choreographed ballet. Her mother commented, “She’s been through a really tough time the last few months, and it’s something [the doctors] wanted to do for a while, but she’s been so poorly, so it was a nice special treat for her." Read more

Coronavirus Updates

Poop and pooled spit may be the best COVID warning system —

Poop jokes aside, the science involved in Colorado State University's COVID-19 early detection strategy is fascinating. CSU is working with its own molecular biologists to come up with early detection methods centered around fecal and saliva testing. Since the virus tends to be shed via stool days prior to its most contagious period, red flags apparent in stool samples may help to prevent a wider outbreak. As part of ongoing review of the campus' sewage, CSU's biologists are also using a novel saliva testing method called "paired pooling," allowing them to cut down on time and also improve accuracy. Read more

Testing, testing, and more testing —

In a recent comparison, researchers at the University of Arizona found that a rapid test produced by Quidel was actually able to detect more than 80% of COVID-19 cases in symptomatic individuals also found by the slower, lab-based PCR testing model. Good news for rapid tests? Yes, however... when Quidel's test was used to randomly screen individuals who did not show symptoms or feel sick, it was only able to detect about 32% of the positive cases that were successfully identified by PCR testing. Are rapid tests improving? Yes. Are they quite as effect as PCR tests? Not quite. Read more

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Inhale, exhale —

If you're feeling a bit stressed this week, check out this calming 30-minute meditation we recently hosted on our Instagram Live. Inhale, exhale, and have a great weekend.