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Many people can’t imagine life without Facebook, even though it’s only been around since 2004. It’s the most visited website in the world (with just under a eleventy-trillion users)…and you’re probably one of them.

But, as a nurse, you probably have to think more carefully than civilians about how you use Facebook.

Some members of the nursing profession have been more than a tad irresponsible and imprudent with their posts, divulging confidential information about patients and hospital happenings. (Read “Five nurses fired for Facebook postings.”) Does this mean that perhaps you should consider saying goodbye to Facebook for now?

Keep reading and then decide for yourself, because it really comes down to you.

Privacy and confidentiality
The issue of patient privacy and confidentiality is the big one here. The aforementioned five California nurses were discussing their patients on Facebook, but nurses have also been fired for posting X-rays and photographs of patients. For example, in a different California hospital, nurses posted photos of a dying man who arrived in the ER with multiple stab wounds. In the United Kingdom, a nurse posted photos of herself in the OR, holding tissue from a brain surgery patient lying right there on the operating table.

Next: Professionalism →

1. Nurses make it better

Who could quibble with this? It simply tells it like it is. And think how reassuring it’ll be for your family and friends when you wear this T-shirt. “Oh, isn’t it nice to know there’s a nurse nearby, in case I cut my finger or stub my toe?”

Next: I call the shots –>

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As a nurse, you may find that respect is a rather elusive entity. And of course, the stereotype of the rude MD berating the nurse is sadly rooted in reality.

You can avoid the cliche and get the respect you deserve by following these two effective steps.

Be Prepared
“I’ve always had a pretty good rapport with physicians who are notorious for being hard to work with,” says Rachel Ballard, RNC-MN, BSN, the CEO of ihealthcommunications.com. She says that in her experience, doctors want nurses to have common sense, to think quickly and to find the answers if they don’t have them.

Ballard cautions nurses against calling physicians to notify them of changes in a patient’s conditions unless they already have the lab work, vital signs and everything else they can gather about the patient’s status. “I’ve never said to a doctor, ‘I don’t know,’” she adds. “I say, ‘I don’t have that information in front of me, but I will find out right now.’”

She recalls a situation in which a physician started to yell at her, and she advised him that if he wanted her to understand how he wanted something done, he should take the time to explain it to her. “I pulled up a chair and he gave me a 30-minute lesson on liver function,” says Ballard, adding that the physician didn’t criticize her nursing skills again because she understood how he wanted things to be done.

Communicate Effectively, Be Confident, Be Proactive
Engaging in open, honest, effective communication is the key for nurses to gain the respect of doctors, maintains Bob Uslander, MD, a physician who divides his working hours three ways—making house calls to patients, coaching other physicians and working in the emergency room of a San Diego hospital.

“A lot of nurses tend to sit back and let physicians dictate the situation,” says Uslander. “They have the tendency to minimize their importance. They need to stand up and be effective members of the team—because they are important members of the team.”

He says that he has the most respect for nurses who are confident about their nursing skills; who are proactive and offer suggestions rather than just take orders; who are compassionate and respectful of patients; and who are willing to do more than what is asked or expected of them—and that means more for their patients, for the team they work with and for the department or institution they work in. “At the heart of this is the patients’ best interests, so I respect nurses who respect their patients,” adds Uslander.

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What did the winning applicant have that you didn’t have? What did that person do that you didn’t do? If it seems that you’re getting passed over for every nursing position you apply for, it’s time to get an edge.

Whether you have loads of nursing experience or you’re a new grad and this is the first position you’re applying for, the truth is that you have to market yourself because the competition is tough for those coveted nursing jobs. Here are four ways to get an edge.

1. Target your cover letter, application and resumé for the position you’re applying for

The first impression you give a potential employer hinges on your application package, so take your time preparing it, and include everything you’re asked for. Flaunt your experience, because this is going to determine whether or not you get an interview.

“Though it sounds very basic, the first steps toward getting an interview include making sure that you meet the requirements for the position you’re applying for,” says Chris Wilson, MSN, RN-BC, Director of Clinical Education & Professional Development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. “For example, if there is a minimum GPA, make sure you meet the requirement. Submitting your materials with attention to detail, completeness and according to directions is also key.”

But more than that, you absolutely have to target your application package for the specific nursing position you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a nurse educator position, for example, play up your experience and certifications related to—you guessed it—educating. If you’re applying for a position in geriatrics, play up your related experience and certifications. If you have none to play up, you might want to reconsider applying because there will undoubtedly be applicants much more “qualified” than you are, and there may be other positions you’re better suited for. Better yet, consider expanding your skills so that you’re qualified for the positions that come available and appeal to you.

And if anyone gives you the slightest “You’re too old” vibe (illegal, by the way!), you can play up your experience. This is your chance to shine, you experienced nurses!

Next: Make and maintain connections →

But Memorial Day is far more than that. It’s a time for remembering all those who served and lost their lives in war.

What many people tend to forget is that along with the soldiers who go to war, nurses go as well—not to fight in battle, but to help save the lives of injured soldiers and to provide comfort to those soldiers they cannot save. U.S. military nursing has been around for several centuries—since the 1700s. Here are some military nursing facts that you may find interesting, and which might encourage you, as a nurse, to devote a little time this upcoming Memorial Day to paying even a silent tribute to military nurses.

• More than 10,000 nurses served in World War I. They traveled across the Atlantic Ocean by ship, and the journey took about two weeks.

• Somewhere between 200 and 300 nurses died in World War I. Many contracted illnesses such as scarlet fever and influenza, which took their lives. Some died in military accidents, and some died at the hands of enemy weapons.

• In the 1960s and 1970s, the nurses who went overseas to nurse injured soldiers in the Vietnam War were young women who had just graduated from nursing school. This was their first nursing experience, and they served for one year minimum. They could serve longer if they chose to.

• As the machines of war evolved, the nurses who served overseas saw and treated injuries they would never have to deal with again. For example, during the Vietnam War, napalm, a flammable liquid that causes severe burns and often death, was a commonly used weapon, and nurses saw its horrible effects.

• Today, the nurses who go overseas range in age from 20 to 60, and one-third are men. The service term is six months, but “active duty” nurses can be reposted (sent back) several times.

• The Army Nurse Corps became an official branch of the Army Medical Department in 1901. You can learn about joining the Army Nurse Corps on the U.S. Army website.

• There are 10 different nursing specialities in the Army Nurse Corps, ranging from Army Public Health Nurses to Perioperative Nurses to Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners.

• Military nurses have served in numerous wars, including the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. They have served with NATO troops in Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo.

• During World War II, 67 Army nurses and 16 Navy nurses were held by the Japanese for three years as prisoners of war.

• Located near the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a memorial to all nurses who have served in all wars. It’s a bronze statue of a nurse caring for a wounded soldier. As a nurse, hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to visit this memorial someday—if not on this Memorial Day, then perhaps on another Memorial Day, or any day.

Be sure to take time to reflect on your country’s honorable military nursing history, one that still has many pages to be written—since war is unfortunately not history yet.

Read more Scrubs articles about military nurses.

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Sometimes you need or want a bit more money than you’re earning from your regular salary.

It could be that you’re planning a special vacation, your child needs braces or you have to do some home renovations. Maybe you simply want to save a little more for your retirement.

Here are eight more things you can do to make your bank account more happy.

1. Extra Shifts
Let your supervisor or unit clerk know that you’re willing to take on extra shifts. Some hospitals have web-based systems that you can log onto and sign up for extra shifts. Some organizations that administer several hospitals have web-based systems that allow nurses to sign up for extra shifts at any hospital within that organization.

Next: Per Diem Shifts →

We thought the theme of doctors thanking nurses would be wonderful for the scrubsmag.com website too, so we assigned one of our writers to interview even more doctors for their sentiments. And yes, it does get sentimental! Read on.

Perhaps the doctors you work with seldom, if ever, thank you or show you their appreciation. It could be that it’s simply not their style, but chances are that deep down they’re more appreciative than you can imagine—of you, your nursing skills and the valuable role you play on their healthcare team. Not buying it? These stories, volunteered by doctors who genuinely delighted in sharing them, are sure to erase that doubt and show you that doctors do appreciate nurses.

Humble Brilliance
“In our training, doctors are so separated from nursing staff that we don’t really get to appreciate their input until we’re independently practicing,” says Anita Swamy, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist and the medical director of diabetes at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago. “I’ve learned so much from the nurses I work with—both professionally and personally. I feel that in the field of medicine, they’re the humble, brilliant people.”

Swamy explains that prior to her arrival at La Rabida, the nurses were running the pediatric diabetes program without a medical director, and doing it very well. They had developed comprehensive components that included working in schools with school nurses, holding nursing conferences for nurses throughout the state and delivering a formal lecture series.  When Swamy arrived, they accepted her into the fold as part of the team and gave her a level of respect that surprised her.

“Some of them have been doing this much longer than I have, but they still come to me to ask me for advice, even though they likely already know the answers,” says Swamy. “That’s an incredible personality trait, and it has taught me to be a little more humble. And, as far as diabetes management goes, my knowledge has been significantly enhanced by exposure to the nurses and their ways of practice. Each of us has a role, and each role is equally important.”

Dr. Swamy thanks you, Rosemary, Andrea, Anita, Cathy and Kate.

Next: “Nurses are my eyes and ears…” –>

Are there certain daily deal sites that are better for nurses than others? Well, that really depends on what you’re looking for, what you like to do in your spare time, whether you travel a lot, if you’re a restaurant-goer, if you have a family, etc. Here’s the scoop on half a dozen sites that might be perfect for you and your lifestyle.

1. Groupon (groupon.com)
This is a good site to start with, and after all, it was the first. It offers deals on everything, but its real strength is in the restaurant deals. So if you’re a nurse who doesn’t look forward to cooking after a long shift, you can quickly build an arsenal of restaurant certificates that you can pick and choose from whenever you don’t want to spend time in your kitchen. There are also numerous attraction deals, so if you’re looking for something to do on your days off, you’ll get lots of ideas by letting the daily deals hit your inbox. Forward a deal to your coworkers, and if they buy it, you’ll get Groupon bucks that you can apply to purchasing your next deal.

Next: Living Social →

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We don’t have enough space here to cover every combination and permutation of where you work, who you work for and how many years of experience you have, but the following, which focuses on staff psychiatric nurses in hospitals, will give you an idea of where the money is, where the jobs are and where the living is good for psychiatric nurses.

Where the highest salaries are
PayScale, an online market research company that specializes in salary analysis, reports that the highest-earning psychiatric nurses are located in the states of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) and Illinois (Chicago), but in terms of average salaries, here are the states that rank at the top, plus the average hourly pay range for psychiatric nurses in each one:

• New York – $22.03 to $54.25 per hour
• California – $24.36 to $45.62 per hour
• Ohio – $14.70 to $43.07 per hour
• Virginia – $20.13 to $40.11 per hour
• Pennsylvania – $19.73 to $39.56 per hour
• Florida – $22.82 to $39.50 per hour

Next: Where the lowest salaries are →

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A good night’s sleep is an elusive dream for many nurses. Rotating shifts, night shifts, double shifts, 12-hour shifts…these all play havoc with your circadian rhythm—your built-in 24-hour clock that determines the daily patterns of your life.

So, even though you know you should be sleeping, your mind and body simply can’t do it. Add in the stresses of your nursing job and the emotional baggage that you often bring home with you. You worry about that patient who wasn’t doing so well when you got off shift. You regret something you said to a patient or coworker. You can’t remember if you charted everything you were supposed to. If your mind is still going over what happened at work, falling asleep is going to be a real challenge. It might seem as if your nursing career is simply not conducive to restful sleep.

It’s time to spend some time exploring ways you can sleep better every day—and every night—and not only during your nursing career, but well beyond.

Here are three suggestions to get you started.

Next: 1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) →