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We pulled from many traditions to give you prayers that we hope will work for any nurse of faith.

Find a prayer that’s helpful to you today from the list below.

And please, share a prayer from your own life in the comments.

First, a beginning of the day prayer:

Holy one, as we begin this day, I ask for your guidance.
With your divine hand, Inspire, lead and give thy wisdom.
Throughout this day, may your grace be ever present in this healing place.
Bless our team, our hospital, our unit, as we gather to help those in need,
Let not your help be far away.
We seek your strength and ask that you give spirit as we make decisions for the good.
God of love, teach us to give our best, to speak with love and act with courage.
May we be good stewards of all the gifts you have given. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Larry L. Jackson

10 Patient Care Prayers
A prayer to help me care for my patients
A prayer for a tearful moment
A letting go prayer
A team prayer
To be a nurse prayer
A night nurse’s prayer
A prayer for when you lose a patient
Another prayer for when a patient dies
A dedication to care prayer
A prayer for the student nurse
8 Inner Strength Prayers
A prayer for guidance
A prayer for patience
A prayer for strength
A prayer for encouragement
A calming prayer
A healing prayer
A prayer to help you gain composure
A prayer for dealing with difficult coworkers
6 more prayers for throughout your day
A prayer to say in the shower
A prayer for your commute
A prayer for your coffee break
A prayer for your break time
A hand washing prayer
A sleep time prayer

Continue to a prayer to help me care for my patients

But do you have to truly get away from it all to have an exquisitely quiet moment? A survey of nurses in various locales suggests not. What is non-negotiable is regularly taking the time to recharge your batteries—whether you do it for five minutes or five days. Everyone needs a breather, but perhaps no one more than a nurse. “Nurses know that too much contact with patients without a period of withdrawal makes for scattered attention, mistakes, anxiety, depression, and loss of interest,” says Steven Hendlin, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in private practice in Newport Beach, CA. and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. “For people like nurses, who are always dealing with other people’s pain and suffering, not having outside stress reducers may lead to depression and early burnout.”

Searching for Serenity

There are no rules about what constitutes the ideal interlude, and it doesn’t even have to be quiet. Maybe you seek solace at a rock concert, or by cheering on your favorite sports team. Yvonne Sannes, a home health nurse in Lancaster, CA rides motorcycles with her husband almost every weekend (the fact that they’re both almost 70 doesn’t stop them). Kim Bahnsen, a Nurse-Family Partnership supervisor in Port Matilda, PA, rides ATVs with her husband and son.

On the other hand, it could be that you use this time simply to take in the beauty of the world—visiting a botanical garden, or even a favorite flower shop on your way home from work; sitting on a cliff watching the fog roll in; or taking a car ride to the nearest river, lake or ocean. Or it may be a time you go inside yourself and block out the rest of the world by daydreaming or reciting affirmations. As long as your escape gives you a chance to remember—and be—exactly who you are, you know you’re doing it right.

Many nurses have more than one way they take refuge from the pressures of the job. Fletcher, for instance, doesn’t get to travel to exotic spots like Everest every day (or every year, for that matter), but she takes a moment for herself daily by switching on classical music after work. “I don’t use the television to escape any more,” says Fletcher. Instead of watching life, she now makes an effort to experience it.

A daily dose of Native American flute helps Paul Phelps wind down. A nurse who works half the year in the ICU at a Greeley, CO hospital, and half the year in Florida (where he cares for his aging parents, too), he also likes to bury himself in a book, taking care to choose one that has nothing to do with nursing. You might call that Phelps’ regular upkeep. In addition, he cultivates his fishing habit as often as he can in nearby creeks and lakes. “I tell my co-workers I only work to fish,” he says. The grandeur of the surrounding mountains, the trickle of cold-water streams, the occasional whir of a fishing reel, and the meditative wait for a catch all add to the serenity of those moments. “After 35 years of working in health care, I have come to understand the necessity of relaxing while away from work,” says Phelps.

To be meaningful, a time-out needn’t be the stuff dreams are made of. On days when you lose a patient or are short-handed at work, something as elementary as sitting down with a proper cup of tea can feel like a little slice of heaven. To Donna R. Pauling, a Nurse-Family Partnership nurse home visitor in Bloomsburg, PA, the perfect time out is making quilts for Quilts for Kids, an organization that distributes them to seriously ill children.

A little pampering can also go a long way. Simply keeping up with a regular pedicure–whether you do your own or go to a salon (definitely spring for the $5 foot massage!)–can lift you into another realm. To Ali Frisius, a pre-op nurse at Post Street Surgery Center in San Francisco, closing her bathroom door and easing into a hot bath with candles flickering nearby and a novel in her hand is pure pleasure. The heat of the water instantly dissipates the nervous energy she’s built up during the day. Other nurses find that just using their 15 minutes in the break room for a calming and repetitive activity like knitting or doing a crossword puzzle can be soothing. So can a brief meditation. “Simply closing your eyes for ten minutes, sitting still, with a straight back and feet on the floor—and doing this away from noise—can help you pull back into the present, slow down, and feel able to return to interacting with patients,” says psychologist Hendlin.

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Eventually I sought out a life coach to help me make sense of my situation. She helped me realize that my position didn’t suit my natural knack for listening to people and solving their problems. I got up the courage to become a life coach myself, helping other nurses in the Denver area de-stress and find balance in their lives, just as someone helped me find mine.

As The Nurse Coach, I give my clients simple assignments geared to help them discover what parts of their lives are out of whack. (You’d be amazed at how many nurses don’t even know they’re on the path to burnout!) We also work on aligning their strengths with their careers and finding ways to take better care of themselves. This rarely means leaving nursing, as it did for me. In fact, I want to keep nurses in nursing (we can’t afford to lose even one of us!).

What needs changing in your life? Take the quiz below to get an idea of where you stand on the overload-o-meter—at work and at home. Then take a look at the six assignments that follow: your call to action. Each is designed to put you on the road to a happier, more fulfilled life.

Take This Stress Test

Rate each of the 12 statements according to the following scale:

1 = never
2 = rarely
3 = sometimes
4 = often
5 = always

_____  I am responsible for so many different tasks at work and at home.

_____  I feel less competent or effective than I used to.

_____  I frequently feel overwhelmed.

_____  I’m achy—head, stomach, muscles.

_____ I have trouble sleeping and feel tired even when I get enough sleep.

_____  I often wish I could play hooky.

_____  I tend to see the glass half empty rather than half full.

_____ I find myself watching the clock throughout my shift.

_____  I get angry and irritated easily.

_____ I stick to myself and avoid conversations with coworkers.

_____  I’m often tempted to calm myself with alcohol, drugs or food.

_____ I rarely take breaks or even vacations.

Total up the numbers.

Your score: _____

WHAT YOUR SCORE MEANS

12–20: You have little job-related stress. This is a good position to be in, although you can make your life even better. Use the assignments to tweak the area of your life that needs improvement.

21–37: You seem to be under a moderate amount of stress and have a fair chance of becoming overwhelmed. You may want to pay particular attention to Assignment #1 to see what part of your life is out of balance. It’s best to catch and address signs of overload early, before the problem gets away from you.

38–47: You experience a high amount of stress and may be close to overload. All the assignments will be useful, especially #2—people on the verge of burnout often sabotage themselves with negative self-talk.

48 and up: You’re stressed to the max! Use the assignments to determine where you need to make changes, but also ask for help. Contact your hospital’s employee assistance program, find a mentor or seek out a life coach or therapist.

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You’re running late for your shift. Should you grab an energy bar on your way out the door or wait until you can eat something less sugary and more healthy?

Go for the bar if that’s your only option. “A little food first thing helps your brain think clearly,” says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, head of nutrition at the Golden Door Spa in Escondido, Calif. Think about it: Your body’s been fasting while you’ve been sleeping, so it needs to re-fuel (caffeine alone doesn’t count!) before it can get you going. However, a better—and equally quick—choice would be an apple or banana, lowfat yogurt or a handful of nuts and some dried fruit that you munch as you race to work. Research shows that eating in the a.m. not only increases your metabolism, but may minimize the number of calories you take in throughout the day.

You just got off work and you’re completely exhausted. Do you drag yourself to the gym or just take it easy?

It all depends on how tired you are and why, says Michael Bracko, an exercise physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. “If you’ve been working long hours and skimping on sleep, listen to your body and rest,” says Bracko, who recommends a power nap. “Nap” is the operative word—be sure to set an alarm so you don’t fall into a deep slumber, which could wreak havoc with your regular sleep schedule.

If you’re more mentally fatigued than physically exhausted, reach for your workout clothes. Exercise can help invigorate your mind as well as your body. But rather than attending the same old fitness class you know by heart, consider interval training, which alternates bursts of intense activity with periods of lighter activity. Studies show interval training helps your body burn fat faster and increases your endurance more than working out at a steady pace, and just 20 to 30 minutes will do the trick. Try alternating jogging for one minute with walking for half a minute. Or briskly walk up and down a hill or a flight of stairs. Choose a workout that works for you—no gym required!

Your skin is dry and blotchy—no doubt due to the relentless heat and/or air conditioning at work. Do you need an exfoliant or an antioxidant?

Both. An exfoliant brings your skin back to life, an antioxidant protects it from the environment. “When your skin cells are spending all their energy defending against dry indoor air, the sun, free radicals, even your own internal stress hormones, they cannot do the good things like make new collagen, retain moisture and repair damaged proteins,” says Dr. Linda K. Franks of Gramercy Park Dermatology in New York City. No wonder hospital skin can look dry, lackluster, and blotchy. Time to repair and regenerate!

Rx #1: Exfoliate. “An exfoliant will help expose a fresher, younger, more hydrated layer of cells,” says Franks. “I like retinol-based lotions and creams in particular, because in addition to exfoliating, they stimulate collagen production, which will increase both support and hydration to the skin.” Her recommendation: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($23).

Rx #2: Counteract the effects of the elements. Try a light serum, such as La Roche-Posay Active C Anti-Wrinkly Dermatological Treatment for Dry Skin ($46 for 1 ounce) under a moisturizer with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, like Olay SPF 30 Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer ($12).

A doctor snaps at you in front of a patient. Should you silently seethe or speak up?

Speak up…but not right away, says Mark Goulston, MD, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles and author of Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. “Give the doctor a look that telegraphs your displeasure, but don’t let it interrupt your work,” he suggests. Later, after you’ve taken care of your patient, pull the doctor aside and ask, “When could I have a few minutes to talk about how we can work together better in the future?” As soon as the time comes, focus on your shared purpose—acting professionally while taking care of people who are sick—rather than your emotional response to what the doctor said. For example, you may wish to tactfully ask, “Is there a different way you could communicate your frustration?”

It may not be easy to say something, but it’s important to stand up for yourself. Keeping quiet all but ensures that your frustrations over the doctor’s rude behavior will percolate, and you might end up taking it out on yourself. “Many of my patients tell me they go off their diets or exercise regimes after they’ve had a bad encounter at work,” says Dr. Goulston. “They say to themselves, ‘Oh, the hell with it, I’m just going to _________.’” (Fill in the blank with some momentarily comforting but ultimately self-sabotaging behavior, such as drinking or eating too much.) Pent-up anger can have serious long-term health consequences, as well as some not-so-nice short-term repercussions if you end up taking it out on those around you—your patients, your colleagues, or your partner or your kids.

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Sex and nursing?  Yes, it’s true.

Years ago, as a newbie nurse, I had a patient, a woman exactly my age—24—who was critically ill after a freak scuba-diving accident. Her fiancé stayed by her side around the clock until she arrested and died. Recently married, I was shocked by this tragedy that felt way too close for comfort. Her death shook me to my core and filled me with doubt about whether I had the emotional fortitude to be a nurse. I stumbled out of the hospital, dazed and distraught, trying to process it all. My husband, Ivan, met me in the parking lot.

“How was work?” he asked as I got into the car.

I was unable to speak.

“Are you hungry?  Tired?”

Yes, I nodded. But not for food or sleep.

When we got home, I was seized with desire. That night our lovemaking was wild and intense as I fled to safety in a place beyond words.

I stayed in the ICU and learned to meet the challenges, conquer my fears, even thrive as a nurse in a place where, minute by minute, patients’ lives hang in the balance. But I have to admit, at the end of each shift, I have always thrilled to a secret relief: to be able to leave it all behind and retreat to my happy home and the steadfast comfort of Ivan’s embrace.

I’m still in the ICU 25 years later, still working every other weekend and night shifts, too, and still loving this work. What has changed is that I now realize a serendipitous benefit of critical care nursing. Spending as much time as I do with patients who are fighting mighty battles and hovering between life and death is a constant and harsh reminder of all we stand to lose. It’s also an inspiration to appreciate what we have in this moment, now. For me, it turns lovemaking with my partner into a necessary and life-affirming practice. Sexual intimacy is the best way to physically unwind, spiritually regenerate and reconnect with my husband after a draining and action-packed shift on Planet ICU.

I wish I could report that our love life has stayed as hot and heavy as it was in those early days. As happens to so many couples, the stresses of everyday life—bills, babies, occasional bickering—cooled the flames, to be sure, but the main culprit was shift work. For years, I was chronically jet-lagged and out of sync with family and friends, often working an opposite schedule to Ivan’s as an insurance broker so one of us could be home with the kids. After each shift, I came home hungry and tired, and too often used chocolate and wine for “nourishment,” and mindless TV on the couch for “rest.” Intimacy was pushed to the back burner—hey, it wasn’t cooking at all for a few years there. (I bet you thought I was going to say “weeks.”)

Our marriage suffered for it—big time. For a while, we became roommates, passing in the day or night, sharing responsibilities, but not a lot else. It’s only been in the last few years that our sexual relationship has begun to flourish again. The kids are growing up and don’t need us as much, so we have more time and head space to focus on “us.” There’s something else, too. I recently underwent major surgery. Having been close to death, I am even more awed by the magnificence of life and more understanding of the courage required to cope with illness. Returning to work in the ICU has given my life added urgency and deeper meaning—it challenges me to choose life and love, again and again.

My marriage continues to be a source of great comfort and support. I often wonder if I would have been able to stay in this demanding, stressful work without this soft place to fall. The loving partnership I have with Ivan and the happy home we’ve created make it possible for me to do this work and stay healthy and sane. When I get home, Ivan still asks, “How was work?” All I say is “Fine.” I need to leave it behind me. (I have nurse friends for when I do want to talk about it.) Yes, I’m still hungry and tired after a shift. Ivan always has a nice meal ready for me and then urges me to rest. What’s different now is that I’ve finally figured out that at these times, it is not food or sleep I crave, but intimacy and connection. After work, I often feel like I have so little left to give, but much more after a little loving.

When I reach for Ivan, I’m home.

Nurses like Seth-Deborah Roth are living proof. “I was working in special surgery, lifting drills and heavy equipment while wearing a lead gown, when I felt a sharp twinge,” recalls Roth, who 20 years later still deals with flare-ups in the lumbar region. Lifting patients can be another prime cause for that first spasm. What’s more, Vieira and his colleagues found that pushing, pulling and reaching can also lead to injury, as can standing in an awkward position while assisting a patient, excessive repetition and staying in the same position for a long time.

Back woes aren’t just a pain for you—they also plague everyone in your care. “When your back hurts, you can’t be there for your patients in the way you want to,” says Joyce Murray, who wound up with a herniated disk from years of wear and tear on the respiratory floor. So, yes, back pain often comes with the job, but it doesn’t have to.

Think Before You Lift

It’s no surprise that orthopedic nurses, who frequently transfer patients, and ICU nurses, who constantly turn and boost patients up when they slide toward the foot of the bed, have the greatest incidence of back pain. That’s why it’s crucial to think before you lift so you can accomplish even the most everyday tasks in the safest possible way. If, for instance, a patient has slipped down in bed, rather than struggle to pull him back up, lower the headboard and use a slide sheet to make repositioning easier. Or if turning a patient, reduce damage on your own body by flexing the patient’s knees and hips and using his thigh as a lever. When making a lateral transfer, ensure that both surfaces are even, and use lowering and raising mechanisms if available. Always, always, always remember this: When lifting equipment or anything else that’s heavy, rather than bending at the waist, bend your knees and use your legs to raise it. It’s critical to become familiar with the types of lifting you need to do and how to do them correctly. Soon enough, they will become habit—no thinking required.

Keep in mind you’re a nurse, not a forklift—so get help when faced with a literally heavy task. If a mechanical lift is available, use it. If not, says Vieira, ask the patient to help if she is able by moving her own body on a count of three or, as Murray advises, “Get the team behind you.” This is especially important if the patient is overweight. While it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and just do the work yourself without the proper equipment, that’s just self-sabotage, which will only lead to injury and, in the end, won’t help anybody. If back pain knocks you out, you’ll be little good to anyone.

Lifting isn’t the only cause of back pain. Steer clear of other moves that can get you in trouble, like twisting while assisting patients, moving tools and repositioning furniture. If you find you have to push excessively to get something (or someone) to move, stop and find a way to accomplish your goal with less difficulty, even if that means calling in reinforcement or taking the time to use equipment. Avoid awkward positions, and when you find yourself in one, don’t hold it for more than a second, slowly easing yourself out of it.

There are several other defenses against back pain. One study by Vieira showed an association between back pain and smoking—another reason to quit! It’s also well known that being overweight can contribute to back problems—another reason to combat fat! The best preventive measure of all? Being fit. “When you’re limber and your core muscles are strong, you have more control and that can help you prevent injury,” says Melanie Kinchen, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons who’s in private practice in Whittier, Calif. Among the best forms of exercise for preventing back pain are Pilates, yoga and other stretching and core-strengthening activities. Even a simple routine of pelvic tilts and lifts, hamstring stretches, crunches and the cat-and-camel move, done for just a few minutes two or three times a week, will make a difference.

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Stress is ubiquitous in nursing—let’s face it, it’s part of the job description—so it’s easy to write off as something you just have to live with. “The only prevailing nursing model we have in American hospitals is FRED: frantically running every day,” says Lillee Gelinas, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer at VHA, a national alliance of 1,445 hospitals. “Medical surgical units, labor and delivery units—all units—I see stress going up.”

Yet even if stress—whether from work, family, friends, a shaky economy or some combination of the above—comes with the territory, it’s not something to ignore. “Unattended stress results in ‘stress pile-up,’” says Dr. Michael Groat, a psychologist in the Menninger Clinic’s Professionals in Crisis program in Houston, Texas. Some nurses end up quitting jobs they love; others become so fatigued they make errors; and there are those who resort to substance abuse. Many actually become sick—chronic stress not only can lead to high blood pressure and depression, but also inhibits the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses, making you susceptible to all kinds of illnesses.

“With nursing’s emphasis on taking care of other people, it’s easy to neglect self-care,” says Dr. Groat. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and eating right are the basics. Beyond that, there are strategies that can reduce the stress in your life and help you cope better. Here are some solutions for stress relief and healthier living, culled from experts in the field and nurses on the front line.

Take Control

“The primary factor leading to burnout in any profession is a sense of lack of control over one’s working environment,” says Alicia R. Ruelaz, MD, associate director of psychosomatic medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In nursing, that feeling can be unduly stressful. Her recommendation: Know thyself.

Go through a day or two noticing which aspects of your job give you energy and which drain it. Do what you can to seek out the former and avoid the latter. For example, if you enjoy training new nurses, supervising nurses’ aides or keeping supplies stocked, see if your manager will let you incorporate more of those duties into your schedule. Talk to colleagues, too. One of them might enjoy and want to take on—or at least exchange—a task you’d like to give up.

Perspective, Perspective

For Lisa Roundtree, a labor and delivery nurse in Oceanside, Calif., stress comes from being where people arrive healthy and are expected to leave, with their babies, just as fit as when they came in. “When something bad happens, it’s very bad, and that can leave me overwhelmed.”

“Medical training emphasizes divorcing yourself from the emotional side of medicine, yet most nurses go into nursing because they have an incredible amount of compassion,” says Jennifer Edwards, a stress-reduction educator, founder of the New York City-based company Relaxation on the Go, a writer and master teacher focused on sustainable stress reduction, as well as the daughter of two nurses and the ex-wife of another. “If you put up a wall and don’t show up emotionally for your patients, you’re counteracting your natural inclinations.” That can provoke stress. The trick is to find your own emotional balance—not bottling up your emotions, but not letting them overwhelm you, either.

For Roundtree, that means maintaining perspective so there’s no stress pile-up: “Trying to save somebody’s life, yes, that’s stressful. Trying to get two kids into the bath is not the end of the world; it’s just annoying.”

Lighten Up

Nursing at a long-term care facility was one of the most difficult jobs Sandra Seddon, a nurse of 36 years, ever had. “We had no equipment, no positive reinforcement and worked with a lot of people who didn’t want to be nurses. I’d come home crying,” says Seddon, now a hemodialysis nurse in Summit, N.J. Her life raft, then as now: making jokes. You don’t have to be Sarah Silverman or Tina Fey to see the light side of a situation.

“When you can shrug off mistakes and say, ‘Well, that didn’t work,’ then chuckle and move on, it’s going to help,” says Dan Diamond, MD, a family physician in Silverglade, Wash., who is also president of Powerdyme, a company that helps teach medical personnel coping skills. As director of the Medical Triage Unit at the New Orleans Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina, he saw, up close and personal, what it’s like for health care workers to be placed under enormous stress. “Our triage team was serious about what we did,” he says, “but our mascot was a rubber chicken.”

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Hemera | Thinkstock

It’s remarkable, when one reflects back, that we baby boomer nurses actually lived to adulthood! And everyone knows we’re still waiting for that mass exodus when they’ll all retire, creating that nursing shortage we keep hearing about. For the time being, it seems baby boomer nurses just keep going and going!

Just for fun (and shock value!), here’s a list of practices that were the norm when we were children.

1. Baby boomers were born to mothers who may have taken hormones to prevent miscarriages, who smoked and drank wine with dinner, who ate canned tuna and blue cheese dressing “for two” and didn’t get tested for diabetes. They took aspirin for headaches and had “twilight sleep” for childbirth (a most barbaric thing to witness!). They were expected to stay in bed for at least three weeks after giving birth.

2. C-sections were rare and for emergencies only. Premature babies had very little chance at survival as there was no neonatal therapy back then. JFK’s last son died as a result, as did my own brother. However, the Rh Factor problem was finally identified and a vaccine developed in the mid-1960s. Progress!

3. Many of us were bottle fed because the belief that science could make anything better than Mother Nature prevailed; breastfeeding was not popular because it might “ruin one’s figure.”

4. Glass bottles with rubber nipples and black plastic rings were boiled after being washed to “sterilize” them before the baby touched them.

5. We slept on our bellies in cribs adorned with brightly colored paints, often lead-based.

6. Our cloth diapers were bleached with Clorox every week and delivered by a diaper service. Those who lived outside the city limits did their own laundry and hung clothes out on a line to dry in the sunshine.

7. There were no “childproof” caps on medicine bottles or baby locks on cabinets or doors. No child seats, airbags, or even seat belts in cars. A whole bunch of us considered a ride in the back of a pickup truck the norm for going to the river for the day.

8. We ate white bread, bacon, real mayonnaise and drank Kool-Aid sweetened with white sugar with our bologna sandwiches. A Coca-Cola from the “filling station” with peanuts poured into it was a special treat. Often Daddy would bring home a Hershey bar which was shared with the family dog.

And we were NOT overweight!

Why? Because we spent our free time outside playing! We had our chores to do, but after they were finished the day was ours–so long as we were home by suppertime. TV was something the family watched TOGETHER between supper and bedtime. The shows back then were ALL “prime-time” because that was the only time they were on the air!

So what do you think nurses? Is the typical American family healthier now than the baby boomer generation in their youth? Or are we, ironically, a special breed?

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts (Oliver Wendell Holmes).

Comstock | Getty Images

Stuff happens, right? Even though your head tells you not to get involved with someone at work, sometimes it’s unavoidable…and, yes, sometimes there is a happily ever after.

Having said that, an “office romance” in nursing can present a serious set of challenges in an already challenging environment: It can be distracting, especially if you encounter the other person frequently, and it can make coworkers uncomfortable and sometimes even hostile.

Here are some tips to take to heart, should you decide to dive in:

Know your hospital or company policy—both written and unwritten.

Maintain friendships with coworkers, and make it clear that you would never divulge department (or personal) secrets to your lover. At the same time, you should be wary of coworkers who pump you for confidential information they think you might be privy to because of your “special relationship.”

Keep details about your affair to yourself. Should the relationship dissolve, do your job and stay silent about your ex.

Always remain professional. Public displays of affection are off limits! One colleague told me that a few of the couples who did marry went so far as to call each other by their titles and surnames while on duty.

Dating a coworker definitely doesn’t have to be, in the words of a nurse friend, “disaster, disaster, disaster.” But ultimately, in nursing as in life, discretion is usually the better part of valor.

To read more tips—including what to do when you run into co-workers, or want to drive in to work together—read the complete story in the 2010 Winter Edition of Scrubs Magazine, available at your local scrubs retailer. Find a retailer who carries Scrubs Magazine here.

Image: Shane White | © Veer Incorporated

Warm weather. Most of us love it. Some of us are plagued with allergies, bug bites, bee stings, sunburns, and all the other joys that being outside in lovely weather bring with it.

Just the other day at work I was involved in a conversation with fellow coworkers about holistic remedies for everyday warm weather woes. Sure, I took note of some of them and will be sure to invest future efforts towards making Mollie’s deceased grandmother’s sworn natural deodorant, but I also snickered at most recommendations. I tend to favor non-medicinal treatment of ailments in some cases, and I actually find alternative medicine quite intriguing.

Thus, spawned by the discussion held at work combined with my already investigative nature, I did a little research on what people have actually claimed as home remedies for common ailments. Perhaps you will find some of these as useful, or perhaps you will read this post and get a good abdominal workout from laughter. Either way, enjoy. (Disclaimer: I am not a holistic medicine doctor, nor do I have MD behind my name at all. I have read reports of people trying these techniques, have not tried them myself, and probably do not recommend most of them due to safety/stupidity reasons. So please, read them, laugh at them, and take them with a grain of salt.)

Got a nagging ailment? Who needs a doctor when you can treat it from home…

Headache 1)  Cut a potato (uncooked) in half and rub it on your forehead.  2) Pound your head with a hammer.  3) Have someone come up behind you, grab your hair in a fist, and pull up as hard as they can- used most effectively for migraines.

Bleeding cuts Gather up a collection of spider webs and vigorously pack the wound with them. It will surely stop the bleeding. Another use of spider webs? If you find yourself coming home from Africa with malaria, chew them up and swallow them.

Joint/knee pain We have all heard of magnet therapy for joint pain which has some physiologic truth behind it because the magnets supposedly attract the iron-ridden red blood cells to the area for increased healing. However, people have gone to the extreme of drinking metal compounds (silver) for severe pain. NOT RECOMMENDED. This can lead to seizures, kidney damage and many other ailments worse than the original. Another suggestion to treat knee pain? Sleep with a bar of soap under your knee- one guy even said it had to be a specific brand or he wouldn’t bother.

Toenail fungus Soak your toes in Listerine. The next time you go to swish your mouth with Listerine, I know you’ll be encouraged…

Too much ear wax The latest trend to extract ear wax has been those ear candles where you light one end of a hollow stick and seal the unlit end to your ear, in hopes of sucking out the ear wax. This is actually dangerous to your ear because the creation of the vacuum in the tube can rupture your eardrum. Alternative? Put olive oil in your ear instead. It breaks up the wax and allows it to run out. Yum.

Bad case of the runs Drink a packet of powder jello and chase it down with a cup of hot water. This concoction will “stick” to your intestines and slow the process down.

Bug bites Sit in a tub full of vinegar. You will probably ward off bugs and people for a while after that endeavor.

Jellyfish sting I have heard many reports claiming that if you get stung, get out of the water immediately, track down a person (preferably somebody that you know, so it doesn’t get awkward) and have them pee on you where the sting was. Have yet to try this one out, hope to never have to.

Halitosis Case of the bad breath? Try chewing up coffee beans. I’m guessing this only works if the people who are smelling your breath enjoy the smell of coffee.

Severe sunburn Mix together a combination of yellow mustard and, wait for it, vagisil. Could possibly be the most hilarious remedy that I found. Next sunburn, you know what I’m doing…

Warts Cover them with duct tape. Change out the duct tape every couple of days. I’ve actually heard of this working because you are depriving the wart of oxygen, thereby killing the virus.

Hiccups We have all heard our grandmothers telling us to eat a spoonful of sugar to get rid of the hiccups. But there is some truth behind such a tale. To rid yourself of hiccups, you have to distract the vagus nerve. Downing a spoonful of sugar overloads the nerve endings in the hopes of distracting and ending that reflex.

Nausea/motion sickness Suck a lemon. Although you may make a terrible face, lemon juice actually helps to evaporate excessive saliva that is associated with feeling nauseous, and may help to settle your stomach.

Stuttering child (prepare yourself, this is bad)  A technique used in ancient Chinese practice to stop a child from stuttering was to smack him/her in the face multiple times on a cloudy day.

Body odor Try Milk of Magnesia as a natural body deodorant.

Yeast infection Yes, we have heard that we should increase our oral intake of plain yogurt to add some healthy normal flora to our bodies. But I read reports claiming that just as effective as Monistat is actually inserting a tablespoon of plain yogurt, um, down there. I will never look at yogurt the same.

Any other home remedies to share? Share the wealth.