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Please explain rationale on this "belief". Lay it out, with specific cause and effect, so I can follow your reasoning. Your prediction is a simply a statement of opinion, without rationale.

Makes me wonder who designs those "IQ" tests...

Until science understands obesity better, I choose to avoid judgments about people afflicted with this terrible medical condition. There's a socially accepted tendency to blame the victim and site "choice" as the cause of obesity. Perhaps this is wrong. Perhaps obesity has less to do with healthy food choices/exercise, than with DNA.

Thanks, tewdles and JeanMarie, for responding to this. I think this is an important issue, and it will become of even greater importance to more individuals as time goes on. Please encourage your friends/co-workers to get involved in this discussion! Many heads are greater than one or two!! :)

The Death with Dignity Act is also known by some as Right to Die Act. It gives a patient who is terminally ill the right to seek assistance from a medical doctor to die. The Washington state act builds in requirements and safeguards, as follows: The patient must be an adult (18 or over) resident of the state of Washington The patient must be mentally competent, verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation) The patient must be terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, verified by two physicians. The patient must make voluntary requests, without coercion, verified by two physicians The patient must be informed of all other options including palliative and hospice care There is a 15 day waiting period between the first oral request and a written request There is a 48 hour waiting period between the written request and the writing of the prescription The written request must be signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the health care facility The patient is encouraged to discuss with family (not required because of confidentiality laws) The patient may change their mind at any time and rescind the request The attending physician may sign the patient's death certificate which must list the underlying terminal disease as the cause of death.

I previously worked for a religiously-based hospice, which was connected to a national religious organization with many hospitals and clinics across the US. When the Death with Dignity laws passed in my state, the entire hospice staff was required to attend a meeting, which was to educate staff on the organization's policy in regard to the new Death with Dignity laws. In short, we were told that 1) we could not discuss the new law with patients; and, #2) we could not provide information to patients/families regarding resources that they could access to get more information about the Death with Dignity laws. If we violated this policy, it was cause for immediate termination. I believe that this violates our responsibility to provide informed consent to patients, which would include advising patients/famility of all medical options/resources available to them (of which I am aware). Regardless of the organization's official position and policy, if I was asked, I continued to give my patients/families the names and contact information that would empower them to get further information on their own about the new law and how it applied to them. I was not "found out". I believe it is an ethical duty on my part to provide this information to my patients/families. I also contacted my state's attorney general, the nursing board, and the group "Compassionate Choices", regarding this organization's policy. Have you been in this situation, and how have you handled it? Do you think a medical entity has the right to withhold information about treatment options from patients/families, if the organization has a religious or ethical objection to those treatments?

Out of work for 3 years due to spinal surgeries... state licensure requirements changed, in the meantime, so in 2014 I need to show that I've put in 587 hours of actual nursing practice in the preceding 3 years. Am currently providing care for my dad, who has Alzheimers... does anyone know if this can be used to meet the nursing practice hour requirement for license renewal? Thanks, everyone!

If you're thinking of moving to home health, be sure it's a unionized job or hourly pay. Many home health jobs pay on a salaried basis, for a reason--it's beneficial to the agency, because they don't have to pay you overtime! You can end up working many more than 40 hours per week, with no overtime pay. I don't know if this is the case with your situation, but I'd say be cautious and check out the fine print. As far as going for a job that you don't like, that pays more, to a job that pays less that you do like, I'd say go for the one you really like. But be careful. Avoid the salaried trap!!

I value the young, new grad nurses for their "cutting edge" education... they've just graduated and have the most current information, which, as a 62-year old nurse, is invaluable to me! I love to consult with the newer grads! At the other end of the spectrum, I value the knowledge and wisdom that the older nurse has gained through years of experience. One thing that has always disturbed me in the nursing profession, from the time I was a new grad through the present, is the tendency to "eat our own". Collaboration is a tool that is so valuable, yet is often overlooked; why this is, I don't know. Perhaps it is related to competition between nurses. But young or old, collaboration can help nurses and patients, alike! As far as disabilities, these can happen at any age. The ability to manage the physical demands of a job should be evaluated identically, across the board, without regard to age.

If you're thinking of moving to home health, be sure it's a unionized job or hourly pay. Many home health jobs pay on a salaried basis, for a reason--you can end up working many more than 40 hours per week, with no overtime pay. I don't know if this is the case with your situation, but I'd say be cautious and check out the fine print. As far as going for a job that pays more that you don't like, to a job that pays less that you do like, I'd say go for it. But be careful.

I've been a home health/hospice nurse for about 18 years. I'm an ADN nurse. You don't need your BSN to get into the field, and there is a higher demand than you might think. Many home health RNs (including hospice) have their ADNs only, and they successfully transition into supervisory/management positions. In that field, on-the-job training matters a lot, as there is only one way to find out if you've got the skills set, and that's to do it. After 1-2 years in the field, you can start looking at supervisory/management options, and begin to position yourself for one of them. Home health and hospice, however, are more intense than the hospital or clinic nursing experience; you are your own manager, you do determine the plan of care for yourself and the entire team, you must be proficient and current on medicare/insurance guidelines, you must be proficient with documentation, you must be familiar with the healthcare systems in your area, you puts lots of wear and tear on your car, you are alone, so you must be a very independent/take charge personality, and the days can be very long. I estimate I put in an average of 60 hours a week. Generally, you are assigned a group of patients, and you are responsible for their care 24/7; most agencies have night and weekend staffing, but not all. In addition, you may be required to pull call duty some nights and rotating weekends. It looks like "nursing lite" on the outside, but it's anything but. If you want to get away from bedside nursing, I wouldn't recommend home health/hospice. But if you're willing to put in the intensive time in home health nursing, then transition to supervisory/management, go for it! I'd recommend talking to someone in your area who has been there, done that. Hope this helps, and good luck to you!

Hi and Help! I'm an ADN, 18 yrs experience mainly in hospice, both home and facility setting, lots of care coordination, CNA supervision, care plan responsibility, bi-weekly team report my responsibility. Past 18 months have been recovering from medical issues. Will want parttime RN work, have thought of immunization work, intake work, chart review, open to ideas. Also am 61 so not interested in returning to school, as time is factor, as is $$. Live near Puyallup, Washington (Bonney Lake). Licence will be good through 2014, then will require the 45 hrs CEU, per new state regs. Anybody have any ideas, as I've so specialized for so long in hospice nursing! Thank you!! [email protected]