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by ScrubsMag.com

Just as there are different cultural mores and taboos across the globe, nurses conduct themselves differently from one country to another.  Some of these practices may even shock you!  Here are some little known facts about nursing around the world.

1.  You don’t have to renew your license in Japan.  Once an RN, you’re one for life. (You can lose your license if you break the law or “compromise the dignity of the profession.”)

2.  One in every 23 Japanese nurses works more than 60 hours of overtime per month.

Working at a hospital that is in the process of a merger can be frightening. As the economy worsens and government funding diminishes, more small hospitals are merging with larger facilities. If your hospital is going through a merger, there are ways to successfully navigate the changes and keep upbeat about the situation!

Stay in touch. Keep yourself in the loop by checking your email and reading all posts and newsletters. Talk to others about the changes and ask your supervisors for information. Attend meetings concerning the merger.

Everyone knows a nurse’s lunch break goes something like this: You take your lunch exactly at noon and relax for a full hour in peace and quiet while you eat a wholesome and delicious homemade meal. Right?

Wrong! Unfortunately, most nurses barely get the chance to scarf down some Doritos on their lunch break—if they get one at all! We were curious about the weird lunch combinations nurses are forced to put together, so we asked our Facebook fans for the strangest lunch they’ve ever eaten at work. Can you top these?

Scrubs pockets can be a nurse’s best friend—since you’ve only got two hands, you’ve gotta put everything somewhere! But we also know those pockets can lead to a few “oops” moments once you get home and empty them! We asked our Facebook fans for the strangest thing they’ve ever found in their pocket post-shift—check out their hilarious, slightly gross and even occasionally bawdy answers (and don’t forget to check your pockets before leaving work tonight)!

The top 10 weirdest things in nurses’ pockets!

1. Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds”…“Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, ‘cuz every little thing gonna be alright.” Sometimes that little reminder is just what I need…and it makes me think of being on a beach, worry-free. 🙂 —Meghan D

2. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar…with dance moves and all!!!
—Lisâ

Adapted from Helpguide.org, Snoring, by Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., April 2013

Just about everyone snores occasionally, but if it happens frequently, it can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep, not to mention that of your family or roommates.

Common causes of snoring are:

Age – As you get older, the throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.

The Way You’re Built – Men have narrower passages than women.  A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids and other attributes contribute.

10. “Helloooooo, Nurse!”
You’re not an object to be fawned over. You’re saving lives here! You don’t have time to be ogled. Luckily, younger generations probably have never heard the phrase, so you can hope that it will be phased out soon.
Okay. We get it. We’ve all seen the cartoons with the buxom nurse who is swooned over by a wolf, or a man, or an Animaniacs character. It wasn’t funny or original the first dozen times you heard it, and it certainly hasn’t made a positive impact 10 years later.

The summer months are upon us, and here in Colorado the heat came with a vengence.  We literally went from 80 degrees to 100, and boy is it HOT. 

The summer heat makes the kitchen the last place anyone wants to be. 

Here is a great summer idea:  TAKE A KITCHEN BREAK

Adapted from www.pbs.org/Harvest of Fear, by Peter Tyson

Industry, government, and many academic scientists tout the benefits of genetically modified (GM) foods for agriculture, ecosystems, and human health and well-being, including feeding a world population bursting at the seams. With equal passion, consumer groups, environmental activists, religious organizations and some scientists warn of unforeseen health, environmental and socioeconomic consequences.

Source:  ScrubsMag.com, by Jo, RN • June 8, 2012

Oh, heavens. When I look back on some of the crazy stuff I did as a young’un, I can’t catch my breath. Working in a hospital that specializes in neurocritical care has meant a big change in my perceptions of what’s smart and what’s not.

I wasn’t all that wild as a teenager and young adult, really. (Hi Mom!) There were just some things I did that I remember with awe.

Now that I’m a nurse, I would never: