Let's Celebrate Nurses!

As we move into the "golden years" we seem to see more and more of the nursing profession. Nurses are the ones that often offer us a dose of love along with taking our temperature and blood pressure. Nurses often have to do the less pleasant tasks and they do it with love and care, making each person feel important and valuable. Recently, the Kentucky Holistic Nurses Association asked me to speak to their chapter meeting and the upcoming convention on May 12 at Indiana University Southeast. I will be leading groups in toning, chanting and drumming. Do join us if you can!

Celebrate National Nurses Week, May 6th through 12th! Visit www.healthecareers.com/nursing to find out more information about this appreciation week and special giveaways. In this edition of the Healthcare Job Market eNewsletter, you will find interesting articles on: Advice for Healthcare New Grads – If you have recently graduated, or are preparing to graduate, read some helpful tips on how to look for a job and do well in years to come. Florence Nightingale – National Nurses Week is dedicated to Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern nursing. She established nursing as a respected profession, trained a generation of nurses, and emphasized the importance of proper hygiene and personalized care. Nursing’s OTJ Hazards – Nursing has its hazards, especially in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and clinics, where nurses may care for individuals with infectious diseases. But these risks carry a wide range and can include biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical, safety, and psychological dangers.

Why Does Music Have so Much Power in the Golden Years?

Speaking as an almost 60 y.o., I am increasingly aware on a daily basis that music makes me happy and encouraged when I'm feeling down, it calms me when I'm feeling anxious and it brings back loads of happy memories when life seems dull and uninteresting! Why? Well, obviously a lot of it has to do with brain chemistry, memory function and the power of association! Just think back for a minute:

• do you remember your first kiss?
• your first school dance?
• your first real love?
• your first child?

All of these famous firsts usually have music associated with them. Songs I remember from that part of my life include:

• "And they called it puppy love"
• "Cupid"
• "Sealed with a kiss"
• "Can't help falling in love with you"

All I have to do is remember the tune and I'm zapped back to the sixties and all the memories I can squeeze into a few hours! The older we get, the more memories of people, places, events, movies, vacations, etc, etc. Keep track of the soundtrack to YOUR life and enjoy it often!

Celtic Woman Comes to Louisville!

Tonight I went to the most fantastic concert! I've been seeing the advertisement on TV for several months. When I heard that the group was coming back to Louisville this year I knew I had to go. I waited until almost a week ago and when I checked the ticket prices I gasped…they were $88 and $102.00 I will tell you that tonight I was able to get a better price than that and even though I was up in balcony 4 I could see very well. The energy and beauty of this program was unmatched by any concert show I’ve ever been to and you know that I’ve been to a lot. The young woman that dances around with her violin, playing all the while, is simply amazing! I’m thinking seriously of going back again tomorrow night. At the end of the concert tonight they actually did 4 encores!!! Each one was better than the one before. If you have a chance to see this brilliant group of singer and instrumentalists, do NOT miss it!!

New Research on Music with Stroke patients

Demonstration of activity in separate auditory regions for processing phonetic information (red), speech intelligibility (yellow), and voice pitch and intonation (white). a, left hemisphere. b, right hemisphere.

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This week a very important study of the benefits of music with stroke patients. The study reports the findings of a Finnish study published Wednesday that showed the benefits of music for stroke victims. “Patients who listened to a few hours of music each day soon after a stroke also improved their verbal memory and were in a better mood compared to patients who did not listen to music or used audio books, the researchers said. Music therapy has long been used in a range of treatments but the study published in the journal Brain is the first to show the effect in people, they added. … The study involved 60 people who recently had a stroke of the middle cerebral artery in the left or right side of the brain. This is the most common stroke and can affect motor control, speech and a range of other cognitive functions. One group listened to their favorite music every day or used audio books while another did not listen to any music. All volunteers received standard rehabilitation treatment. Three months after stroke music listeners showed a 60 percent improvement in verbal memory compared to an 18 percent benefit for those using audio books and 29 percent for people who did not listen to either.”

Please share this information with friends and family. It can make a big difference in recovery and quality of life!

Classical Music Helps People to Sell

Speaking as a long-time consumer, I've noticed that the music that advertisers on TV use to sell, dramatically influences my willingness even to consider their product. Have you noticed this?

For example, several years ago, a variety of products were using classical music, specifically the Pachelbel Canon in D to seel everything from luxury cars to fine wine to hospital services. What do these things have in common? Well, first thing that pops into my head is that these are all things that cost a lot of money. Fo whatever reason, classical music in our Western world is considered with "the finer things in life." Can you imagine selling gutters or tires or lawyers services with a beautiful classical piece? Of course not!

Interestingly though, there are other classical pieces that might sell:

• Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" makes us feel uplifted
• Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" creates a "man on a mission" feel
• Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" brings on a frenzied feeling
• Copland's arrangement of "The Gift to be Simple" brings on a dependable and virtuous image.

Just notice this when you're watching a commercial. Let me know if you hear some more good ones! Happy shopping!

Merry Christmas from Washington, D.C.

Merry Christmas from D.C. where I'm spending the holidays with my middle daughter and son-in-law. We had a fun time this morning opening presents and eating delicious Christmas goodies and drinking coffee and hot chocolate with marshmallows. Yum!! We've been listening to Christmas music for the past 24 hours and all are really in the Christmas spirit!! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Day too!

Christmas Comes to Eden Terrace

Well folks, we're back in Spartanburg for my mother's 82nd birthday and it also was the night of the big Christmas party at EdenTerrace. Tumpy (my mother) had pulled together a choir of her peers. She's never conducted a choir before but did a nice job I thought. Music is powerful! Music is healing! Enjoy this performance!