McKinsey & Company declared in 2018 that the need for Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills would outpace the demand for cognitive skills through 2030. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum in 2021 stated that companies must prioritize wellbeing in the workplace. Many individuals lacking in emotional intelligence face several difficulties managing stress-related issues which could end up harming their overall wellbeing. Continue reading →

She just did something very unique and no one caught it…….she changed how everyone especially young girls dreaming of becoming beauty queens will view this contest and did it with one of the greatest and honorable professions there is!! I hope young people are viewing this and listening to everything she said. Nurses are the greatest!! ~ Cow Lico

Wow! She showed that talent doesn’t have to be an overly entertaining performance… It can also be making a big difference in the lives of people and touching them. There is nothing wrong with normal talents but, I think it’s wonderful that she showed how much of a talent it can be to help others! What an incredible role model!! ~ Ashleigh Ware

I wish there were more nurses that pursued nursing because they have a genuine interest in taking care of others. A valuable nurse is one that has great concern for the welfare of others. As a patient, I found that it was largely the older, more experience nurses that exuded confidence. They also seem to have a greater understanding of the impact they make on the daily lives of each of their patients. As a patient in a hospital, you are quite vulnerable and dependent on a nurse not only for physical assistance but emotional assistance as well. In the sense that, a nurse’s behavior has a huge impact on a patient. When you are fighting for your life, the more positive, encouraging and kind one can be – the better for the vitality of the patient. It’s not just about the chart. This is true of doctors just as much as nurses. I’m sure that I am not alone when I say that it is quite offensive when nurses/doctors do their rounds and just look at your chart and then walk out… To those of you who perform your jobs this way, please be more compassionate. You are important to each of your patients. Your job is essential and highly valued by patients. ~ Facts Matter

I once was proud of my profession. I spent over 40 years as a clinician, educator, and researcher and for most of that time thought I was engaged in a noble calling. But all that has changed in the last 3 years. Medicine is LOST in The Wilderness.

There were warning signals, to be sure. For many years I was heavily involved in medical associations on the local, state, and national levels. Gradually I became disillusioned when I saw that many of my colleagues who gravitated to this activity did not share my views. They enjoyed the politics of medicine. In fact, they enjoyed it too much. I lost interest. Perhaps in retrospect that was part of the problem. The policy of medicine gradually became the politics of medicine. And as is often the case, where there is politics there is also corruption. Continue reading →

One decided to speak out…

The grueling profession has long kept silent about mental distress. After losing a friend and quietly grappling with illness, Carrie Cunningham found a new way to save lives

Carrie Cunningham puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. She looked out at the audience filled with 2,000 of her peers, surgeons who were attending the annual meeting of the Association of Academic Surgery, a prestigious gathering of specialists from universities across the United States and Canada.

Cunningham, president of the organization, knew what she was about to reveal could cost her promotions, patients and professional standing. She took a deep breath.

“I was the top junior tennis player in the United States,” she began. “I am an associate professor of surgery at Harvard.

“But I am also human. I am a person with lifelong depression, anxiety, and now a substance use disorder.”

The room fell silent.

Cunningham knew others in the room were struggling, too. Doctors are dying by suicide at higher rates than the general population. Somewhere between 300 to 400 physicians a year in the US take their own lives, the equivalent of one medical school graduating class annually. Continue reading →