By Scrubadoo‘s Jen Hankin

Last Spring we brought you a tutorial on how to Spring Clean Your Scrubs. Now let’s kick it up a notch, and Spring Clean Your Soul! I’m just counting down till Memorial Day, but before I can enjoy the long weekend, it’s spring cleaning time.

It’s no wonder Spring is the time we get motivated to tidy up our work and home lives or get motivated with new projects and goals. Spring is, after all, the season of renewal!

Whatever your goals may be, internal or external, here are five ways to replenish your soul and start off on a new path to health and happiness.

1. Take a fresh look at your life.

Sometimes this is just as simple as taking a deep breath with your eyes closed. It’s important to envision yourself practicing your new way of life. It’s that pattern of positive reinforcement that will kick old habits to the curb!

2. Reach out to others.
Find people in your life whom you trust — family, friends, coworkers, or like-minded group members — and tell them what you’re embarking on. It can be motivating to tell people that you’re looking for a new job, or that you’re quitting smoking, or have started back at the gym. We have the greatest reason to continue if we’re doing it all together; that’s community. Others will help you when you waver, and you can be there for them if they find their old patterns starting to return.

3. Let nature inspire you.
If you’re wanting to make a fresh start in your life and clean out old cobwebs that have been holding you back, all you have to do is go outside and quietly observe life going on around you. Sit outside for lunch, or better yet, take a vacation!

4. De-clutter your life.
Clutter is a crutch. Whether it’s in your closet, desk, refrigerator, attack or garage. It’s a distraction and can keep you from reaching your new goals. Take a weekend, invite the whole family to help and clean it up! You will feel lighter and ready to reach new heights!

5. Embrace the challenge.
Challenge is normal. It’s what makes us stronger and smarter and more resilient. If the behavioral change you’ve committed to seems too daunting, simply adjust your attitude and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The Huichol people don’t look at the size of the steep hill when they’re planting. They just plant one kernel at a time and keep at it until, seed by seed and row by row, they’ve planted the entire hillside with corn.

Source: Huffington Post

Now all that is left to do is start! One step at a time!

With Nurses Week just around the corner (May 6-12, 2013) we thought it would be fun to share some of the great freebies being offered to honor you. From Cinnabon to sweepstakes, scholarships to RN swag, make sure you take advantage of this year’s Nurses Week offerings. Here are a few good ones:

• Medical Solutions is hosting a week of Las Vegas-themed Facebook contests, like the “Viva Las Vegas” Trivia Game and the “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” Instant Win Game. Among the prizes are iPad Minis, 3-piece luggage sets, gift cards, and even a trip for two to the the 2013 Travelers Conference in Las Vegas, October 28-29, 2013. Visit WeLoveOurNurses.com for full details. Also, current students can apply for one of three $1000 undergraduate nurse scholarships.
• Cinnabon is once again offering a FREE Cinnabon Classic Roll or Minibon Roll, May 6-12, at participating locations, when nurses show a healthcare ID badge.
• Dansko retailers, May 6-12, are offering a chance to win a Dansko prize pack to nurses who try on footwear or apparel in their stores. Get there early, because while supplies last Dansko is also offering a free gift with in-store purchase.    
• Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future, is offering free nurse swag including “Thank a Nurse” and “Nurses Save Lives” magnets, as well as nursing-themed coloring books.
• Some eCards has free Nurses Week themed eCards.
• Scrubadoo is collecting on-the-job nurse stories. At the end of Nurses Week they’ll pick the best of the bunch to post their blog. Those posted to the blog will be rewarded with Scrubadoo gift certificates ranging from $20-$100, and the author of each story submitted will get a $10 gift certificate just for participating.

Happy National Nurses Day! All week long, let’s take a moment to thank nurses for all the hard work they do each and every day, all year! Know a nurse who deserves some credit? Be sure to submit their story ASAP for our Nurses Week Competition.

Nurses Week is all about recognizing the contributions and commitments nurses make and educating the public about the significant work they perform. Today, I want to take a moment to honor an amazing start-up company, Headbands of Hope, for their commitment to spreading hope in girls by handing out headbands while funding research for childhood cancer. Headbands of Hope helps spread hope in girls by handing out headbands and taking care of thousands of people while funding research for childhood cancer.

For every headband purchased, one is given to a girl with cancer and $1 is donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research. Headbands of Hope just celebrate its one year anniversary and has already given thousands of headbands to young girls around the United States and thousands of dollars to cancer research.

Headbands of Hope was created by Jessica Ekstrom, while she was still a student at North Carolina State University, after an inspiring internship at the Make a Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina.

“Everyday, I got to wake up and grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.” Ekstrom said. “I took day trips to visit the wish kids at their houses and bring them their favorite toys. We received hundreds of letters from wish children that said we changed their lives; little did they know, they were changing mine!”

So why headbands? For girls and women everywhere, their hair is part of their feminine identity. Wigs can be uncomfortable and unappealing, especially to younger girls. Headbands are the perfect way for those who have lost their hair during rigorous chemotherapy treatments to keep their feminine identity!

Headbands of Hope provides a movement to spread hope in all girls and fight in the battle against childhood cancer, one headband at a time! All of the headband are proudly made in the USA, by My Sunshine Shoppe in Bismarck, ND.

Let’s conquer kid’s cancer…one headband at a time!

For more information: http://www.headbandsofhope.org/

National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Quick Facts: Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on May 12, 1820. During the Crimean War, she and a team of nurses improved the unsanitary conditions at a British base hospital, reducing the death count by two-thirds.

Her writings sparked worldwide health care reform. In 1860 she established St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses. She died August 13, 1910, in London.

This year, to celebrate National Nurses Week, Scrubadoo is hosting a “Your Stories” Competition! We want to highlight the amazing things nurses and caregivers do for their patients every day! Submit your stories about great healthcare workers and we’ll post their story to give each caregiver the recognition they deserve!

We’re looking for your incredible, inspirational or just plain funny stories about nurses and other caregivers and how their actions made a difference in someone’s life!

At the end of Nurses week, Scrubadoo will pick the stories we think are the best and post them, right here, on our blog to give each of the heroes in these stories the recognition they deserve and a just a few minutes in the Scrubadoo spotlight! So tell us, what’s your story?

Just for entering your story, Scrubadoo will give you a $10 gift card! The grand prize story will earn you a $100 gift card, 2nd place gets $50 and 3rd place gets $20! So what are you waiting for, submit your story today by emailing Eva@scrubadoo.com!

It’s hard to believe there was a time when women in the workplace was frowned upon. It’s a good thing times have changed! Take a look at these 5 female characters that have helped paved the way for women!

I Love Lucy originally ran from 1951-1957, starring Lucille Ball as Lucy. Not only was Lucy one of the first characters to be portrayed in a multicultural marriage, but she was also one of the first female leads to have her pregnancy written into a show. That, plus her lovable antics make Lucy a woman who was not your average 1950s housewife!

Julia was one of the first weekly series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Played by Diahann Carroll, the show’s namesake Julia Baker was a nurse who led a pretty normal middle-class life… which was actually something new to television in the late 60s!

Mary Richards from the 1970s The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a true trailblazer. She was never married, widowed, or divorced and never really cared to be! She was an independent career woman who sped right past the secretary job to be a producer at WJM. It may have been a fictional TV station, but her impact was real.

Ellen ran from 1994-1998 with Ellen DeGeneres playing the title role of Ellen Morgan, a neurotic bookstore owner. Ellen was the first leading character to come out as gay. It was a high-stakes decision, but an important one for DeGeneres personally, and also for television history.

Played by America Fererra, Betty Suarez from 2006-2010′s Ugly Betty defied cultural and body stereotypes of a leading character. For teens, Betty’s positive attitude and self-acceptance amid the often cold and too trendy workplace made her a role model for anyone who fits outside the mold…which is most of us.

Source: Makers.com

Do you have a female TV character that you look/looked up to? Share them with us in a comment below.

Throughout Nurses Week, Scrubadoo.com is featuring inspirational, charming and humorous stories about workers in the healthcare industry.  At the end of the week, we will choose our favorites and award some great prizes.  For more details or to submit your story, check out http://scrubadoo.com/nursing_week.php.  Here are the entries so far:

 3rd Place Winner:  Kendra and her experience as a Pediatric Nurse:

I work in Pediatrics, and as any Peds nurse will tell you, keeping the caregivers/siblings happy is half the battle. I was taking care of a baby girl one day, whose mother was (understandably) very wrapped up in her infant’s medical care, without much time or energy left for the energetic 4 year old brother. The moment I walked into the room, the brother was hanging on me, asking me questions, telling me about how hungry he was, and generally desperate for attention. After completing my assessment of the patient, I told him he could come with me to pick out a sandwich from our patient supply for himself. He lit up and was bouncing up and down with glee the whole (short) walk over to the fridge. When I brought him back to their room, I asked him “Ok, what do you say?”, expecting a Thank You. Instead he smiled a huge smile and exclaimed, “I Love You!!!” Conjunctivitis wasn’t the only contagious thing in that room that day, so was happiness; I was smiling the rest of my shift!

2nd Place Winner: Lisa and her wonderful story about her, a patient, and our company

I am a caregiver of a very funny, but also sad, elderly Alzheimer’s patient, John.  It is very hard and very challenging at times and I often feel bad for the gentlemen, as he is 90 years and lives alone. His family rarely comes to visit and he spends most of his day (and nights) alone .

Luckily, John feels so special to have some one come and help him.  I just recently started to wear scrubs and he tells me I am so cute in them and so proud to have a person in uniform come and visit him. I’ve typically been wearing  the Royal Blue scrubs and he just loves how bright and cheerful they are!

One day, when he is having a real good day, he asked me, “Honey where do you get your clothes from?” and I told him “Well John, I got them from a company called Scrubadoo.”

“Ohhh,” he says, “like the beach! Like the people that use a Sea-Doo.  You use Scrubadoo!”  He just laughs and then goes into himself, and forgets.

Although John’s illness can be very sad, I’m happy for these good moments. I am so glad that I at least can brighten his day by wearing the Royal Blue scrubs.  He lives right by the ocean in Belmont shore California so he definitely loves the water!

1st place winner:  Cheryl and her story about a very close friend of hers:

Jen is divorced, her ex-husband was married to Jen’s best friend. Her best friend developed Breast Cancer (with Jen constantly by her side) Jen watched all the struggles her friend went through, and the journey through the pain.

Breast Cancer is very serious, and very much an active disease in our society. We have come a long way, but still have a way to go. Her friend lost her battle with Breast Cancer leaving behind a minor son. Jen was devastated, she also felt extremely saddened for the young motherless boy.  Jen and her new husband adopted this child. Jen already had a family of her own, but now is raising yet another son.

Jen has an amazing heart, and a good soul through and through. Just recently I lost my home to foreclosure this past Thanksgiving. I confided in Jen, one of very few people. Recently, Jen went to my boss to suggest me for a position of surgery scheduler for her doctor. My boss then offered me this position, which I was anxious to take.

I would love to win your contest. This would be very much appreciated, but I would love for Jen F to win- he is so deserving.

Here’s a Breast Cancer awareness event Jen organized!

READ THE OTHER ENTRIES!:

Courtney from Minnesota introduced us to her wonderful sister, Lindsey who is both a nurse and a mother of two:

“My sister Lindsey is one of the best nurses out there. She loves to bring her patients treats she made from home, she stays late to help her coworkers get caught up in charting, and her kitchen refrigerator is littered with thank you cards from grateful patients. Lindsey loves being a nurse and is passionate about helping others. She knows how to calm the worries of patients with her bubbly personality. She even has received one or two marriage proposals from older gentleman that take notice of her beautiful smile, long blonde hair, and charm! Lindsey will work 12-14 hour shifts and then come home and take care of her 2 children. I’m very proud to have a sister work in such a meaningful profession. Her endless hard work and dedication to her patients inspires me to be a better person. She truly is one in a million!”

Tracey started her career as a Radiographer working from intern through to the chief of a department.  On being diagnosed with a brain tumour herself, Tracey had many life changes including starting her own businesses.  Tracey is now an author and home-based business expert helping people start and run their own home-based businesses. Tracey has always had the inner value of helping people and her early career cemented her ability to use a caring nature to get the best possible results for people.  Here’s her story:

“I once x-rayed a man with a kangaroo tooth stuck in his foot!  He had hit a kangaroo on a country road, which wrecked his car.  He was so angry that he got out and kicked the now dead kangaroo, but this left the tooth firmly planted in his foot, penetrating right through his boot.  More on the caring side, rather than funny, I found that I became the pediatric radiographer in many departments that I worked in.  X-raying a child takes a special touch and extra care.  X-ray rooms have a lot of very large and noisy equipment that can scare a child and make treating them all that more difficult.  Add to this that you not only have to remember to care for the child, but you also have to care for the parents.  I always found that if you took an extra five minutes to explain to the parent what it was that you were doing and how they could help you best, it made x-raying the child a lot easier and faster –speed being the key so that the child was in the x-ray room for the minimal amount of time plus having the minimal amount of x-rays.  When children break bones, they often are unable to hold the ‘text-book’ positions for their x-rays so creativity is required on how to get the best view without causing them more pain.  I believe that a health professional can make all the difference for the long term health and view children have on medical procedures and with a caring nature, working efficiently and effectively, with a little bit of fun and understanding thrown in, you can make what could be potentially a very scary activity for a child one that is an easy experience.  I had many parents thank me and many children leave pictures for me at our reception desk about the time they had their x-ray and it didn’t hurt at all.”

 Lisa from Virginia told us this powerful story about how her personal experiences have helped her relate to her patients:

I’m am the mother of 2 beautiful children, age 2 and 10.  I have been nursing for about 3 years.  Prior to nursing I was a radiologic technologist.  Throughout my career as an X-ray tech I wanted to do more for my patients.  I wanted to be more involved in their care and be there for their families.  I saw so many times patients that simply wanted a nurse to care for them but also have compassion while doing so.  I would also notice families suffering during these hard times yet not get the comfort they needed, as well.  I knew I could provide this to them.  I have found that in caring for my patients, and caring for their families, that I get a sense of reward every single day.  Working in the Resource Pool I work in multiple units, and specialties, in the hospital. 2 years ago I lost my father to suicide.  During my nursing career I have had multiple patients that have attempted suicide.  I find that in these situations that I have been placed here to care for these special patients, but also be there and relate to their families.  There are so many times that these family members just want to talk and often times blame themselves.  I feel that it is my job to share with them the information that I know about suicide.  I often times see nurses that pass judgement on these patients because they just simply don’t understand the illness.  I take pride in treating my patients with care regardless of their life decisions. It’s my job to care for them, listen to them, and be there for their family.  At the end of the day I’m thankful of the career that I have been led to and I hope that I reflect this to my children so that they may have the rewarding feelings that I have each day!

Mary Ellen from Iowa shared a very memorable (and humorous) learning moment with us!

Well, many, many,  MANY years ago as a fairly new nurse I made a medication error. Today I can laugh about it and tell my nursing students what I did when they are learning to pass medications. The day it happened I was mortified as I had broken a rule that all of my nursing instructors had stressed as highly important.  My dear patient, an elderly gentleman who had major surgery and just came out of ICU the day before was feeling a bit constipated and I took a Dulcolax suppository to his room as requested. Now this was BEFORE gloves were in every room and I forgot to take a glove and lubricant. I finished giving his other meds and set the suppository in a separate cup still in the foil wrapper on the window ledge and left the room.  Now he was elderly, had oxygen by what we called a face mask back then, a central line with a couple of bottles hanging and a foley and the rail was up- a full bed rail which was what we had back then. When I returned to the room, he said, “I had a really hard time getting that big one down.” I saw the foil wrapper on the window ledge and my heart sank.  Upon questioning, he had climbed over the rail and unwrapped it and swallowed it whole.  He seemed to be OK, all tubes intact, VS stable. I called the pharmacist first to see what needed to be done- he just laughed. Then I had to call a very prominent surgeon and tell him what I had done. He said, “Just give it to him the right way.” It was the last time I ever left a med at the bedside.

Terri, an LPN from Illinois shared this charming story about a patient she had:
Every year our hospital does a duck race to support life line for the elderly. In our lobby at the hospital during this time is a large big fat yellow duck to show it is time to buy tickets for the duck race!  I had recently bought a new scrub out fit called pineapple- Beautiful yellow, summer time color I thought. I put  it on and went to work.   I went to  walked in a pt’s room and I was to take care of this cute little boy and he took one look at me in all yellow and said, “I saw a big duck!”   I told the other nurses, “Great I remind him of that big fat duck!”  I am a size small and try to stay fit as I get older and he thought I looked like the big duck downstairs in the hospital lobby.  I guess it is good to stay humble!

Sherry from New York gave us a run-down on the challenges of wearing scrubs while you are expecting!

Working as a dental hygienist is a great rewarding career. I work in a general practice setting with general doctors and specialist. I’ve been doing dental hygiene for about 4 years. My hygiene room is located right by the panoramic machine ( x- rays ), Therefore I sometimes think my ovaries are being fried when ever the panoramic machine is in use. And let me tell you it’s in use a lot!! Even though I know bout the 6 feet rule I just always worry. Sometimes the doctors and co- workers would make a joke about me having a kid .Blissfully to say I’m currently pregnant! Now my next big problem was scrubs!! Oh boy let me tell you I’m 5″8 honestly feel like 5″9 everybody seems so short. I like my scrubs to fit long not short like there’s a flood happening it doesn’t look right at all. I usually buy my scrubs online because I haven’t found long scrubs in medical stores. It’s easy to find scrubs in tall online but maternity pants scrubs online am I asking for too much? I search for days and went to different search engines like Bing ,Yahoo, and Google. Nothing! Finally I went to the image section and browse through scrubs and I came across scrubadoo! My prayers were answered. However, they were sold out I was going to cry I said I’ll just give up and just order in a bigger size in regular scrubs but who wants a saggy butt!! It was back ordered however I said ok but at least I placed an order. Luckily it came before the expected date of delivery I was very happy. I tried them on and it has a wonderful fit I ordered two colors one in black and navy. I previously order my maternity top from a different website because that was easy to find. Now when I go to work people are saying your glowing girl you look so nice even though I feel fatigued and bloated. I feel comfortable and my stomach doesn’t feel tight. I started wearing maternity scrub pants at 24 weeks the pants fit very long but I rather that then high waters especially after you wash them.Now the next thing to worry about is changing diapers and breast pumping!!! The wonderful joys of having a baby.

Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

Put on The Puzzle.

Autism prevalence is now one in every 88 children in America. Show your support for people with autism by wearing the Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon. There are so many ways to put on the puzzle, pins, ribbons, car magnets, sharing photos on Facebook, shirts, etc.

Make A Difference.

There are several facilities in your area working with those with Autism who are always looking for support! You can also contact your representatives on the state and federal level and ask them to “Vote 4 Autism.” Click the ‘Make A Difference’ link for more info.

Watch a movie.

Did you know something that seems as simple as going to the movies is not an option for many families affected by autism? The Autism Society is working with AMC Theaters to bring special-needs families Sensory Friendly Films every month. Click here for more information.

Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Source: Autism Society

At Scrubadoo we love this Dickies’ I’m So Puzzled Print Scrub Top. An update on the Autism Puzzle.

By Scrubadoo’s Jen Hankin

Scrubadoo recently added some new brands of scrubs to their ever-growing list! Earlier this year, we added Wonderwink and now Carhartt! Need tough, long wearing scrubs? Look no further than Carhartt. The maker of heavy duty wear is offering a durable, fashionable line of comfortable scrubs!

Carhartt began making work wear in 1889 with the single goal of excellence. Michigan native Hamilton Carhartt modified his last name by adding an extra “t” to stand out from other businessmen. His entrepreneurial vision and determination has made Carhartt an established brand that has stood the test of time.

Starting with railroad work wear, the Carhartt brand has expanded greatly into active wear, footwear, men’s & women’s apparel, pet accessories and of course scrubs!

Hamilton Carhartt passed away in 1937 at the age of 82. Today, his company remains a family owned operation committed to the mission of providing Best-in-Class apparel for the active worker.

“I believe that when a man wears an article that I manufacture, his self-respect is increased because he knows that it is made by an honest manufacturer, who is honest with his employees” – Hamilton Carhartt

What we love about Carhartt scrubs is their wide range of sizes as well as fun colors in comfortable, easy to wear scrubs! Most styles range from XS-5XL sizing. Here are a few of my favorites from Carhartt:

Women’s V-Neck Two-Pocket Scrub Top

Men’s Work-Dry Long Sleeve Tee

 Women’s 3-Pocket Mock Wrap Scrub Top

Women’s 4-Pocket Cargo Pant

Scrubadoo has basketball on the brain, don’t you? March Madness is just getting underway, so it’s the perfect time to talk about sports related injuries, especially those associated with basketball.

Did you know the first game of basketball was actually invented by a doctor, Dr. James Naismith, with two peach baskets and a soccer ball in 1891. Dr. J’s game has very little resemblance to today’s high-speed ball game. But hey, it’s all got to start somewhere. Due to the nature of modern basketball, players are prone to injury. As a matter of fact, more that 1.6 million injuries are associated with basketball every year.

Most common basketball injuries:

By Scrubadoo‘s Jen Hankin

March is synonymous with basketball. Even if you don’t follow a team, it’s easy to get sucked into the sport of it all! As everywhere you look, it’s all about March Madness!

Basketball fans, can you believe the NCAA is celebrating 75 years of March Madness this year? So much within the game has changed and evolved. Check out all the highlights from past March Madness and more NCAA games in the Vault.

This year, your friends at Scrubadoo are launching a giant March Madness promotion starting Friday, March 1st. What does that mean for you? The chance to WIN FREE SCRUBS! And let’s be honest, everyone could use some free scrubs!

How it works?

1. Go to: http://scrubadoo.com/march_madness.php
2. Pick your team
3. Buy your team’s scrubs between March 1 and March 20th and you’ll get entered into Scrubadoo’s bracket challenge!
4. Your team wins, YOU WIN!

It’s really that easy! We suggest wearing your team’s scrub’s during their big games. It can’t hurt can it? Keep up with your team’s journey throughout March here. 

Looking for more bracket info? Stay in touch on Scrubadoo’s Facebook all March! For more Madness and fun basketball facts!