Out of the boxx... Commentary by Mary Jo Fay, RN, MSN The recent columns and opinions about “job hopping” have done a great job have triggered some of my own thoughts on the subject. …

Welcome to Red Ink Behavior, a key section in the new book, Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace (Mile High Press, Ltd., 2003) by Dr. Judith Briles. What are Red Ink Behaviors? Simply this—the working manners, habits and styles that can directly and negatively impact the bottom line of a unit, department, the entire organization.

Last week, Linda Rener’s column discussed her "shock" about 6-year-olds being suspended from school for inappropriate behavior and how schools have gone overboard with "no tolerance" policies. Several months ago, she wrote about a 5-year-old having a temper tantrum in public and how the mother should have cradled this acting-out child in her arms to show her an alternative way of behaving.

The Holiday season is upon us and along with the joy and festivities may come the additional stress and tension that sometimes accompanies the expectations of others.

Sometimes the boxxes we get trapped in really belong to someone else but we take them on as our own.

As nurses, you are not only health care professionals but are oftentimes parents and grandparents as well. As such, have you ever wondered what subliminal messages the children in your life might be giving you? Have you ever looked at their drawings and wondered what messages might lay beneath the surface?

Emptiness. That feeling that leaves you feeling heavy, without energy, directionless, lost, or questioning your own value in life.

I have been reading the ongoing LPN versus RN issues discussed in this paper over the last several weeks and I’d like to throw in an "Out of the Boxx" opinion.

Perfectionism is a way of life for some. Personally, if I’m having brain surgery, you can bet I want a surgeon who doesn’t perform under the work ethic of "OK, that’s good enough."