Nursing informatics degrees are becoming popular in a world in which medicine and technology are slowly merging closer together.  With the wide array of health care informatics who patrol hospitals now, armed with their dual degrees in medicine and health informatics, the hospital itself has now evolved into a modern organization that prides itself on technological advances.  Nurses have now taken up the challenge within the health care industry and are beginning to earn these degrees as a type of supplemental degree after years in the field.

Health informatics specialists have expertise in medical records and claims, clinical care, and programming.  Typically, these individuals also have an extensive background in health care, explaining why doctors and nurses are the typical recipients of this degree.  While I.T. people run serves and install software around hospitals and clinics, informatics are the ones who interpret and analyze the information and therefore teach the information to the rest of the staff.  The stimulus package earlier this year dedicated $19 billion to electronic health record spending, leading to a skyrocketing demand for health informaticians (and subsequently nursing informaticians).  The chief executive of the American Medical Informatics Association predicted that the country currently has a need of 70,000 health informaticians, leading to a new prevalence in degree recipients.

Typical health informatics specialists start off as computer programmers, doctors, or nurses and earn a graduate degree in health informatics.  After this step, they subsequently move into midlevel or senior positions in hospitals as a result of this higher degree.  Aside from the growing demand of this career supplement, the financial aspect is beneficial as well: most jobs pay nearly 50 percent mor than previous jobs after the employee earns a health informatics degree.  While most midlevel clinical analyst jobs pay around $70,000 a year, other senior level job salaries can be much higher in careers like chief clinical information officer. 

Currently, there are no educational, licensing, or credential requirements for health informaticians, although the past year has seen major science universities that have added master’s programs or certificates in health informatics.  Nursing informatics degrees are becoming even more prevalent within the health industry as nurses typically have more experience with the medical documents and electronic records.  This new vision for health care technology is now overtaking the medical community and has resulted in such a high demand for clinics and doctor’s offices across the country.  Now nurses and other hospital staff have an alternative degree to earn which can help boost their salaries and give them more of a reward for the hard work they perform on a daily basis. 

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By Katie Wilson

It’s a sort of irony – that women, who are more conscious about the way they look and their weight, are prone to weight gains at various times in their lives, just by virtue of being born among the female species. Girls who hit their teenage years tend to look fat and bloated as they menstruate for the first time; they have a difficult time managing the changes that their body is going through. Women tend to put on weight during a pregnancy and have the most difficult time getting rid of all the extra fat once the baby is born. And then there’s menopause with its unsightly weight gains, hot flashes, mood changes and other symptoms – the less said about them the better.

But you see the pattern here – how nature is biased against a woman trying to lose weight. And now there’s more bad news, well, if you’re among the women who’re on strict diets and also trying to get pregnant. First up, a diet and pregnancy don’t go together – even if you’re just trying. You need to eat healthy food and make sure your body gets the right kind of nutrients when you’re preparing to make a baby. And second and most important of all, new research has shown that women on diets who get pregnant are the ones who gain the most weight during pregnancy and have the most difficulty in getting rid of this weight once the baby is born.

This study from the University of North Carolina might have just sounded a wake-up call to all you would-be moms out there who’re so determined to lose weight that they resort to desperate measures like crash diets and near starvation. Weight loss must be achieved in a healthy way, through a sensible combination of regular exercise and good eating habits. While there’s no harm in trying to lose weight, it’s a pointless exercise when you’re trying to get pregnant as well. Of course, if you just happen to get pregnant without planning for it, then it’s time to stop all the exercise and dieting until you consult your OBGYN.

If regular exercise and healthy eating habits are a routine aspect of your life, you don’t have to worry about weight gain, either pre or post pregnancy. Of course, when you’re pregnant, you’ll have to eat more of the right kinds of food and you are bound to gain some extra weight. But you shouldn’t let this bother you as you have to do what’s best for the new life you’re carrying. And once the baby comes, you can always get back to your diet and exercise routine, again, after consulting your doctor first. So eat sensibly, and have a happy pregnancy.

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By Katie Wilson

There are some of us who hate to work and others who are absolute workaholics. And while the former will do anything to wriggle out of work, the latter abhor the very thought of a day without any. And so they come in to the office, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and spend as many hours as they can slogging and sweating it out. To them, the idea of a holiday is an anathema; they do not understand days off; and they certainly cannot stand the idea of idling around and not being productive.

But there are times when they must stay home, like when they’re ill and cannot function normally and efficiently at work. If you’re one of these workaholics who obsesses about going in to work and being productive even when you’re ill, when the mind is willing, but the flesh is weak, here’s what you can do to maintain your productivity:

•    Stay home and get enough rest: This is the first and most important thing that you must do. If you go in to work, you may think that you’re a hardy and brave individual who doesn’t let a silly illness get in the way of important business, but remember that you’re putting others at risk of catching what you have. If they fall sick, you make them less productive in the process. Besides, the sooner you rest your weary body, the faster you gather enough strength to be able to resume work in a day or two. If you worsen your condition, you may be laid up for a week or more, again, more unproductive days added to your count. 

•    Work from home: Once you’re a little better, and if you’re able to handle work but are still contagious, you could try and run the show from home. Remember though, that you mustn’t tax yourself too much or you may end up worsening your condition.

•    Delegate: Some of the most efficient people I know are those who delegate. I know some of you think it’s a sin, one that’s unforgivable, but it’s one of the most productive things you could do. Your associates can handle the work much better than you can when you’re down and out for the count with the flu or any other illness. So delegate work, but make sure you find the right people to do so.

•    Behave normally when you do return: Once you return to work, don’t obsess about the fact that you’ve been away for a few days, don’t take your subordinates to task for any mistakes that have been made, and don’t be the maniacal superior who’s lost his finger on the pulse of things just because of a minor illness. Think of your time away as a long overdue vacation, and when you’re back, resume work with the passion that you normally exhibit instead of trying to find out all that went wrong in your absence. This way, you’re both improving your productivity and enhancing that of your coworkers as well.

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Over the years, we have seen a slew of different types of nurses that have emerged as modern society has needed them: hospital nurses, nursing home nurses, midwives, etc.  However, more recently, we have seen an increase in the prominence of school nurses with the fear of H1N1 spreading throughout public schools faster than we thought possible a year ago.

Public school nurses are responsible for overseeing hundreds, sometimes even thousands of students, and ensuring that all these students remain healthy.  Sometimes dealing with students who have issues as minor as a paper cut, up to issues as severe as epileptic seizures, these types of nurses are equipped to deal with nearly any scenario that comes their way.  As H1N1 is still gaining in numbers, school nurses now have to keep records of how many children come to them with runny noses and fevers, carefully documenting the prevalence of flu-like symptoms that emerge within their hallways in order to prevent a mass outbreak within the school.

The fear of H1N1 that presented itself last summer is anything but gone as flu season is now in full force and every day there are more reports of deaths from Swine Flu.  Public school nurses are on the front lines of this new form of flu and are the first to view the spread of the virus within school halls.  Children are most susceptible to the virus (as they always have been to other easily spread illnesses) because they do not take as many precautions as adults do.  Therefore, school nurses in larger cities are now beginning the vaccination process, offering free H1N1 and flu shots to students whose parents cannot afford the additional costs of vaccines. 

With 56,239 public school nurses nationwide, healthcare in public schools seems to be growing at an exponential rate.  However, there is a growing need for more public school nurses as modern society has seen an emergence of health issues that were never before major health concerns.  More and more students are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, and school nurses are the people in charge of ensuring that these students receive their proper medication at certain times during the day.  Additionally, students with mental disabilities are now enrolled in public schools (in comparison to only a few decades ago), posing a new challenge to school nurses who have to know how to determine whether these students are sick or simply need some type of stimulation. 

In many cities around the country, public school nurses are the only form of health care many of these students receive, as their parents do not have health insurance.  As a result, these nurses have become a vital source of health care, ensuring that many of their students remain healthy and take the necessary precautions to fight the flu and related illnesses.  With the health care legislation slowly passing through the House, this may change in only a few months, but as for right now, public school nurses are on the frontlines of the health industry, protecting many students from the dangers of disease and illness. 

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Aging is something that none of us can avoid as there’s no miraculous Fountain of Youth. Getting older is a fact of life but certainly there’s no need to hasten this process and make yourself feel and also look older than what you actually are. Most of the times we, as women, try to battle out aging by using beauty and cosmetic products. But in addition to that, here are a few tips to slow down the signs of aging on both, our health and appearance.

Healthy lifestyle

Though in medical terms, it is our genetic makeup that contributes to how healthy we are, but in practical terms, it is our lifestyle habits that greatly affect how our bodies would cope with passing time and age. Bad lifestyle habits such as, too much of alcohol, smoking, disturbed sleep, and improper meals certainly cast an inimical impact on both, our health and physical appearance. Therefore, focus on living your life with a positive attitude and embracing all healthy living habits so that your body always retains a vibrant freshness with boisterous spirits. 

Staying in good shape

Beyond all doubts, regular exercising is the sure shot way that guarantees a healthy body to battle out not only sickness but also the signs of aging. Experts recommend 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity in a day that would fit your lifestyle. Once you start exercising on regular basis, you would soon begin to enjoy its positive impacts on your psyche as well, as its one of the best stress combating mechanisms. Being physically fit is the best way to look great and young. Give your body enough rest as sleeping is the time when our body rejuvenates itself.

Healthy food habits

Healthy lifestyle and regular exercising also needs to be complemented with a healthy balanced diet. Keep maximum intake of fresh vegetables and fruits as these are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins, antioxidants and at the same are low in calories. Have plenty intake of liquids as they give you a smoother, glowing skin. Avoid snacking in between the meals and watch out to balance your caloric intake with your energy expenditure. 

How to handle Menopause

Menopause is yet another phase of biological cycle that every woman undergoes in the age bracket of 45 to 55. But in many cases its accompanied with wired osteoporosis symptoms such as, mood swings, night sweats, insomnia, and loss of libido. One of the best ways to handle menopause is to get educated about what it is and how it can affect you when it finally arrives in your life. This self education is immensely helpful in overcoming its anxiety. Take medical advice if required. Otherwise, the effective way to ease menopausal symptoms is regular exercising.  

Regular health check-ups

Women are also more prone to some gender related diseases such as, breast cancer, cervical cancer, diabetes and some specific cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, one must be very careful of any physiological changes noticed in the body. Age of 35 onwards, go for regular health check-ups to avoid any medical exigencies at a later point of time.

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Choosing the right doctor can be a very important decision for you because he is the one whom you will discuss all your personal health problems with and he is the one that is going to give you medical care. He must be one that you can trust. Deciding on a doctor requires gathering a lot of information and this research may not be possible when you fall ill all of a sudden, so it is better to do so when there is no need and then be prepared. Here are a few tips to help you select the right doctor for you.
1.    Decide what type of doctor you need. There are general practitioners and medical specialists. Specialists include gynecologists, pediatricians, general surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, etc. to name a few. If you are looking for a physician to treat common ailments, a general physician may do, but if you want doctor to treat any specific medical condition, a specialist maybe a better choice. Being clear about your personal preferences (if any), on the gender of the doctor and the language he uses will help you narrow down your search.
2.    Check the doctor’s credentials. You can get a word of mouth opinion from your family, friends and people of the locality about their doctor. You could check if the doctor is well qualified, has the required experience, is available at all times, is covered for when he is not available and the hospitals with which he is associated. You can also get relevant information from state medical boards and hospital websites.
3.    Fix an acquaintance appointment with the doctor. Though your family and friends rave about a certain doctor, it is very possible that you may not feel comfortable with that doctor. You can fix an appointment with the doctor for a general consultation and assess him and his approach to his profession, first hand. It is very important that you share a good rapport with your doctor; you must be able to communicate well with him. Don’t feel shy to ask him anything you want to know. Make sure he takes time to answer your questions and is patient and friendly.
4.    Check out the doctor’s staff and office. During the visit to the hospital, you could also evaluate the doctor’s personnel; see if they are professional and patient-friendly. You may have had an experience of waiting endlessly at the hospital mainly due to the inefficiency of the staff or you may have been treated rudely by some indifferent nurses; now you surely wouldn’t want to go to a doctor with that kind of a team. Also make sure that the doctor’s office is neat and clean. An organized environment can be more inviting than an unorganized one.
5.    Find out if the doctor accepts your health insurance. Make sure that the hospital with which your doctor is affiliated accepts your health insurance. You could contact your health plan Customer Service Department regarding the specifics of your plan and the coverage. To make the most of your insurance plan, make sure your doctor is in the health insurance plan’s list of recommended providers. This way you can avoid any unnecessary health care expenses.
I’m sure these tips will help you place the right doctor, now good luck!

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The heparin debacle is the only thing that’s going to be on my mind each time I pop pills or open a bottle of medicine, along with the question of how safe the drugs we use are. It’s an irony of sorts that the very drugs that are supposed to save lives end up taking them in a bizarre twist of events. The blame game has been going on for a while now with the Chinese government, the FDA, Baxter which was responsible for the manufacture of the drug and Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL) which sourced the powder that heparin is made from, throwing the ball to the others’ courts even as they tried to wash their hands off the situation.

On one hand we hear stories of the FDA’s financial troubles, the reason being cited for the failure to inspect SPL’s Shanghai plant. And other the other we see statements from Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research that the FDA bungled badly and got the names of the factories mixed up when conducting inspections.

The SPL factory is guilty though, of deliberately adding over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate to the heparin pipeline because of a shortage of raw material from pigs (the main compound in heparin powder) following the blue ear virus and it’s destructive effect on the pig population of China. Considering that drug companies all over the world outsource their manufacturing operations to countries like China, not for the cheap man power but for its bountiful pig population, a situation like this is bound to happen each time a shortage occurs and the factory is not able to keep up with the demand for the drug.

No matter how stringent the rules are, the truth is that as long as there is room for error, both from the human fallibility factor and from the possibility of animal diseases, mix-ups like this are bound to happen. So what then is the alternative, one that’s safe and cost-effective? Rensselaer Polytechnic researcher Dr. Robert Linhart and his team have successfully demonstrated the value of the synthetic heparin that they’ve manufactured. While it has proved to be safe so far, it remains to be seen if it can be produced in large amounts in a cost-effective manner.

Till then, for the millions of people who depend on heparin and similar drugs to prevent heart disease, there’s no alternative but to cross their fingers each time they take their medication and hope that nothing untoward happens. 

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There’s a reason they call it the life cycle – we’re helpless at birth, we grow into self-sufficient adults, and we revert back to helplessness as we age; the cycle of life is complete at death. While most of us are not averse to and always enjoy looking after little children, we’re reluctant to get our care-giving side to kick in when it comes to looking after the elderly, especially those who are ill and need special care. While some do it for the perks that come later (where there’s a will, there’s a motive), there are others who are genuinely dedicated to their old parents or relatives and do everything they possibly can to give them the best care till they die a peaceful death. It’s the latter kind who end up running themselves ragged in their zeal to be good caregivers, and neglect to take care of themselves. For these caregivers and others like them, here are a few “ME” tips:

    * Don’t let your patients get to you: Children and the elderly are more alike than we realize – they’re masters of manipulation. They know how to feed your guilt and get you to do things for them that they’re perfectly capable of doing themselves. They make you feel miserable if you so much as show the slightest signs of refusing them. If you give in to them once, you’re bound to give in to them at all times, fearing the tantrums and/or snide remarks that are too difficult to handle. Put your foot down firmly if you feel they’re taking you for granted, without feeling guilty about it, or you’ll end up resenting their demands for your time and attention.
    * Don’t end up becoming a patient yourself: Look after yourself well so that you’re well enough to take care of those who depend on you. If you neglect yourself, you may end up falling ill and unable to care for yourself or for the people who live with you. Eat healthy food, get in an hour of exercise, and get out in the fresh air once every day.
    * Set aside time for yourself: Make some “ME” time everyday so that you can enjoy doing the things you love most. Schedule these activities when you know you are not likely to be interrupted, like when your elderly charges are down for an afternoon nap or late at night after they’ve retired for the day.
    * Don’t feel disappointed if you’re not appreciated: Care-giving is often a thankless job, and you’re bound to feel depressed and resentful if you expect appreciation for looking after your elderly parents or relatives. While some people are grateful, others think that it’s your bounden duty to care for them. You know you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart, and that should be enough thanks for you. Expecting gratitude when none is forthcoming is only going to end in disappointment and regret.
    * Spend time with other people like yourself: Most people don’t understand the stress and loneliness that are a part and parcel of caregivers’ lives, unless they’re caregivers themselves. Spend some time each week meeting people in situations similar to yours so that you have a forum to share your feelings and frustrations.
 

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Achieving personal well-being means taking the time to nurture several parts of your life so that each are healthy and strong. In this busy world, it can be difficult to find the time, and sometimes it’s difficult to know how to break out of your current patterns. From eating right to building strong relationships and securing personal finances, the following resources will give you the tools to help you find your way to a happier existence.

Healthy Living

From getting enough sleep to changing the way you buy goods and spend money, these resources will give you plenty to consider about living your life more healthily.

1. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity. Follow this family as they have made a conscious decision to live life more simply and in a much more fulfilling way.
2. 9 Little Known Ways to Sleep So it Counts. Waking up from a full night’s sleep feeling exhausted is no good. Follow these tips to help you get the most from your sleep.
3. Six Sleep Tips. Using relaxation and visualization, these suggestions will help get you on your way to a good night’s (or day’s) rest.
4. Holistic Approach to Wellness. Being healthy is usually the goal for most people, yet it is easy for the balance in life to get disrupted and result in ill health. Read this article to examine your life and make sure you balance each of the facets to ensure continued good health and well-being.
5. 11 Odd but Simple Ways to Improve Your Health. Move beyond simply improving diet and exercise with these interesting suggestions.
6. 7 Simple Ways to Burst Out of Bed Each Day. These tips on taking a few extra steps to overall health will do more than just help those who struggle to get out of bed each morning. 
7. Top Ten Health & Wellness Gifts: For the Mind, Body, and Spirit. These are gifts worth getting all year round.
8. Whole Longevity. Find out how healthy living can increase your longevity and quality of life with the articles on this site.
9. Prevention is better than cure. This article about holistic healthcare explains how prevention is the best form of healthcare.
10. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, this comprehensive site offers information about specific forms of medicine, clinical trials, research, training, and more to help you stay healthy.

Nutrition

Eating well and putting the right types of foods in your body are important to ensure you are in top shape. These resources will help you get the best nutrition.

11. Superfoods. Goji berries and cacao nibs?  Learn what is so special about these superfoods and others that you might be more familiar eating with this podcast. Be sure to listen to the other installments in the superfoods series.
12. Top 15 Diet Hacks. This list offers tips on how to shift your eating habits to a more healthy style.  Don’t forget to read the Comments for more tips.
13. Organic Guide. Included in this blog are posts about organic-relevant news pieces as well as many organic food topics such as growing your own sprouts, finding a good juicer, and recipes.
14. Five Easy Pieces of an Organic Diet. Having a hard time going organic? This article will help you get started while making the biggest environmental impact.
15. 10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are some suggestions for what to eat and how to do it when you are short on time in the mornings.
16. Nutrition Fact Sheets. Get a wide variety of fact sheets ranging from kid’s nutrition needs to benefits of chewing gum to weight management.
17. Antioxidant Benefits From Drinking Green Tea. Learn about how antioxidants help your body and why green tea is such an excellent source.
18. Do You Get Enough Probiotics In Your Diet?.While this blog post is specifically focused on weight loss, it does an excellent job of explaining why probiotics are important for your body.
19. Holistic Health Nutrition Facts. Browse this blog for tons of information about nutrition and keeping your body healthy. Topics include omega-3 fatty acids, preventing heart disease, and the health benefit of minerals.
20. 7 Fish Oil Benefits Proven by Research. Taking a fish oil supplement is incredibly beneficial to your body. Choosing a high-quality fish oil will ensure the best results and eliminate any "fishy" taste from the supplement.
21. Body-for-LIFE 10 Nutritional Guidelines. Even if you are a very active person, you cannot discount the importance of nutrition. These tips tell you how to get the most out of your workout with better eating habits.

Stress Management

Stress causes health issues as well as mental strain. Eliminate stress from your life with this list of tips to help you achieve a sense of calm.

22. Meditation Oasis. A companion to their podcasts, this blog offers guided meditations. Be sure to sign up for the podcasts, too.
23. Tips for Managing Stress. While created for university students, this list of suggestions is great for anyone feeling the strains of stress.
24. 20 Ways to Eliminate Stress From Your Life. Some of these are simple and others a bit more drastic, but you are sure to find some solutions to the stress in your life.
25. How to Practice Buddhist Breathing Meditation. Follow these simple steps to establishing an ancient form of breathing meditation sure to help you find your inner peace.
26. 6 Ways to De-Stress. These tips focus on a more global approach to living a more stress-free life.
27. The Top 10 Steps to DeStress. Use these suggestions to create a way of living that produces less self-expectation and pressure.
28. Natural Stress Relief. Combine the suggestions in this article with other stress relievers such as exercise and getting enough sleep to combat the stress in your life.
29. Five Tips to De-stress Your Life. This article offers suggestions on making changes to the way you live in order to live less stressfully.
30. Top 10 Stress Relievers: The Best Ways to Feel Better. Take these actions to reduce stress instantly. Make them a habit and you may avoid feeling that stress creep back into your life.
31. Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. From Helpguide.org, find information about stress, tips and resources to reduce stress, and more.
32. Tips for Beating Stress. Get a common sense approach to life that will help you live less stressfully in this article.

Exercise

Use these resources to get your body in shape and give you more energy to get through your busy day.

33. How to Increase Physical Activity When Time is a Problem. These 20 tips will get you moving even when you don’t have a moment to spare.
34. Bike About. The posts in this blog offer much more than just biking with thoughts on healthy eating, hiking, and more.
35. 5 Exercises for Everyone. You don’t have to buy a membership to a gym to get your exercise, and these tips will show you how.
36. Top 42 Exercise Hacks. These ideas will motivate you to take the first step or to continue to exercise when your motivation flags.
37. Abdominal Exercises–Best Ab Exercises–Core Workout. Many experts believe when you strengthen your core, you strengthen your whole body. Try these exercises to do just that (and get flat abs as a bonus).
38. The Everything Yoga Blog. Read the posts to gain information to improve your yoga practice or visit some of the other blogs and sites included here.
39. Free Picture Galleries of Hatha Yoga Poses. These helpful photos and accompanying text will improve your yoga practice whether at home or in class.
40. Ten Cheapest Ways to Exercise. If money is a concern, it shouldn’t stop you from exercising. Follow these tips for easy and inexpensive ways to do it.
41. 10 Ideas to Get You Exercising. If you are feeling stuck but want to get moving, read these suggestions for motivation.
42. Trying Fitness. This blog offers tons of suggestions for ways to get yourself moving in the name of fitness.

Attitude

Sometimes a simple change of attitude can create a whole new perspective on life. Find out how to do that with these resources.

43. Centre for Emotional Well-Being. This blog offers plenty of advice for those looking to improve their outlook on life. There is a heavy emphasis on body image.
44. 8 Powerful Ways to Rediscover Your Passion. It’s easy to get caught up in the rut of our daily existence. If you need to shake it up and rediscover yourself, these steps will help.
45. 5 Steps to Finding True Joy and Removing Sorrow. Learn how to identify and recognize emotional responses so that you can redirect the negative to a more uplifting, positive expression.
46. The Happiness Project. Join the experiment as this woman tries out all the various tips for finding happiness. Wednesday is tip day, so be sure to check in then for great ideas on finding your happy place in life.
47. Out of the Box: 11 Ways to Break Out of the Same Old Routine. Living in a routine can feel safe, but it can also hold you back from your potential. These suggestions will set you on a new path.
48. Work and Life: 15 Ways to Strike a Balance. With busy lifestyles today, it is easy to feel pulled in many directions. This list offers ways to find the balance.
49. 10 Quick Examples of Zen Living. Embrace these life lessons in order to find your joy.
50. The Positivity Blog. Become inspired to stay positive and find the beauty in life with the posts on this uplifting blog.
51. Wake Up Feeling Great with These 22 Tips for High Self-Esteem. These suggestions will have you feeling better about yourself and improve how you approach your life.
52. My 50. This tool will help you keep focused on your life goals by managing your list of places to go, things to do, and anything else you want to do in your lifetime.
53. 10 Surefire Ways to Kill Your Crabby Mood. A bad mood can affect your productivity, relationships, and the way you feel about yourself. Use these tips to rise above it.
54. Well Being Journal. This online magazine offers articles on mind/body connection, nutrition, health, and fitness.
55. 75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day. Some of these ideas will brighten your day just reading about them. Readers have left some of their own ideas in the Comments section below the list.

Relationships

Learn how to keep your relationships with family, co-workers, and friends strong and successful with these suggestions.

56. Managing Relationship Stress. From your job to family members to friends, this article helps you manage the stress when your relationships are going through a rocky time.
57. Friendship–Tips for a Special Relationship!. Everyone should read these tips for a reminder of how to treat the important people in your life.
58. Tips on How to Repair Your Family Relationship Rightly!. Families are so busy it is easy to forget the small things that keep them together. This article reminds you how to go about the small tasks that make a family united.
59. 20 Ways to Attack Shyness. If you have a difficult time coming out of your shell, this list is for you. Not only does it offer tips to get you going, it also explains a little about the mechanics of shyness.
60. 10 Ways We Hurt Our Romantic Relationships. This list lets you know what to avoid to ensure your relationship grows stronger instead of weaker.
61. Can Your Dog Help Fix Your Relationship?. Find out what the family pet can teach you and your partner about strengthening your relationship.
62. Building Healthy Relationships. From listening to humor to forgiveness, learn how you can build a healthy relationship.
63. 8 Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship. Learn what you and your partner can do to help keep your relationship growing with these suggestions.
64. 18 ways to improve your body language . Set a more positive tone about yourself by improving your body language. This list will tell you how to do it.
65. 10 Tips to Strengthen Families. Find how you can improve the relationship between parents and children with these suggestions.
66. Ways to Build, Strengthen, and Enhance Your Relationship. Taking care to do these five simple things may provide just what your relationship needs to make it last long term.

Spirituality

Whether or not you are religious, a sense of spirituality can open your life in a whole new way.

67. Spirituality & Well-Being Self Tests. Take these two tests to see how your body-soul connection lines up.
68. Spiritual Endeavors. This website offers articles, links, and more to help you in your spiritual journey–no matter what shape it takes.
69. Spiritual Teachings. With a focus on a variety of spiritual teaching traditions and both essays and links to other resources, this site helps you get started down your spiritual path.
70. Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library. Find anything Buddhist here from Zen Buddhism to Buddhist art.
71. Links Relating to Creation Spirituality. Hosted by Trinity United Methodist Church in Austin, TX, this site provides several links to resources for those interested in learning more about Creation Spirituality.
72. 10 Ways to Grow Your Spirit. From tying up loose ends to letting go to loving yourself, these suggestions will help you become more spiritual.
73. Tips For A More Effective Prayer Life. If prayer is a part of your life, these tips can help you get more from your daily practice.
74. Belief-O-Matic. If you are struggling to find a spiritual or religious path, take this quiz to help you determine which religion is best suited to your personality.
75. Cultivating Spiritual Virtues. This article offers a straightforward approach to ways you can expand your spirituality while embracing what is good in the world.
76. Beliefnet. No matter what you religious beliefs, Beliefnet has much to offer in the way of spirituality and religion.
77. Fitting Spirituality Into The Rest Of Your Life. It is easy to let important things slip away in the hectic nature of life, but this article tells you how you can find time for spirituality despite the busy day.

Financial

Get control of your personal finances and make managing your money less stressful with these great resources.

78. When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch. Including tips from around the house, at the grocery store, and entertainment, this list will help you find ways to save your money.
79. mint. Manage your money with this free software. Connect with your bank, credit cards, and mutual funds to effortlessly gain control over your finances.
80. Zopa. This social finance company brings borrowers and investors together to work out loans that benefit both parties.
81. 35 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Finances. These suggestions are simple and easy to implement. Follow these and watch your financial situation perk up.
82. Financial Planning: A Comprehensive Guide to Personal Finance. This guide from About.com offers great resources to help you make the most of your finances.
83. USA.gov Personal Finance. The U.S. government has created a list of resources ranging from bankruptcy to home ownership to retirement and estate planning.
84. 5 Tips for Getting Out of Debt (and Why). With credit cards so readily available, it’s easy to find yourself in debt. Here are five ways to find yourself in the clear.
85. Online Colleges and Universities Blog. Getting out of debt can be a struggle, but not with this blogs help. This free resource focuses on student finance and gives you the advice you need to get out of debt or save money.
86. AllBusiness Personal Finance Center. Find anything you could want to learn about managing your finances with this awesome resource.
87. 21 Strategies for Creating an Emergency Fund, and Why It’s Critical. Emergencies can send your finances tumbling. Follow these tips for creating a cushion so when the unexpected happens, you aren’t caught short.
88. BudgetTracker, Inc. Create and track your budget with this tool. It helps with bills, investments, bank accounts, and more.

Career

Most people spend the biggest part of their day at work. If you do, learn how to make that time enjoyable and successful.

89. Work Happy Now!. Learn how to love your job with the great posts on this blog. Recent topics have covered developing emotional intelligence and expanding your various networks.
90. A Balancing Act: Finding Balance Between Work and Life. This article offers a helpful perspective on the work/life balance while providing suggestions for ways to approach finding your balance.
91. Chief Happiness Officer. Written by a Danish consultant, this blog offers great advice on finding your happiness at work.
92. 5 Ways to Improve Your Productivity in the Office. This site suggests you focus on these five areas of your work to increase your productivity.
93. 11 Lifehacking Tips for Improving Productivity–and Knowing When That’s Not the Point. If you would like to boost your work productivity, these suggestions are sure to help you change your habits in a more productive way.
94. Top 10 Email Productivity Boosters. You don’t have to go away on vacation to know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by emails. These tips will help you stay on top of emails in an organized and professional way.
95. Instant Calmer: 11 Easy Answers to On-the-Job Stress. These helpful tips are easy to implement and will have you back on track and feeling calmer in no time.
96. Develop a Career Action Plan. Make sure your career goes the direction you want it to with a Career Action Plan.
97. 12 Tools to Recover from Procrastination and Get Things Done. Anyone who has a habit of putting things off until the last minute know the frustration of procrastination. Follow these suggestions to get things going and stay on top of your work.
98. Just a Minute: Dr. Z’s Top 5 Time Management Principles. For a more Zen-like approach to time management, follow these five suggestions.
99. All Things Workplace. This blog offers great career coaching advice to improve your experience at work.
100. BetterMondays. Find out ways to brighten your office, how to succeed at an interview, what not to do at work and more on this blog dedicated to helping people enjoy their jobs.

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Whether you are a physician or just want to keep abreast of the latest news in the field of medicine, blogs from medical professors are a great way to stay on top of it all. These blogs range from ethics to general health issues and some even include podcasts. Take advantage of the knowledge these professors have to share by diving into their blogs.

Bioethics and Legal Issues

From human rights to end-of-life, these blogs examine the ethics and legal aspects of the field of medicine.

1. Global Bioethics Blog. This professor’s blog examines issues concerning bioethics and research ethics in sub-Saharan Africa. Find topics ranging from AIDS to health and human rights among these posts.
2. Women’s Bioethics Project. Written by both scholars and public policy makers, the issues in this blog cover medical ethics, current research, and more.
3. Sufficient Scruples. This blogger has previously taught both bioethics and ethics and focuses on "healthcare-related issues from a moral perspective," with a focus on both theoretical and practical issues.
4. Neuroethics and Law Blog. Law professor Adam Kolber writes about the law, ethics, and the brain. Topics also include a heavy dose of psychology for a well-rounded blog.
5. Lost in Translation. Learn about bioethics as it pertains to cutting edge medical interventions in early phase clinical trials in this blog written by Jonathan Kimmelman.
6. HealthLawProf Blog. Written by a legal professor, this blog focuses on the issues where medicine and the law intersect. Read about drug labeling, plastics used in baby bottles, and more.
7. Medical Futility. This professor looks at medical futility in his blog. This is a great resource for topics on physician/patient conflict, euthanization, end-of-life care, and more.
8. Adventures in Ethics and Science. Written by a philosophy professor, this ethics blog looks at science and the humanities with plenty of medical topics such as medical research and mammograms.
9. Bioethics Discussion Blog. Dr. Maurice Bernstein writes about the ethics associated with medicine, medical care, and science in this blog with over 600 topics in it.
10. HealthLawBlog. This blogger teaches ethics, law, and medicine at three different schools. Take advantage of his knowledge across these fields by reading his blog that discusses health law and policy.

Men, Women, and Children

These blogs offer information on women’s and men’s health, pediatrics, and family medicine.

11. Dr. Tori Hudson, N.D.. This professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine discusses women’s health issues and treatment with a naturopathic approach. Recent topics include perimenopause symptoms, calcium guidelines, and saffron to help PMS.
12. Dr. Scherger on Revolution Health. This physician and professor writes on men’s health issues with topics such as chest pain, screenings, and exercise.
13. Dr. David’s Blog. This practicing pediatrician who also works as a professor of oncology blogs about pediatric oncology, cancer research, and cancer treatments. Recent topics have touched on cancer and athletes, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a wonderful case of successful of chemo.
14. Family Medicine Notes. This professor keeps notes of what he learns through his practice and offers links to medical news in his blog. This physician has been blogging since 1999.

Neurosciences

If the brain is your area of interest, then take advantage of these blogs focusing on neurology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience.

15. BrainBlog. Read about neuropsychology and the latest topics in the field at this blog written by Anthony Risser.
16. Mind Hacks. Technically written collaboratively by a group of bloggers who mix academia with the tech field, this blog offers interesting posts on neuroscience and psychology.
17. Renegade Neurologist. This professor blogs about neurology-based topics like Alzheimer’s and dementia, but he also touches on many other more general-interest medical issues as well.
18. Alzheimer’s Blog. Learn about respite care, caregiving issues, genetic tests, exercise to combat effects of Alzheimer’s and much more on this educator’s blog.

General Health and Medicine

These blog offer interesting and sometimes amusing glimpses into the world of medicine.

19. Clinical Cases and Images–Blog. This eclectic blog includes medical topics ranging from Michael Phelps to genetics to pollution. Founded by a medical professor, this blog is interesting and entertaining enough for anyone inside or outside the medical community.
20. Sporula. This ex-professor who turned science writer is blogging about all sorts of unusual and interesting medical and scientific topics.
21. Reflections in a Head Mirror. Read about the experiences at an academic medical center through Dr. Bruce Campbell as he chronicles everything from his speech to the first-year medical students to a cancer patient smoking in his hospital bed.
22. Dr. Geoff’s MedBlog. A former emergency medicine professor and currently on staff with Wellsphere, Dr. Geoff blogs about various medical-related blogs on his blog.
23. DB’s Medical Rants. Read about teaching medicine, learning medicine, and the world of medicine in general in this physician and professor’s blog.
24. Mothers in Medicine. Juliaink, one of the contributors to this collaborative blog, is a professor of psychiatry and shares her views on motherhood, academia, and psychiatry in her posts.
25. DoctorMama. This blog touches on everything from running to medicine to being a mama–and even has a few cockroaches and snakes thrown in too.
26. tails of a mouse asthmatologist. Follow this professor and scientist’s blog as he documents his growing family, posts photos, and even talks about medicine.
27. Super Dok. This professor, doctor, and mother in the Philippines blogs about various aspects of medicine including Wii not being a good substitute for exercise, the importance of sleep, and nutrition and diabetes.

The Current Condition of Health Care

With the current health care crisis gaining so much attention, the professors themselves are sure to have plenty to say on the current condition of medicine and medical treatment in these blogs.

28. The Health Advocate. A collaborative blog that includes professors, students, and alumni of The Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence, this blog examines the issues surrounding patient advocacy and the current state of health care in America.
29. Health Care Renewal. These bloggers take a look at the state of health care and threats to the current system stemming from abuse of power. Conflicts of interest feature highly in these posts.
30. Health Care Organizational Ethics. Harvard professor, Jim Sabin, writes about the state of health care, including topics such as personal responsibility, pharmaceuticals, and hospital ethics.
31. Wachter’s World. Bob Wachter blogs about hospitalists, hospitals, and their quality and safety.
32. Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma. The posts in this blog examine the issues of conflict of interest and how it affects medical care, especially as it pertains to the pharmaceutical industry.
33. MedicationSense.com. Technically a newsletter and not a blog, this free e-publication provides the news and information on medicine and health care that you likely won’t hear from the mainstream medical organizations.
34. EMedConcepts. Dr. Steven J. Davidson blogs about hospital-based medicine and growing leadership in the field. Recent posts have covered physicians and electronic health records, medicare policy, and hospitals showing their list prices.
35. California Medicine Man. This blog touches on policy, medicine, patients, and much more as Dr. John S. Ford offers his experience and wisdom.
36. Dr. Thompson’s Blog. This practicing pediatrician and professor of pediatrics writes about the state of health care with a focus on children and family issues.
37. The Physician Executive. Read about the business of medicine as well as current medical policy issues in this blog written by an anonymous physician.

Specific Specialties

Whether they are writing about cardiology, alternative medicine, or orthopaedics, these professors share their specialty with you.

38. Dr. Wes. Dr. Wes is a practicing heart doctor as well as a professor, and he shares his knowledge in this engaging and informative blog.
39. Terra Sigillata. This anonymous professor describes his blog topics as "natural product drugs and dietary supplements, academic career development, medical journalism and, occasionally, making and listening to music and wine appreciation for the monetarily-challenged."
40. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law Blog. This blogger is both a practicing lawyer and was an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. He currently writes about integrating complementary and alternative medicine into western medical practice.
41. Stress Blog. This professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic offers sound advice for ways to reduce stress and find your happiness in life.
42. All Things Orthopaedic. Read Dr. James Herndon’s blog that touches on orthopaedic implants, osteoporosis assessment tools, and athletics.
43. Aetiology. From anthrax to gastric bacterium to salmonella, this professor of epidemiology blogs about a wide range of illnesses that affect humanity with a particular interest in the ones that touch on both humans and animals.
44. Cosmeticsurgerybangalore’s Weblog. This professor of cosmetic surgery in India posts videos of various cosmetic surgical procedures in this blog.
45. Docinthemachine. This blog is written by an Ob/Gyn who has an interest and background in all things tech. Find interesting posts about technology in the medical field with a special emphasis on women’s health and reproduction.

Academic Podcasts

These podcasts offer an easy way to get your medical news and information. Either click on the links to listen directly or sign up to have RSS feeds deliver new content directly to you.

46. Harvard Medical Labcast. Listen to podcasts from experts at Harvard Medical School as they offer a glimpse into the groundbreaking work going on in the field of medicine.
47. Medcast. From the Stanford School of Medicine, these podcasts offer a sampling of lectures from renowned experts. Some podcasts include stem cell research, childhood obesity, and women and heart disease.
48. Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts. Presented by a professor of medicine and the director of electronic media, this podcast brings weekly looks at all the top news from the medical world.
49. University of Michigan Health System Podcast. The podcasts available here are many. Choose from podcast topics such as health news, health and medical questions and answers, and child development and behavior.
50. New England Journal of Medicine. This medical journal offers two different podcasts. Listen to Audio Interviews or select NEJM This Week for a recap of all the articles in the journal.

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