[Your Rx For Sanity eNews]

"Show me the money"!.....can't? This helpful issue of eNews excerpts from "Don't Jettison Medicine" the importance of retirement planning and valuable information on fee-only advisors, as well as the usual Rx of humor and reader tips.

What do you mean, you don't know where it is? Excerpted here for this "taxing" time of year, some very important things for you to know about your financial health and well-being. Pleading ignorance? Then these are extremely important things for you to LEARN regarding your economic life.

"Many HCP's pull in a nice chunk of change. Even those who do not are in jobs that are pretty recession-proof. And while insurance and regulation grope deeper into our pockets, we still do fairly well. Still, it's a tough way to make a living. Many of us are simply hanging in there for retirement. This is not wrong: given the declining environment of medicine today, it is certainly a logical choice. Most of us look forward to the day when we can walk away from some specific high maintenance patients, our hectic offices and our stressful practices. It's the paramount dream, the horizon upon which are eyes are fixed.

And how close are we? If you are like most HCP's, you haven't a clue."

~ "Don't Jettison Medicine: Resuscitate Your Passion for the Career You Loved", P. L. Raymond, M.D., Available now to make 2004 your best year yet!

Get another dose at http://www.dontjettisonmedicine.com

Do you save for retirement? A shocking percentage of HCP's reveal they do not. Is your will up to date...2 out of 3 HCP's do not even HAVE a will! Do you know that consumer debt has hit a record $1.98 trillion dollars as of October, which translates to about $18,700 per U.S. household (credit card and car loan debt alone). * At the same time, our government tells us the nation's savings rate has dropped to 2% of after-tax income for the first half of 2003. How are you dealing with your eventual retirement and the possibility of a financial emergency? (* Federal Reserve Board, Bureau of Economic Analysis, American Bankruptcy Institute)

Enter the person known as a "Fee Only Financial Advisor" to your rescue. More from "Don't Jettison Medicine":

"Fee only advisors charge either a flat fee or a percentage of assets under management to organize your financial life. They will likely have you complete a worksheet, as well as bring life and disability policies, contracts and wills for review. They'll discuss with you your goals and dreams. They will look at your financial needs and goals as one cohesive unit....and most importantly , they don't need to sell you stuff to give you advice!! Consider this your fiscal physical exam.......and you're overdue!"

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, which is the professional organization of fee-only planners, maintains the following website, and their toll free is 800 366-2732.

http://www.napfa.org (Virginian Pilot 12/14/03)

Don't need the help? You're a smart HCP and you've always done it yourself? Remember, the HCP who treats him or herself has a fool for a patient. Get that financial advisor, lay down a plan and stick to it. Find your financial freedom.

** January Ha-Ha's **

Have you heard the one about the nurse? She died and went to hell. She was there two weeks before she realized she wasn't at work any more!

Financial cut-backs at your hospital for 2004? Taking a cue from the airlines, Respiratory Therapists will now be replaced by oxygen masks which will, should the need arise, automatically drop from the ceiling over patients' beds. If this occurs, please place the mask over patient's nose and mouth and instruct them to breathe normally.

** A Nursing Tip **

Gracious thanks go out to our reader Roger, RN BSN PHN for the following contribution:

" I work nights in a combined medical and surgical ICU. It's not surprising then that it is very often necessary to phone physicians in the middle of the night. Well, physicians are people too and can sometimes forget having given a particular phone order. To insure against this, I have a second person (preferable a nurse but the ward clerk will do) listen in on another extension. This also helps to make sure I have heard the order correctly since people tend to mumble when aroused from sleep!

The other tidbit? Before I hang up, I ask the doc for specific call back parameters, i.e., "how many cc of output should I expect? If it's less, would you like the dose repeated, or do you want me to call back?" This applies to any situation, and I find the physicians are very appreciative!"

>> Readers, what timely suggestions of your own does this bring to mind? What is your best tip to handle the docs in the 2 a.m. phone call, often considered one of the most stressful aspects of an evening or night nurse's job? Send them to me at PLRaymond@RxForSanity.com for inclusion in upcoming eNews editions.