By Emily Thomas

Social networking sites are invaluable to employees in any industry, and nurses have especially benefited from the proliferation of Web technologies. Long hours and little appreciation make nursing a difficult job to tolerate for extended lengths of time. Nurses find safety in numbers on these social sites where colleagues offer tips, advice and support.

Networks For Nurses to Meet Nurses

Social sites have allowed for unprecedented cooperation among individuals across any distance. These networks let nurses swap war stories and advice or discuss general trends in the industry.

1. Nurse Groups: A professional networking site for nurses offering free memberships. Includes features such as blogging and a job database.
2. Nurse Linkup: An online social network for nurses, this site allows users to meet fellow nurses and keep up with topic relevant to the nursing profession.
3. Nurse Connect: A one stop resource center for nurses, this network includes job information in addition to its active community of members.
4. Internation Council of Nurses: A world wide nursing organization aiming to strengthen the profession by increasing communication among its members. Active in 128 countries, the ICN is a great resource for industry news too.
5. TravelNursingBlog: A social site for traveling nurses full of tips and advice. Also includes job info for traveling nurses.
6. NursingLink: A social networking site for nurses offering news, education resources, job search and advice.
7. All Nurses: A large nursing forum allowing nurses from across the country to communicate.
8. Healthcare Travel Book: This social networking site offers healthcare travelers blogs, personal profiles and well researched articles.
9. Doctor Networking: Primarily a social network for physicians but this site caters to a variety of health professions especially nurses.
10. Nurse.com: A large online community of nurses ready, willing and able to answer your questions.

Networks Helping Nurses Connect With Patients

Once diagnosed, patients tend to be filled with almost infinite questions. While information from a doctor is always best, nurses can be an invaluable resource. Here is a list of web sites connecting nurses to patients.

11. Nurses Recommend Doctors: The best information always come from the inside. Get the lowdown on which doctors are top-notch from the nurses who have worked with them.
12. Patients Like Me: This social network aims to connect patients with similar diseases and health problems. Allows nurses to check in on patients or learn about the social aspect of debilitating diseases.
13. Organized Wisdom: A "human-powered health search" tool seeking to connect patients with healthcare professionals and other patients. A Physician Review Board makes sure information on the site is authoritative.
14. Revolution Health: Patients and those in the health care industry connect on forums, blogs and profiles to discuss drugs and medicine, symptoms, and a lot more.
15. Starbright World: A social network for chronically ill teens. Create profiles, blog and meet other members online.
16. Trusted.md: A fantastic social site for healthcare professionals, this network connects collegues, co-workers and friends.
17. iMedix: This social site offers medical information and a large patient community. Members can share health experiences and offer support to others.
18. MDLinked: Patients share symptoms, drug information and can even find specialists. A doctor rating system allows patients control over their care.
19. Chronic Illness Patient Network: A support network for patients suffering from chronic illnesses. Resources, informal support, this group even offers a phone line when human interaction is needed.
20. Diabetes Mine: Straight talk and answers for people with diabetes from healthcare professionals.

Social Networks For Nursing Students

Nurses are truly the unsung heroes of the healthcare profession. While much is made over doctors and their training, the extreme difficulty of nursing school is often forgotten. For the brave and selfless few willing to enter nursing school, here are the best social sites offering support, advice and help to nursing students.

21. CampusRN: A social network where nursing students can meet and interact with fellow students or employers.
22. Nursing Network: This general support network for helps nursing students with school and other issues.
23. Healthcare 2.0: A social stie for students interested in nursing to discuss their interests and trade advice.
24. Toxic Nurse: Student nurses meet on this social network to share information and stories about their daily lives.
25. Nursing Students: Medical news and information for nursing students by nursing students.
26. PRNster: A community of Filipino nursing students.
27. The Nursing Site Network: A social network supporting nursing student and encouraging anyone interested in entering the profession.
28. Student Nurses Station: This social network understands the importance of its mission. Qualified nurses are in short supply making recruitment increasingly important.
29. Student Nurse Network: Nursing school is difficult so support, even from strangers is nice. The SNN offers support from nursing school peers and advice for surviving school.
30. Dentistry: A social network specifically for individuals in the dental industry including nurses and students.

Social Sites to Help Land Your Next Job

Healthcare is an industry in constant growth. Nurses and qualified candidates are in constant demand. These social network sites are designed to help applicants find jobs in the healthcare industry.

31. Medical Mingle: A free professional social network for people working in or servicing the health care and medical field.
32. Nurse Jobs: This social site offers nurses and others in the healthcare industry easy access to advice, tips and job information.
33. Staff Nurse: Target the nursing job that’s right for you. Manage due dates, update your application and talk to other nurses.
34. HealthCareerWeb: A medical community geared finding your next great job. Find work with the government or in the private sector.
35. JAMACareerNet: From the American Medical Association comes a great social site allowing nurses with experience in medical specialties to find new employment in those specialties. Packed with useful tools, this site will post your resume or check a potential employer’s credentials.
36. FindRN: Find a great job in nursing. Employers are always posting news jobs to this network. Talk to potential employers and fellow nurses looking for work.
37. MedHunters.com:From administration to biomedical research to dentistry, this great network can help any nurse get a great job in any field in healthcare.
38. Medzilla: With a database offering thousands of jobs in the healthcare industry, this site is a must for out of work nurses. Don’t look for jobs only in healthcare but search related industries.
39. MedicalWorkers.com: Search for jobs based on position or location. This site has the largest online database of medical jobs.
40. Hospital Jobs Locator: If you’re a nurse that enjoys the fast paced and hectic life inside a hospital this is where to find your next job. Keep your search limited to the US or go international.

Social Networks for Advocacy and Charity

Nursing is a profession based on service to others. As a result, many that end up in the profession tend to be caring and empathetic. After the grinding hours and overtime, a few are even willing to offer their skills and services to charity. These are the best social sites for nursing advocates and charities.

41. WegoNetwork: A social network for health advocates representing topics like cancer, AIDS and healthcare quality.
42. Action Cancer Network: The Action Cancer Network is a network offered by the American Cancer Society. Volunteer, keep up with health news or find support groups.
43. MD Junction: A network for patients to connect with patients and professional to discuss treatment, drugs and everyday experiences.
44. MedHelp: MedHelp is a large health community linking patients with health professionals.
45. Center for Nursing Advocacy: An organization aimed at recruitment and greater public understanding of the nursing profession.
46. California Nurses Association: Cal Nurses is an active advocacy organization constantly making headlines in its fight for quality healthcare. Join their networking effort and support the fight!
47. Daily Strength: A social network for professionals to meet patients to discuss their ailments. Also helps find local support groups.
48. Healia: This social site has a web of communities organized by specific health topic.
49. Health Boards: Health message boards to help users cope with diseases, drugs and diagnoses.
50. HopeCube: A social network espousing the powerfully simple principle, "You are not alone." Patients can get support and seek help from medical professionals.

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By Jill Gordon

In the midst of the deepest recession in generations, hoards of students are flocking to degree paths with secure, high paying futures. Recent figures have shown enrollment in engineering and math programs are up at universities across the U.S. As healthcare costs boom and the number of Americans on prescription drugs increases, pharmacy’s future looks bright. Here are the 100 best blogs for pharmacy students.

Blogs From Pharmacy Students For Pharmacy Students

Perhaps the best advice comes from your peers. They’re going through the same things as you but with a different perspective. Check out these blogs by pharmacy students on their lives and what it’s like to study more than they sleep.

1. Secundum Artem: A blog from a pharmacy student about the nature of the science as well as philosophy and art.
2. Pharm Barbie: Musings on a very pink background, this blogger is also a college student that also works in a chain pharmacy. Unique insight from a typical pharmacy student.
3. Monash University Presents: Ask A Student: The pharmacy department of Australian Monash University offers this blog to students interested in becoming pharmacy students. Especially great for those looking to study abroad.
4. OSU Financial Aid Blog: Managed by The Ohio State University, this helpful blog discusses the nuances of obtaining financial aid for pharmacy majors.
5. A Day At the Pharmacy: A quirky blog from a small town pharmacy in the rural United Kingdom. Focused toward students and issues relating to education.
6. Retail Pharmacy, Life and General Lunacy: Meet Mike. Mike is a pharmacist and grad student blogging about issues in healthcare, pharmacy and education.
7. UCSF Student Stories: Blogs from students at the University of California at San Francisco about being a pharmacy student.
8. The Angry Intern: Internships are increasing becoming an integral part of the student experience. This blog details the trials and tribulations of being an intern in a hospital.
9. PharmApplicants: A blog for pre-pharmacy students. Interesting insight for those looking to become pharmacy majors.
10. I’m (Going To Be) a Pharmacist, Not a Psyhic: Whenever you learn something useful friends, family and pushy strangers will try and milk your valuable skill for free. This blog details the frustrations of a pharmacy student and the constant questioning they endure from patients and friends.
11. I Want To Be A Pharmacist…: Rather than describing the frustrations of the craft, this blogger writes about his passion for being a pharmacist.
12. UB School of Pharmacy: A series of blogs from pharmacy students at the University of Buffalo. Great for those with questions about pharmacy school admissions.
13. The Pharmacy Kid: A pharmacy junior, the Kid is active and offers lots of advice. He often discusses the minimal role new social media plays in pharmacy.
14. IPSA Student Association Blog: The official blog of the Island College of Technology Pharmacy Student Association. Snapshots of the lives of pharmacy students.
15. NCPA Student Affairs: The National Community Pharmacists Association blog has great information about industry news and scholarships.
16. Drake University Student Life Blogs: Yet another series of blogs detailing the lives of students at a university pharmacy program. In a surprising twist, however, the pharmacy students at Drake University are surprisingly funny.

See What the Future Holds

Learning to be a pharmacist in college tells aspiring students little about the daily grind of actual pharmacists. A number of pharmacists are angry and disgruntled but a few are extremely passionate about the work they do. Here are the best blogs by current pharmacists about their job.

17. The Angry Pharmacist: Highly opinionated posts about the everyday life of a pharmacist. Though well-reasoned, The Angry Pharmacist occasionally earns his namesake with pointless venting.
18. The Pharmacy Blog: From the Missouri Pharmacy Association, a series of blogs from pharmacists about the industry in the "Show Me” state.
19. And You Wonder Why Your Pharmacist Never Smiles: The mind of a "pissed-off” pharmacist poured onto the Web. This blogger has been active for a couple of years now giving a wonderfully quirky view of a range of topics like cold season and swine flu.
20. USPharmD: This resource for pharmacy schools offers a great list of blogs offering advice and a view behind the counter of your local pharmacy.
21. Jim Plagakis. Pharmacist.: An active blogger focusing on modern pharmacy, pharmacy technicians and the trouble with insurance.
22. Your Pharmacist May Hate You: There seems to be a lot of anger among blogger pharmacists. Posts are well focused, thought provoking and angry, much better than other ranting and raving blogs.
23. Ole’ Apothecary: For philosophical musings on the nature of pharmacy, check out this well written blog by this Texas-based pharmacist.
24. Pharmacy Chick: The “chick” has more than 22 years in pharmacy and says she remembers “rolls of tape and when everybody paid in cash.” Lots of experience means lots of insights.
25. Thoughts from the Pharmacy God: An experienced pharmacist who discusses current issues from Obama’s healthcare plan to pharmacist’s right to a concealed handgun. Odd but a surprisingly fascinating.
26. Fast Food Pharmacy: A group of pharmacists contributes to create this blog chronicling the quirks and hilarity at your local pharmacy.
27. The Blonde Pharmacist: Like many math and science based industries, pharmacy is a field dominated by men. Get a woman’s perspective at this clever blog written by this experienced, blond.
28. White Coat Rants: Tales from the research side of the pharmaceutical game.
29. Pharmer Jane: Not every pharmacist works at a fluorescent lit, retail outlet. A few, like Pharmer Jane, work at locally owned, independent pharmacies.
30. Best Pharmacy Tips: With so many angry and ticked off pharmacists, it’s nice there’s a blogger out there willing to remind the industry how to better serve patients.
31. The Diabetes Pharmacist: This blogger offers specific advice for dealing with common questions about diabetes, an increasingly common condition as obesity rates increase.
32. HowToStudy.org: A lot of students don’t test very well. This compassionate blog recognizes the shortcomings of the testing process and offers solutions.

Keeping Up with Industry News

Education is a continuing process especially with a highly skilled and specialized industry like pharmacy. Changes in technology and science are voluminous and difficult to keep up with. These blogs will help you keep up with distracting you from your school work.

33. pharmLand: An aggregator of pharmacy blogs to ease the fuss of sorting through the muck on your own.
34. Pharmacy World: A blog about corporate pharmacy culture written by a tech. Interesting view of the ivory town… from the ground floor.
35. AccessDezine: Clinical information can be hard to come by sometimes. Check out this blog seeking to increase access to peer-reviewed articles.
36. Pharmacy Blog.info: A constant stream of updates about news in the pharmaceutical industry.
37. A Senior Care Pharmacist’s Blog: A pharmacist consultant who specializes in geriatric care explains the dangers of medication including recently released drugs.
38. Pharmacist: Posts covering topics effecting the cost of modern healthcare.
39. BlogPharm: A blog where pharmacists and tech can post their stories and gossip about news in the pharmacy world.
40. PhaMagic: New, tips and articles about drugs, health and pharmacy.
41. Skip’s Pharmacist: For news and blogs effecting independent and locally-owned pharmacists, Skip’s blog has a wholesome and earthy feel to it.
42. FDA News: The Food and Drug Administration is the regulatory body overseeing the pharmaceutical industry. Keeping up with news and updates from the FDA is a must for any pharmacist or would-be pharmacists.
43. Internet Drug News: This blog is maintain by a research scientist and releases the most current information about studies and drug trials.
44. BNET Pharma: News and information from a pharma industry insider.
45. Pharma Live: A blog following information affecting the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.
46. Fierce Pharma: Interesting info on the business side of Big Pharma.
47. Pharma’s Cuting Edge: News on the latest updates in drug research.

Drug Companies

Face it, as a pharmacist dealing with drug companies will be a significant part of your life. Here are a few blogs detailing the relationship between pharmacists and the mega-corporations they face on a daily basis.

48. Drug Rep Toys: Ever notice how doctors and pharmacists always have pens with the names of drugs on them. Beyond drug company-sponsored pen, paper and tissues, there are a host of interesting toys and gadgets offered to pitch a range of products.
49. Pharma Gossip: News, tidbits and gossip unfiltered from the spin of the big pharmaceutical’s public relations department.
50. PharmCountry: A blog detailing the highs and lows of working for a big drug company.
51. How Much Do You Know About Drugs?: This blog is written by a man in a really clean white coat about the latest in drug research and biotechnology.
52. GlaxoSmithKlineNews : A watchdog blog following the pharmaceutical giant. See behind the curtain and PR department.
53. Pharmacist’s Place: A blog written with an insider’s eye.
54. Business Week Pharmaceutical Industry Insider: A great resource for following the inside dirt and latest information from the pharmaceutical giants.
55. Consumer Reports Prescription Drug Blog: Follow new on drug recalls, new FDA approvals and pretty much anything from the world of Big Pharma.
56. PharmaMarketingBlog: Not all jobs at drug companies directly involve pharmacists. This blog details the effort required to market big pharma.
57. NPCi Blog: A blog from the National Prescription Centre, a service of the UK government, discussing new treatments and prescription pain medication.

Blogs About Getting Jobs In The Pharmaceutical Game

As a result of the economic crisis and recession, a number of job in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries have been shuffled around. The jobs are out there but finding them may be a little harder than during the boom years. Here are the best blogs on getting a job in pharmacy.

58. PharmaCareers: Tips, advice and articles on getting a job in pharmacy. Especially lucrative when many other fields have retracted due to the recession.
59. Pharmacy Recruiter: Learn how to get a better job in the pharmaceutical industry. Posts about recruiters and available opportunities.
60. Science Careers Blog: From the prestigious academic journal, Science, this blog discusses the general job market from a variety of science-based industries.
61. The Pharmacy Job Blogs: Here is a blog specifically focused on getting a job as a pharmacist.
62. Pharmacist Daily: A blog for the frustrations of unemployed pharmacists.
63. Pharmacy News Blog: This is a great resource for English students interested in becoming pharmacists. Posts about getting a pharmacy job in the UK.
64. Career Blog For PhD Research Students: A blog from students at the University of Salford on getting work as a researcher.
65. Jackie Brown Medical Blog: A blog for the whole health care profession, though its advise and posts for pharmacists are top quality.
66. Pharmacy Blogg: Information on jobs from across the pharmaceutical industry from scientist to marketing.
67. Put Pharmacy First: Fast reliable information on pharmacy employment including layoff rumors.
68. Techs For Rx: The best blog for employment information for pharm techs, which is often ignored by other sites.
69. Pharmacy Technician Blog: Another blog discussing employment and educational opportunities for techs.

Blogs About Current Issues in Pharmacy

From universal access to ethical standards, pharmacists are forced to contemplate a number of issues affecting their field. These blogs discuss issues as they relate to pharmacy professionals.

70. The Policy Center: Run by the Center For Health Care Policy, this blog discusses issues effecting pharmaceutical costs.
71. Health Care For All: A blog discussing the effort to make healthcare and prescription drug costs available to everyone.
72. Alison Bass: The way drugs are tested is often criticized. This blog details and echoes much of the debate.
73. Online Canadian Pharmacy: With the cost of medication skyrocketing, a lot of patients are asking about alternatives in other countries. This blog is dedicated to answering questions about the Canadian health system.
74. Eye On FDA: This blog keeps a watchful over the FDA which has been notoriously susceptible to influence from powerful pharmaceutical lobbyists.
75. Drug-Injury: Unbelievably frightening side effects result from prescription drugs all the time. This blog chronicles the dangers of prescription drugs on an often unsuspecting public.
76. Healthy Skepticism: Prescription drugs are a multi-billion dollar business giving drug corporations massive resources for public relations. This blog seeks to look beyond what the companies say to find the real story.
77. No Prescription Needed: A blog about the numerous drug scams perpetrated on patients in the name of better health.
78. Health Care Renewal: Despite scientific advances new drugs are still discovered through trial and error. This blog follows developed in medical trials especially as the effect trial subjects.
79. Medical Consumerism: Run by the University of Minnesota, this blog discuss the intersection of prescription medication and business.
80. Pharmacy Technician Schools Online: This clever blog includes post with prescription drugs based themes such as “18 Celebrities Who’ve Died from Drug Overdoses.”

Scholarship Blogs For Pharmacy and Science Students

Pharmacists make good money. A decent salary later should never equal debt now. Student loans follow people around for life, even bankruptcy doesn’t make them go away. Here are the best blogs for finding pharmacy and science-based scholarships

81. Science and Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships Blog: A blog from the American Society of Engineering Education discussing scholarships, fellowships and grants for science students.
82. Curious Cat Science: This science and engineering blog is active on education policy and particularly vocal on financial help for students.
83. Scholarship Street: Advice on scholarships with the aim of making the process less painful and more successful.
84. Science Scholarship: A blog solely focusing on scholarships for science students.
85. Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships: This is an extremely useful blog commenting on science fellowships for grad students.
86. University of Michigan Library Resource Blog: Blogs news and resources available from the Pharmacy Library at the University of Michigan.
87. Admissions Blog: A blog that mainly focuses on getting admitted to school, it also provides info on getting scholarships.
88. Google Student Blog: News and updates especially as they relate to students. Great tool for the latest info.
89. Scholarships:A general resource guide for finding scholarships.
90. College Scholarships Blog: Tips on writing essay and acing the interview process. Great for entering freshman new to the scholarship process.

Blogs Containing Valuable Study Tips for Pharmacy and Science Students

Learning complicated chemistry and math can be a pain in the… Fortunately, a number of blogs are here to offer invaluable study tips to ease the mind numbing, long hours of study.

91. Study Hacks: This blog is great for figuring the quick short cuts and cutting study time in half.
92. Find OUt First: A blog from Ohio University designed to better its students study skills. Still great for all students regardless of school or major.
93. Study Skills Blog : New, articles and posts on how to best study for any subject from foreign languages to organic chemistry.
94. How To Study: Learning new concepts can be difficult, even for the extremely intelligent. This blog is dedicated to helping students learn ways to study that’s best suited toward their strengths.
95. Study Skills for College Students : Offers helpful articles on study skills for college students.
96. Britannica Blog: From the encyclopedia makers, this blog has unique study tips from information experts.
97. How To Study Bootcamp: Need to be a better student fast? This blog is dedicated to extreme shortcuts to better grades.
98. The Good Habits Blog: Dedicated to developing habits to make students more successful, the Good Habits blog is a great place for articles to get your life in order.
99. Web Applications for Students: A blog about web resources aimed at making students’ lives easier.
100. Student Council Blogsite: A Swiss univeristy offers this detailed guide to bettering your study habits.

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By Emily Thomas

Nursing schools and medical libraries are all about information and learning. With the incredible amount of research and information available, you can surely use help from some useful websites. Read on, and you’ll learn about 100 websites that are great for medical librarians.

Associations & Organizations

Become a part of these groups and make use of their helpful resources.

1. Medical Library Association: The MLA is a nonprofit educational organization for health sciences information professionals.
2. National Institutes of Health: Stay up to date on diseases and conditions from the National Institutes of Health.
3. National Library of Medicine: This website represents the world’s largest medical library.
4. American Medical Informatics Association: The AMIA is the professional home for biomedical and health informatics.
5. National Network of Libraries of Medicine: In this network, you’ll get access to resources for medical libraries.
6. Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries: The AAHSL supports better health through better information.
7. Canadian Health Libraries Association: This association supports health libraries throughout Canada.
8. American Library Association: The ALA is one of the largest associations for all librarians.
9. Association of Research Libraries: This organization of research libraries represents a large portion of the academic and research library marketplace.
10. Library & Information Technology Association: Stay up to date on information technology in libraries through this association.

Journals & Blogs

Read these journals and blogs for ongoing insight into medical librarianship.

11. Digital Librarian: Find a librarian’s best of the web on Digital Librarian.
12. Journal of the Medical Library Association: The JMLA is a quarterly published peer review journal that shares research and more in health sciences librarianship.
13. MedlinePlus Magazine: Read this magazine to get information from the National Institutes of Health.
14. Health News: Follow this blog on health news from the UofS Health Sciences Library.
15. Laika’s MedLibLog: Read this medical librarian’s exploration of the Web 2.0 world and beyond.
16. OA Librarian: Here you’ll find open access resources by and for librarians.
17. Cushing/Whitney Medical Library Blog: This blog shares information about the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library.
18. LISNews: Find library and information science news on this blog.
19. DigiCMB: On this blog, you’ll learn about taking advantage of the digital age in medical libraries.
20. The Marginal: The Marginal is an e-zine published by the McGill Library & Information Studies Student Association.
21. Open Medicine Blog: The Open Medicine Blog is a peer reviewed, independent open access journal.
22. Medical Library: Anne Collins and Isla Kuhn serve the Cambridge University Medical Library.
23. davidrothman.net: David Rothman shares medical librarianship and web geekery in this blog.
24. Krafty Librarian: On this blog, the Krafty Librarian shares things of interest to medical librarians.
25. The Kept-Up Academic Librarian: Read this blog to keep up with news and developments in higher education.
26. The Laupus Blog: This blog is written for people with an interest in health sciences information and trends.
27. Librarians’ Rx: This blog features items of interest to librarians in Canadian health science libraries.
28. The Handheld Librarian: Learn about handheld computer technology from The Handheld Librarian.
29. Health Library Online: This journal features technology, research, and development of online health libraries.
30. The Search Principle Blog: Dean Giustini discusses health libraries and web media.
31. Anna Martin’s Medical Library Spiel: Anna Martin shares information skills and literacy on this blog.
32. SHR Medical Library: This is the blog of the Saskatoon Health Region Libraries.
33. Computers in Libraries: Learn about information technology through this journal.
34. Health Information and Libraries Journal: Blackwell Science publishes this international peer reviewed journal.
35. Library Journal: Library Journal shares breaking news, editorials, and more.

Communities

Become a part of these communities to connect with other medical librarians.

36. MEDIBIB-L: This medical librarian listserv is for medical professionals in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
37. MEDLIB-L Archives: Connect with other medical librarians and professionals through this popular listserv community.
38. Web4Lib: Subscribe to this list to learn about the Internet and librarians.
39. IFLA-L: In the International Federation of Library Associations mailing list, you’ll be a part of the international library community.
40. Canadian MedLib: This discussion forum is for medical librarians and students.
41. Web4Lib Electronic Discussion: This discussion group is full of library based web managers.

Career

Improve your career with the help of these websites.

42. Library and Information Science Jobs: Subscribe to the Library and Information Science Jobs mailing list to learn about the latest jobs available in the field.
43. Special Libraries Association Career Services: Through SLA Career Services, you can get connected with the jobs you’re looking for.
44. LIScareer: Check out LIScareer to find a career development center for library and information science professionals.
45. Library Associates Companies: Find out about government jobs and more through Library Associates.
46. InfoCurrent: Check out positions at libraries listed with InfoCurrent.
47. LISjobs: Visit LISjobs to find job ads and more for librarians.
48. Librarians: Look into the details of the librarian profession from this listing in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
49. SLA Career Services Online: On SLA, you’ll learn about special library positions across the US.
50. Indeed: Indeed features a variety of quality medical librarian jobs in its listings.
51. Salary.com: Find career advancement tools and resources from Salary.com.
52. John Keister & Associates: This executive search firm specializes in public, academic, research and special libraries.
53. MLANet: Learn about medical library jobs within and beyond the MLA.

Research

These websites offer excellent resources for medical library research.

54. BioMed Central: BioMed Central offers original research articles with open access.
55. DailyMed: Find high quality information about marketed drugs through DailyMed.
56. Alphabetical List of Specific Diseases/Disorders: Research diseases and disorders through this resource.
57. Medical Library Search Engine: Use this custom search engine to search the web pages of medical libraries.
58. NHS Evidence: Find evidence through NHS here.
59. AllRefer Health: AllRefer Health offers health articles and reference materials.
60. Guidelines for Providing Medical Information to Consumers: Check out these guidelines to learn how to answer health and medical questions.
61. Current Bibliographies in Medicine: Check out these bibliographies to find resources in subject areas of biomedicine.
62. HealthWeb: Find areas of excellence from this joint project of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation member health sciences libraries.
63. ClinicalTrials.gov: Visit this registry to learn about clinical trials being conducted in the United States and around the world.
64. Mayo Clinic Health Oasis: Find health information from doctors, nurses, health educators and scientists at the Mayo Clinic here.
65. PubMed: Through PubMed, you’ll get access to links, databases, citations, and more, as well as links to fee-based, full-text articles.
66. CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers an online source for credible health information.
67. HealthWeb: HealthWeb is a collaborative project of health sciences libraries.
68. Consumer Health and Patient Education Information Search Engine: Use this search engine to find information through trusted and authorative health information and patient education resources.
69. MedScape: Find subjects to research, news, reviews, and more from MedScape.
70. Hardin MD: Find free full text online electronic medical journals here.
71. Public Library of Science: This nonprofit organization publishes freely available open access journals in life science and medicine.
72. INASP: The INASP works to make scientific publications more available.
73. History of Medicine Search Engine: Here you can search URLs recommended by the History of the Health Sciences Section of the Medical Library Association.
74. MedlinePlus: MedlinePlus shares trusted health information, news, and lots more.

Resources

These websites provide valuable resources for medical librarians.

75. Health Sciences Internet Librarianship Resource Page: This resource list offers basic Internet resources for health sciences librarians.
76. Best of the Web in Health and Medicine: Check out this list from the New York Public Library to learn about reputable health and medicine web sites.
77. Medical Librarianship Weblogs: Find a list of medical librarianship blogs in this wiki.
78. lib-web-cats: Use this directory to find libraries throughout the world by type, location, and more.
79. Library Conference Planner: With this planner, you’ll be able to stay on top of all the conferences for librarians.
80. NLM Gateway: Use this gateway to search multiple resources in the National Library of Medicine.
81. Educators’ Reference Desk: Find resource guides and more through the Educators’ Reference Desk.
82. Basic Library Management: Get the basics for new health and hospital librarians from this website.
83. Libdex: Check out the Libdex to learn about library blogs online.
84. Recommended Books for a Consumer Health Reference Collection: In this bibliography of titles, you’ll find recommended books for a medical reference collection.
85. IPL: Health and Medical Sciences: Use this resource to find the best websites and reference tools for health and medical sciences.
86. Resource Center Manual: In this manual, you’ll learn how to set up and manage a health resource center.
87. Blogs for Medical Information: Here you’ll find a wealth of medical information blogs.
88. LibGuides: Use LibGuides to create, share, and connect with patrons and other librarians.
89. Librarians’ Internet Index: The Librarians’ Internet Index is full of websites you can trust.
90. List of Medical Wikis: Use this resource to find wikis for health information.
91. Libraries for All: Use this resource guide to get information and instructions for managing successful medical library.
92. Health Information Resources: Get access to hundreds of journals, ebooks, resources, and more here.
93. Library Issues: In Library Issues, you’ll learn about key issues in academic librarianship.
94. Services for Librarians: Check out this web site for information designed for medical librarians.
95. Internet Skills for Health Information Users: Get training sources for medical librarians here.
96. MedLib: In this directory, you’ll find more than 750 medical library websites.
97. How Do You Set Up and Run a Consumer Health Library?: Learn the basics of running a consumer health library here.
98. Web Sites You Can Trust: Check out this list for 100 health websites that can be trusted.
99. Medical/Health Sciences Libraries on the Web: Find out about medical and health science libraries online through this resource.
100. Information for Development: Here you’ll find a directory of useful links for developing libraries.

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By Jill Gordon

The great American writer and humorist Mark Twain once famously said, "Beware of health books. You may die of a misprint." Following such advice makes sense as the Internet makes health information available from experts and amateurs alike. Some websites offer advice based on aggregating information from across the web while others focus on quality information from experts and reliable sources. Here are the 50 best search engines for your symptoms.

Symptom Engines Offered From The Healthcare Professionals

A number of reputable doctors have begun to offer versions of their services online. Here are some of the best symptom search engines provided by doctors and others in the healthcare industry.

1. MD Guidelines: A resource for medical professionals, this site was started by a doctor with the aim goal of bringing uniformity to disability diagnosis. Search common symptoms and diagnoses connected to work-related injuries.
2. OrganizedWisdom: The credited as the first human-powered, doctor-guided health search engine, users are kept up to date with the latest news in health in real time.
3. Medinfo: Another English resource, Medinfo is maintained by general practitioner aiming to provide expert advice to a citizenry dealing with backed up and complicated healthcare system. This is one of the few sites actually disclaiming its information is no substitute for an actual doctor’s advice.
4. My Electronic MD: An online diagnosis tool that attempts to approach the process from a patient’s perspective and with a doctor’s knowledge.
5. Diseases Database: From the common cold to flesh eating bacteria, this great resource gives information on diseases for the sick and curious alike.
6. RxList: A great resource if you think you’re having an adverse reaction to prescription medication. Look up the drug(s) you’ve taken and discover any side effects.
7. Healthline Symptom Search: An innovative search engine that includes a million definitions and over 250,000 medical concepts pours through medical articles and the Internet to help find a diagnosis.
8. Medicine Net: A little cumbersome to use since the site only allows searches of medical symptoms. However, the site is still a great resource for what ails you.
9. Merck A.D.A.M. Symptom Navigator: From the German pharmaceutical giant, this diagnosis tool works for anybody of any age.
10. Free MD: Dr. Stephen Schueler acts as your virtual doctor to help narrow down reason for your symptoms. Clear video and clean interface make this site worth visiting even without being sick.

Symptom Engines Offered By Non-Profit Organizations

Perhaps the greatest debate in healthcare today is whether access to quality is a basic human right. Following in that philosophical vein of thought, here are the best online diagnosis resources offered by non-profits and governmental agencies.

11. NOAH: A service available from the state of New York, link symptoms to diseases and conditions. While the interface isn’t particularly easy to navigate all information is available in Spanish.
12. Netwellness: A collection of universities in Ohio, such as The Ohio State University, have teamed up to provide valuable, expert health information free of cost.
13. Home Healthcare Guide: From the National Health Service, England’s national healthcare provider, this site gives information on everything from drugs to surgical operations. Also offers information by age and gender.
14. Get.MD: A customizable medical search engine for both doctors and patients. This resource has extremely reliable information all of which is checked by licensed physicians.
15. Healthcentral: A symptom checker for men, women and even children, this site is supplemented with helpful graphics and high quality research articles.
16. Online Medical Diagnosis: A team of doctors teamed up to provide this online resource for symptom research. Your input could return one or more of any 1200 diseases.
17. Mayo Clinic Symptom Index: A symptom diagnosis tool from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Find your symptom and relate it to any number of causes or conditions. All information is examined and approved by Mayo docs.
18. Family Doctor: One of the few symptom engines provided by a non-profit organization, Family Doctor is provided for free by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
19. AARP Symptom Checker: A great resource for older users, this resource is provided for free from the American Association of Retired Persons, America’s largest interest organization.
20. Livestrong: A symptom checker provided by the Livestrong Foundation, the cancer charity founded by world-famous cyclist Lance Armstrong. It also includes self-treatment techniques and when to call a doctor.

Symptom Engines From Sites Dedicated to Health

Health is one of the most searched words on the Internet. Some of the larger sites attracted more than 17 million unique visitors a month. The better health portals harness the full power of the Internet to offer an invaluable service. From blogs to video to social networking, each site offers something different but these sites all have great symptoms search engines.

21. WebMD: One of the most popular self-diagnosis tools on the Internet, WebMD practically started the online health trend.
22. eCureMe: Search diseases and ailments based on your most troublesome symptom. It includes a helpful symptoms list in case users aren’t quite sure how to characterize their problems.
23. iSeekHealth: Find out what your symptoms mean and look for remedies and cures. It also includes information and consequences of prescription and natural remedies.
24. Healia: Not only discover what your symptoms mean but find support groups and communities to help deal with the diagnosis.
25. InteliHealth: A resource provided by mega-health insurer Aetna, this great site is partnered with Harvard Medical School to provide top-notch information.
26. CureResearch Symptom Center: Health information accumulated from across the web supplemented with helpful articles and video.
27. Afraid to Ask: Finally an engine to help find the answers to those obscure questions you’ve been asking since you were thirteen. It’s a resource specializing in embarrassing health issues from sexually transmitted infections to masturbation.
28. WrongDiagnosis Symptom Center: A lot of online diagnosis tools out there are great for one or two symptoms but fail when dealing with multiple symptoms. When dealing with several, seemingly unconnected, ailments this site can help find the cause or causes.
29. eMedTV Health Information: Not only does this site have over 100 health specific video channels on topics ranging from AIDS to anthrax but it can also help answer specific questions on a range of symptoms.
30. Medgle: One stop shopping for everything from symptoms to drugs to finding a doctor. Search 10,000 symptoms and over 2100 different diagnoses.
31. Your Diagnosis: A rather ingenious tool, this site asks a series of medical questions rather than trusting user input. The result, claim site developers, is a more reliable resource than other online diagnosis tools.
32. Diagnose Me: Utilizing a powerful program known as the Analyst, this site combines real world experience and academic research with user input.
33. Revolution Health: Some symptom sites are limited to physical illnesses but this site is different as it also considers mental health. Sometimes it’s all in your head.
34. My Optum Health: Online health management site also featuring a top notch symptom checker. This site even keeps track of previously reported symptoms to check how you’re doing.
35. Quality Health: A graphic symptom checker perfect for checking symptoms without necessarily being sure of the problem.

Symptom Engines From Popular Web Sites

Piggy-backing on the popularity of sites such as WebMD, a number of name brand search engines have gotten in the act of diagnosing illnesses. While some are standard symptom engines, others are in depth and backed by the most reputable experts imaginable.

36. Ask: A simple, easy-to-use symptom search engine from the developers of the popular Ask.com.
37. AOL Health: America Online offers their clever symptom checker. This tool asks questions to narrow down possible causes.
38. About.com Symptom Checker: With information provided by the Harvard Medical School, About.com’s symptom tool offers reliable, easy access medical information.
39. MSN Health: Offers a few of health services but is mainly limited to symptom checking.
40. Prevention.com: A great tool for one stop diagnosis. Search physical or mental diagnosis.

Specific Symptom Search Engines

To be honest, online diagnosis and symptom search engines can be risky. There’s a reason doctors undergo nearly a decade of education perfecting their skills. The idea a computer program is an adequate replacement for a real life doctor is absurd. Maybe someday, but not anytime soon. Realizing the complexity of diagnosis, a few symptom engines have gotten extremely specific. Here are the best.

41. Babycenter: An online resource great for new parents making too many calls to the pediatrician, this site is just for children up to five years old.
42. Foot.com: Injuries and pains to the feet are common and often difficult for even licensed doctors to diagnose.
43. Tamiflu Symptom Checker: A symptom checker solely aimed at deciding whether you have the flu or something else.
44. Health Central Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms and Diagnosis: A painful affliction of the joints, rheumatoid arthritis can drastically change people’s lifestyles and habits. Find out if your normal joint pain is something you should check with your doctor.
45. About’s Pediatric Diagnosis Tool: Helps figure out what is causing your child’s symptoms.

For Your Pets

Pets are people too… According to some enthusiastic owners. People are crazy for their pets. Some of the biggest animal charities, such as PETA and the SPCA, pull in donations comparable to billion dollar operations like the American Heart Association or the National Cancer Institute. It’s not surprising people care about the health of their pets. These are the best diagnosis tools for your cat, dog or gila monster.

46. Pets MD: A high powered search engine just for your pet, this site offers information primarily geared toward dogs and cats but the symptom checker certainly works for birds, ferrets, etc.
47. Pet Education: Video and shopping available from Doctor Foster and Smith, a pet products company. Their powerful search engine yields results for all kinds of animals, even a few exotic ones.
48. Help My Hound: Not all medical problems are of the human variety. Finally, an online resource for man’s best friend. Simply search based on what you observe.
49. Help My Cat: From the makers of Help My Hound, a symptom engine for cat lovers.
50. Web DVM: An online resource and community for dog and cat lovers. Maintained by a licensed veterinarian in Florida, this site provides easy access to free information on your tiniest loved one.

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As you’ll learn in your work, nursing is an experience that’s a mix of happiness and sadness. However, it’s important to reflect on the happiness that the profession brings. Whether they are hopeful or humorous, these 50 blogs offer a positive spin on nursing.

General

These blogs offer a happy perspective on nursing in general.

1. Nurse Ratched’s Place: This nurse puts madness to good use.
2. Reality Rounds: Reality Rounds brings a dose of reality to medical life and stories in the news.
3. The Intensive Art: On this blog, you’ll find the diary of an ICU nurse.
4. PixelRN: PixelRN is a part time nurse and stay at home nurse.
5. The Nursing Site Blog: This blog is for nurses and aspiring nurses, offering useful information and resources.
6. What school doesn’t teach about being a nurse practitioner: Get the real lowdown on life as a nurse practitioner from this blog.
7. Nurse Healers: See the secrets of the nurse healers in this blog.
8. NighttimeNursing: On this blog, you’ll find a mix of happy and sad stories, with a side of a dark sense of humor.
9. Nurse William: Nurse William is committed to excellence in nursing through evidence based practice.
10. Canuck Nurse: Read about the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of a nice guy nurse in Toronto.
11. The Makings of a Nurse: Find out about the roots of this nurse by reading this blog.
12. Brain Scramble, RN: This blog highlights the trials and tribulations of a first year nurse.
13. Nursing Novellas: Nursing Novellas offers a look into the human side of healthcare.
14. I love travel nursing: These nurses love their jobs, and share stories and resources for travel nursing.
15. Young and Restless Nurse: This nurse is full of innovation, but is hopeful for direction.
16. ER RN: This nurse is having lots of fun and sharing crazy stories in nursing.

Inspiration

Get inspired by the nursing stories in these blogs.

17. The Nursing Inspiration Project: Find inspirational stories from nurses on this blog.
18. DisappearingJohn: This Post-Gastric Bypass Surgery patient is working as a full time RN.
19. happynurses: Find inspiration and information on this happy nurse blog.

Specialties

These blogs are written with certain nursing specialties in mind.

20. At Your Cervix: Read the stories of new life in this blog written by a labor and delivery nurse.
21. Highway Hypodermics: Find out why travel nursing is such a happy experience by reading this blog.
22. Emergiblog: This blog offers a look into the life and times of an ER nurse.
23. Angel in the Sickroom: Edgar Vincent Bautista shares his thoughts, experiences, and more from life as a student nurse.
24. Life of a Male Student Nurse: Read about this male student’s experiences in nursing school.
25. Have RN Will Travel: Learn about travel nursing experiences in this blog.
26. Not Another Nursing Student Blog: Read about the work of a nurse at a secure psychiatric unit on this blog.
27. crzegrl, flight nurse: This flight nurse is also a paramedic, skydiver, and Army Reserve Commander.
28. Nurse Anesthetist: This blog is about the people side of anesthesia nursing.
29. Madness: Tales of an Emergency Room Nurse: Read this blog to hear about the adventures of a veteran inner city ER nurse.
30. 12 Hour Nurse: Read the entertaining, energizing, and enjoyable adventures of a floating nurse.
31. N is for Nurse: This blog is written by a high risk labor and delivery nurse.
32. heart matters: This ICU nurse works hard for her money.
33. RehabRN: Read about the fun and excitement of a Midwestern rehab hospital RN.
34. The Life and Times of a New RN: This new RN loves her work in a cardio-thoracic telemetry step down unit.
35. code blog: This blogger shares tales from 11 years of Intensive Care nursing.
36. From Cash Flow to Catheters: Read the story of this new endoscopy nurse in Pennsylvania.
37. ERNursey: This ER nurse works hard, while having fun and making positive impacts on lives.

Advice

Read these blogs to get a dose of positive nursing advice.

38. Nurse Audrey’s Stress Relief Blog: Nurse Audrey shares stress and motivational strategies on this blog.
39. Dear Nurses: This blog offers a friendly look at ideas and learning that can help you improve your skills as a nurse.
40. NursesPTO: Read this blog to find out how to make your time off pay off.
41. Not Nurse Ratched: Learn about medicine, productivity, and more on this blog.

Humor

Get a good laugh or sly chuckle from the stories in these nursing blogs.

42. Weird Nursing Tales: Find entertainment in these real life medical encounters.
43. This Won’t Hurt A Bit: On this blog, you’ll learn about the adventures of a slightly neurotic nurse.
44. Crass-Pollination: Read about crazies in the ER on this blog.
45. RealityRN: Find real conversations from new nurses on this blog.
46. It shouldn’t happen in health care: Max E Nurse shares humorous going on in his nursing work.
47. Medical Jokes, Cartoons, Videos: Find anatomically correct medical humor for adults on this blog.
48. The Angry Nurse: This angry blog offers happiness in the form of humor.
49. Nursefriendly Nursing Directories: This directory blog is full of humorous stories and anecdotes.
50. GiggleMed: This blog works to make medicine fun again.

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