Why are there so many happy nurses in the Northeast?

We editors at Scrubs are constantly chasing after the latest tips and expert opinions on how nurses can lead more fulfilling, balanced lives. Lately, we’ve been asking you, the nurse(!) — What’s making you feel happy today?

Nurses all over the country have been answering our question by inputting their status updates into the Code Happy map.
Consistently since the end of May 2012, out of the various regions of the country, we’ve received the most happy status reports from nurses in the Northeast.

Code Happy Map – All Regions:

(Happy status updates are denoted by the dark green happy faces)

Code Happy Map – The Northeast:

Here are a few reasons why nurses in the Northeast may be flying high these days!

• St. Mary’s Center and Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, both located near New York, are voted  among the best in the nation when it comes to nurse-to-patient ratios. (U.S. News and World Report).
• RNs in New York have the fourth highest average hourly pay in the country.
• Pennsylvania is among the top five states in terms of projected RN job growth for the next 10 years. (Monster.com)

Here’s what nurses have been raving about this week. The top status updates in the Northeast were related to positive coworker relationships:

“I love my preceptor!”
“My supervisor is awesome!”
“I love my coworkers!”

…and nurses enjoying some much deserved R&R!

“I’m coming off a looong shift!”

And the most popular status update in the Northeast this week?

“It’s my day off today!”

Of course, in our highly scientific study (*cough cough*) we acknowledge that there’s room for error. Could it be that happy nurses exist more abundantly elsewhere, but it’s only in the Northeast that nurses are using their smartphones to broadcast their happiness more than any other area? If this is the case, studies have still shown that a key component of a person’s sense of well-being is regularly expressing feelings of gratitude for those in your social network. So, pseudo-science aside, perhaps nurses in the Northeast really are the most cheerful nurses around—they certainly seem like they know what they’re doing.

Are you ready to tell us how you feel? Download the Code Happy app on your mobile phone and tell us. Sharing your happiness is a simple way to double up on the smiles!

*The Code Happy status updates reset automatically every week!