This Crazy Nurse Thing #nurses #heros

I never wanted to be a nurse.
I was a hyper theatre kid who ran around making people laugh; not much has changed.
When I was diagnosed as Type 1, I knew a BS in psychology wouldn't be getting me decent food, much less insulin. I had to do this crazy nursing thing, there wasn't a choice.
In 4 years I thrashed through the UCF program with honors, then sat myself in Susie Miller's office to beg for employment.
Another 4 years and I'm in love with this crazy nursing thing, which never stops being crazy. Never.
Lucky doesn't begin to describe me, the friends I've made, the palms I've squeezed, the lives brought in, the lives let go.
The most intense exercise in empathy, sprayed with your blood, drenched in my sweat, shook by your screams, sobered by your pain, strengthened by your calm.
This is the ultimate human experience, stripped bare. You sit alone, waiting for this hyper theatre kid in a Superman watch to step in and change you.
I've learned to never promise anything in this work, but I'll make an exception for you, patient.

It's you that will be changing me.

Shared with permission from Samuel Joseph 

Winter Safety Series: Your Home #wintersafety

Part 2 of our Winter Safety Series focus's on your Home and some vital safety tips that relate to winter weatherproofing your house, apartment, or other mansion on the hill.

Weatherproof your home: Prepare before winter hits with some of these tips

• Winterize your home.
  • Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.
  • Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.
  • Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
  • Disconnect your outdoor garden hoses from the faucets and cover the valves.If possible shut off outside water valves 
  • Wrap water pipes in your basement or crawl spaces with insulation sleeves to slow heat transfer.
  • Consider an insulated blanket for your hot water heater.
  • Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through unheated or unprotected spaces.
  
  
  
  
  
• Check your heating systems.
  • Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly, and ventilated to the outside.
  • Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys. Have a chimney sweep come out to evaluate and clean your chimney good. 
  • If you have a fireplace, keep the flue closed when you're not using it
  • Install a smoke detector. Test batteries monthly and replace them twice a year.
  • Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available. If using kerosene heaters, make absolute sure you have kerosene and not gasoline to refill them. You would be surprised how often people mistakenly use the wrong thing.
  • Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies.
    • Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check batteries when you change your clocks in the fall and spring.
    • Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

Protect your family from carbon monoxide.

• Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage.
• Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house.
• Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds, and call 911.

Please take time to do the little things around your home before a night of bitter cold arrives and catches you off guard.
Just as you did with your car/vehicle it is also wise to have an emergency box or bag prepared for your house with essentials in case of power outages or emergencies.

Some essentials to put in your Home Emergency Kit are :

• Flashlights with extra batteries (all sizes)
• Candles with a lighting source like kitchen matches or a lighter
• Glow sticks - perfect if you have kids for a night light
• A list of all emergency numbers, laminate this and keep in your kit
• Protein or Energy snacks, canned fruits or other easy to keep meals- we have MRE's or meals ready to eat(military type meals)
• Water - a good idea to keep a case of bottled water in your basement or closet for emergencies

 I hope this information helps you this winter to stay safe and warm at home. Come back tomorrow for information about winter safety and your health.

Tips for Safe Winter Driving #blizzard2016 #winterdriving

Winter Driving Safety Tips

First of all, why are you out driving in the winter ice and snow to begin with?

It's understandable if you are a healthcare worker, emergency services personnel, police, rescue, fire fighter or even a lineman with the power company, we have to travel in treacherous conditions to take care of the sick, injured and other such problems. If you do not fall into one of those categories, you need to keep your tail at home. Nothing is so important that you need to risk your life or the life of your family to travel on snow/ice covered roads that you may not be used to traveling on. I live in the south, North Carolina to be exact, and nobody here can drive worth a darn when it snows (except the Northern transplants lol), southerners freak out and buy all of the bread and milk they can. They will still drive to the ER for a toothache and a work note.....come on. Please be safe and smart, Stop first and think about your decision to drive anywhere first. Only if you absolutely have to get in a car and drive, please follow these helpful tips to make your journey safer.

Driving in the snow

If you find yourself driving in the snow, stay alert, slow down and stay in control. These are the three key elements to safe driving in the snow.

Here are a few other tips for driving in the snow:

• If you think you may be heading into snow or there is a possibility of driving in the snow, make sure you do a maintenance check on your vehicle before making the trip. Check the vehicle battery, belts and hoses, anti-freeze, oil, lights, brakes, heater and defroster and check the exhaust system for leaks which may allow carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle.
• Plan your route ahead of time and give yourself extra travel time. Make sure someone knows your travel plans.
• Wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict your movement while at the wheel. Keep warm clothing available for when you exit the vehicle.
• Always clear any snow and ice from all windows, lights, mirrors and the roof before driving. After starting the vehicle wait for the interior windows to clear of fog so you will have appropriate visibility.
• Make sure there is sufficient windshield washer fluid in the vehicle reservoir and that it is rated for freezing temperatures.
• It takes longer to stop on slippery surfaces, so add additional time to the three-second rule.
• Know the proper handling procedures for a skidding vehicle.
• Slow down in snow and icy conditions, make turns slowly, and make all starts slow and smooth.
• Remember that bridges and overpasses may freeze before the regular travel lanes of a roadway. Watch out for black ice, areas of the roadway that appear black and shiny and where your vehicle can suddenly lose traction. Slow down in these areas and keep your foot off the brakes.
• If you get stuck or stranded, don’t panic. Stay with your vehicle for safety and warmth. Wait for help to arrive. If you have a cell phone and are in an area with cell phone service, try calling for help. Try to always know your exact locations while driving.
• Keep your clothing dry. Wet clothing can lead to dangerous loss of body heat.

Winter Driving Survival Kit

It’s a good idea to keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle if you might be traveling into an area where you could encounter snow. Having essential supplies can provide some comfort and safety for you and your passengers. The following items are recommended for your winter driving survival kit:

• Ice scraper/snowbrush
• Shovel
• Sand or other type of traction aid
• Tow rope or chain
• Booster cables
• Road flares or warning lights
• Gas line antifreeze
• Flashlight and batteries
• First aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Small tool kit
• Extra clothing and foot wear
• Non-perishable energy foods, like chocolate or granola bars, juice, instant coffee, tea, soup, and bottled water
• Candles and a small tin can to hold the candle
• Water proof matches

Winter driving can be safe with planning and extra caution.

Resource: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/winter/winter2.html

Infographic credit Ford Motor company

Healing Presence Is An Art Form #ArtofNursing #nurseblogcarnival #nurses #finearts

The art of nursing - that healing presence and patient-focused practice first envisioned by Florence Nightingale.

When we think of the term " fine art" most often we envision a beautiful painting, sculpture or drawing comes to mind doesn't it? Nursing and healing is not the first thing that pops into your head when you think fine art, but the art of nursing is a fine and artful profession.

The Fine Arts
Nursing Art dates back many years to times of our predecessors. I love vintage nursing art and photography from all eras. The nursing profession has come such a long way since cotton cloth bandages and needles sharpened by the nurse, not some sterile factory many miles away. Necessity was the father of invention most days as nurses used whatever means they had to heal and care for the sick and wounded.

Timeless is the the quote from Florence Nightingale, "Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with the dead canvas or dead marble, compared to having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said the finest of Fine Arts."

The Mission Field

Nursing is an art of devotion, it requires a type of selfless hands on healing presence. No matter the era of time or style of uniform worn nursing the sick and injured has the same from the heart art of caring and skillful touch of the "nurse". Task oriented robot nursing has no place in the "art" of true caring and healing, but sadly so many young nurslings go into this field with the task at hand attitude. Financial gains can also lead a nurse into the profession for some wrong reasons. 

Most of us can agree that we did not go into nursing for the monetary gain, but something more....something deeper within our beings. Many nurses like myself felt a spiritual calling from above to care for others. I have always called my work my mission field, as God seems to lead me in the path of those patients that most need my care or experiences. 

These Hands of Mine:

These hands of mine do not appear like a work of art that anybody wants to look at, they are worn, tired, wrinkled now and dotted in age spots, scarred up and poorly manicured. If my hands could talk they might just tell you of the many years they have been a healing presence in healthcare. How they helped me put on that very first jr volunteer (candy-striper) uniform so proudly at age 15, that eventually lead me into the field of nursing (even though I wanted to be a veterinarian).

These wrinkles might tell you many happy and sad stories of over 28 years of working in the Emergency Department, of holding many hands and giving many hugs to patients, families and co-workers. The power of touch has such a healing effect, these hands have tried to make a difference in the compassionate care we give others. Just like we use our ears to listen, we use our hands to open that conversation up and say "I care about you".  These hands have held newborn babies as new life emerges, and held the dying as life faded away. There has to be an art to using your hands I believe.

The Art Of Nursing

Nursing is a timeless art of healing and devotion to care. No matter what area you work in or what level of education you may have we all practice a selfless beautiful art form. Like the painter focus's on the blank canvas, the nurse focus's on her patient and paints a picture of compassionate healing. She/He uses the tools of the nursing practice (stethoscope, bandages, scissors and such) like the artist uses a brush or sculptor uses tools to sculpt a form. 

Art of Self Care, Self Love:

Remember to also take time to focus on yourself as the healer, your ability to practice your art form is only as good as you are. The Art of self-care is just as important in our lives as caring for our patients is to our mission fields. The artist can not paint if he is not well enough to lift his paint brush to the canvas and paint the picture that is from his heart.

The same thing is true for the healthcare provider that does not feel well, the care that flows from your hands is just not the same as when you are healthy and able to give your full attention to the tasks at hand, caring for your patients. 

The Art of Nursing 2.0 May 5-8th 2015 is a great way to help you practice, heal your spirits and improve your art form, check out the event and sign up HERE! This 4 day virtual event coincides with Nurses Week this year. 

This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. More posts on this topic can be found at  ElizabethScala.com. Find out how to participate click the box below and join us!

Wear Red For Awareness #goredforwomen #hearthealth

According to the American Heart Association, one in three women dies of heart disease or stroke each year. To help fight the high rate of heart-related deaths, every February the American Heart Association directs their attention to awareness days and campaigns that teach the general public about the importance of adopting behaviors that lead to improved heart health. February 6 is National Wear Red Day and the health professionals from NurseWise – a multilingual nurse triage and health education provider – are encouraging Americans of all ages and genders to wear red in support of the American Heart Association’s quest to decrease avoidable heart issues.

"At NurseWise we believe in and continuously promote health education and empowerment," said Kim Tuck, RN, President and Chief Executive Officer at NurseWise. "In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. We encourage everyone to wear red on Friday, February 6, to increase awareness about heart health and behaviors that can easily be adopted to reduce the chance of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious heart conditions."

To help you remember, the nurses at NurseWise have created a set of health tips in honor of National Wear Red Day using the acronym “HEART.”

H – Have heart awareness. Know your status! Make, schedule and KEEP routine appointments with your medical provider to stay abreast of your specific heart-health status and to learn warning signs that might indicate the need for specialized medications, lifestyle changes or testing. Knowing your heart stats and family predispositions for diseases of the heart is the first step in achieving more informed and improved heart health.

E – Exercise regularly. Your heart is a muscle, and just like the rest of the muscles in your body, it needs regular exercise to operate at its best. Start small by adding a short, slow-paced 10- or 15-minute walk to your day at least twice a week. Ask your medial professional for exercise recommendations based on your health status.

A – Always side with safe over sorry. You know your body better than anyone. If you start noticing an irregular-heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, frequent headaches, impaired vision, tingling in your left arm or short memory lapses, see a medical professional immediately. Never hesitate to see a doctor if you notice a change in the way you feel or notice an abnormality in your breathing or heart rate. Seeing a medical provider could save your life and uncover budding health conditions before they become serious health conditions.

R – Rest is essential. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep on a regular basis is essential to your health. Despite your busy schedule and long list of things to do, if you aren’t getting proper rest, you will stifle your body’s ability to repair itself during the sleep cycle. Find a sleep routine that works to help you get to sleep at a set time every day so your body can perform its natural healing processes.

T – Take time to decompress. Stress is a leading factor that contributes to conditions like high-blood pressure and stroke. Explore exercise and breathing techniques to help you find calm even in the midst of a busy workplace and personal schedule. If stress ever becomes overwhelming or your feel like you’re going to do something to hurt yourself or someone else, please call 9-1-1 right away to speak with someone who can get you the help you need. There’s no need to ashamed of stress. Every animal and human experiences it in some form, because stress is a natural function of the body. How you treat stress is what makes the difference in your quality of mental and physical health. There are techniques, medications and homeopathic remedies that can help you find the balance you need to keep your heart and body functioning at their best.

For more information about National Wear Red Day, please visit: https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/get-involved/national-wear-red-day/

About NurseWise

NurseWise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation that is in the business of providing multilingual telehealth (nurse triage and health education) services. For more information, please visit our website at www.nursewise.com or contact us at info@nursewise.com.

A Prestigious List :Top Blogs 2014 #nurses #nursebloggers #healthcare

I am a bit late with this Prestigious list of Top Blogs, but these colleagues of mine are awesome all year round, not just in 2014, they have been stellar for many years!

Awesome Sauce!! This is a list of some of the best of the best nurse bloggers from all walks of life! I am so blessed to be included on this list in such fabulous company. Congratulations to all the incredible writers, authors and bloggers on this list, be sure to visit each one. There is a wealth of information and talent here, WTG friends!!

This list of top nursing blogs was compiled based on Facebook likes, frequency of postings, and number of followers. Many of the following blogs are top hits when conducting online searches and can also be followed on Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. This list has been divided into sections for the reader’s convenience: general nursing, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, nursing student, nursing career, and women’s health.

GENERAL NURSING

1. Confident Voices – Beth Boynton is a national speaker, professional coach, facilitator, and medical improv trainer. She writes this blog founded on respectful communication for nurses, physicians, patient advocates, and support staff to encourage safe, respectful work cultures.
   Highlight: National Council of State Boards of Nursing Website Has Some Great Teaching Tools re: Social Media
2. Disruptive Women in Healthcare – This blog targets challenging and inspirational concepts in the current healthcare field. There are over 100 individuals that actively contribute to this blog including elected officials, healthcare workers, patient advocates, researchers, and economists.
   Highlight: The Hospital Discharge Race: Is Sooner Always Better?
3. Diversity Nursing – Diversity Nursing offers a variety of articles on all topics pertinent to nursing including health and wellness and career tips. This blog also includes a job board and a forum for open discussion amongst nurses and student nurses.
   Highlight: Nurses Among Most Influential People in Healthcare
4. ER Nurses Care – Written by emergency room nurse Leslie Block, this blog uses her passion for nursing to demonstrate caring and compassion through her posts focusing on healthy living, injury prevention, and various current trending topics in healthcare.
   Highlight: Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: Do You Know The Difference?
5. Living Sublime Wellness – Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN is a motivational speaker who focuses her writing on encouraging nurses to make the necessary changes in healthcare by facilitating out-of-the box critical thinking.
   Highlight: Ode to the Bus Driver
6. Not Nurse Ratched – A nurse and freelance writer, Megen Duffy blogs about all things nursing while using her humor to lighten the mood as necessary. Duffy’s blog is highly followed online and on Facebook likely due to her down to earth writing style.
   Highlight: Tips for CNAs and New Nurses and Students (Oh My)
7. Nurse Barb’s Daily Dose – Barb Dehn, RN, MS, NP is committed to deciphering convoluted health information in order to assist individuals in achieving optimal health and wellness. Nurse Barb’s Daily Dose contains articles pertaining to women’s health, parenting, caregiving, healthy living, and medical conditions.
   Highlight: Menopause: Frequently Asked Questions
8. Nursetopia – Nursetopia features timely articles on all pertinent topics in healthcare. This blog inspires nurses by highlighting and displaying the positive influence nurses have on the healthcare culture.
   Highlight: Give Grace to Grow
9. rtConnections – Renee Thompson is a motivational speaker and the author of  Do No Harm” Applies to nurses too! Strategies to protect and bully-proof yourself at work.Thompson gears her presentations toward clinical competence and bullying within the workplace and works to enhance effective communication within a healthy organization.
   Highlight: What Does It Take for Nurses to Believe They are Heroes?
10. The Nursing Show -The Nursing Show is not your typical blog. It is filled with hundreds of short podcasts and easy to read articles pertaining various nursing topics geared toward nurses of all skill levels. All nurses are sure to find topics of interest in this diverse, educational blog.
    Highlight: Nurses Lead the Way for Organ Donation, End of Life Support

REGISTERED NURSES

11. According to Nurse Kateri – Kateri, RN, BSN, started this blog while on a personal journey to discover herself and now uses it to detail her personal experiences as they pertain to health and happiness. This blog features narratives relating to her career in pediatrics and pediatric intensive care.
    Highlight: Nurse
12. JParadisi RN’s Blog – Julianna Paradisi, RN is an accomplished artist and an oncology nurse who incorporates art into patient care. This blog focuses on the same while featuring some of her personal pieces of art as they relate to her writing.
    Highlight: Where Science, Humanity, and Art Converge
13. Nurse Eye Roll – Nurse Eye Roll was established by a newly seasoned nurse wishing to provide encouragement, inspiration, support, and laughter to student nurses. Nursing school is tough and Nurse Eye Roll is there to offer tips and suggestions about navigating the path toward graduation and successful board examination.
    Highlight: Orienting a Struggling New Grad
14. The Nerdy Nurse – Brittany Wilson, RN, BSN is a nursing informatics nurse who prides herself by incorporating technology into healthcare in order to improve and streamline patient care. This blog is found on various lists of top nursing blogs and is highly followed on social media. For more information, see what is nursing informatics?
    Highlight: 3 Resolutions Every Nurse Should Make

NURSE PRACTITIONER

15. Barefoot Nurse – Barefoot Nurse reviews real life experiences as they occur through the eyes of an advance practice nurse. Kelly Arashin, the author behind this blog, is unique in her profession because she is a dually board certified nurse practitioner in acute and critical care and a clinical nurse specialist.
    Highlight: Not a Physician, Not a Nurse…What?
16. My Strong Medicine – Sean Dent is an acute care nurse practitioner by day and weightlifter and coach by night. This blog was originally designed to share his experiences as a nurse but now it contains more commentaries on his personal life, his love for CrossFit and weightlifting.
    Highlight: Advice to My Pre-Nursing Self
17. NP Business Blog – Nurse practitioners whom are in private, independent practice are breaking the mold of traditional NP employment status and are often found without the available resources to answer common questions. Barbara C. Phillips developed this blog as a means for NPs to offer support to others in all avenues of business NPs may be involved in.
    Highlight: 7 Reasons Not to Start a Healthcare Practice
18. NP Odyssey – In existence since 2009, this blog contains a wealth of valuable information and insight including what it takes to become a nurse practitioner and the challenges NPs frequently encounter. This blog also incorporates articles pertaining to recent headlines in healthcare and how they pertain to NP practice.
    Highlight: New Grad RN and NP Jobs: Spread Your Wings
19. The NP Mom -Brett Badgley Snodgross is a family nurse practitioner with a passion for pain management and palliative care. She writes informative, easy to read articles related to common concerns she sees in her practice ranging from dieting to hypertension to allergies and beyond.
    Highlight: Weight Loss 101 – The Making of a Healthy Life – WATER!

NURSING STUDENT

20. A Journey Through Nursing School and Beyond – This blog takes the reader through the entire process of climbing the ladder through nursing education. The author began this blog as a certified nurse assistant, became a LPN, then an RN, and is currently seeking a master’s degree in nursing education. Most entries are brief and include an update on coursework although others offer valuable tips and tricks of the nursing trade.
    Highlight: Test Taking Tips for Nursing School
21. Adrienne, Student Nurse – Adrienne, RN is passionate about the way nurses and nursing students use social media in their professional lives. Adrienne, Student Nurse is written with the goal of telling the story of being a student nurse in an effort to motivate others to accept the challenge of becoming a nurse.
    Highlight: Charting Lingo
22. Becoming a RN – Follow Amy on her journey through nursing school through her blog where she recounts her trials, tribulations, and triumphs. This blog includes insight on navigating through the various challenges presented by nursing school and inspires nursing students to prevail.
    Highlight: My Most Effective Study Tool

NURSING CAREER

23. Digital Doorway – Keith Carlson, RN utilizes his blog, Digital Doorway, to coach nurses so they may feel fulfilled in their nursing careers. One of the most well known bloggers in healthcare, Carlson blogs about career opportunities, social media in healthcare, and burnout prevention.
    Highlight: Is The Nurse’s Glass Half Full?
24. Innovative Nurse – Kevin Ross, RN is the ‘Innovative Nurse’ behind this blog. Ross writes about numerous areas of career nursing such as time management, salary, mobile apps, networking, and workplace happiness in the healthcare arena.
    Highlight: Why You Need to Take the Phrase “Just A Nurse” Out of Your Vocabulary
25. International Nurse Support – International Nurse Support provides nurses with the necessary strategies to be confident in their positions while empowering them to climb the profession’s ladder as they progress in their career. This blog is owned by Joyce Fiodembo, however guest bloggers are featured frequently.
    Highlight: Handling the “Write-Up” You Do Not Deserve
26. Off the Charts – Off the Charts is the online publication of the well renowned American Journal of Nursing. While this blog lacks the personal touch many other blogs convey, Off the Charts presents up to date research data provided in an easy to read format. Various bloggers are often featured on this blog including many other bloggers in this list.
    Highlight: Ebola: A Nurse Epidemiologist Puts the Outbreak in Perspective
27. The Nursing Site Blog – Kathy Quan, RN, BNS, PHN, has been a nurse for greater than 30 years and utilizes this blog as a means to share her extensive knowledge with fellow nurses. Quan is the author of five books including The Everything New Nurse Book which helps new nurses transition from nursing school to bedside nursing.
    Highlight: Use Common Sense with Social Media
28. Your Career Nursing – Tina Lanciault, RN helps her readers find their niche in nursing by writing about alternative nursing careers. Your Nursing Career contains articles related to online learning, networking, lifestyles, product reviews, and entrepreneurship.
    Highlight: Nursing Certification

WOMEN’S HEALTH

29. At Your Cervix – At Your Cervix is written by a newly graduated nurse midwife and nicely portrays the trials and tribulations a new nurse midwife may encounter in practice. The blog contains educational articles that pertain to women’s health as well as commentaries based on the situations she came across over the course of the bloggers first year in practice.
    Highlight: What I Wished I Learned About in School
30. Mimi Secor – Mimi Secor is an accomplished family nurse practitioner with over 30 years experience in women’s health. Outside of her private practice, Mimi Secor is a public speaker and nurse consultant who prides herself in promoting quality care in women’s health.
    Highlight: STIs in the Aging Population: What? I thought only my teenager could get that!

About the author:

Jamie Bond has been a registered nurse since 2002 and returned to the college scene in 2012 to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has a passion for all things nursing, especially the care of the at–risk population. Jamie has first hand experience navigating the complicated, multifaceted field of nursing. A married mother of two school-aged sons, Jamie enjoys spending her spare time cheering on her kids at their various activities.

Credit to the http://www.bestmasterofscienceinnursing.com/30-nursing-blogs-2014/

Check out their site for more great nursing information

Anaphylaxis And It's Effects On The Body

Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction that affects the entire body. If you have ever experienced a life threatening allergic reaction to something, you remember how scared you were I am sure. Anaphylaxis is bad, an emergent condition that needs emergency care immediately or the person will die! Call 911! Emergency care providers are trained to care for these type of events. Driving yourself or your family member to the hospital yourself is not smart. You will delay care and possibly cause their death. Wait for EMS! 

e4bf21f9e7bb6e49729108230c7a6b44d25068a0ddd7219e58

Interesting........Career Paths for RN's #nursing #RN #careers {infographic}

Interesting information provided from Nursing@Simmons about nurses and career paths. Do you have plans to advance your nursing career, or are you happy at your present level of education? I myself have been seriously contemplating the vision of a MSN eventually. You are never to old to learn or better yourself, it will make a difference in how you feel about yourself and your patient care. 

In the Future of Nursing report  published by the Institute of Medicine, it is recommended that health care facilities throughout the United States increase the proportion of nurses with a BSN to 80 percent and double the number of nurses with a DNP by the year 2020. Research  shows that nurses who are prepared at baccalaureate and graduate degree levels are linked to lower readmission rates, shorter lengths of patient stay, and lower mortality rates in health care facilities.

What does the job market look like for RNs who are looking to advance their careers?

We tackle this question in our latest infographic, “Career Paths for RNs,” where we look in-depth at the three higher education paths RNs can choose from to advance their careers — Bachelor of Science in Nursing,Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice.

For each career path, we outline the various in-demand specialties, salaries, and job outlook.

Thank you to Nursing@Simmons and Carly Dell for this great infographic and information. 

Brought to you by Nursing@Simmons: Nursing Career Paths

I order my Santa Letters and Packages here, supporting nonprofit org The Mommies Network 

Fever, Your Guide To Taking Care Of It At Home #parenting101

Fever, seems to be the most common complaint of parents in the middle of the night as I work my weekender shifts. The children can range from very ill to very playful. Parents can be very well educated and some not so much at all (sad but true). Lots of education needs to be done about fever, parents for some reason just freak out if their child is running a fever......ekkkkkkk.

By all means if your child is not breathing, in distress, having a seizure, blue in color or unconscious --Please call 911!!! Do not try and drive to the ER!

Most often if a child is brought to the Emergency Department for a fever, the parent has really not tried to do anything at home to first bring the fever down. They just drop everything and rush to the ER...OMG!!

Caution: Now if your infant child is less than 90 days old and is running a temperature greater than say 100.5 rectally (yes in the bum bum- rectal is most accurate) or your Peds doctor will tell you a specific temperature to call for. Please attempt to call your doctor first! They want to be called before you rush to the ER!

Infants less than 90 days old with a high fever is a medical emergency, these little ones still have mommas antibodies floating around from birth. They should not have fevers that high. Be prepared if you take an infant that small to the ER with a high fever that he/she will get a full septic work up which may include blood work , catherized urine specimen's(most sterile collection), xray's, lumbar puncture(spinal tap looking for ?meningitis) , IV with antibiotics amoung the most common things ordered by an ED physician.

Even in older children a call to the Peds doctor first can save you stress, time and the very expensive cost of an ER visit. Not to mention the germ exposure to your other family members.

Many cooling methods can be performed before you visit your local ED or even your doctors office.
First of all, give your kids some medication for fever. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin: if they are over 6 months of age) is made for just that reason, they are fever reducers and pain relievers. You are not going to overdose or kill your child by giving these medications. You can even given them together in appropriate situations, they are metabolized in different areas of the body (kidneys and liver) so it is perfectly ok if your pediatric doctor or the ED doctor tells you to give the medications together for one dose to reduce a high fever, then alternate the medications from then on.

A Fever is the body's defense mechanism for fighting off some kind of process going on, such as viral or bacterial infection. It is ok for your child to have a fever (don't flip out on me now). Fever in the body's natural reaction to a stress reaction going on inside the body. It is trying to fix the problem in its own natural response.

Febrile seizures most often will occur in children that might be prone to these (due to a problem with the temperature thermoregulation). A febrile seizure occur due to a sudden rapid rise in the temperature.

These types of seizures like any seizure activity is scary for us as parents. Keeping your child safe from harming themselves during the event is imperative. Keep the child on their side, away from objects they might hit and do not try and put anything into a seizing child's mouth. Most children outgrow febrile type seizures.

Children can burn up a lot of fluids when they run fever, hydration is important. Don't worry so much about trying to feed them, just make sure they are drinking fluids such as water, electrolyte solutions (Pedialyte/ Ricelyte), coconut water, juices, clear sodas( if that's all they will drink- especially older kids) Popsicles etc.

Avoid dairy products please,unless you want to see the clabbered milk again.....yuck, dairy tends to just make them vomit. I will never forget the time my husband gave my feverish 1yr old daughter a whole bottle of milk just before I got home from working a 12 hour night shift. She proceeded to cover me in hot milk vomit as soon as I tried to pick her up.......lovely it was.

The info-graphic below has some great info about fever, please educate yourself.