World Suicide Prevention Day ~~ September 10th #stopsuicide #depression

World Suicide Prevention Day is held on September 10, 2013. It is an awareness day which is observed every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world. The observance is endorsed by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Suicide Prevention Day was founded in 2003

From Kristin Brooks Hope Center 

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicidal behavior is complex, as some risk factors vary with age, gender, and ethnic group and may even change over time. The risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination. Research has shown that more than 90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder.

The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the whole body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person feels about oneself and the way one thinks about things. The taking of ones own life tragically demonstrates the terrible psychological pain experienced by a person who has lost all hope – a person who is no longer able to cope with day to day activities – a person who feels there is no solution to their problem – a person who wants to end the pain by ending their own life.

Much of this kind of suffering is unnecessary. Depression is treatable and as a result, suicide is preventable. Love yourself or a friend enough not to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. If you or a friend of yours is thinking of ending the pain by ending your own life, this is not a secret to keep. Talk to your family, friends or other special people in your life. They can help you find solutions to your problems and to see ways to cope with your pain without ending your life. Help is just a phone call away: 1.800.SUICIDE (784-2433)

Things to know about suicide:

•  90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable  mental illness or substance abuse disorder

•  The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression

•  Suicide has ranked at the 3 rd leading cause of death for young people nationally

•  There are three female attempts for every male attempt at suicide. However, males are four times as likely to die from their attempts

What to do if a friend or loved one is suicidal:

•  Let that person know you are concerned about their well-being, and that you have observed certain clues that have made you think that they may want to hurt themselves. Ask them if they are depressed or suicidal.

•  Listen to your friend, and keep in mind that you must stay calm. Your friend will more than likely be relived that someone noticed their pain, and cared enough to confront them and talk about it.

•  Support your friend unconditionally. While you cannot make someone choose to live, and while you aren't responsible for their life, you can support them and show them that you care while giving them ideas about other choices.

•  Remind this friend that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

•  Be honest with your friend and they will trust your input. Let them know you want to help them, even if it involves calling an adult or a hotline. Call them in front of your friend if necessary.

•  Call 9-1-1 if you feel their suicide threat is immediate.

Your Story Is Not Over Yet ; Survive Today #suicideprevention #noselfharm

Be a survivor; Not a statistic!

Be free like the Butterfly

Fly free from this pain &

Write your own story!

Stay Strong!

The Butterfly Project: THE RULES:
1. when you feel like you want to cut, take a marker or pen and draw a butterfly wherever the self-harm occurs.
2. name the butterfly after a loved one, or someone that really wants you to get better.
3. NO scrubbing the butterfly off.
4. if you cut before the butterfly is gone, it dies. if you don't cut, it lives.
5. if you have more than one, cutting kills them all.
6. another person may draw them on you. these butterflies are extra special. take good care of them.
7. even if you don’t cut, feel free to draw a butterfly anyways, to show your support.

Help is just around the corner, never to late to find! A razor leaves a crimson stain, but the pain is still there, find help for the deep rooted reasons you are cutting and turn the crimson into good.

A Poem;

http://butterfly-project.tumblr.com/post/55907257337/the-butterfly-a-poem

Picking up a razor, I gaze at my arm.
Thus begins the cycle of my self-harm.
Slicing my wrists, carving my thighs,
Now my skin matches how I feel inside.

Cutting deeper than ever before,
I am frightened yet relieved as blood begins to pour.
I sit in this corner, drenched red
Wondering if somehow I’d be better off dead.

Tears stream down my pale face,
Feeling I simply don’t belong in any place.
I can’t be your perfect missing puzzle piece,
When I would give up this life just to have peace.

Completely full of pain and darkness,
I’m reunited with the one thing I do miss.
A butterfly flutters in with its wings of hope,
It settles on my wrist to help me cope.

No more cuts and no more scars,
Just a little butterfly who came from very far.
Love adorns its wings, reminding I’m never alone.
Able to smile now, I see how much I’ve grown.

New-found tears of joy shed from hurting eyes,
I’m happy I now have this savior, the butterfly.
I will protect it now and never let it die,
So that I may return the favor for saving my life.

Heat Stroke : Kids in Cars Never Alone!

So you think you are not one of those parents that would leave their kid in the car and walk away unknowingly? Think again? This can happen to anybody!

So don't be so judgemental when it happens to others and children die, lets work together to educate each other about the problem and try to find a fix to keep it from happening to someone elses child. Make sure to watch the video below, it will make you stop and think about it. These tragedies are so completely preventable.

 

Heat exhaustion starts slowly and if it is not quickly treated can progress to heatstroke. In heatstroke, a child's temperature reaches 105 degrees F(40.5 C) or higher. Heatstroke requires immediate medical care and can be fatal.

 

Heatstroke is the common cause of death when children are left in the car by accident. Young children are particularly at risk, since their tiny bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult's.

To help parents not leave their kids in the car by accident, the organization “Kids and Cars” have created a helpful acronym (Be Safe) to assist parents:

 

Back seat: Put something in the back seat whenever you strap a child in, so you have to open the back door, or at least turn around to find that item, when you get out of the car. Your handbag or briefcase, cellphone, or employee badge.

Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.

Stuffed animal: Keep a brightly colored one in the car seat when your child isn’t there. Then move it from the car seat to the front seat after you strap your child in, to remind you when your baby is in the back seat.

Ask your baby sitter or child-care provider to call you within 10 minutes if your child hasn’t arrived on time.

Focus on driving: Avoid cellphone calls and text-messaging while driving.

Every time you park your vehicle—every single time—open the back door to make sure no one has been left behind.

Hopefully the PSA and the helpful tips for parents will help decrease the number of child deaths we see each year from vehicular heat strokes.

*Please note that Red Castle Productions have stated that this video is “a reenactment and no one was harmed in the making of this film.”




Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle.
Top Tips from Safe Kids USA:

Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

Teach children not to play in cars, make sure to always lock your vehicle, including doors and trunks when not using it. Keep keys and remote entry fobs up and out if sight, do not use them as toys for your child.

Teach children that trunks are for carrying cargo only and are not safe places to play. Anytime your child is missing, check pools and car trunks, call for help.

If your children are ever locked in a car, get them out quickly as possible and dial 911 immediately. Emergency personnel are trained to evaluate and check for signs of heat exhaustion.

 

Please stay safe today, watch for more Summer time tips coming soon.

National Football League is the past; Nursing the future! #nursing

National Football League is the past; Nursing the future!

On the face of it there is no comparison between the two; however if you look closely, a football player has a short playing career which gets shorter if there is any serious injury (chances of which are always very high). A nurse on the other hand, works for decades, not only serving humanity but also earning very decent amounts of money. In addition, nursing career has a great job outlook as well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a registered nurse with an Associate’s degree earns in excess of $64,000 each year. Nurses with higher educational qualifications and prior related work experience may earn in excess of the quoted yearly income. For example, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), on average, earn $130,000 per year.

As mentioned earlier the career in nursing, nursing profession has a great job outlook as well. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 26 percent faster growth of the industry as compared to other industries between the years 2010 and 2020.  This exponential growth is due to the large and ageing baby-boomer generation which now requires medical services. This is also because of technological advancements and an increased emphasis on preventive care.

Despite the attractive professional outlook if you are still unsure whether nursing is the profession for you, consider this; if you have the following skills, nursing is the profession for you:

• ·         Critical thinking skills
• ·         Speaking skills
• ·         Organizational skills
• ·         Patience
• ·         Emotional stability
• ·         An eye for detail
• ·         Compassion

In addition to acquiring the right educational qualification(s) it is worth remembering that all nurses must have a nursing license to practice. This means passing the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN. Some states may have further requirements as well.

*infographic and article credit to: http://www.excite.com/education/careers/nursing-careers 

Arm Yourself With Knowledge and ASK #ASKingsaveskids

The Question To Ask On June 21, And After

In America, nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and a
staggering 33 percent of homes with children have a gun.
Every year, thousands of children are killed or seriously injured as a result.
As parents, we can protect those we love by arming ourselves with knowledge and
educating ourselves about very real health and safety issues that fuel unnecessary tragedy.
One way of arming ourselves with knowledge is by making sure to ASK if there are guns
where our children play. If the answer is no, then we have one less thing to worry about.
If it’s yes, then we need to ensure that the guns are stored, locked, and kept separate from ammunition.
On Friday, June 21, 2013, organizations and individuals around the country will celebrate
National ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Day. Held annually on the first day of summer, a season
when children spend more time in other homes, ASK Day reminds parents about the
importance of asking if there are guns in the homes where their children play.

Another resource for parents is the “Arm Yourself with Knowledge” Facebook Page, which
offers simple, empowering solutions to prevent youth violence by making your home, family and
community safer.
For more information or to participate in ASK day, email ask@cpyv.org, or visit
askingsaveskids.org

Just the facts ma'm:

FACT SHEET________________________________________________
• An average of 8 kids and teens are killed by firearms every day and 42 additional children
and teens are seriously injured (Injury Mortality Reports, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control, CDC, 2010; 2011).
• 27 children and teens are seriously injured by BB or pellet guns every day (Injury Mortality
Reports, 2011).
• Studies show that between 33% and 40% of American households with children have guns
(Johnson, Renee, “Firearm Ownership and Storage Practices, U.S. Households, 1992-
2002.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27, 2004; Peter Hart Research Associates
Poll, 1999, American Journal of Public Health, April 2000).
• 1 in 4 kids and teens whose parents own guns say they have seen or touched a gun without
their parents’ knowledge. (Global Strategy Group Youth Study commissioned by CPYV,
2011).
• Almost 90 percent of accidental shootings involving children are linked to an easy-to-find,
loaded handgun in the house (Society of Pediatric Nurses, 1998).
• Eighty-eight percent of the children who are injured or killed in unintentional shootings are
shot in their own homes or in the homes of relatives or friends (Pediatrics 2005).
• 42% of parents with guns keep at least one unlocked; 25% keep at least one loaded, and 14%
keep one unlocked AND loaded (Global Strategy Group Parent Study commissioned by
CPYV, 2011).
• Over 75% of kids in homes with guns say they know where the gun is hidden (Benenson
Strategy Group Study commissioned by PAX, July 2002).

THE ASK SOLUTION__________________________________________
• Less than 50% of parents reported being concerned about guns in other homes, but 79%
would be concerned if they knew there was a gun in the home their child was visiting (GSG
Parent Study).
• Only 23% of parents said they had asked in the past, but by the end of the survey, 89% said
ASKing was important (GSG Parent Study).
• 97% of parents who owned a gun said that they would not be offended if another parent
asked about a gun in their home (GSG Parent Study).

TIPS FOR STARTING THE CONVERSATION_______________________
• “We all know how curious kids can be…”
• “I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions about the kids’ safety…”
• “I heard the most surprising fact from my pediatrician…”
• “Do you remember that tragic story about the kids who found a gun?....”
• “All of us on the PTA have committed to making sure our kids are safe…”
• “Remember what we found in our houses when we were kids!”

DogGone, It's Summer, Keeping your Pets Safe

Do you have animals that ride in the car with you? Remember those animals depend on you to take care of them. Cracking a window does not cut it if you are going to leave them in the car. Even on a mildly warm day, a car can quickly become an oven for an animal.{EAV:26fac7f2f724fef5}

Leaving them outdoors without shelter, on a chain, in a cage or without water or a way to get some relief from the heat is just as bad. Know the signs of heatstroke and get your animals the appropriate treatment if you suspect any problems. 

Even with emergency treatment, heatstroke can be fatal. The best cure is prevention, and Fido and Fluffy are relying on you to keep them out of harm's way. Summer does not have to be fraught with peril--with ample precaution, both you and your furry friends can enjoy those long, hot, dog-days of summer.

Signs of Heatstroke

• Panting
• Staring
• Anxious expression
• Refusal to obey commands
• Warm, dry skin
• High fever
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomiting
• Collapse

Precautions to take if your pet lives outdoors

• Ensure adequate shelter from sun/midday heat
• Outdoor kennels should be well-ventilated and in the shade
• Provide plenty of fresh water in a bowl that cannot be tipped over
• Avoid excessive exercise on hot days
• Talk with your local veterinarian to determine if your long-haired Fido needs a summer haircut

A US & Global View Of Child Injury #prevention #safety