Nursing Needs: My Life as Commentary

Low Back Pain

2006-08-04T17:16:00.000-04:00

A new study performed at the University of Alberta, in Canada, says nurses suffer from work-related lower back pain more frequently than workers in other professions.
Nurses working in orthopedics and ICU ranked the highest as suffering from low back pain. Likely caused by frequently turning immobile patients, 65% of orthopedic and 58% of ICU nurses complained of low back pain.
Nurses need to do a better job of taking care of themselves through stretching, exercising or asking for help when turning patients.

http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060731-051614-4959r

At-home Surgery?

2006-08-02T16:16:00.000-04:00

This week a Brazillian couple faced charges after 24 year-old DePaula, their liposuction patient, died. Both entered pleas of not guilty. The couple, Luiz Carlos Ribeiro, and his wife, Ana Maria Miranda, performed plastic surgery in their basement. Luiz claims he had a doctor's license in Brazil. They were living in the US while on a 30-day visa which was allegedly obtained specifically to perform plastic surgery.
DePaula was rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing during the procedure. Doctors were told glucose, lidocaine and other substances had been injected into DePaula previous to the liposuction. When doctors went to the Ribeiro's home the home appeared clean. Only when checking for blood protein did investigators find a large amount of protein on the floor. Surgical equipment was found in a nearby dumpster and a massage tabel in the condominium complex, believed to have been used the surgeries.
The couple faces drug charges and practicing medicine without a license. They have not been charged with DePaula's murder -yet. Other charges may follow pending the medical examiner's report.

I think the saddest part of this story isn't the Ribiero's practicing medicine without a license. It seems to me there is a problem if people are willing to risk their lives to undergo surgery in someone's condominium. Obviously they are not certified doctors and to risk your life in order to strive towards perfection is problematic. The number of people, especially women, havign plastic surgery and botox to hide their age and keep their youthful appearance is astounding. The level of desperation to look young is obviously so strong that some women can't resist, no matter what the threat.

Breast Feeding Outrage

2006-08-01T16:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know if any of you have read about or saw the cover of BabyTalk, a magazine for mothers with small children - the cover picture was a profile of a woman breastfeeding her baby. Her breast was exposed, but her nipple was not visible as the baby was suckling. Apparently the company has received more letters about this article than any other. Many people were angry that the company would run such a sexual picture. Others were embarrassed and didn't want their children to see the picture. I think it's rediculous that all people see is a sex object when they look at woman's breast. I think not only was this cover picture tastefully shot, but much needed, as is apparent by the responses. Women should have the freedom to breast feed where and whenever they choose. In a survey published in 2004 by the American Dietetic Association, 43 percent of 3,719 respondents said women should have the right to breast-feed in public places. It's not like they're sitting in a restaurant topless. They're discreetly exposing their breast in order to feed their child. Society needs to stop looking at women merely as sex objects and start empowering them as the mothers they're trying to be.

Face Transplant

2006-07-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

This week LiGuoxing was released from the hospital after having undergone the second ever face transplant. Li was mauled in 2003 by a bear when he tried to chase it away from his cattle. His transplants included a new nose, upper lip, cheek and eyebrow. A team of 15 doctors performed the surgery at Xijing Hospital. The transplanted parts were taken from a braindead donor. Previously, the only successful facial transplant was done in France for a woman who was badly disfigured after a dog attack. Li travelled home to visit his family before he will return to the hospital for more surgery.

Science continues to advance everyday. It's amazing that the transplanted skin was able to survive and it will surely enable Li to live a more normal life. I wonder how long before doctors are able to perform full facial transplants. That could have some scary implications for the world of cosmetic platic surgery. How much do you think Brad Pitt's face would go for?

Eye test used to detect Alzheimers

2006-07-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

A new test has been developed, called quasi-elastic light scattering, which can detect early signs of Alzheimers. The simple eye test, similar to that used in high blood pressure and diabetes checks for the presence of a protein called beta-amyloid which is found in the brains of patients with Alzheimers. The light test would identify the protein deposits as similar to cataracts, though not the same as cataracts due to old-age. It is unclear how much beta-amyloid deposit is associated with signs of Alzheimers.

This new test sounds very exciting although it seems much more testing still needs to be done. The possibility of testing for early dementia with such a simple eye exam could revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat Alzheimers. I definitely will stay tuned for more studies using this new technology.

Weight Loss Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer

2006-07-19T00:11:00.000-04:00

A new study out in July's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association that shows that women who lost weight or maintained their weight were at lower risk for developing breast cancer. The study showed that women who gained 25kg since age 18 were at 45% greater risk for breast cancer. Women who lost their weight before or after menopause both were at a decreased cancer risk. However, experts say women are less likely to lose weight after menopause so they should not put off losing weight.

I'm Baaaack

2006-07-19T00:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back! I've been working so much the last two weeks I haven't had a second to write. But I really miss blogging and reading everyone elses' blogs in return. So I'm glad to have the time to return to my blog.
Hope you enjoy the new posts to come!

Hospital Bed Regulations

2006-06-30T16:07:00.000-04:00

A new study was recently published by the USDA and FDA that offers new guidlines for hospital beds. The study cited hundreds of deaths annually due to hospital beds, be it by entrapment or otherwise. The new guidlines will change the requirements for the space between the rails and mattresses and the thickness of the mattresses. Thankfully, in my career, I have never witnessed any kind of injury due to the hospital beds. The study said it's largely elderly patients hwho are affected. Have any of you experienced patient/bed problems? I wonder if the benefit of rails outweighs the danger. I suppose it depends on what type of patients you're working with. Any comments?

Is The Doctor In?

2006-06-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

More and more common these days are clinics that see and treat patients, without a doctor. The doctor isn't out at lunch or on vacation - there is no doctor on staff. The office/clinic is run strictly by NP's and PA's.
The trend shows more and more doctors specializing in order to make more money and often work less hours. As the cost of living and medical school tuition rises, doctors are thinking twice about being generalists. This is leaving many NPs and PAs to join together to treat patients on their own.

My only comment for this news is I wonder if patients/clients are made aware of the situation. I'm sure all the employees wear name tags with their name followed by their title, but I can't help but think that some patients would feel uncomfortable if they knew there wasn't an MD on staff. And, do the clinics use one particular physician for referals? Any comments?

Nurse Gets 20 Years for Sexual Assault

2006-06-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

Kenneth Wayne Downs, a nurse with eight years experience was sentenced last week after being charged with sexual assaulting a stroke patient.
The patient, who had poor speach ability due to several strokes alleged Downs sedated her and then put an unknown object in her anus before returning later than night and penetrating her vaginally with his finger.
Downs recanted saying the patient was drowsy from medication and he merely took her temperature rectally. Downs admits that taking a temperature rectally is not an approved protocol, but felt it necessary to get an accurate reading.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/14806562.htm

Working Late

2006-06-20T23:42:00.000-04:00

Some days are just so frustrating. I was supposed to get out of work today at 4:00 so that I could go to a family picnic. The day started off okay. Not too busy or hectic. The kind of day that can either continue to be smooth sailing, or has the potential to turn into total disaster. Well today wasn't my lucky day I guess. The patient load was light all day. I would even say I was practically bored. Wouldn't you know come 3:30 all of a sudden six or seven new patients showed up. Now, not to sound apathetic, because a few of the patients were in need of emergency care, but...somehow it's just frustrating when you've been anticipating getting out of work for the last 8 hours. So I started with the patients hoping to make headway and waiting for the next shift of nurses to arrive. But more and more patients kept showing up! It was as if they whole city KNEW I was trying to end my shift and they were desperate to keep me there. The next thing I knew it was 5:00, 6:00...it was 6:45 before I got out of there and by then I was so worked up that I wasn't the most pleasant person at the picnic. But, at least I made it for a little bit. And my hot dog was damn good - even though it was cold.

Hearing Damage

2006-06-16T20:49:00.000-04:00

It seems everyone has an iPod these days. I continue to read conflicting views about whether or not such electronics cause permanent hearing loss from listening to loud music at such close range. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health just published a study stating that on average our hearing is no worse than it was several decades ago, leading me to think that the electronics are not affecting our hearing. Interestingly enough, the study went out to site that women showed better hearing than men and that African Americans had better hearing than Caucasians.

New Study Cites Crisis in the ER

2006-06-14T18:41:00.000-04:00

Several reports from the Institute of Medicine have come out regarding the status of emergency care in the United States. The reports outline the growing concern for the lack of appropriate emergency care that is available. The report sites emergency departments and beds are declining, while the need is increasing as the population is aging and living longer. Patients are suffering from long waits and ambulances are even turned away because they are so overwhelmed with patients.
The reports also cite the difficulty we will face if an emergency occurs such as another natural disaster or terrorist attack. If the space and man-power is already strained, it seems unlikely that the emergency services would be able to handle an additional substantial load.
To address these concerns, additional funding, training and a more concrete plan for patient care has been suggested.
The reports are compiled in a book entitled, “Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads” and it’s written by the Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System.

FDA Approves HPV Vaccine

2006-06-14T08:19:00.000-04:00

The FDA announced its approval for Gardasil, the first vaccine to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV). Made by the pharmaceutical company Merck, the vaccine will help eliminate cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of death among women.
The vaccine will be availble to girls as young as nine as it should be given before women become sexually active. Once sexually active, chances of getting HPV greatly increase and the vaccine does not protect women who have already gotten the virus.
The vaccine protects against four strains of HPV, two of which are the most common causes of cervical cancer and the other two commnonly cause genital warts.
A large majority of the lives saved will be outside of North America, as the deaths due to HPV are much lower in North America due to pap smear screenings. Researchers are unsure if the vaccine is effective in men. They are also unsure of how long the vaccine protects and boosters may be necessary.

Overnight Nursing Shifts

2006-06-13T06:09:00.000-04:00

Good morning to all you early risers. I'm hoping someone out there can offer some words of wisdom. At the current time I work day shifts and I'm considering working nights so that I can spend more time with my family. I would work either three 12-hour shifts or four 10-hours shifts. My company is offering a shift differential which is another reason I'm considering the switch. I'm definately a night-owl so I think I will like the late nights. I'm just wondering how my body will adjust and what kind of schedule I should maintain on my days off. Any help would be appreciated! Hope everyone has a great day!

Immigrant Nursing Bill

2006-06-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

Has anyone heard about the status of the immigration bill that's supposed to pass in Congress? It's backed by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and it will allow an unlimited number of nurses to come into the US. As I understand it, there are more than 100,000 current job openings in the nursing field. Some have been arguing that the countries we would be pulling nurses from, like India and Africa, are the countries that need capable nurses the most. Others support the bill because there is such a high volume of nurses needed that they see no need to put a cap on the immigration. I've also heard people pushing for the US to look into opening more nursing schools or raising baseline salaries for RNs. I wonder what the foreign nurses will have to do to obtain their licenses. Will they have to pass NCLEX testing? Regardless of which side you stand, I think we can all agree that every patient deserves the highest quality of care available. I hope that however things end up, the quality of nursing care continues to improve in the US. Any comments?

Welcome to my blog!

2006-06-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

I started this blog today to talk about current issues in nursing for all you fellow nurses out there. I'm really excited and can't wait to begin my first blog! If you like what you see, leave some comments - I'd love to get some good convos going on here...