Selasa, 28 Februari 2006
The Gift of Health for Nurses
Gifting yourself with health and wellness will better improve your clients, your colleagues, and your own well-being. Assessing personal health needs should include physical, emotional, mental (information gathering), social, spiritual and environmental dimensions. Nurses who practice meditation can improve their physical, emotional, and mental health potentially influencing the nurse-patient relationship (Tayor, 2006). Advocate for peaceful and natural settings and views in your break areas and workplace. Recent evidence indicates nurses with access to a natural environment onsite demonstrate increased well-being and job satisfaction (Irvine, 2004; McUsic, 2006; Ulrich, 2002).
Kathlynn Northrup-Snyder, RN, CNS, PhD
Oregon
References:
Irvine, K. N. (2004). Work breaks and well-being: The effect of nature on hospital nurses. Dissertation, University of Michigan.
McUsic, T. (Jan, 16, 2004). Natures healing touch: Garden views benefit hospital patients and staff. Nurse Week: Mountain West, 10-11.
Taylor, S. (Jan 30, 2006) Research reveals the benefits of meditation. Nurse Week: Mountain West, 17-18.
Ulrich, R. S. (2002). OR design & construction. What do we know about healing environments? Oregon Manager. 18, 17-9.
Minggu, 26 Februari 2006
ADVANCE For Nurses Runs Story on National Nurse
Thanks to writer Annie Nowlin and ADVANCE for Nurses for running a story this past week, titled A Top Nurse. The article clearly defines what the Office of the National Nurse will accomplish-delivering the message of health promotion and prevention to every American. At a time when millions are uninsured, epidemic proportions of preventable diseases run rampant, and healthcare costs continue to rise, nurses must step up, use our voices and advocate for the public's health. The National Nurse proposal adds one additional public health nurse coordinator to every state to coordinate the work of the Office with the National Nurse teams to help disseminate education to every community. No American will be left behind in healthcare as the educational messages will be broadcast on television, radio, and then put on the Internet in multiple languages. The National Nurse teams will direct four free educational programs in their own communities all occuring simulaneously nationwide to repeat the message face to face with members of the public.
We can and we will make a difference by saving lives and dollars. Health must be our nation's number one priority.
Please support our efforts by visiting Cafe Press and purchasing a button, magnet, mug, bumper sticker, mousepad, or bear.
Sabtu, 25 Februari 2006
From A National Nurse Supporter: Wondering If There Is A Way to Help Support Our Troops
Soldiers in Iraq must be having a very scary week, with the situation there deteriorating so rapidly. And the medical units must be running on exhaustion.
I am thinking these days of my friends' son Aaron who left for Iraq in November when his firstborn daughter was only two weeks old. He's younger than our youngest, so about age 21. I've been wishing we knew how he is, and wondering how to ease the strain on our friends here in Vermont.
Well, I just got word through my sister Patti, who served as a nurse in Kuwait and is now an Air Force Captain, that there are some specific items that a medical unit serving injured soldiers could use. It might take a little of the strain out of this time to do something which is kind and useful, at least to add a little balance to the Universe.
If you would like to send something, here are the particulars, which come from Capt. Maureen A. McCann, Life Skills Nurse. Typical of a nurse, Maureen says, "Many of you are asking what you can send, do we need anything? Well, we don't, but our patients do."
She elaborates, saying: Many can't continue to wear the uniforms they come in with and do not have anything else. Here is a list of what we can use (many of you are connecting with your church or job, but even one set is great!).
Large size:
Sweat pants
long sleeve T-shirts
T-shirts
gym shorts (blue, black, gray only; they need to be conservative due to the area we are in)
mens underpants
small pillows (great for stuffing under or around the patient's injuries/casts to make them more comfortable for their long flight while they are on a litter.)
(We get tons of socks and toiletries.)
THANKS SO MUCH!
Mailing address for packages:
Capt Maureen McCann
332 AEW/CASF
APO AE 09315-9997
Rabu, 22 Februari 2006
Alarming Statistics
Today's Oregonian reported some alarming statistics related to how much health care is projected to cost by 2015. Every American should pay attention to the disconcerting fact that our elderly population will spend one in every five dollars to stay well, and that the country's total health care bill will increase to more than $4 trillion in the next ten years as reported by Health Affairs, a journal published by the Center for American Progress.
Imagine what a message to the public from an Office of the National Nurse would do in terms of helping Americans to practice health ways of living to prevent the epidemic levels of preventable diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes from occurring. We can and we must do better.
Please stand with us by signing the petition on this website and submitting your email to receive our newsletter updates about the progress we are making. Consider making a donation to the National Nursing Network Organization to support our efforts. Volunteer to submit new graphics for our merchandise on Cafe Press. If you are interested in purchasing inexpensive ad space about a health related business that you would like others to know about on this website, please write teri@nationalnurse.info for information on how to do this.
Stay tuned, another newsletter will be coming out early next week.
Senin, 20 Februari 2006
Oregon Student Nurses Association State Convention
The Oregon Student Nurses Association Board of Directors invited Lillian Gonzalez, RN, BSN, from Nevada to give the keynote address for the Saturday night dinner. We wanted to share with you a portion of Lillian's inspirational speech with you:
"Indeed, healthcare is in crises. And we nurses are in a perfect position to help save it. We are the largest sector of healthcare. We have unique and special skills and insights to offer the public. We have a way of incorporating body, mind, and spirit into health recovery unlike any other healthcare discipline. We understand that preventive medicine is better than reactive medicine; that quality of life matters. An Office of the National Nurse would be possibly the most significant way to utilize our collective vast wealth of knowledge to improve the health of our nation. And I hope that you, as new leaders of the nursing profession will feel a calling to see it happen during your career."
The National Nurse Team also presented the proposal during two forums that took place yesterday. Judging by the caliber of student nurses attending this conference, the future of nursing is in very good hands indeed.
Kamis, 16 Februari 2006
Nurses: Send Us Your Health Tips
Our last newsletter went out on Valentine's Day and we received many emails in response. One of our supporters who is not a nurse recommended we begin to role model what we see the Office of the National Nurse accomplishing each week in its broadcast messages. An Oregonian wrote, "Include a serious and unique health tip at the start of each email to start showing people now the value there will be in having a National Nurse."
We have already invited our first nurse expert to share a health tip with us and this will go out to you in our next newsletter.
Let's all begin to help keep Americans and each other well. If you are nurse expert, please submit your health tip for wellness including references for your tip to us at teri@nationalnurse.info so we can share this in our newsletter and on our website. Include your name, title, state, and a small picture in jpg or gif format.
Let's work together and begin to put the health back into healthcare!
Selasa, 14 Februari 2006
The Hardest Part of My Week.
This moment right here is the one I dread most. 1030 pm the night before clinicals. I picked out my patient at 11am and have been preparing most of the day. But no matter when I pick out the patient or how much time I give myself to prepare, I never manage to get to bed before 11pm.
That's usually not so bad, but I have to be up before 5am in order to get ready and commute. I pity my classmates that have to drive over an hour. After 10 pm, I start thinking of the time in "possible hours of sleep remaining".
I have just completed a pathology card, a bunch of drug cards, and a ridiculously meticulous set of care plans (that aren't nearly so strictly categorized in real life). I am ready to give a report on everything in the morning from memory. I am very tired. I am going to take a shower in about 3 minutes, then climb into bed and hope I fall asleep quickly. Sometimes that's hard to do, because my anxiety about needing to fall asleep as soon as possible keeps me from my goal. I get stuck in a quasi-conscious mental loop. Only thing to do then is get up and pace for a while until my brain untangles.
I'm not a bad student. (I ended up making an A on that last Patho test by the way.) But I feel like there is no way to be fully and comfortably prepared for any given day at the hospital. There aren't enough hours. Even if you start early, your requirements somehow expand to fill the time. (I admire those working-mom-students. How the hell do they do it?) I can only hope that I retain everything that I cram into my brain on nights like these, so it eventually becomes less work. I have the suspicion that won't happen, however. Just when you get comfortable in school, they start pushing you more. Instructor Sarcastic pushes me daily.
So. Bedtime. I could talk more, but I'd be cheating myself out of sleep.
That's usually not so bad, but I have to be up before 5am in order to get ready and commute. I pity my classmates that have to drive over an hour. After 10 pm, I start thinking of the time in "possible hours of sleep remaining".
I have just completed a pathology card, a bunch of drug cards, and a ridiculously meticulous set of care plans (that aren't nearly so strictly categorized in real life). I am ready to give a report on everything in the morning from memory. I am very tired. I am going to take a shower in about 3 minutes, then climb into bed and hope I fall asleep quickly. Sometimes that's hard to do, because my anxiety about needing to fall asleep as soon as possible keeps me from my goal. I get stuck in a quasi-conscious mental loop. Only thing to do then is get up and pace for a while until my brain untangles.
I'm not a bad student. (I ended up making an A on that last Patho test by the way.) But I feel like there is no way to be fully and comfortably prepared for any given day at the hospital. There aren't enough hours. Even if you start early, your requirements somehow expand to fill the time. (I admire those working-mom-students. How the hell do they do it?) I can only hope that I retain everything that I cram into my brain on nights like these, so it eventually becomes less work. I have the suspicion that won't happen, however. Just when you get comfortable in school, they start pushing you more. Instructor Sarcastic pushes me daily.
So. Bedtime. I could talk more, but I'd be cheating myself out of sleep.
National Nurse Team Responds to American Nursing Association
The National Nurse Team would like to use this post to respond to the op/ed written by the American Nurses Association that was published in the Nevada RNformation Feb-Apr 2006. We want to thank the American Nurses Association for their committment to their role in advocating for nurses, and we support their continued efforts.
Indeed there are many difficult issues facing nurses and we value all the associations that are working hard, and achieving gradual but true success, to improve the working conditions, ratios, and empowerment issues facing nurses.
We were happy to read the recent statement by the ANA about the National Nurse proposal because it underscores the need for more information sharing and clarity. The National Nurse proposal focuses on bringing education and accurate health information to the public; nurses doing what they do daily, at the bedside or for their communities, for the entire country.
It is our hope that you will read the proposal and after it in it's entirety, it will be clear how this is not an effort purely for nurses but an effort by nurses for all Americans.
CREATE AN OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE TO ADVOCATE FOR, EDUCATE, AND EMPOWER AMERICAN HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS
Request: Create an Office of the National Nurse to focus on providing all Americans with preventive health care resources.
The office is necessary to acknowledge the critical role nurses play in hands-on patient care and education. The Office of the National Nurse would provide Americans with the tools to prevent disease and effectively manage chronic illness thereby reducing utilization of health care resources. The National Nurse will oversee state coordinators who will assemble nurse teams to provide screening, education and referral services in their communities.
Nurses treat people in their response to wellness, disease or injury and do this through collaboration with physicians and other health care service providers. The Office of the National Nurse will function similarly in a complementary role with the Office of the Surgeon General and other current agencies providing health care services.
Background: There are 44 million uninsured Americans and millions more are underinsured, leaving large gaps in people's access to primary and preventive care services. Americans who are insured may have limited understanding of the importance of primary or preventive health care services. Nurses know the importance of outreach and integrating patient and family education into their care for every patient. Studies demonstrate that when nurses provide early intervention, educate and work closely with patients, patients require fewer hospital and emergency care visits. (Palmer, Appleton, Rodrigues, 2003; Cherry, Moffatt, Rodriguez & Dryden, 2002) Nurses overseeing and promoting preventative care will decrease the need for hospitalizations, thereby reducing utilization of Medicare and Medicaid dollars. (Collins & Wadhwa, 2005) Ultimately, fewer nurses would be needed to provide "sick care" at the hospital or nursing home bedside, thus lessening the impact of the current nursing shortage.
Community based nurse led health services focusing on identification and early intervention have been shown to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospitals, reduce length of stay of necessary hospital admissions, and improve patients' ability to function while enjoying a higher quality of life. (Young, 2005)
There are 2.7 million nurses who work on the front lines in the United States health care system. Even though they are one of the largest groups of health care service providers in the nation, nurses hold too few positions of influence to have a national large-scale impact on the nation's health. The Office of the National Nurse integrates Nursing's Agenda for the Future (2002) as proposed by nineteen national nursing associations and organizations that call for an improvement of the image and value of the nursing profession. The activities of the Office, as well as the National Nurse, will fulfill this objective by portraying nursing as a nationally respected and valued career.
Also in Nursing's Agenda for the Future (2002)one of the objectives calls for achieving nursing's desired future state by creating "a process that provides for ongoing communication, collaboration, support and monitoring of the overall plan activities within the nursing community and among other health professions, the health care industry, and health care consumers."(p.9)
Plan: Create an Office of the National Nurse to promote and coordinate opportunities for the nation's registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to collaborate in community-based Nurse Teams. Nurse Teams will utilize the traditional nursing approach that focuses on assessing the individual's overall physical and mental state of health and working with the patient to achieve a positive outcome in accessing health services.
The Nurse Teams will be responsible for the implementation of four educational programs per year which have been identified by the National Nurse through collaboration with the Surgeon General's office and other members of the health professions, including but not limited to members of the nursing and medical professions, pharmacists, nutritionists, health educators, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, pharmaceutical companies and hospital associations.
These programs will occur nationwide simultaneously to raise awareness and increase participation. For instance, if obesity/diabetes screening is the top national health priority, then the National Nurse would direct the State Coordinators who would direct their Nursing Teams in presenting the educational program in churches, supermarkets, schools, senior centers, libraries and other accessible locations in their communities. Any licensed nurse in the country would be allowed to receive training to participate and these educational programs will be designed to reach every American instead of a targeted population.
State Nurse Teams will include nurses prepared at all educational levels and will represent diverse populations. Programs will foremost focus on keeping Americans healthy by providing education about how identify their individual wellness needs, understand how to access available health services, and how to navigate the myriad of choices to better care for themselves.
Programs will improve quality of care by helping identify the special needs of communities including but not limited to geriatric and culturally diverse populations. As members of their community, nurses are better able to identify and target the diverse needs of the patients they serve.
The Office of the National Nurse, as a center, will share and disseminate information and collect data from the Nursing Teams to assist government agencies such as the CDC with their ongoing research. The Nurse Teams will focus on educating Americans using "best practices" to improve their health while reducing costs.
Nurses identified as "experts" from the National Nurse Teams will present one health education topic to the American people each week. The expert is defined as a nurse who has the educational background and practice experience to represent the health topic information to be delivered. These weekly educational pieces will be available for broadcast and on the Internet in different languages to reach America's diverse population. The goal is to create the most massive community outreach ever conducted by nurses.
Role:
The National Nurse will serve as spokesperson, publicizing the distinct role of nursing, and encouraging nurses to become involved in grassroots activities and educating the American public about the services provided by the Office. Educating the public about nursing's pivotal role in health care will be basic to involving nurses in health care policy formulation and in key business decisions that affect nursing's future." (Nursing's Agenda for the Future, 2002, p 10)
The National Nurse will be responsible for collaborating with members of the nursing community and other health care providers to determine priorities for the National Nurse Teams' community-based programs.
The National Nurse will identify state coordinators for each of the states that will be responsible for ensuring the volunteer activity is disseminated to the grassroots level.
Through the Office of the National Nurse, nurses from around the country will sign up indicating the state they are licensed from and their willingness to serve on a Nurse Team in their community.
The National Nurse will choose an expert nurse to address the nation via a public service announcement on pertinent health care topics.
The National Nurse will actively recruit qualified individuals into the profession and encourage nurses to become nurse educators through media campaigns and public appearances.
The National Nurse will work with other interested persons and departments to promote policy that would improve the nation's health.
The Office of the National Nurse will collect data to demonstrate the success of the National Nurse Team activities.
Minggu, 12 Februari 2006
Ways to Support the National Nurse Proposal
Thank you to everyone who has been writing and asking us about ways they can help us move the National Nurse proposal forward. Here are a few suggestions, and once we have a piece of legislation, we will add an action center to the website with more specific information.
1. Submit your email to receive our newsletter. There is a new one going out tomorrow, Feb. 13th so don't delay.
2. Consider buying a bumper sticker, teeshirt, mug, or buttons at www.cafepress.com/nationalnurse
3. Make a contribution to help us with traveling expenses, videostreaming our presentation, and the costs of our daily operation (newsletter, website, mailings, long distance phone calls, printing, etc.) See the link on the left side of the blog or send an email to teri@nationalnurse.info to mail a check to the National Nursing Network Organization. We are a non profit corporation and are not tax exempt, so your contributions are not tax deductible.
4. Email us to receive a copy of your own downloadable poster that you can print copies of right in the comfort of your own home.
5. Ask to get on the agenda for your own organization's meeting and speak to others about what the National Nurse is about. Many are doing just that, and we have materials to help.
6. We have a huge stack of postcards ready to mail to our members of Congress, so if you would like some of these mailed to you, send us an email.
7. Many are asking for a story about the National Nurse, so if you enjoy writing and would like to pursue this, please email us.
We appreciate the help of so many, Renee in Ohio and Cheryl in Arizona, for helping us with this website; Moses in Portland, for helping us to get our newsletter to you; the OR Student Nursing Association for inviting us to speak at their annual convention next week; and of course, Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) and her dedicated and hard-working staff.
Rabu, 08 Februari 2006
My vein runneth over
Another day at the hospital. I've given tons of insulin sofar, handed out pills, hung fluids. Nothing new. But I'm super-jealous of my classmate; she got to start her first IV today!
The lady she stuck was such a good sport about it too, what with the five students and teacher all hovering over her. Very obvious we hadn't done it before. FYI, anytime someone asks if it's your first time to start an IV, you always say "Oh no, I've done this lots of times in the lab", which is true. (Or, like Carter on ER all those years ago... "I'd be disgusted to tell you how many time's I've done this." Ha.)
Plastic arms are great and all to practice on; you keep sticking them over and over and no one complains. But actually sticking a person's arm is very different. For one thing, blood comes out. Gotta push down on the vein or it will spurt all over the place. Which happened. Yipes! Also, needles hurt real people, veins roll, and those stupid safety needles can be cumbersome. But anyway, I'm just excited about the whole "new experience" thing. And after seeing someone else start the IV, I don't feel nearly as apprehensive about starting one myself. My classmate did really well.
Well, I have test on Friday. I'm about halfway through making my "study scroll". The process of rewriting things is helpful. Hopefully I'll make an A this time.
The lady she stuck was such a good sport about it too, what with the five students and teacher all hovering over her. Very obvious we hadn't done it before. FYI, anytime someone asks if it's your first time to start an IV, you always say "Oh no, I've done this lots of times in the lab", which is true. (Or, like Carter on ER all those years ago... "I'd be disgusted to tell you how many time's I've done this." Ha.)
Plastic arms are great and all to practice on; you keep sticking them over and over and no one complains. But actually sticking a person's arm is very different. For one thing, blood comes out. Gotta push down on the vein or it will spurt all over the place. Which happened. Yipes! Also, needles hurt real people, veins roll, and those stupid safety needles can be cumbersome. But anyway, I'm just excited about the whole "new experience" thing. And after seeing someone else start the IV, I don't feel nearly as apprehensive about starting one myself. My classmate did really well.
Well, I have test on Friday. I'm about halfway through making my "study scroll". The process of rewriting things is helpful. Hopefully I'll make an A this time.
Selasa, 07 Februari 2006
Vermont Nurse Connection
Thank you to the Vermont Nursing Association for publishing an article about the National Nurse written by nurse writer, Lillian Gonzalez. Ms. Gonzalez provides the background information for an Office of the National Nurse and describes the activities the Office will partake in. Perhaps the most compelling paragraph is this:
"Conditions are perfect for America to achieve the highest level of wellness a nation can attain. But to realize an Office of the National Nurse, the nursing community must unite. Every person can get involved and make a difference. One nurse by the name of Lois Capps, Representative for California's 23rd Congressional District, has taken a crucial first step. In an official statement, Congresswoman Capps stated that she not only supports efforts to create a National Nurse, but "(is) currently working on legislation to do so." By uniting across the country, the nursing profession can accomplish what could potentially be the most important piece of legislation not only to the nursing profession, but also to the wellness of our country. Unity among nurses across the country is essential. According to the Congresswoman, "grassroots advocacy will be essential once we have a bill to introduce to Congress."
Sabtu, 04 Februari 2006
The Mysterious Scrolls
First test in each class went well enough. I did very well in Pharmacology and Lab, but only made an 84 in Med-Surg. (Not acceptable. Everyone always says C=RN, but I for one won't stand for less than B's. Going to have to change my study strategy.)
Everyone came out of the classroom with their eyes bugged out. "It was so hard!" Instructor Sarcastic grinned mischievously at these comments. She told me she was proud of my score, seeing as it was such a "good test". Argh! I asked my classmates about their grades. More than a few failed, and everyone else was in the 80's or so.... except for one of my good friends. She made a 104!! I was shocked, but very proud of her. I had to know her secret... how had she gained the advantage?
She and her partner looked at me with grins. "Butcher paper", they said.
"...What?"
I came over to their house later that evening to study. My friend went to the back to retrieve a tube of paper which she unfurled before me. The entire surface was covered in tiny, hand-written class notes. Drugs were organized by category and lines connected important information in a kind of hierarchy. The thing must have been 24 square feet. I was impressed. I can't see the thing being a useful reference in the classroom, but the very act of copying and visually organizing the information presented in the books and slides created an interesting mental map of the subject.
I laughed and asked if they planned to build an entire library over the semester. "You should hand them down to other students when you graduate. Call them the Mysterious Scrolls of the Second Order" (By which I was referring to the second level of clinicals). Of course, I have now purchased my own expanse of white paper to write notes on. It'll be an experiment for the next exam's material; can scroll-writing and diagramming help a visual learner like myself? We'll see.
I'm going to be honest, I have more than one motive for wanting to improve my grades. Sure, I want to be good at what I do. But part of me also wants to prove myself to Instructor Sarcastic. Most instructors say things to upset you once in a while. But when Instructor Sarcastic says them, I can really tell she's trying to push me, not discourage me. I just... like her. I don't want her to think of me as average. Whether or not she likes me back isn't such a big deal. But I want her respect. I want her to have confidence in me. She's one of those people you just want to please.
If I can earn her respect, I know I'll be a good nurse. If I set my standards at her level, I can't go wrong. Have any of you had a teacher like that before?
Everyone came out of the classroom with their eyes bugged out. "It was so hard!" Instructor Sarcastic grinned mischievously at these comments. She told me she was proud of my score, seeing as it was such a "good test". Argh! I asked my classmates about their grades. More than a few failed, and everyone else was in the 80's or so.... except for one of my good friends. She made a 104!! I was shocked, but very proud of her. I had to know her secret... how had she gained the advantage?
She and her partner looked at me with grins. "Butcher paper", they said.
"...What?"
I came over to their house later that evening to study. My friend went to the back to retrieve a tube of paper which she unfurled before me. The entire surface was covered in tiny, hand-written class notes. Drugs were organized by category and lines connected important information in a kind of hierarchy. The thing must have been 24 square feet. I was impressed. I can't see the thing being a useful reference in the classroom, but the very act of copying and visually organizing the information presented in the books and slides created an interesting mental map of the subject.
I laughed and asked if they planned to build an entire library over the semester. "You should hand them down to other students when you graduate. Call them the Mysterious Scrolls of the Second Order" (By which I was referring to the second level of clinicals). Of course, I have now purchased my own expanse of white paper to write notes on. It'll be an experiment for the next exam's material; can scroll-writing and diagramming help a visual learner like myself? We'll see.
I'm going to be honest, I have more than one motive for wanting to improve my grades. Sure, I want to be good at what I do. But part of me also wants to prove myself to Instructor Sarcastic. Most instructors say things to upset you once in a while. But when Instructor Sarcastic says them, I can really tell she's trying to push me, not discourage me. I just... like her. I don't want her to think of me as average. Whether or not she likes me back isn't such a big deal. But I want her respect. I want her to have confidence in me. She's one of those people you just want to please.
If I can earn her respect, I know I'll be a good nurse. If I set my standards at her level, I can't go wrong. Have any of you had a teacher like that before?
Kamis, 02 Februari 2006
PCC's American Association of Women in Community Colleges Meeting
Yesterday, Alisa and Teri were given the privilege of presenting about the National Nurse Campaign to members of the Portland Community College AAWCC Chapter. We had a brief opportunity at the end to hear some of their feedback. The response was one of excitement and hope. As educators, hope for a healthier America is something we all care about. The Office of the National Nurse is meant to be one solution to helping Americans stay healthy.
If you would like us to speak to your group, please drop us an email at teri@nationalnurse.info