Nurses were once again voted the Most Trusted Professionals in the 2016 Gallup Poll. This marked the 15th year in a row that nurses have topped the list. It’s indeed an honor to call ourselves nurses and to be able to impart our knowledge on our patients to improve their quality of life and health status. Today we face uncertainties with the new administration who promises to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act as soon as possible. We need to stand strong together in a bipartisan effort to ensure Americans continue to receive the very best health care. This starts with prevention and nurses are in a unique position…
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How a Patient Ends Up on Isolation Precautions: In Five Simple Steps
A guest post You enter your unit and receive morning report. Mr. Z, a 68-year-old gentleman with diagnosis cellulitis of the left leg was previously on standard precautions at the time you clocked out yesterday evening. You notice that he now has an isolation cart parked outside of his room with a large sign indicating contact precautions are needed. Yesterday you spent hours in his room wearing only gloves, yet now you are being asked to don a protective gown over your clothing. What changed in twelve hours that warranted this? Image credit: Koldunov After reviewing Mr. Z’s chart you recognize the familiar acronym: MRSA, or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.…
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The Effects of Working on Your Feet All Day
A guest post from Bobbie Brown Even though numerous studies show extensive periods of standing and walking have significant adverse effects on the body, it is not uncommon for nurses to find themselves working 10 to 12 hour days. Your muscles, joints, tendons, feet, and spine all react differently to long hours on your feet and physical ailments can easily manifest such as neck pain, hip pain, and cramping of muscles; while foot conditions such as corns, calluses, bunions, ingrown toe nails, plantar fasciitis, and foot neuroma (a swollen or thickened nerve in the ball of your foot), can become exasperated causing intense prolonged pain. What’s Really Happening? So, what…
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BREAKING NEWS: ANA Opposes New Healthcare Bill
BREAKING NEWS: Nurses Oppose Healthcare Bill The American Nurses Association has officially opposed the new healthcare bill, The American Health Care Act. In a letter written to the committee members and copied to prominent leaders in the House and Senate, President Pamela F Cipriano PhD, RN FAAN, outlined the reasons the ANA is opposing the new health care bill. Not the least of which it “threatens health care affordability, access, and delivery for individuals across the nation.” Nurses are the most trusted profession and as such we need UNITE to stand up and advocate for ourselves, as well as our patients. Affordable healthcare that provides all Americans access to preventative…