Nurse practitioners have been in the news in early 2017, and for very good reason; the time for nurse practitioners (NPs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to step forward has come, and the world is taking notice. In defining NPs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) states the following on their website: “Nurse Practitioners (NPs) have been providing primary, acute and specialty healthcare to patients of all ages and walks of life for nearly half a century. NPs assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, and initiate and manage treatment plans – including prescribing medications. They are the healthcare providers of choice for millions of patients.”…
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99 Top Nursing Blogs
GeriatricNursing.org has complied a really nice list of nursing bloggers and has honored many of us as “Top 99 Nurse Bloggers of 2017.” I am always humbled and honored to be in such great company and share with you because this list is complex and well annotated. I found some new favorites and so will you. Check out these blogs. Thanks!!!! window.amznpubstudioTag = “daretodreampr-20”;
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Please Support The National Nurse Act of 2017
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…