DOs and DON'Ts for Your FIRST Day

Syndicated from Jim DeMaria wrote the following DOs and DON'Ts for travel nurses for Scrubsmag.com April 5th, 2010


So you’ve thought about becoming a traveling nurse. You’ve imagined yourself basking under the desert skies of Arizona, frolicking on the sun-soaked beaches of Los Angeles — and not just for a vacation, but as your lifestyle.

But wait. Forget the exotic travel for a minute — what is the job really? Being a nurse brings enough of its own challenges, no matter the specialty. Who wants the added pressure of navigating unfamiliar hospitals with every single assignment? What if you get to a new location and you keep getting lost? What if you don’t know where anything is? What if no one will help? How many times can you go through that?

James DeMaria, Vice President of Renal Care Registered Nursing Services in Nanuet, N.Y., has been providing acute hemodialysis and acute apheresis services to some of the Northeast’s largest hospitals and caregiving facilities. Transporting equipment and providing patient care to different locations on a daily basis has made him an expert on the ins and outs of traveling nurse etiquette.

Jim made his transition to travel nursing from med surge in 2000 and has never looked back. Check out his list of first-day-on-the-job dos and don’ts to learn his secrets to managing the job and enjoying it.

DO...

**Arrive with the right attitude. Being in unfamiliar territory can quickly make you anxious. Remember to have an open mind. You became a traveling nurse precisely to break up the monotony, so embrace the challenge!

**Meet the unit secretary. Only second in importance to the floor manager, the unit secretary knows where everything is

**Learn people’s names. It’s as simple as that. Learn people’s names. Remember people’s names!

**Be helpful. When you’re helpless, be helpful. When you have a question, chances are everyone around you will be in the middle of something. Instead of interrupting a busy fellow nurse, why not offer her assistance in lifting her patient into a bed? Earn your right to be inquisitive by being a team player.

**Pay attention to detail. As the outsider, you’re the low man on the totem pole. That means when something goes wrong, fingers are going to be pointed at you. Pay extra attention to detail and fill out all proper documentation.

Don’t…

**Be shy. When you’re trying to learn the lay of the land, you must not be afraid to ask questions. But be friendly. As Jim would put it, “There’s a way to be assertive without being a nudge.”

**Make up your own rules. As a traveling nurse, you’re essentially a guest in someone’s house. Act accordingly.

**Be exclusive. Make every person you meet your friend and ally. “You never know what you’re going to need,” says Jim. “I work with water a lot in what I do, so I get to know the maintenance people. If they remember you as a nice guy, as a friend, they’ll help you out.”

**Take things personally. Not everyone will remember your name. Or worse, they’ll call you by the wrong name. Instead of getting irritated, diffuse the awkwardness by making a good-natured joke. Enjoy yourself. Laugh.

**Forget that you’re a great nurse. As with starting out in anything, your first experiences as a traveling nurse will be filled with some degree of uncertainty and novice anxiety. But there’s one thing you’ll always instinctively know how to do: take care of your patient. Let this relationship be your rock when everything else seems unfamiliar.

Wrong Blood in Tube. Errors in Blood Collection.

Photo by Renjith Krishnan


Syndicated from Impacted Nurse Tue, 12/14/2010

One of the more serious mistakes we can make as nurses, is to incorrectly identify a blood specimen we are sending off to pathology.

This is known as ‘Wrong Blood in Tube’ or WBIT, and can result in incorrect treatment being given to a patient based on their ‘wrong’ pathology results or even more seriously, a wrong blood transfusion being administered. Mistransfusion error is a leading cause of serious morbidity and mortality from blood transfusions.

It is estimated that WBIT occurs at a rate of around 1 in 2000 samples taken. Incorrectly identifying the patient and mislabelling the pathology tubes account for up to 15% of such errors. However, the actual number is thought to be much higher than this as many of these types of errors are ‘discovered’ prior to the specimen being sent and therefore not reported (as a near miss).

Some of the poor practices that can lead to WBIT include:

•Labelling of sample tubes away from the patients bedside.
•Failure to correctly confirm the patients identity.
•Patients with similar or identical names that have not been flagged.
•Use of pre-printed labels
•Inaccurate verbal instructions.


The Victorian Managed Insurance Authority has published an excellent manual: Reducing Harm in Blood Transfusions Investigating the Human Factors behind ‘Wrong Blood in Tube’ (WBIT) events in the Emergency Department.

Some of the factors that spoil our ability to follow best practice in specimen labelling include:

•High number of patients (with pressure on turnover)
•Urgency of individual cases.
•Ability of patients to communicate.
•Low staff to patient ratios.
•Time pressures.
•High workloads
•High stress (emotional demands of work)
•Interruptions.
•Rotating staff (implications on education and team culture)
•Fatigue (physical and mental pressures)

The ED is an environment where patient volume is high and requires that individual patients are processed quickly and efficiently. This can cause stress for staff, particularly when patients are very sick and the timeliness of appropriate treatment has the potential to impact on patient outcomes. In addition, the high physical and cognitive workload involved in long shifts can compound the stress with fatigue effects. Overnight and weekend shifts, with limited ‘back-up’, were reported in the interviews to be associated with more errors. Sometimes blood tubes were sent completely unlabelled. The unevenness of patient volume on these shifts can also place great demands on a ‘skeleton’ staff. Lack of staff redundancy results in an inability to relieve pressure when patient volume is high.

Correct ID
The study found that on many occasions nurses do not accurately identify their patients. Sometimes patient ID bracelets have not been applied or have incorrect information.
Commonly nurses asked the patient to simply confirm the information on their ID bracelet rather asking the patient to state their family name, given name and DOB whilst the nurse checks this information against the bracelet and the pathology documentation (as is best practice).
And doctors were found to be worse than nurses.

Interruptions
Nurses were observed to be commonly interrupted (by doctors or other nursing staff). Such interruptions and multi-tasking have recently been reported as a major cause of clinical inefficiency and error in Australian hospitals.

Fatigue
Fatigue is a huge issue with staff working in our emergency departments.

Fatigue affects performance by impairing; concentration, judgement, decision-making, memory function and physical coordination. It results in increased error rates and lower efficiency. All of these are threats to patient safety.

Despite these effects being well known, hospital culture often requires people to work even when identifiably fatigued. More to the point, with increasing patient throughput and demand on the health system, the luxury of being able to stop work when fatigued is generally not a viable one.

The report recommends the ideal process in a simplified form, in order to prevent WBIT error is:

1. Ensure request form is completed with all patient identifiers required i.e. full name, UR Number, and/or DOB.

2. Assemble all equipment required to collect the specimen, including sufficient patient labels (if these are used) to label specimens.

3. Identify patient using positive ID process: ask the patient to state full name and DOB and

check these details and UR Number against ID band, patient documents and/or any products.

4. Collect specimens and place into appropriate containers using appropriate technique.

5. After checking UR labels, match the patient identifiers on request form and wrist band, label each specimen and initial that each label was checked for correct patient details. Sign and note date and time on request form.

6. Place all specimens in biohazard bag and seal, placing request form in outside pocket.

7. Dispatch to pathology laboratory.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People- Habit 2

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

"So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you--right now--who you want to be, what you dreamed you'd be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest."

"If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster."

Habit 2 is based on imagination--

"If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default."

"It's about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself."

"Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen."

"Develop a Personal Mission Statement. Focus it on what you want to be and do."

"Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision."

All of these are quotes from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The Six Second ECG Quiz

The Six Second ECG is the neatest site. You can learn how to correctly identify cardiac rhythms. Or you can play a game where you are given a specific rhythm and you need to identify it as fast as possible.

What other neat quizzes do you know about?

7 Habits for Highly Effective People- Habit 1

With the new year just around the corner many people are beginning to think about New Year's Resolutions. Possibly you are one of the many out there who feel like life has been lacking something, or just feeling, like you are not in the driver's seat anymore.

Stephen Covey's book 7 Habits for Highly Effective People is amazing at giving you advice on how to take back the control. Perfect for the new year!

"Your life doesn't just "happen." Whether you know it or not, it is carefully designed by you. The choices, after all, are yours. You choose happiness. You choose sadness. You choose decisiveness. You choose ambivalence. You choose success. You choose failure. You choose courage. You choose fear. Just remember that every moment, every situation, provides a new choice. And in doing so, it gives you a perfect opportunity to do things differently to produce more positive results."

Habit 1: Be Proactive

"Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. You can't keep blaming everything on others."

"One of the most important things you choose is what you say. Your language is a good indicator of how you see yourself. A proactive person uses proactive language--I can, I will, I prefer, etc. A reactive person uses reactive language--I can't, I have to, if only. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say and do--they have no choice."

"Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control."

Seriously, I have to Work on Christmas!

Kim Holland, author from Nurse Together complied this list of 10 ways to get over the holiday working blues:

1. Count it joy that you have a stable job. In these trying economic times you have an income to help pay for basics and also gifts for your loved ones.

2. Give sacrificially to someone less fortunate than you. Work with your children on some small gifts you can take into your patients on Christmas Day. You will be teaching them to give and including them in the blessing that you have of helping others.

3. Plan the pot luck for those working the holiday. Getting festive with your coworkers can be a blast and will remind you that you’re not alone.

4. Shop for the perfect set of Christmas earrings, hat or blinking pin to wear to work. You can be excited to “show it off” and cheer everyone up on the holiday.

5. Set aside special family time around Christmas. If you know you are working Christmas, you may need to consider minimizing time at grandma's house if this is not relaxing for your family. They need special time. As long as you make time with them intimate and special, they won’t mind that it is the day before or the day after.

6. Get creative and have a surprise gift delivered to your loved ones while you work. They will know that you love them and that you were thinking about them during your shift.

7. Do something special for the group that is working. If you are a manager, leave small gifts or cards with the employee’s names on them telling how much you appreciate them being there on the holiday.

8. Remember it’s just a few hours; it’s not a lifetime. Maybe it means that you were able to spend time with your family at Thanksgiving or on New Years while other nurses worked.

9. Control your feelings by controlling your thoughts. If you are obsessing about how angry or sad you are, you will be angry and sad. Instead, tell yourself working the holiday is an opportunity to show the true spirit of Christmas to your coworkers, family and patients. If you have a positive attitude, happy feelings will follow.

10. Be proud that you work holidays – you care when no one else does! Take this time to rejuvenate yourself with love and kindness for your fellow man. You are a nurse. Be a great one!!

Antibiotic Overuse

This is not a new issue by any means. However, it seems even though we have been discussing the overuse of antibiotics for many years now, and changes don't seem to be occurring.

Over at MedScape.com they recently published an interview between Medscape authors and the CDC on November, 30th 2010.

The CDC was quoted as saying, "It is estimated that roughly 50% of antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed in both inpatient and office settings."

The most common reasons for this abuse the CDC states are "lack of time, perceived patient expectations, and diagnostic uncertainty. For example, prescribing an antibiotic can be quicker than taking the time to counsel a patient on appropriate use and about why antibiotics are not needed for viral illnesses."

The CDC explains that these 4 communication strategies can be used to help prevent patient requests for an inappropriate antibiotic or to respond to such requests:

1. Provide a specific diagnosis to help patients feel validated. For example, say "viral bronchitis" instead of referring to an illness as "just a virus."

2. Recommend symptomatic relief and share normal findings as you go through your examination.

3. Discuss potential side effects of antibiotic use, including adverse effects and resistance. Many patients don't realize that antibiotics can be harmful.

4. Lastly, explain to the patient or parent what to expect over the next few days -- including that you will reevaluate their situation and prescribe antibiotics if it becomes medically appropriate.

So, what does this all mean in the end? Well first, we as patients, need to stop requesting antibiotics when we have things like colds, coughs etc. Then second, as medical professionals we need to not be swayed by the persistent patient that keeps asking for medicine.

We may make some patients upset, but in the long run it is better for everyone.

Top 10 Grossest ER Dilemmas

picture by Salvatore Vuono

Just had to share this post from Girlvet over at

madness: tales of an emergency room nurse

She titled it "I think I just threw up in my mouth."

And this was her post:

I mean seriously there are days we deserve combat pay. Like today.

In the spirit of grossness, I present the top ten gross things a nurse deals with:

10) feet that haven't been wash for a year

9) a heroin addict with sores

8) scabies

7) bed bugs

6) drunk heavy smoker who has peed their pants

5) rectal abscess that needs an incision and drainage

4) bad GI bleed

3) grandpa who laid on the floor for hours and is covered in dry stool

2) diarrhea from C diff

AND THE NUMBER ONE GROSS THING WE DEAL WITH IS:

1)Maggots

What are some of the grossest things you have seen?

Violence Against ER Nurses

photo by Kounas

A new study, released this past September, suggests that rates of violence against emergency room nurses are high, and remain steady.

The study, which was issued by the Emergency Nurses Association, states that every week, as many as 8-10 % of emergency room nurses in the United States are victims of physical violence.

The Emergency Department Violence Study also reported that 15 % of the nurses who reported experiencing physical violence said that they received physical injuries as a result, and in 45 % of the cases, no legal action was taken against the perpetrator.

“We are extremely alarmed that there are so many cases in which hospitals do not respond to violence in the emergency department,” said ENA President Diane Gurney, RN, MS, CEN.

The report however, does suggest that remedies to the problem do exist.

Panic buttons or silent alarms are associated with lowering physical violence rates. Also having an enclosed nurses’ station, security signs and well-lit areas are associated with significantly lower verbal abuse rates.

The complete study can be found at ENA.org

What are your experiences?

Stressed? Try Blogging

People are always talking about the benefits of journaling. And even though the advantages are numerous, it is also 2010, almost 2011. Today the best way to journal is to blog.

While at work, a nurse always has to be ON. There isn't a lot of time to let your mind wander. Blogging would be excellent way to relax.

When you create a blog you are able to share your day to day occurrences with others OR you can create a blog that is visible to no one else but you.

Over at Nurse Together they created the following list of potential benefits for journaling:

· Work out on paper the issues at hand; strategize to develop solutions for same.

· Articulate the proper words to say to help you communicate better with someone.

· Vent! You can say things in your journal you would/could never say in person, and it’s ok!

· Be still and quiet. Journaling can help you slow down, be present and concentrate better.

· Goal setting - thinking about an idea is one thing, writing it down takes on a whole new meaning.

· Offers a reality check - do you really want to quit your job, get a dog or move to Iceland?

· Provides a safe place to grow - a place for little ideas that won’t be judged, a place for seeds to sprout.

If you start/have a public blog let us know and we will be one of your first followers.

RNs Conducting the Invasive Body Scans

There are many opinions about the pros and cons concerning the new airport body scanners and body searches.

The scans themselves aren't very powerful, thus they only penetrate through a layer of clothes. The image that arises from the scan is basically a fuzzy nude photo of the individual.

If you choose not to be scanned, you will be subjected to an invasive, enhanced pat down by a security guard of the same sex.

Over at AZ Central there is an article discussing the idea of using retired RNs, LPNs, med techs, etc to conduct these. Currently the scans and pat downs are ran by Transportation Security Administrator's (TSAs).

Would you feel better about having medical professionals conduct these scans? What are your opinions of the scans in general?

Some of you may be subjected to these scans/searches if you plan on flying this holiday season. CNN.com has a list of these airports.

Tell us what you think!

"that bellyache will cost you $5,000..... "

Earlier this spring, I was experiencing some pretty decent side cramps. They started on Friday night and lasted all weekend. However, by Monday morning I was feeling much better. BUT, since I had been doubled over for 2 straight days we thought it best that I go in and get things checked out.

Yep, they gave me a CT scan. The results showed that I had only a slightly, enlarged appendix. In any case, they took me by ambulance to the hospital, hubby was not allowed to drive me because of my IV port.

I was at the hospital for a day and a half, had one ultrasound and left with my appendix still intact. The doctor, on call, decided that it wasn't inflamed enough to require surgery. Plus, since Monday morning, I had been feeling great. I just had some tenderness.

My assumption: One VERY large gas bill.

Did they have to perform a CT or would a much cheaper ultrasound sufficed? I am not sure.

Girl Vet from over at Madness: Tales of an Emergency Room Nurse discusses this new "fad" of everyone using CT scans. She asks the questions, "Are we giving too many CT scans? Are hospitals doing so many just because they have access to the machines? Should we be exposing patients all of this excess radiation?

Have you noticed a difference in your hospital? Are there unnecessary tests and procedures performed just because the equipment is handy?

Tip: How Not to Pee in Your Scrubs

Ian over at Impacted Nurse is hilarious.

Check out his tip on: How NOT to PEE in Your Scrubs...

Our Patients Deserve....Nurses that are PRESENT

Photographer: healingdream

We all know that without nurses, hospitals could never manage efficiently. Nurses are the backbones of the whole establishment.

However, without patients there also would be no hospital. Most of the time, patients come to us when they are at their most vulnerable.

Every one of us has been a patient at one time or another. And, as a patient we deserve to have certain needs met.

There is an article over at Nurse Together that lists a few needs of patients:

1. Help the patient to feel human.

2. Empower the patient.

3. Ease the patients fear.

4. Treat all patients with respect.

These are all very important needs, however, the most substantial need of any patient is TIME with a nurse that is PRESENT.

When spending time with patients, nurses need to be present, both in body and mind. Patients truly deserve this. If a nurse is preoccupied by something else and not entirely focused on the patient it is always extremely obvious.

Even if our schedule is packed and we are only able to be in each patient's room for 5 mins it is still a nurses responsibility to give undivided attention.

This is something we would want as patients, isn't it?

Resume Writing for Travel Nurses

Often times, your resume is the first contact you have with a possible employer. And, we have all been told that first impressions really make or break deals. So, it is very important for travel nurses to keep their resumes looking crisp, neat and to the point.

On average an employer looks at your resume for 15 seconds.

Long descriptive resumes can turn potential employers off. A resume is not supposed to contain all of the details just the specifics. If an employer wants to know more about you and the skills you have, they will do so in a phone interview.

Make sure to include white space. It creates a visual rest for the eye.


Google Docs is a great place to get resume templates.

7 Tips for Night Shift Nurses

Photographer: Maggie Smith


How do I make it through 3, 12 hour night shifts in a row? If it is a new endeavor for you, you might find yourself asking this very question.

Working the night shift can be very rewarding if you go into it thinking positively. Driving home in the morning in the opposite direction of rush hour. The productivity of the middle of the night. The quiet, most of the time, halls.

However, if you aren't prepared you may end up making some very big mistakes. Not only can working the night shift disrupt your day to day life but, it can also disrupt those around you.

The article 7 Tips for Working the Night Shift has some great advice on how to make your night shift position a success. The website Nurse Together is such a great resource. Definitely check it out.

Lucky for many of us, dogs are happy to see us any time of day. And they are more than willing to snuggle up and sleep with us after a long night shift.

Healthcare Travelbook for Travel Nurses

If you have never heard of Healthcare Travelbook before you are in for a treat. It is the coolest site out there for travelers.

Once you are a member you can join forums, share pictures, videos and even create your own blog. It is very similar to facebook, however, it was created just for travel professionals.

Soon, Healthcare Travelbook is going to give their members the option of creating groups. Once this is available Dream Nurse Travel is going to create a group just for our nurses. This will allow us to keep in better contact with each other and also it will give our nurses a chance to get to know each other.

So, we would love for each of our nurses to join Healthcare Travelbook. After, you join look for Dream Nurse Travel and befriend us so we can begin following one another.

10 Possible Interview Questions for Travel Nurses

If you are wondering what questions you may be asked on a phone interview, here are some of the possibilities.

1) How long have you worked in your area of specialty?

2) How long have you been a traveler?

3) Our orientation process is only a few days long, which really orients you to the floor. Are you comfortable with this?

4) What do you feel you are the strongest in(expertise..ex: cardiac)?

5) Where do you feel you are weakest?

6) Are you comfortable with taking a large assignment. At times we may be very short staffed and we may need you to take on a strong assignment.

7) When are you available to work?

8) Do you have a problem with weekends and nights?

9) Do you have any questions for me? This is a good time to ask details about the unit. If the participate in team nursing/ pt to nurse ratio. Total number of nurses that work on each shift. Who are your resources.. etc..

10) When is the soonest you can start?

Feel free to share other possible questions.

Phone Interview Tips for Nurses

photo by br3akthru

1. Pick a quiet place where you won't be bothered.

2. Have your resume/any notes/questions ready to go.

3. Talk slowly and with confidence.

4. Explain why you're special.

5. Listen carefully

6. Keep answers to the point.

7. Don't interrupt the interviewer's questions.

8. Be honest. Don't offer skills you do not have.

9. Thank the interviewer for their time

10. Reiterate that you think you are a perfect candidate for the position.

Free Vaccines

Tompkins County Health Department has a number of FREE vaccines.
The Tompkins County Health Department will hold a *Family Flu Clinic* on
Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the health department at 55
Brown Road (near the airport). Bring your family and friends. No
appointment needed!
Children (6 months of age through 18 years) are FREE!
The cost for adults 19 years of age and older is $35. Medicare part B,
Medicaid, cash or check accepted. No credit or debit cards.

For more info go to Tompkins County.

Annie, Annie are you okay?

Many of us have asked this question while taking a CPR class. And yes, it is still very important to ask this question before administering CPR. One wouldn't want to begin chest compressions on an individual who merely resting. However, the American Heart Association (AHA) has changed their recommended order for the CPR procedure.

The A, B, C,'s (Airway, Breathing, Compressions) protocol has now been changed to C, A, B (Compressions, Airway, Breathing).

When a person becomes unresponsive, their lungs will still contain some oxygen. So, by beginning CPR with chest compressions you are able to get oxygen to the brain about 30 seconds faster than if you preformed the older A, B, C version.

The AHA also recommends that compressions are at a rate of 100/minute. On adults the compressions should be about 2 inches deep and on children they should be about 1.5 inches deep.

The American Heart Association has a complete list of the guidelines on their home page.

It's Flu Shot Season

photo by Stefano Valle

Flu shot time is in full swing. This year there is no need to panic. Experts say that there is plenty of the vaccine to go around. Plus, as an added bonus, this years flu shot is combined with the H1N1 vaccine. Last year, those of us that were able to get the shot had to get 2 separate doses, the normal flu and then the H1N1.

The ACIP says that EVERYONE over 6 months of age should receive yearly flu vaccinations.

There are 3 choices of the flu vaccine this year. There is the traditional inactivated shot. The live attenuated flu vaccine or the new high dose vaccine for people ages 65 and over. The flu mist is not for pregnant women.

Over at Medscape.com there is a great video that explains what each vaccine contains. If you are unsure which shot you should receive please ask your physician. advice.

Nurse Volunteers-Ithaca Free Clinic

Ithaca Free Clinic

The Ithaca Health Alliance opened the Ithaca Free Clinic in 2005. It is the only free clinic for the uninsured in Tompkins County.

It is our mission to facilitate access to health care for all with a focus on the needs of the uninsured. At Ithaca Free Clinic we offer 100% free conventional and holistic healthcare services for anyone without health insurance.

The clinic sees patients two days a week:

Mondays from 2-6 pm
Thursdays from 4-8 pm

Tuesdays 3-7 p.m. — Therapeutic services only, appointments required.

Call 607-330-1254.

Both Kansas & Justine, two of the founders of Dream Nurse Travel, volunteer at the clinic and invite you to join in the spirit of volunteerism!!!

Prospective volunteers are asked to fill out the Ithaca Health Alliance volunteer application to provide us with information about how to contact you and let us know about your areas of interest.

Bed Bugs

So we all know that they are gross but, they really are causing quite a problem these days. More and more people are getting bit by these little beasts. Which means, many of you may encounter patients with these lesions.

An application for iphones that has pictures of different bugs and what their bites look like is now available. Wow, who would have thought! A review of that application can be found over at imedical apps. "Bedbugs ‘n Things is a great reference tool for skin lesions that are caused by insect bites". This application seems like it could be extremely handy.

"But, bedbugs, despite the ick factor, are clean". The New York Times has a great article explaining how bedbugs were virtually non existent for 40 years, ie DDT and other pesticides and then in the 90's they came back with a vengeance and now they are trying to take over the world.

Helpful hint, check second hand articles carefully, we still want to buy second hand because it REALLY does help the environment but, do look items over thoroughly and check mattresses at hotels.

Medical Opinion vs. Personal Opinion

Many times, as nurses, we are asked to give our opinion in certain situations. Do we think certain procedures are necessary? Would we be taking these risks if the person in the bed was a member of our family? As nurses, we can be put into very difficult situations. Our thoughts and feelings about a specific practice may differ from protocol.

What do we do during those times? Do we give our medical opinion or do we give our personal opinion. Sometimes it is a hard call.

Over atworkingnurse.com there is an article that discusses this very subject.

We don't always like being put on the spot but, as nurses we are there for the patient and nothing else.

What are your thoughts?

Obesity in the US

Adult Obesity in the United States is not a new issue. The stats that are out there are scary. "Wide sections of the Southeast, Appalachia, and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the nation's highest rates of obesity and diabetes. In many counties in those regions, rates of diagnosed diabetes exceed 10 percent and obesity prevalence is more than 30 percent." Statistic found over at the CDC obesity web page

Also, "the prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. has more than tripled over the past three decades and remains high regardless of the age, sex, race and ethnicity and socioeconomic standing." Statistic from Medpage today on childhood obesity.

This free webinar is offered over at Nurse.com has a goal to familiarize nurses with the growing epidemic of obesity among adults in the United States. The course takes about 1 hour.

Workshops

These are some workshops that are in Syracuse. Everybody always needs more credits to keep their license up to date.

So, check these out. They sound super interesting!

Brain Injury Basics

Brian Rieger, Ph.D. the Director of Rehabilitation Psychology at SUNY Upstate Medical University will discuss the Basics of Brain Injury

Date(s): 11/2/10

Time(s): 6:00am to 8:00pm

Location:

Exceptional Family Resources

1820 Lemoyne Ave

Syracuse, NY 13208

For more information, contact Sue Wegman at 315-478-1462 ext 327 or email swegman@contactefr.org or visit http://www.enablecny.org/.

Found on this website

This other one is organized by the NYSNA

Date: Nov 16... Registration deadline Nov 5th

Team Building Basics:

Nurses will enhance their interpersonal skills and gain an understanding of how to deal effectively with difficult personality styles in the workplace through the use of scenarios and role-play.

Team Building Workshop Info & Application

Van Duyn Home and Hospital, 5075 W. Seneca Tpke., Syracuse, NY

This one was found on this website. Check it out for more info.

If anyone ever hears of good workshops/conferences please let us know!

Sharing Stories

If anyone has any stories, tips, articles or anything interesting that they would like to share on this blog, let me know.

We would love to have guest authors or just email me and I can share the information for you.

cindy@dreamnursetravel.com

Why Are You A Nurse?

I read this great article over at AllNurses.com. There are so many hard, challenging days in the life of a nurse but, when you have that one great day or even that one great minute, it makes all the difference.

Why you work the long hours you do or why you deal with less than perfect patients.

Nursing is such a rewarding career. Those who the profession is meant for know this and at the end of the day are proud to call themselves a nurse!

Great Things

Wonderful things are happening at Dream Nurse Travel. Our team is growing which allows us to better accommodate your needs. We are here to place you in positions that will further your careers and also enhance your knowledge base.

We will be posting job openings and sharing cutting edge medical news.

Currently, we are placing nurses in the central New York area and northern Pennsylvania.

Please check out our website Dream Nurse Travel and you can also find us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

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