~Sarah's Blog~

The End of Nursing School

2010-09-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

I finally finished nursing school, and have received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing! Yay! It feels so surreal to be finished, and I love having time to relax and not have to study 24/7. However, the fun will not last long since I need to start studying for the NCLEX-RN. I have received a job offer at one of the local hospitals in my area, and I can't wait to start.

FAM BLOG

2009-12-02T06:04:00.001-08:00

1. Write a blog about an experience you had in either peds or Women's health rotation that you felt strongly about.

During my peds rotation I had a very strong experience working with a Muslim family and their 1 week old son. Both the parents always tried to be present with their child; however, they were having meetings with immigration trying to gain citizenship. Therefore, the grandmother was there most of the day with me. She spoke no English, and only Arabic. My Arabic is very limited, but I knew how to respect her and her family to her liking from my own experience as well as from all the nursing classes we have taken that teach us how to be culturally competent. I tried to remain respect, but keeping the door closed at all times when assessing or taking the baby’s vital signs, because she was wearing hijab (head scarf). I also tried to teach her some of the assessment techniques I was doing, and why I was doing it… even though she may have not understood me, I believe she appreciated what I was doing and actually acknowledging her presence even though she didn’t know any English.

2. Did the situation change your views about nursing, about people, about anything?

This situation did not change my views about nursing or people. I still felt compassionate, and I preferred working with a Muslim family because I understand their values and know how to work with and respect them well.

3. If you could change something (within reason) about the situation, what would you change?

I probably wouldn’t have changed anything. It was a great experience, and I was very happy to finally see parents be with their child constantly even though the baby was just an infant.

4. What type of nursing do you think you want to do when you are done?

I feel that I would really like to do maternal – labor & delivery or OR nursing… both are really different. I like the feelings I have with the parents that bring a child into the world, and I also like the team atmosphere in the OR.

#4

2009-12-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

Post a blog in the blogspot you have created for yourself describing how you feel patients use the internet as a medium for healthcare. Are there any groups that you feel suffer because of internet access issues or do you think patients blindly listen to their providers about medications and supplements?

I feel that patient’s utilize the internet as more than just a medium to gain a little knowledge for healthcare. It seems as though, most people that read things on the internet have a tendency to believe everything that they read is true. I know I feel whenever I read a blog or WebMD about a condition I feel as though I have it. I start becoming a hypochondriac in every way possible. I feel that there are several groups that suffer because of internet access issues such as those who do not have healthcare or cannot afford to go to the doctor. These people rely more on home remedies and over the counter (OTC) drugs. Sadly, these people can be misinformed just like me if they choose to rely solely on the internet to self-diagnose themselves instead of going to the doctor and getting a real medical opinion. This can be extremely hazardous to one’s health. I think the internet is a great source to get an idea of medical conditions to prepare them to meet with the doctor and understand the terminology/condition that may be utilized. If all patients utilized the internet to get a general idea about medications and supplements for their condition then they may be able to make a suggestion to their doctor… however, this is usually not the normal case. Most patients will listen to their doctor blindly about medications and supplements, which isn’t always the best thing to do. Some doctors could be wrong or misinform you, or forget to tell you certain side effects that may frighten you when your pee turns blue or orange. Therefore, I strongly believe all patients should use the internet to get a general idea, but still continue to see their doctor.

Blog #3 (cystic acne & retin A)

2009-11-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

<<<<------ after cystic acne and using retin a (2 yrs later)

<<<<----Google chick with cystic acne :(

My cystic acne used to be worse than this girl from google... with time and retin A it went away. however, the scarring remains on my chin, but most of it healed well by using vitamin E capsules directly on my chin @ night :)

Retin A >>>>>

Post a blog in the blogspot you have created for yourself describing how you feel about generic vs. name brand pharmaceuticals. Do you think one is more effective or better than the other? What would you recommend for your patients if they ask you if they should buy generic vs. namebrand, knowing they will most likely do what you say for ALL their prescription drugs, no matter what it is?

I feel that generic and name brand have some differences, but that ultimately both “supposedly” have the same mechanism of action. Personally, I believe in utilizing generic because most of the time the product has such subtle differences I can’t even tell or I get the same results. For example: I had really bad cystic acne 2 years ago and the doctor prescribed “Retin A” which was almost $200… he refused to prescribe generic because he said it did not work the same or as well as the name brand. Due to this doctor’s decision, I could only afford to get the topical medication I needed ONCE even though I had a refill of 2 more… I just could not afford it. I think that there is a place for recommendation, especially as health professionals, but I think that the option of generic should always be open to our patients due to their budgets and lifestyle. As for my patients, I would recommend whichever one was known to be better, but I would give my patient the option of purchasing a generic brand in case they could not afford it. I feel like pharmaceutical companies tend to take advantages of people when they are ill because we will buy anything that will fix or cure our symptoms and problems. I didn’t have the money for that Retin A, but I bought it because I believed it would fix the problem and did not want to find another doctor to prescribe the generic or try to convince the doctor to give me what I wanted. I would recommend for my patients to buy whichever prescription drug they can afford – I believe that generic and name brands are so similar that the difference would be minimal.

Families Assignment # 1

2009-10-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Write a blog to answer the following questions: (each answer must be a minimum of 3 sentences)

1. Describe one theory about the general pathophysiologic changes that occur in cancer from the cellular level to the tumor stage.

There are two broad categories of genes, which can be affected from the gaining or losing of entire chromosomes to a mutation affecting a single DNA nucleotide. Oncogenes have the ability to be normal genes, which are often expressed at high levels, or can be altered genes. Regardless,, expression of these genes will promote the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. Tumor suppressor genes can also inhibit cell division, survival, or other cancer properties. Generally, changes in many genes are required to go from normal cells to cancerous cells. Most of these changes are mutations, or errors in mitosis, which can result in an abnormal number of chromosomes. Oncogenes also promote cell growth, and can produce hormones (chemical messenger) between cells to initiate mitosis. Mutations in proto-oncogenes, which are normally quiescent counterparts of oncogenes, can modify their expression and function. When this happens, the proto-oncogenes become oncogenes, and this transition upsets the balance of cell cycle regulation, making uncontrolled growth possible cancerous cells. There are also tumor suppressor cells, which can get turned off, and can change healthy cells to cancerous. Cells will grow and divide faster than normal. If DNA repair is not functioning, then it will be difficult for cells to detect this malfunction.

http://beatthecancer.blogspot.com/2009/01/pathophysiology.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2068251/The-Pathophysiology-of-Cancer

2. What can nurses do to confront teenage smokers (think about developmental stage) to get them to quit?

Nurses can confront teenage smokers by being more aware of their developmental stage, which is identity vs. role confusion. I think talking one on one with the teenager without a parent would be helpful, showing images of what can happen to their body and the effects of smoking. I also think teenagers look up to celebrities in the media, and maybe connecting the idea that not all celebrities smoke will also influence them. I also think it would be helpful to try and motivate the teenager to quit by giving real-life stories about friends or family who have undergone this difficult task

3. If parents smoke, do you think their kids are more likely to smoke?

I definitely believe that if parents smoke then their kids are more likely to smoke. However, my parents both used to smoke until about ~ 9 yrs ago… and I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. Smoking cigarettes is the most disgusting thing to me, and I would never be around people who do that. So, I feel that there are exceptions to the rule, but I also believe that smoking is the “cool” thing to do, and many kids do it because of this… an example being my 17 yr old sister… who just started hanging out with people who do, and now she does… regardless of what I tell her.

4. What is the most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18?

The most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18 is motor vehicle accidents. I believe this is due to their lack of responsible driving, texting while driving, and being distracted by friends or family while driving. I don’t find this to be surprising, which is kind of sad. I also feel that teenagers feel the need to drive more recklessly to be “cool.”

5. List one strength and one weakness in the next generation of school age kids and explain your answer.

One strength of the next generation is that they are more educated with higher level degrees than our past generations. It is now the norm for kids to go to college, and parents begin saving money with Florida prepaid for their children before high school or even middle school. One weakness in the next generation is that there is a rapid increase in diabetes type ii in school age children. Lack of adequate nutrition, exercise, and involvement in activities aids in this increase.

Families Assignment #2

2009-10-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

You will write a blog in your blog space about the following topic.

1. Describe a folk remedy or a home remedy that you know of. Mention the source where you heard it from.

A folk remedy my family utilizes for sunburns is Aloe Vera from Aloe leaves. Sometimes we even refrigerate the leaves once we have removed the top layer. Next, we apply the side of the leaf with flesh exposed directly to the sunburn. My family has heard of this folk remedy from my grandmother… the source after that is unknown. However, I think this practice is somewhat common for sunburns.

2. Is there any truth to it or is there evidence to disclaim it? Find an article and tell us whether the current research supports the "old-wives" tale or disclaims it.

There is a truth to it, I have provided the link below:

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=111&sid=eaa3bbbb-984f-4c7f-98c2-8ffa8e2cc60b@sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2002160664

Aloe Vera is known to have pain relieving qualities and acts as an anti-inflammatory that penetrates into injured tissue and soothes the skin. Many sunburn ointments also contain Aloe Vera to help reduce inflammation and relieve the injured sunburned skin. The cold leaves are very soothing and cooling on the skin.

3. Post the reference at the end of your blog in APA format.

See Bottom of Post

4. Do you disagree with using "home-remedies" like the one you posted or not? Do they cause more harm than good ? or do they serve a purpose?

I agree with home remedies! Back in the olden days people did not rely on medicine to cure or clean their wounds, or help their pain. People used to use the resources they had, which included Aloe Vera, or other herbs to help reduce medical conditions. Utilizing home remedies may seem primitive to many people as opposed to going to the doctor and getting a prescription, but I feel that they can be just as effective as prescriptions. Home remedies also have less side effects or toxins that will affect the body negatively.

5. Would you recommend the one you described to a patient?

I would definitely recommend Aloe Vera to my patient with sunburn. I have used the refrigerated leaves first hand, and have seen how effective the plant is. Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory properties and is very soothing to the skin. Most sunburn relief ointments usually contain Aloe Vera in there mixtures, which is re-confirms my beliefs in the plant.

Starbuck J. J., (2000). Summertime medicine chest must -- aloe. Better nutrition, 62, (6) 68-71 Retrieved from October 16, 2009, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text.

BLOG #2

2009-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

how do you feel about direct-to-consumer marketing of drugs in the US. So you think DTC marketing really influences peoples decisions about drugs?

I believe that direct to consumer (DTC) marketing of drugs has many great things about it as well as bad (like anything else). However, I do believe there is more good than bad. Without DTC consumers would not be as aware of the various kinds circulating drugs available to treat different disorders, symptoms, or diseases. I feel that the patient can also research drugs to try and see which drug would be best for them, which could assist the health care provider in choosing the best drug. Although most people claim that DTC advertisements falsely advertise, they do provide the side effects and hazardous risks of the drugs in most commercials as well as print. The purpose of all advertisement is to make whatever any company is selling more appealing, so I find it difficult to be so critical about drug companies’ ads. We are all gullible. We want a cure, and desire to feel “normal” again… so whether it’s through DTC marketing or prescriptions made by our health care providers… we are falling for it either way..

BLOG # 1

2009-09-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Post a blog in the blogspot you have created for yourself describing your experience or your families with OTC or prescription medications. Did the medication do what it was supposed to?

My family and I have the usual experience with OTC meds, in that, we usually will pick up various generic brands to relieve headaches, runny nose, stuffy nose, allergies, etc. throughout the year. Most of the time the OTC “severe cold” meds do not seem to do its job… at least to me. That cold will last for at least a month. I’ve given up on OTC “severe cold” meds and as soon as I get a runny/stuffy nose or any congestion I go to the doctor. I’d rather go to the doctor and get some antibiotics and feel better in 1-2 weeks without the symptoms recurring as they do for me when I take OTC cold meds. However, everyone in my family refuses to go to the doctor and will stick it out with OTCs until that cold is gone …1-2 months later. Last time I listened to my grandmother and family when I had a runny/stuffy nose and congestion, they told me, “oh, its allergy season! Take an allergy pill.” Well, I was taking that allergy pill almost every day for 3-4 months until I finally gave in and went to the doctor. I suddenly found out I had an upper respiratory infection and pharyngitis… makes sense since I am not allergic to anything nor have I ever had “allergy problems during any allergy season for 22 years.” I think OTC meds are great for headaches, fever, nausea, upset stomach, but I refuse to take OTC meds for a cold. J hehe