Quarantined…Now What?

It has been two weeks since we have been quarantined and surprisingly I haven’t lost my mind! Homeschooling my children has not been that bad considering I have one child in elementary, one in middle, and another in high school. The assignments have actually been fun and I only need to get them refocused a few times out of the week. School for them has been suspended until the end of April, but I doubt that they will return for the rest of the year.

Cooking has been fun and creative! I have been hesitant to allow my family to eat out with this pandemic, so whatever they are craving as far as takeout, we make ourselves! Hubby and the kids practiced baking a cake for my birthday next week and it actually turned out great! My birthday…sigh. I turn the big 40 next week and my girlfriends and I had a birthday bash planned for this weekend, I was actually supposed to be in Miami today! Well, that’s been canceled, thank you Covid-19!

On the health front, my family has been taking their vitamins, exercising, practicing good hand hygiene, social distancing, and cleaning/disinfecting our home. We come outside in our front or back yard to get fresh air and exercise. Hubby and I only venture out to the pharmacy or grocery store for necessities, since I stocked the pantry a week before being placed on quarantine. My “mommy senses” told me to do it.

Watching news stories about my fellow nurses and healthcare personnel have been very disheartening! Hospitals have been running out of rooms and ventilators for patients, and there is a shortage of personal protective equipment. There are not enough testing kits to diagnose patients either! Ambulatory practices are being exposed because patients are coming in saying that they have one set of symptoms but they actually want to be tested for the coronavirus!

Healthcare workers have been working in deplorable conditions, to say the least. I just saw a New York article today that my brother-in-law sent showing nurses in New York protecting themselves with trash bags! My girlfriend shared an article about nurses in California being told that they will be fired for wearing their specially fitted N95 masks! Are you kidding me! There are so many “unknowns” with the Covid-19 coronavirus, and I feel that we were not prepared here in the United States.

I will continue praying for the families of those healthcare workers on the front lines who’ve lost their lives taking care of their communities. I pray for those who are still active in the trenches fighting the good fight! Thank you! I also pray for you reading this blog post. May God protect you and your families during these uncertain and ever-changing times.

March is National Kidney Month!

I remember being a tween and waiting for hours at a hospital in Virginia for both my mother and my uncle to recover from surgery. Although they did not get along or speak very often, my mother donated one of her kidneys to my uncle. What a gift! Who knew that many years later both of their kidneys would fail around the same time and I would lose them only months apart within the same year.

Hypertension and diabetes are usually correlated with chronic kidney disease, so the focus in 2020 is the management of these comorbidities. Prevention methods consist of smoking cessation, healthier eating habits, incorporating at least 30 minutes of physical exercise, and getting enough sleep. For those patients who take medication to regulate their blood pressure, it is imperative that they continue to do so in order to reduce the risk of kidney disease.

Don’t forget to support by wearing green this month and spreading kidney disease awareness to your friends, family, and co-workers!

For more information, visit:

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/community-health-outreach/national-kidney-month

Go Red For Women Day!

Just dropping a friendly reminder that tomorrow February 7, 2020, is National Wear Red Day! We join together to bring awareness and to help fight against heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in women. Did you know that cardiovascular diseases kill a woman about every 80 seconds? That’s mind-blowing!! Ladies, I know that we are busy with our careers, being mothers, and wives, but when will you make time for you? If we don’t take care of ourselves both physically and mentally, how can we be there for the ones that we love?

High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are hereditary in my family. To help reduce my cardiovascular risks I have stopped eating meat (besides lean/ heart-healthy fish), reduced stress, and started exercising regularly. What will you do to prevent your risks?

For more information on warning signs of heart attack, stroke, or how to donate to the American Heart Association, please visit:

https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-us/heart-attack-and-stroke-symptoms

Celebrating Black History in Nursing

It’s February and it’s a time to reflect on the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans from the past and present. I want to celebrate those nurses who came before me and paved the way! To think of the barriers that they had to face and overcome is overwhelming! I am so grateful that they’ve made it possible for me to live my dream as a nurse today!

Please enjoy the Black History nursing facts that I have provided below. I hope that you learn something new and take something positive from it! Happy Black History Month!

Credits:

https://nurse.org/articles/black-history-month-nursing-leaders/

https://www.nursing.virginia.edu/news/flashback-harriet-tubman-nurse/

https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/News/View/ArticleId/20626/Rounds-with-Leadership-2-22-17

Nurses: It’s OK to be Scared!

It was 2014, and I was working in an internal medicine office. Suddenly, a patient walked in with complaints of fever, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting! The patient reported that they had just returned from Africa a week ago, and that’s when the office felt like it stood still! Although all clinical staff completed an in-service about the Ebola virus, we were all terrified! Yes, we were all professional and took care of the patient, however, the fear of possibly contracting the virus still crossed our minds.

Recent news reports about the coronavirus have lots of people panicking, which is to be expected. However, as healthcare professionals, people depend on us for healthcare information and proper care. So is it alright for you as a healthcare team member to be scared in certain situations? Yes, it is! We are all human and you will encounter anxiety or fear about working with patients who are diagnosed with certain viruses or diseases. What matters is what you do when you encounter them!

Remember that you have been trained to critically think and handle challenging situations within healthcare! You stay current on evidenced-based practices, know what type of precautions to take, and which personal protective equipment to don. Most importantly, you know how to treat your patient as a person and not the virus or disease that they were admitted with!

The next time that you feel frightened when caring for a certain population of patients, just remember that those feelings are absolutely normal! Take a brief moment to regroup, let that healthcare training kick into high gear, and go save those lives!

Vaping: Trendy, but Fatal!

Shopping at the mall with friends, finishing a school project, or hanging out at the movies, are just a few activities that come to mind when I think of teenagers. However, it was recently reported by the CDC that a 15-year-old boy from Texas was the youngest person to die from a vaping-related incident in the United States this month!

This is so sad to hear! E-cigarette companies are targeting the younger generation with bright colors and fun-named vape flavors. For some adolescents, the need to “fit in or look cool” is a high priority for them, no matter what the cost. Most teens that I have spoken to have no idea what they are inhaling and really aren’t concerned as long as the Instagram photo of them vaping gets enough likes!

Things to know about e-cigarettes are:

  • That e-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals (CDC, 2020).
  • These aerosols may contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease, heavy metals (nickel, tin, and lead), and cancer-causing chemicals (CDC, 2020).
  • E-cigarettes can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.
  • Just like second-hand smoke, the exhaled aerosol can expose the user and any bystanders to the harmful substances (CDC, 2020).
  • Both children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes (CDC, 2020).
  • Vaping has caused severe lung damage and death to our young and vulnerable children.

For more information on vaping, or how to talk to your teen about the dangers of vaping, please visit the CDC website below.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html

https://time.com/5763506/texas-teen-vaping-death/

Should Nurses be CNA’s or Techs Before Entering the Profession?

Before becoming a nurse, I had several years of experience working in the hospital. I started as a teenager working as a dietary aide, a sitter for suicide watch or fall risk patients, and a patient transporter. Later on, I gained experience as a healthcare assistant and a home health aide.  These first experiences in patient care exposed me to the good, the bad, and the ugly of healthcare which have been useful in my nursing career today.

A nurse fresh out of nursing school with no prior healthcare experience may:

  • Be more hesitant to enter a patient’s room for the very first time.
  • Feel awkward during their first interaction with the patient.
  • Find it difficult to build a rapport with their patients.
  • Be intimidated by asking fellow nurses questions or talking to doctors.

Having some healthcare experience before becoming a nurse:

  • Helps nursing students bridge the gap between the textbook and real life situations.
  • Improves engagement in class discussions and grades because of exposure to procedures and specific disease processes.
  • Can alleviate a new nurse’s anxiety about talking to patient’s for the very first time.
  • Makes it easier to consult with fellow nurses and physicians.

In my opinion, one of the greatest benefits of becoming a CNA or tech prior to starting a nursing career is the ability to empathize. Once you have been in the same shoes as someone, you understand their struggles. As nurses we delegate duties to others, however, this does not mean that we are above doing these duties ourselves!

What are your thoughts? Do you think that nurses should be CNA’s or patient techs first?

Comment below with your response.

Fri-yay or Fri-nay?

It’s Friday and for some,  it’s even pay day!! You got plenty of sleep and woke up with a positive attitude. You head out early for your shift and even had time to stop for coffee. Awesome! You pull into the parking lot listening to your favorite song to get you hyped up for the day and then you walk in…..

“Good morning, we are short two nurses and low on several supplies. We are asking everyone to take shortened lunches today to help accommodate.” Just like that, your day is ruined! Or is it?

It’s days like these when you have to reach down deep and remember why you became a nurse in the first place! You recited the Nightingale Pledge promising to devote yourself to the welfare of those committed to your care. Your patients need and depend on you to care for them when they can’t take care of themselves.

So take a deep breath and pull yourself together. You’ve got this, tackle the day and do what you were called to do!

Photo Credit: https://www.hcm2.com/projects/south-tower-sinai-hospital/sinai_south_twr_ed-nurse-desk/

Welcome to the Nurse Niche!

Hello and thank you for stopping by The Nurse Niche. My name is Nurse Neesy and this is a space for nurses, nursing students, or anyone interested in the nursing profession. I have been a nurse for 7 years and have worked in diverse areas ranging from correctional nursing , hospice, ambulatory care, assisted living, and telephone triage.

This is not another “serious informational nursing blog.” Yes, this blog may keep you up-to-date on current nursing information or news, however, it will also include other material. The material will range from nursing humor, common workplace issues, nursing school struggles and tips, nurse fashion, and fun or useful products to help make your job or school career easier.

So hang up your stethoscopes, get comfy, and tag along on this new journey with me!!! See you soon….

-Nurse Neesy-