Assisted Living Week

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By Terry Orr

Most baby-boomers can recall the negative images, information and horror stories while they were growing up regarding nursing homes or place where old folks go to die.  In the early 1990’s, my grandmother moved into a skilled nursing/assisted living facility and her experience open the doors for other family members to follow.

Assisted living as it exists today emerged in the 1990s as an eldercare alternative on the continuum of care for people, for whom independent living is not appropriate but who do not need the 24-hour medical care provided by a nursing home and are too young to live in a retirement home. Assisted living is a philosophy of care and services promoting independence and dignity.

Established by National for Assisted Living (NCAL) in 1995, National Assisted Living Week® provides a unique opportunity for residents, families, staff, volunteers, and the surrounding community to come together to give residents a variety of exciting events and activities that show them how much you care about and love them. The 2012 theme, “Art for the Ages”, will inspire creativity and participation and will grab the attention of media.

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Keep these tips with you as you investigate your options and be sure to keep detailed notes on each community you visit:

• Have a clear understanding of your family member’s needs
• Ask lots of questions related to pricing and what is (and isn’t!) included in the monthly fee.
• Pay close attention to the staff and ask questions about their credentials and training
• Understand how the community handles increased level of care needs
• Investigate the opportunities for socialization and recreation

12 Tips for a Smooth Transition to Assisted Living:

1. Find the right community. If the residents and staff are friendly, this will go a long way in making an assisted living facility feel like home. Browse all licensed assisted living options in your area and research those that look attractive.
2. Stay close. When family and friends are close, they visit more frequently. Visits are good, and make everyone feel a little better.
3. Highlight the good stuff. Is the floor plan perfect? Is there a yoga class twice a week? Will the resident get help with difficult chores like laundry?
4. Don’t take over. Assisted living residents should maintain a sense of independence. Their opinions matter and they still have a lot of control over choices that concern them.
5. Don’t ignore negative emotions. Being sad is normal, and moving is a traumatic event no matter where you go or what you leave behind. Always listen to concerns.
6. Throw a small home warming party. You can bring cherished items or new items and decorate, but it always helps when you can find a reason to celebrate.
7. Keep an eye on your loved one’s health. Don’t assume that someone else is taking care of everything. When you are actively involved, everyone benefits.
8. Find resident activities. Don’t wait to join the walking club or the book club or the bingo game every Thursday evening. Residents who get involved in activities early make friends more quickly and have a less difficult time becoming acclimated to their new surroundings.
9. Eat together. Eating together a couple of times a week can be a great way to keep in touch and maintain that family bond. Plus, residents may socialize more when there is someone new to introduce.
10. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Dealing with the disappointment of a missed lunch date or special visit is always difficult. Follow through with your promises.
11. Help with packing. It really is a chore to pack and sort a lifetime’s worth of belongings. Offering to help lessens the burden.
12. Talk to a counselor. Sometimes the transition is difficult despite our best efforts to make it as easy and painless. Don’t be afraid to seek comfort from a listening ear.

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References and Links:

http://www.assistedlivinginfo.com/Assisted-Living-Care/Assisted-Living-Tips

http://www.helpguide.org/elder/assisted_living_facilities.htm

http://www.assistedlivingfacilities.org/blog/assisted-living-concerns/12-tips-smooth-transition-assisted-living/

Perioperative Nurse Week

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By Diane Forrest, RN

I can't remember when I wanted to be a nurse, seems like I have always wanted to be one.  I do remember watching MASH and the scenes in the operating room.  The surgeons, Hawkeye, Frank, BJ, the Colonel, and Trapper John, would tell the nurse what instrument they needed and she would hand them with speed and precision.  I was always impressed with this, and thought it would be an exciting career.

Being a perioperative nurse is a very difficult position.  Their day begins very early.  They start the day checking the procedures for the day.  Then they make sure all the supplies and equipment are available.  Once the room has been taken care of they make rounds and visit the patients and talk with them about the procedures, answer any questions, make sure the Doctor's orders are correct and all the permits are signed.  When the visit is completed, they return back to the operating suite and start to scrub up.  This takes 15 minutes, and that’s just the hand washing.  Once scrubbed, gowned and gloved, they enter the operating room and set up the supplies.  This is all done using sterile technique.  Not only do they have to set out the supplies using sterile technique, but they must maintain an accurate count of everything from scalpels to sponges.  This is to make sure the beginning count and the end count match.  You don’t want to sew a patient up with more parts than he came in with.

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Once everything has been prepared, the patient arrives and is positioned to the area that will be operated on.  The anesthesiologist arrives to put them "under", and finally the surgeon appears to do his thing.   As I am writing this I am reminded of the joke about men cooking:

When a man volunteers to do the 'BBQ' the following chain of events are put into motion:

• The woman goes to the store.
• The woman fixes the salad, vegetables, and dessert
• The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils, and takes it to the man, who is lounging beside the grill, beer in hand.
• The man places the meat on the grill.
• The woman goes inside to set the table and check the vegetables.
• The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning.
• The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to the woman.
• The woman prepares the plates and brings them to the table.
• After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
• Everyone praises man and thanks him for his cooking efforts.
• The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off."

And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

This is how it is with Perioperative nurses and Surgeons.  This week is Preoperative Nurse Week.  If you are planning on having surgery, or know someone who is, remember all the hard work they do to make things go smoothly for you and show them your appreciation.

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10/10-16 National ER Nurses Week

By Diane Forrest, RN

You might work in an ER if...

• You've ever had to contend with someone who thinks constipation for 4 hours is a medical emergency...
• You've ever entered a patient's chief complaint as "I'm drunk"...
• You refer to motorcyclists as "organ donors"...
• You've ever had a patient with a nose-ring tell you "I'm afraid of shots"...
• You stare at someone in utter disbelief when he or she actually covers his or her mouth when coughing...
• You've ever thought "as long as he's got a pulse, I won't worry about that rhythm."...
• You've ever referred to a body bag as a "To Go" bag...

• You think of chocolate, coffee, Coca-Cola® and the cafeteria's frozen yogurt when anyone mentions the 4 food groups...
• You think that the announcement of an impending arrival in 5 minutes of two adults in a serious MVA on backboards with sirens on and anxiety a level 10 would be a great opportunity to eat lunch...
• You have ever heard triage nurse first ask, "Is it urgent?" when interrupted from the first break in hours...
• You have four categories of patients...urgent, emergent, non-emergent, and S.I.O. (sleeping it off)...
• You automatically multiply by 3 the number of drinks they claim to have daily...
• You feel that you can diagnose passersby at the mall based on physical presentation...
• You don't have to ask "frequent flyers" any medical history questions because you can fill it out from memory...
• You can keep a straight face as the patient responds "Just two beers"...
• You give the local drunks tips on where to sleep so they (and you) won't be disturbed by a return visit

The other day I was telling you about Pediatric Nurses Week, and the important work these nurses do.  Well it is also Emergency Nurse's Week.  These nurses are amazing.  They never know what to expect from one minute to the next.  They see people who come in with colds, to patient having heart attacks, to accidents, gunshot wounds, or victims of other crimes.

There have been many security changes for the ER as well, patients come in wanting drugs pose a serious security risk.  Psychiatric patients can be harmful as well.  Each emergency room I have ever visited has their own security staff for these reasons.

Emergency room nurses have to be knowledgeable about every possible illness or injury be able to comfort and calm the patient and family member.  In the past year my husband was transported the ER on 4 occasions.   Luckily I knew and or worked with several of these nurses, so the process was fairly easy.  I was able to provide all the necessary information as well as take care of him while he was having tests run, freeing up the nurse to take care of other patients.  However most of the patients that enter the ER are not as prepared.

Emergency room nurses deserve this week of celebration and honor.  They could be the one to save your life

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Rules for the Emergency Room

• Here are some tips to those who may end up in an ER, be it yourself or a family member.
• If it requires the ambulance team and entire truck crew of firefighters to transport you and safely place you on a hospital stretcher, it is time to go on a diet.
• When you present to the triage nurse, do not tell him/her that your doctor called ahead. If you survey our waiting area, probably 50% of the people waiting said the same thing, and the other 50% use the ER as their regular doctor.
• Never start out by saying, "I was searching the Internet . . . "
• When asked how much you weigh, please do not give the "Deer-In-The-Headlights Look", and tell us you "really don't know". It's a simple question with a simple answer.
• Just because you have a phone and know how to call 911, we are not impressed by your arrival on an ambulance stretcher. You had better be sick.
• If you came escorted via EMS for multiple complaints that started more than one week ago and your entire family followed the ambulance to the hospital, you will be labeled a ninnie and treated like one, enjoy the waiting area with your family.
• One complaint/ailment per visit, please.
• Just because you came in on a ambulance, doesn't mean you're going home on one. You better start making arrangements, now. I am not driving you home, or figuring out how to get you home. Cab vouchers are not an option.
• If you have one of these four, go to your own doctor in the morning: A Migraine; the Flu; a stomach virus; or a stuffy nose.
• Do not ask us how long it will be. We don't know. I don't know what is coming through my door 30 seconds from now,so I sure as hell don't know when you're getting a room.
• We have priorities. We understand that you have been waiting for two hours in the waiting room. If you don't want to wait, make an appointment with a doctor. The little old lady that just walked in looking OK to you is probably having a massive heart attack. That is why she goes first.
• If your mother is a patient and we ask her a question, let her answer it.
• If your child has a fever, you had damn well better give him Tylenol® before coming in. DO NOT let the fever remain high just so I will believe the child has a fever. Do you want your child to have a seizure? Do you?
• If you are well enough to complain about the wait, you are well enough to go home.
• Do not utter the words "it is in my chart", I don't have your chart, and I don't have the time to call and get it. Just tell me. It is faster.
• We know how many times you've been to an ER. We can usually tell if you are faking it during the first 5 seconds of talking to you. Do not lie to us. If you lie about one thing, we will have to assume you are lying about everything. You don't want that.
• If you have diabetes and do not control it, you are committing slow suicide.
•  If you are a female between 16 and 42 and your last period was between 28-35 days ago, please don't waste our time if you are here for Abdominal Pain & Vaginal bleeding. Guess what!!?? You got your period, again.
• Do not bring your entire posse with you. One person at the bedside is all you need. It is really difficult to move around seven people who are in the way if you are really sick.

• Every time I ask you a question, I learn more about what is wrong with you. I don't care if I asked you what day it is four different times. Each time I ask, it is for a reason. Just answer the questions, regardless whether you have answered them before.
• If you want something, be nice. I will go out of my way to piss off rude people.
• Our definition of sick is not your definition of sick. If a member of the ER staff says that someone is sick, it means that they are in the process of DYING. They have had a massive stroke, are bleeding out, having a heart attack, or have been shot. We don't consider a kidney stone, sick. Painful, yes. Sick, no.
• At any given time, one nurse has four patients. One doctor has up to 15.
• There is a law (similar to Murphy's) in the ER. If you have four patients: one of them will be sick (see above for definition); one of them will be whining constantly; one of them will be homeless; and one of them will a delightful patient. (don't be the whiner). Please.
• If you see someone pushing a big cart down the hall at full speed and you hear bells going off, do not ask for a cup of coffee. Someone is dying, you inconsiderate a*****e. In the ER, bells don't ring for nothing. Sit down, shut up, and let us work.
• If you can bi**h about the blood pressure cuff being too tight, or the IV hurting, you are not in that much pain.
• Physicians and nurses are not waiters. We are not customer service representatives. This is not McDonald's®, and you very well may NOT have it your way. Our job is to save your life, or at least make you feel better. If you want a pillow, two blankets, and the lights dimmed, go to the Ramada®.
• If you have any sort of stomach pain and you ask for something to eat, you are not sick.
• Do not talk s**t about the other members of staff I work with. The doctor that you hate? I work with him every day, and I know that he knows what he is doing. I trust him a lot more that I trust you. I am not here to be your friend, and neither is he. I will tell him what you said, and we will laugh about it. If you want a buddy, go somewhere else.
• If you are homeless, don't ask for a bus token or cab voucher to get home. It just confuses the staff.
• Please don't tell us how to do our job. Do we go to your place of business and tell you how to do your job?
• Please don't bring in a "show and tell". If you have to fish it out of the toilet, it's really not necessary to bring it in; we will take your word. If you did fish something out of the toilet, you may not use my pen.

National Nurses Day 2011

Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. As nurses, we work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, to name a few. We have many roles – from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher – and serve all of them with passion for the profession and with a strong commitment to patient safety.

Nurses are a vital element to any hospital or healthcare facility. Without them, hospitals would not be able to run and patients would not be cared for properly. Today, we celebrate the contributions and commitments that nurses make each and every day.

In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to declare a National Nurses Day. Though the proclamation was never made, Nurses Day began to be observed the following year. In 1974, President Nixon proclaimed an official National Nurses Day. Activities that take place on National Nurses Day typically include banquets, recognition dinners, state and city proclamations, continuing education seminars, and other community events. If you know any nurses, thank them today for all of their hard work and assistance!

National Nurses Week is celebrated every year from May 6th – 12th (May 12th is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the forbearer of modern nursing). May 6th is National RN Recognition Day, May 8th is National Student Nurses Day, and May 12th is International Nurses Day and National School Nurse Day.

Visit http://nursingworld.org/NationalNursesWeek to download a media kit for raising awareness of this event and of the value of the nursing profession in your community. Nurses are renowned for blending art with science. They must be dedicated individuals with a wide array of interests, strengths and passions as a result of the many ways nurses are called upon to serve. No matter where they serve — emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters – they are expected to bring to each role a passion for the profession and a strong commitment to patient safety. Their strength and spirit allows them to meet the needs of every person with whom they come into contact.

Due to poor working conditions, long hours, reduced pay and increased duty demands, there is an ongoing nursing shortage across the industry. With nurses retiring and changing professions in large numbers, it is crucial to start spreading the word of the important need nurses fill in the health care equation. Reaching out to primary and secondary academic institutions and training students to consider nursing as a future career goal may help funnel talent back into the pool. Also, making nursing school more attainable by providing scholarships and daycare for single mothers might draw people who are interested in nursing into the profession. If you are a nurse, consider making time to appear at community functions such as Town Councils and raise awareness of the difficult and sometimes dangerous work load nurses are expected to fill. Identify areas that community leaders can get involved in solving the problems.

I am so proud of my wife Pat who is a nurse in the field of outpatient care.  I am grateful that she shows the same care and compassion to me as she does to her patients.