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The Future…and Beyond.
The medical industry is in a period of rapid transition. The technological advances that have occurred in the last ten years is astounding. One can only imagine what is to come. The rapid advances in technology along with health care reform and the millions of aging “Baby Boomers” is a heavy cocktail for not only the amount of change forthcoming in nursing. As the “Baby Boomer” generation ages and the patient population continues to rise, physicians are unable to meet the demands. Therefore, healthcare is relying heavily on nurses and the scope of practice for nursing is increasing. This emphasizes the reasons that the healthcare industry is pushing to produce better educated, and well rounded nurses that will have the ability to take on more responsibility in their care. This will be crucial with the shortage of primary care physicians as nurses will need to step in. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis estimates that by 2020, the U.S. will experience a shortfall of 20,400 primary care physicians. Furthermore, only 12% of American medical students focus on primary care, while 85% of nurse practitioner students prepare to offer primary care of family medicine. Lawmakers are discussing the expansion of the role of nurse practitioners to make them more autonomous and care for the inundating patient population. However, in order to fill the primary gap, nurses need more education. As the healthcare industry will increasingly rely on advanced practice nurses with MSN degrees to provide primary care for patients, hospitals are also increasing their standards and requiring nurses to have a BSN.
This only solidifies my desire to continue my education in nursing and achieve my MSN. Through my nursing school career, I have learned the importance and the value of knowledge, research, and evidenced based practice to improve and advance the nursing profession as a whole. I hope that I can some day contribute to our expanding profession as we work to deliver exceptional patient care. As of now, I have not decided what direction to take or where my true passion lies in nursing. However, I do know that whatever I do, I want to make an impact on the lives of my patients and an impact on the nursing profession.
http://blog.pharmadiversityjobboard.com/prepare-for-the-future-of-nursing-earn-an-msn-today/
Graduation, here we come!
Getting out of clinical this past Sunday, I knew that it was the last day of clinical ever, but for some reason it didn’t really hit me as the end of nursing school. I went to class on Monday and still, it just felt like another regular week of school. It wasn’t until Tuesday night, when I sat with my group to finish up our presentation that it really hit me, this will be the last assignment, no more late nights, no more coffee runs before school, and no more class time. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but remember the first semester during pathophysiology. The room filled with unfamiliar faces, strange personalities, and now, three years later there is nothing weird about sitting with my group members, expressing our opinions about which direction we want our project to go. The change is unreal. We have come so far, overcome boundaries, shared tears, worked on countless projects, called each other during joyous and stressful occasions, and to think this will all be over soon is so bittersweet.
This class has been such a learning experience. It was more than just focusing on all the critical care content, using technology and blogging came as a pleasant surprise. I never knew how much I would enjoy blogging; it sure does make blackboard discussion board look bad. Thanks Jaime! I think this was a great way to end our nursing education, venturing into the vast world of technology, which can be scary and so beneficial at the same time.
Coming in three years ago I knew it would be challenging for me, as I am not the most outgoing or loudest person in the room, but I thank the instructors and above all, my classmates for making me feel at ease with them. Now, there is nothing I am afraid of, we came together for this experience, shared failures and successes, laughter, and that is something I will always cherish. Cheers to the memories that have past and to the memories that are to come! I love you all!
Last Blog
Wow! I can’t believe we are here and the pinning ceremony is only 3 days away. I think this is the semester, for me, where everything clicked. We have been training for three years to graduate with a BSN. I can honestly say that I am ready for what the future has in store for me when it comes to nursing. I remember so clearly studying for days to understand pathophysiology, pharmacology, med-surg, OB and pediatrics and all those hours of studying are coming together now. Throughout the semester I was able to strengthen my assessment skills, improve communication with patients, connect the pieces of the puzzle together (labs, patho, assessment, diagnostics) and gain a certain level of confidence that I didn’t have during other semesters. I absolutely loved critical care nursing and the independence that comes with it. I felt like there was a greater amount of collaboration in the ICU and that is something I really value in nursing practice. Seeing people from many different fields work together was amazing for me to experience. I also loved being able to focus all of my attention on two patient’s which allowed me to better grasp the full patient picture. One day I can definitely see myself in critical nursing.
If I could see myself at the beginning of this journey I wouldn’t have believed the person that I see today. Jaime, you told us at the beginning of the semester that the goal was for us to be ready and I think that goal has been achieved. I know I don’t know everything there is to know about nursing but I know that I have the tools to find a solution to practice safely. The learning never stops and every day I will find a way to become a better nurse.
Image Reference
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Final Blog!
It’s hard to believe that in just a few days, we will officially have our BSN degrees! It’s always a happy moment when you finish a semester and realize that you are that much closer to finishing nursing school. Officially completing nursing school this semester, is a mix of emotions as we are closing the book on this chapter in our lives and starting a whole new one. This is our last semester of nursing and after 3 long years of hard work and dedication, it is hard to believe that it is coming to an end. We have all worked so hard to get where we are and now, all of our hard work is paying off. We will soon be working as nurses and beginning our careers as BSN’s.
This critical care course has truly transformed and prepared me for the real world. Before this class, in previous classes, we focused on specific aspects of the nursing profession and worked to perfect it. We have had classes dedicated to fundamentals, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, mother baby nursing, psychiatric nurse, and the list goes on. Each course has provided invaluable learning opportunities. It is this critical care course that has allowed me to put all of the pieces together and incorporate each aspect into my nursing practice. Rather than focusing on individual aspects of nursing care, I can see patients and their situations in a holistic way. I can effectively incorporate the nursing process into my nursing practice to competently provide the best care possible to my patients. More specifically, this course has provided us the opportunity to care for the sickest people in the hospital. This gave us the opportunity to fine tune our assessment skills and properly prioritize our care to promote well-being and prevent complications thereby improving patient overall outcomes. I have learned so much in this course and throughout nursing school. I am looking forward to beginning my career as a nurse and utilizing my knowledge and skills to improve the lives of patients.
End of the Road
Image Retrieved from:https://www.flickr.com/photos/96614226@N00/447710918
I can still remember the first day of nursing school, thinking what a long journey laid ahead of me, three years of endless emotions and experiences. Now I am in my last week and it is unbelievable. The sensation seems unreal, time passed in the blink of an eye and just like that nursing school is over. It is an exciting feeling, yet overwhelming. It is also unbelievable to think we will be transitioning from student nurse to a “real” nurse once we pass the NCLEX. We have learned many skills and it is time to put them to use.
I really enjoyed NRS 420 because it reviewed the majority of med surg content, it was concise and short. The book was very helpful and it had all the “need to know” information, which was pretty much the whole book :). Clinicals helped tie the material together and overall it was a great semester. An ending with a new beginning.
Last blog!! =)
Wow, I cannot believe that this is already our last blog!
Anyhow, since I had such an interesting patient two weeks ago and since this blog has to relate to critical care I have decided to talk about his vent settings. I don’t know about anyone else, but I truly enjoyed learning about vents; which is also why I have decided to talk about vents: using the PSV mode to be specific. The pressure support ventilation (PSV) mode is a pressure mode that is commonly used for weaning off the ventilator. When a patient is placed on this vent mode, the patient has the ability to initiate their own breath. When the patient initiates a breath then the vent kicks in and assists them to the point where they achieve the desired pressure level. Not only does the vent help the patient reach a desired pressure level, but it also makes sure that the patient maintains the pressure level throughout the inspiratory phase of breathing. A advantage of this mode is that it decreases the work of breathing in the patient. on the other hand, a disadvantage is that the patient must have an intact respiratory drive.
Morton, P. G., & Fontaine, D.K., (2013). Essentials of critical care nursing: a holistic approach. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Disaster
Choose a disaster that has occurred in the last 10 years (in the United States or internationally). Research the event online. Blog your report about the event specifically addressing the healthcare perspective. What were the barriers for providing and/or accessing healthcare? Who responded? How long did it go on? How did socioeconomics and environment impact the event and environment? Imagine being a healthcare provider during that event. Are we better prepared for the next disaster?
In 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake caused a huge tsunami and tremendous damage to northeastern Japan. In addition, the tsunami caused a cooling failure at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant which resulted in a nuclear meltdown and leak causing release of radioactive materials into the Pacific Ocean.
Although Japan was prepared for earthquakes, they were not prepared for the tsunami – which caused most of the damage and deaths. More than 18,000 people were killed in the disaster, mostly to drowning (Oskin, 2013).
The damage impacted the country’s utilities, transportation, and healthcare facilities. Electricity, water, and gas were cut off during the disaster and were not restored for coastal areas for up to one-four months after the disaster (inland areas were restored within 3 days) (Nohara, 2011). The rural coastal areas did not have public transport, and many of the roads were damaged or blocked making access to the disaster areas difficult. In addition, initial lack of gasoline made health and medical support activities difficult (Nohara, 2011). Three hospitals in the coastal areas had been completely destroyed and half of the other clinics/health facilities were damaged, adding to the difficulty of providing medical services. Fortunately, other hospitals designated for disaster base medical care were able to provide emergency care (triage, emergency response, and transport of patients to inland areas/hospitals). A total of 28 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) were able to provide care from the day of the disaster (March 11, 2011) until July 2011.
References:
Nohara, M. (2011). Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on health, medical care and public health systems in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, 2011. Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2011, 2(4). doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2011.2.4.002.
Oskin, B. (2013). Japan earthquake & tusnami of 2011: facts and information. Retrieved from: http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html
Earthquake in Nepal
The earthquake that occurred in Nepal this past Saturday, April 25, 2015, impacted this country significantly. This event especially struck home for me, because I have friends who are Nepali refugees; otherwise, I may not even have heard of this very small country that is tucked between India and China. As I researched this event in more detail, I became increasingly aware of the tremendous need for healthcare providers to respond; this country is very poor with approximately 25% of the population living below the poverty line, and consistently experiences economic imbalances (CIA, 2015). In addition, many regions of the country are rural, transportation is difficult and unpredictable, and power outages occur frequently. So far, the death toll as of today, Tuesday morning, is over 4,300 confirmed (CNN, 2015). Again, due to the difficulty with communication from the more rural areas, which were actually closer to the point of greatest impact associated with the earthquake, officials cannot yet determine deaths/injuries in these regions. Due to the fact that the structure and function of several healthcare facilities were compromised, CNN reported that there is a lack of facilities for necessary medical and surgical operations, which prompted providers to use locations that are not normally intended for surgery…which then increases the risk for infection (2015). Earthquakes cause a significant loss of resources, with typical results being loss of electricity and water. Over 8,000 individuals so far are reported injured, and existing facilities are overwhelmed (CNN, 2015).
Typical injuries include TBIs, upper and lower extremity fractures, and pelvic fractures; due to the possibility of delayed care and insufficient personnel (responders are still retrieving victims from the rubble), there is the potential for hemorrhage and infection to cause death even if the initial injury is not fatal (CBS, 2015). Surgical equipment and antibiotics to combat infection are necessary supplies that are in severe shortage currently. A lack of sufficient water not only increases the risk for dehydration in the absence of injuries, but also can make crush injuries worse (renal dysfunction) and exacerbate medical comorbidities. Inhalation injuries from smoke/debris, tetanus infection, and communicable diseases (from lack of sanitation and crowded makeshift housing) are expected to be a significant concern as well.
Initial international responses to Nepal were actually delayed due to concern of possible aftershocks. Over 16 other countries have demonstrated aid with both financial means and sending people to help the existing structure. India, being in close proximity and also affected by the earthquake, has demonstrated particular initiative in sending aid to Nepal (CNN, 2015). So far, organizations who have responded to this crisis, besides the national providers, include Red Cross, UNICEF, and various international search/rescue teams, with more aid expected.
The expected outcome is currently unknown, but Nepal will likely struggle to recover from this event due to the country’s pre-existing insecure economic and healthcare condition.
References:
Cable News Network (CNN) (2015). Nepal earthquake’s victims overwhelm hospitals. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/27/world/nepal-earthquake-bir-hospital/index.html
Cable News Network (CNN) (2015). Nepal earthquake: India leads massive aid effort to help survivors. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/27/asia/nepal-quake-india-aid/index.html
CBS News (2015). Medical crisis in Nepal in earthquake aftermath. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-crisis-in-nepal-in-earthquake-aftermath/
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2015). The World Factbook: Southeast Asia: Nepal. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html
