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Welcome to my blog about health, nursing, caring, kindness and positive change. Our world is full of such negative influences and bad choices, today is the day to make a positive change both physically and mentally in your life.
ERNursesCare is a blog incorporating my nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare field with my passion for helping others, I want it to encourage others with injury prevention, healthy living, hard hitting choices, hot topics and various ramblings from my unique sense of humor. Come along and enjoy your journey......

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Save Those Ta Ta's and Feel Your Boobies.....Pass It On! #breastcancer #thinkpink #breastfriends


It is October and everything seems to be pink for breast cancer awareness, so why would we not talk about your boobies?  Time to get real girlfriend and save those Ta Ta's! Time to make sure you are doing your monthly breast self exam and doing it right. You have the power to stay ahead of breast cancer!

Early detection will save your life.  Be a breast-friend and buddy up to remind your BFF this month too!


Saturday, October 25, 2014

Be Still My Beating Heart , Look at Your Patient First #screamandshout #cardiacarrhythmia #ECG

Does your heart skip a beat? Palpitate or stop suddenly ( I hope not).....well you might just have some arrhythmia going on. What is an arrhythmia you ask? A fancy word for an abnormal beating of your heart due to some electrical or mechanical abnormality.

If you are a nurse and you are reading this, you may be just as bewildered as I was once about heart arrhythmia's.
I learned to always look at my patient first and formost, know normal sinus rhythm , and then learn from there.
Is your patient pink, warm, dry and talking to you.....then you are ok!
Is the patient moving in the bed? is he scratching his chest? well you might just have some artifact and you almost jumped on your patient and scared the living crap out of him. Look for the simple fixes first unless he is grey, blue, or a nice shade of purple with no pulse.....then you can shout OH Sh@# and get some help......lol
Those crazy monitors are not always right, just because it says he is in Vtach, is he?? maybe, maybe not!
Practice, practice, practice and it comes with time and experience. A few embarrassing moments aside and you will learn, it has happened to all of us, don't let any ER or critical care nurse tell you that they have not been fooled before by a patients cardiac rhythm before, they are lying if they tell you otherwise.

Now what if you are not medically inclined? how do you interpret this chart?  Best thing is to find out what kind of irregular problem you or your loved one has and learn as much about it as you can from your cardiac doctors or credible websites. Knowing all these different cardiac rhythms if you don't need to will just overwhelm you right now. Learning normal is a great way to learn what abnormal is. Start with the normal ECG components at the top and the anatomy of the heart itself, it is a fabulous organ.



Original document is located here http://www.docstoc.com/docs/48034809/Arrhythmia-Recognition



Here are some of the most common Arrhythmia's to remember and be aware of if you are a nurse. Know these first and then work on the harder blocks etc.
I will review those in another post...............until later, have a great day or night!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Emergency Room or Urgent Care, Where Do I Go? #supportthescrubs #nurseup

Just when do you come to the Emergency Department(Room) to be seen and worked up for a problem? Of course Ebola is first on the list these days of problems people are scared to death of, but things like chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke like symptoms, severe abdominal pain, bleeding uncontrollably, sudden thunderclap type headaches (totally different from your regular headache), your newborn infant has a high fever etc. (see the infographic below for a good list of things to go to the ED or Urgent Care for) Are complaints that you seek emergency care for...

There are many people that seriously just don't understand the process of who needs to be in the Emergency Department and who does not! ER nurses and providers are totally frustrated with the minor complaints that show up on our door steps that could have easily waited until their primary care doctor, clinic or the urgent care was open. Even trying some home care measures before you run to the ER is OK, giving your child some Tylenol or children's Motrin and actually waiting to see if it works is A OK you know (or do you know?). Have you called your own doctor, pediatrician or dentist? most of them have an on call service? Or did you just panic and freak out?
Coming to the ER for something stupid and uncalled for just exposes you to more germs, adds to the wait times in all the ER's, takes a bed away from someone that actually may need it (yes really) and adds to the stress of the already overburdened system. (Yes I am on my soapbox today)

Coming to the ER with complaints like these drive me nuts: (yes these are actual complaints that I have heard as an ER nurse over the last 25+ years) --no names of course to protect privacy, some things have been changed. Picture the look on my face when I heard these complaints.....lol

  • A cough for 3 years  ( today was the day to get checked out)
  • My toothpaste made my gums hurt (she really wanted a work note and narcotics)
  • My big toe is sore (pt had new shoes and wanted a work note)
  • My toe nail polish made my toes red (rash) - noted pt had on red nail polish
  • My partner cheated on me and I want to be "checked" (she actually cheated and had 3 std's)
  • I have something stuck in my teeth ( omg you don't want to know what it was)
  • I have had a condom stuck in my vagina for 3 months (it was a French tickler- smelled so good)
  • My period is way to heavy... ( she was crazy actually )
  • I have had chest pain for 3 years (and I needed a ride in the ambulance closer to my house)
  • My vibrator is stuck and I need the batteries changed soon ( you can only imagine)
  • I have money stuck up in my vagina and I need change for the laundry mat (a frequent flyer)
  • I need you to give my child Tylenol here in the ER so I will have money for the laundry mat.
  • I have a rash on my hand (no rash to be seen anywhere)
  • My child has a fever of 99.1 (child running all over the room eating chips and drinking Pepsi)
  • I flushed my pain medication down the toilet by accident and need refills (oh by the way I am from out of state) -- wanted drugs, was lying of course
  • I fell off the roof in 1986 and my back still hurts, I want my back surgery now!! (it is 2006 now)
  • My baby needs to be checked (had not been to well child checkups since mom had been busy she said)  (I want a check mark stamp)
  • My child needs his football physical (mom was told that the ER does not do physicals, she wanted to check in and wait anyhow) (the doctor told her no after she waited 3 hours)
I could go on and on with these ridiculous type of complaints that are all actually real, these patients also think they should be seen first, even before your chest pain or stroke symptoms, they can make the most noise in the lobby. One lady told me once "I don't care if that baby is not breathing, I am going to be late getting home and my probation officer will find out I am not at home, so I need you to write me a note NOW!!!" I just smiled at her and walked away..................

Next time you are in the ER or even a Urgent Care facility, tell the nurses and providers thank you for all the hard work they do, putting up with bull-crap and just smiling-- then saving your loved one's life.
#supportthescrubs 




On a serious note, if you are truly sick or just don't know, then by all means come in to the ED. I would much rather help you make that decision than you stay home having chest pain, shortness of breath, an allergic reaction to something or stroke like symptoms. Trust your gut, especially if you are a parent, you know your child, if they are just not acting right.... seek treatment... call your peds doctor first and then come to the ER. Most pediatricians want to talk to you first before you head to the ER. Unless your child is an infant under 90 days old with a fever over 100.5 rectally, that is a real emergency and needs to be seen, unless you have made other arrangements with your pediatrician already. 
Call 911 if you need to, they can treat most emergent problems in the field before you even get to the ED. They are highly trained in their profession and can make the choices you might not be able to in an emergency. 
It is really easy to send you home, when we have ruled out all the bad things that can "kill you dead today" . It is much harder to tell your family that you are gone :( 



Weeeeeeeeeee! little piggie

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Help For Domestic Violence: Resources For Women And Teens #Octoberawareness #domesticviolence





Do you know someone that is in an abusive relationship right now, or is that person You!  Here are some resources that can help. Please report abuse, who else will speak up for her?

Domestic Violence Resources For Women: 

National Domestic Violence Hotline:Toll Free: (800) 799-SAFE (7233)
Toll Free: (800) 787-3224 (TTY)
www.thehotline.org
National Network to End Domestic ViolencePhone: (202) 543-5566
www.nnedv.org
American Psychiatric Association (APA)Toll Free: (888) 35-PSYCH (77924)
Phone: (703) 907-7300
www.healthyminds.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Phone: (303) 839-1852
Phone: (202) 745-1211 ext. 143
www.ncadv.org
The National Center for Victims of CrimePhone: (202) 467-8700
www.ncvc.org
Futures without Violence
Phone: (415) 678-5500
www.futureswithoutviolence.org
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Toll Free: (800) 537-2238
www.nrcdv.org
The Battered Women’s Justice Project
Toll Free: (800) 903-0111 ext. 1
Phone: (612) 824-8768
www.bwjp.org
National Battered Women’s Law Project 
Phone: (212) 741-9480
WomensHealth.govToll Free: (800) 994-9662
www.womenshealth.gov
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental HealthPhone: (312) 726-7020
www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org
National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
Toll Free: (866) 331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org
Safe Place
Phone: (512) 267-SAFE (7233)
www.safeplace.org
Break the CyclePhone: (310) 286-3383
www.breakthecycle.org
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)Toll Free: (800) 656-HOPE (4673)
www.rainn.org
Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Toll Free: (800) 313-1310
www.futureswithoutviolence.org/content/features/detail/790/
A Women’s Guide to Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation
Toll Free: (800) 993-3869
www.recoveryconnection.org/alcohol-drug-rehab-for-women

Teen Domestic Violence Resources 
National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
Toll Free: (866) 331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org
Break the Cycle
Toll Free: (888) 988-TEEN
www.breakthecycle.org
Love is Not Abusewww.loveisnotabuse.com
Teen Outreach ProgramToll Free: (800) 300-1080
www.teenrelationships.org
Maryland’s Peoples Law Library
www.peoples-law.org 
Safe YouthToll Free: (866) 723-3968
KidsHealthwww.kidshealth.org 
SeeItAndStopIt.Orgwww.seeitandstopit.org
WomensLaw.Orgwww.womenslaw.org

Another page with some great resources : Here 



Warning Signs if you think you or a loved one is in an unhealthy relationship 

Please, Please seek help before you are just a statistic on a page or another name on a toe tag, don't fool yourself thinking it will end or he will stop................he will not! Call today and get some help, even presenting to a local Emergency room and telling the nurse you are being abused will start the process to get you the help you need. Call 911 if you are in danger now, keep yourself and your children safe, you deserve better, it is NOT your fault!!




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