Reflection...

With this course almost finished, and the fall semester starting next week I think a lot of us are asking ourselves the same question...can we do this for five years? As I have heard many others say and I am feeling the same way, am I university material? Do I want to be doing homework and writing essays until 2013? Not only that but five years is a long time and there is so many other things in life I am looking forward to such as getting married next September and having children soon after. Can I do all that and still get a university degree? With working full time hours as an RPN I ask myself can i do it all?
With all the support of the other girls in this course I think we could probably all get through it. It is going to be a lot of work and dedication, we can all do it we just have to stick together!

The Cute Little Lady in The Pink Sweater

By Dawn Maselli, RN

They can take my meal away before I'm done
They can talk to me like I'm dumb
They can refer to me as a "Feeder"
Fluff me up to make me look neater
They talk about me like I'm not Here
They address me as "honey" "cutie and "dear".
But there are things they can't do to me
As they insult my dignity
Oh there are things they can't do to me
They can't take away my memories
My Roles through this life cement my presence
With withered mind they call senescence
I am rich in culture, wisdom and knowledge
That medical people can't learn in college
I am a mother, a sister, a historian, a wife
I have mastered many roles throughout my life
I created warm meals in my day
I wiped my children's tears away
I cared for a close knit family
Who look up to and value me
And now I master another role
Dependent patient with golden soul
If just one of "them" would sit with me
I'd share with them this history
And if one would stay awhile
I'd teach them that I'm still God's child.
They are so busy this I know
I have aged and have gotten slow
This I must share in written word
I may not be seen but I will be heard
They say I'm anxious, noisy and loud
This life has taught me not to be too proud
I am too many things to capture in a letter
I am so much more than the lady in the pink sweater
If you've listened from the start
I may help you find your heart.

Alzheimer's and Dementia

Alzheimer's disease which is a type of dementia is something we as nurses see on a daily basis. There are many different types of dementia's and all patients with this disease exhibit syptoms differently. In the past few years as a nurse I have taken a keen interest in this disease, I have read books on it and spent a lot of time with different patients with the illness. This disease has touched my family, and the families of millions of others. At times it is a very disturbing disease to think these patients were once living their lives as we are, and possibly pursuing careers such as doctors and lawyers. It does not matter what you did for a living, how smart you were or how much education you had dementia can effect anyone. It is thought that some forms can be hereditary, but nothing is certain. This is one disease people can live years and years with, their body can still function normal but their brain does not. For families this can be so upsetting for example when a couple has been married for many years and the person does not remember their spouse. The patient may not even be able to identify there own children or tell you their own name.
There are mental tests that qualified people can perform on patients to know exactly how far advanced their dementia is. As a nurse we can usually tell how confused a patient is by a brief conversation. It is important when doing your initial assessments on a patient to know if they have a history of dementia or if the confusion is new, this can require further investigations if the confusion is new. Some dementias can progress slow and usually effect elderly people, but some can be rapidly progressing and effect younger people. There is no two patients with dementia who have the exact same behaviours all are just a little different. It is important for nurses or caregivers caring for these types of patients to have formal training so they can better care these patients. Also training can help caregivers to better understand the illness. There is also many group sessions for families dealing with the disease and programs for patients dealing with the disease. It is important for nurses and caregivers to be aware of all these options to help the patients and there families deal with this terrible disease the best they possibly can.
The Alzheimer's Society is a great place to start.
http://www.alzheimer.ca/

Here is a very informative video about Alzheimer's Disease:

The Notebook-Showing Dementia

Working Short...

On any day of the week it is not uncommon to go to work and find out once again were working short. It is not just the floor I work on regularly the whole hospital is dealing with this nursing shortage, and I'm sure it's not just the hospital I work at but hospitals all over the world. Nurses go to work to care for the patients. This becomes very difficult when your workload is increased due to not having enough staff. When your workload increases patient care tends to suffer, the patients do not get the attention they need and deserve. This creates a whir wind of events families get frustrated, nurses get exhausted. Nurses are getting more tired all the time from working short, having a larger work load, and working extra hours so that patient care does not suffer.
To make things even more frustrating in the last few years it is becoming even more difficult to become a nurse. The standards of becoming a Registered Practical Nurse is now a two year diploma which used to be a certificate. To become a Registered Nurse is has now went from a three year diploma to a four year degree. The difference from college diploma to a university degree is huge and so is the cost. When money is an issue with people trying to choose a career path it seems they would more likely choose the diploma nurse. I heard on the radio in the next five years the country is going to be short hundreds of thousands of RN's. This is just when the baby boom will be aging and suffering from more health problems and we will be in desparate need for nurses. So why is it so difficult to become a nurse? These are questions I hear discussed at work all the time. Who has the answer?...
See these websites for more information on the world wide nursing shortage.
http://http://www.cna-aiic.ca/CNA/issues/hhr/default_e.aspx
http://http://www.rnaoknowledgedepot.ca/strengthening_nursing/rar_the_nursing_shortage.asp
http://http://www.fims.uwo.ca/NewMedia2007/page299184230.aspx

Patients waiting patiently...

I have been working at the RMH for almost three years now and I have seen many changes. At this time we have so many patients waiting for nursing homes. I would have to say approximately 50 % of our patients are waiting for a nursing home bed. This is outrageous! There are sick people waiting emergency on a stretcher for days at a time, waiting for a bed in the hospital. It is scary to think the amount of people waiting at this time, and the baby boom is just entering the age to start needing more assistance. I am anxious to see what the health care system is going to be like in another 5-10 years. We have some patients that have been waiting on an active medical floor for a year now for a nursing home bed, and they have possibly another 3-9 month wait. Nursing homes offer so much more than an active hospital floor can offer such as activities, outings, and simply more stimulation. As children most elderly people with some form of dementia need daily mental and physical activity to stay as active as possible. What most families do not know is that if your loved one can wait for a nursing home at home in the community they get priority to the hospital. Does this make sense? Most would argue the fact that the patients waiting on active floors in the hospital should get a nursing home first. With our everyday nursing shortage are there going to be enough nurses to care for all these elderly people as the baby boom ages. Why is there not more nursing homes being built? Would there be enough nurses to staff them? These are all questions us nurses have but who do we ask?...
For more on nursing homes and the nursing shortages stay tuned, or visit my favorite blogs for similar topics of interest.


Here is a great website and checklist when choosing a nursing home for your loved one.
http://http//www.ehow.com/how_2177523_nursing-homerehab-facility-loved-one.html

Communication Barriers in Everyday Nursing

Communication barriers is something you come across in the nursing profession. It is becoming more common with our multicultural society we live in today. In Lindsay it is not as common to admit a patient into the hospital with a language barrier. A couple of months ago I was faced with a difficult patient who spoke only french. With learning only minimal french in school it was difficult to communicate with this patient. To perform the daily assessments such as the pain assessment, head to toe assessment. Finding out if the patient was hungry, or if they had to use the bathroom all were difficult, not to mention very frustrating for the patient. We had one nurse on the floor that spoke french so she made a sign of some important words we could use to ask the patient questions. Also when she was there she would have conversations with the patient. At times this can be frusrating for the nurse, I can't imagine how frustrated the patient gets. Not to mention how lonely it would be not being able to have a conversation with anyone. I since learned there is a website that you can access and type in anything you want to say in english and it will come up in whatever language you choose. This would be very helpful for any language barrier I face in my nursing career.