CVME Insider: Nursing Knowledge That Matters

Sharps injuries? Sharps injuries  are a significant injury and health hazard for health care workers and also result in a  number of direct and indirect organizational costs . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 385,000 sharps-related injuries occur annually among health care workers in hospitals. More recent data from the Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet™) suggest these injuries can be reduced, as sharps-related injuries in nonsurgical hospital settings decreased 31.6% during 2001–2006 (following the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000) . However, injuries in surgical settings increased 6.5% in the same period, where adoption of safety devices was limited compared to nonsurgical settings. It has been estimated about half or more of sharps injuries go unreported. Most reported sharps injuries involve nursing staff, but laboratory staff, physicians, housekeepers, and other health care workers are also injured. ...

We have been teaching CPR , ACLS , and PALS for over 5 years now and I always get the same complaint from many students.  "Why do we have to watch those stupid videos?"  We know that some of the videos you watch can be boring or repetitive; however, there is a madness behind the methods from the American Heart Association. A recent student from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania finds "using a video to train members of patients at risk for cardiac arrest in CPR may be just as effective as using the traditional hands-on method with a manikin." "The findings suggest simplified and more cost-effective approaches may be useful for disseminating CPR education to families of at-risk patients and the general public. The results are being presented during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2015." (Abella, MD, MPhil) The cardiac arrests in the United States are typically responded and treat...

reprinted with the permission of     Donna Maheady   www.ExceptionalNurse.com "Jasmine Stacey, 24, a nurse in the UK has Crohn's disease.  She underwent surgery to remove part of her intestine when she was 20 years old and needed an ileostomy bag. Jasmine has launched a new line of luxury lingerie that allows women who also have stoma bags to feel sexy again. The nurse/designer said she was "inspired to come up with a stylish range of underwear by the lack of seductive garments available for women in her position". "I want to take the stigma away from having a stoma bag and prove you can still be sexy with underwear.  "I want to get the message out there that it is not as bad as people think and that young people have stoma bags as well as old people." "We hope our underwear is stylish without being flimsy and empowers women to feel confident whether they have stoma bags, scars, or simply want more stomach control."  ...

Story by  Daniel Zwerdling NPR  Correspondent, Investigations Unit For years I have been teaching and talking about liability and  disability  insurance for nurses.  I explain that if you get hurt on the job; most if not all hospitals make it difficult for you to get the help you need as a nurse.  Even if you get on some type of disability; the amount of money you will receive maybe only be around 50-60% of your normal income if you are lucky.  The story below taken from NPR is a great example of how nurses can e lost in the crack and not helped even when simply doing their job. Daniel presents the case of Terry Cawthorn and Mission Hospital, in Asheville, N.C., which provides a look into how some hospital officials around the country have shrugged off an epidemic. "Cawthorn was a nurse at Mission for more than 20 years. Her supervisor testified under oath that she was "one of my most reliable employees."    Then, as w...

By Helen Taylor With all of the advancements in infusion technology during the last hundred years, it’s simply astonishing that the IV pole has remained essentially unchanged in design and function during all that time. Top heavy, “tippy”, noisy, awkward, inefficient, for generations the IV pole has been widely viewed as a challenge rather than asset—something to deal with rather than something that actually improves the quality of care. Finally, however, there’s an alternative. The IVEA is transformative patient-care equipment designed by nurses for nurses to improve mobility, safety, efficiency and storability. The IVEA replaces the IV pole bedside and supports the patient during ambulation. It holds all of the patient’s equipment, including infusion bags and pumps, PCAs, oxygen, chest tubes and catheter bag on a stable platform, and moves easily and securely, promoting early and frequent patient mobility. The IVEA’s award-winning design is also unique in that it folds and stores...

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention;  Stroke  has dropped from the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death to No. 5.  It is the second time since 2011 that stroke has dropped a spot in the mortality rankings. What is a  Stroke ? A stroke results from a disease process that affects the arteries of the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood to the brain gets blocked or ruptures so brain cells don't get the flow of blood that they need. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells cannot function and die within minutes. When these nerve cells die, the parts of the body they control cannot function either. These devastating effects are often permanent because brain cells cannot be replaced. Other names for a stroke  include: Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) Ischemic Stroke Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) Cerebral Thrombosis What are the different ty...

It was a familiar walk.  One I had made countless times.  Over the years I had entered the Children's hospital Operating Room (OR) on a regular basis to observe and support surgeons during surgery.  It was my job.  I worked for a minimally invasive surgical device company and I loved it.  But, today's trip up to the second floor was not for work.  This time was different. This time I was on the other side of the double doors marked, "Authorized personnel only." They were doors I had walked through many times, but had never been forced to wait behind.   Today would be filled with deja vu and reflection because today the little person walking down the long corridor to the OR was my son.  My little boy. My everything. And I was overcome by emotion. What must he be thinking?  I was his mommy and I was handing him over to complete strangers in scary masks and hats.  I told him to do whatever they asked and had allowed them to poke h...

" American Heart Association   Scientific Statement" March 31, 2015  Categories:  Heart News ,  Scientific Statements/Guidelines Statement Highlights Three professional organizations have issued a joint statement on treating high blood pressure in people who have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, stroke or other forms of heart disease. The statement reinforces the goal of reducing blood pressure to under 140/90 in order to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Patients should know their blood pressure, make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, and work with a physician to safely lower their blood pressure. This article was published in DALLAS, Texas on  March 31, 2015 .  The American Heart Association came out and discussed a new scientific statement issued jointly by three medical organizations and published in the American Heart Association’s journal  Hypertension ,...