Meet Molly, Your Home Nurse Avatar

Meet Molly, Your Home Nurse Avatar

Getting an appointment with our doctors are becoming difficult especially now that many people are conscious with their health status. With the demand for healthcare professionals continually increasing, the number of workers can’t keep up.

So how could we balance the great need for nurses and doctors to the patients?

Silicon Valley-based Sense. Molly came up with a bright idea of putting a face into telemedicine. They’ve created a Kinect-powered nurse avatar named Molly.  

Molly will be the virtual nurse which have access to patient’s records and can ask questions about the patients history and complaints, just like what a real nurse or doctor would do.

With Molly around, patients will no longer have to wait in long lines just to see their doctor or have a check-up. On the other hand, the healthcare professionals can focus on patients that needs more medical attention. Read more:

Style Tips: How Nurses Can Stay Beautiful

Style Tips: How Nurses Can Stay Beautiful

There has been a running joke among nurses about looking good at the beginning of the shift and looking totally the opposite at the end. This is not something new for nurses. In fact, it has been considered a norm by many. But if you’re someone who thinks that you can still look good even after your shift ends, then don’t feel guilty about it. Because the truth is, it is doable.

Look good even after your shift ends with the help of these tips:

·        Take care of your skin

It is easier to project competency and the caring attitude if you feel good about yourself. But how can you feel good about yourself if you feel bad each time you look at the mirror and notice the breakouts on your face?

Breakouts can result from dirt, poor hygiene, or use of wrong skincare products. So it’s pretty important to have a skincare routine that works for you.

·        Choose the right kind of cosmetic products

Makeup can enhance your facial features so don’t hesitate to wear light makeup. Make sure though that you’re choosing the right kind of cosmetic products. There are those that are not suitable for specific skin types and would either make you look like you’ve been smothered by oil or end up with a flaky-looking skin.

·        Keep your hair away from your face

It doesn’t matter whether you braid it, keep it in a bun, or tie it in a loose ponytail. Keeping your hair away from your face saves you from getting breakouts, saves your gorgeous locks from getting into poo or pee, and instantly gives you that ‘fresh’ look.

·        Wear well-fitting scrubs or work uniform

Loose or tight scrubs or work uniform can hinder you from doing your work well and would make you look like a crap at the end of your shift. Loose clothing is at risk for hanging threads which doesn’t look good, while tight clothing places you at a huge risk of getting embarrassed once it rips off from attending an emergency case. Read more:

Traits That Will Make You A Successful Charge Nurse

Traits That Will Make You A Successful Charge Nurse

A charge nurse is responsible for a specific department at a healthcare facility over a certain shift period. They manage, supervise and assist the nursing staff. They also direct admission, discharge and the flow of patients. Charge nurses monitors and orders medicines and supplies needed for the patient by their respective department.

Being a charge nurse can be the chance to enhance the leadership skill since it handles decision making most of the time. But of course, it also comes with great responsibility since charge nurse should guide the less experienced nurse staff.

In order for you to be a successful charge nurse, if ever you chooses to be one, you should have the following remarkable traits:

Leadership. Of course, it is a must that you should be a good leader for you to be able to handle your subordinates well. Having a good leadership will make your group into an effective team which will make your tasks easy to carry out.

Self-confidence.  It is normal that other nurses finds the charge nurse annoying (well, mostly hates them), but having self-confidence is the key to be competent. You are to take charge of the patient, so you have to be confident to perform your duties and responsibilities. Worrying how to please other nurses won’t help.

Flexibility. Even before you became a charge nurse, you should always be flexible. Because when duty calls, you should be ready. Less workload doesn’t mean you’ll never be busy the whole shift.

Inspire/Motivate others.  An efficient charge nurse should be able to inspire and motivate their staff nurses. Show your team that you value each member and you trust their ability to do their task and even new responsibilities. Ask them about their opinion on something too, to make them feel they are team player. Read more:

Tips on How Not to Blow Your Patients Vein

Tips on How Not to Blow Your Patients Vein

One of the major functions of a nurse is to insert IV lines on patients.  This should be done perfectly but experienced nurses may still encounter or face problems like a blown vein.  In order to minimize patient discomfort and overall productivity of a nurse, here are some useful tips to lessen or eliminate those errors.

1. Assess the veins– Look for a good vein by palpating the arm or area with your fingers.  Choose the larger and straight vein as this will be able to accommodate large bore catheters.
2. Go for the correct size of the catheter– To be safe and avoid a blown small vein otherwise, use a small one.  Gauge 22 is ideal for adult patients while gauges 22-26 catheters for pediatric patients.
3. Check application of tourniquet– Sometimes the blood flow is being affected by how the tourniquet was applied.  BP cuffs can also be used on chemo or elderly patients wherein their veins are very fragile.
4. Bevel position– Make sure that the bevel of the needle is facing upwards as this is much easier to see where the tip enters the skin.  Plus you can control on the angle of insertion when you see the bevel.
5. Anchoring a vein– This is to keep an unstable vein from moving.  With your non-dominant hand, hold the skin and vein tautly as you insert the needle slowly.
6. Check your angle– Adjusting the angle of the needle’s approach will definitely make an impact on the vein.  Ideal angle is 15 to 30 degrees.  To reduce puncturing the two vein walls, vein catheter should be inserted on top of the target vein. Read more:

Top 10 Myths about Cardiovascular Disease

Top 10 Myths about Cardiovascular Disease

A common misconception about heart diseases is that we often think it can only happen to those who are older and to those who eat fatty food. It does come with old age and of course unhealthy eating habit, but heart disease can also happen to anyone at any age, any time, and to those who even do and try everything to maintain a physically fit physique.

Misconceptions, more often than not, can lead to accidents, tragedy, or even worse, death. That’s why we created this list of cardiovascular misconceptions to set the records straight.

1. “Heart disease? Oh please, I’m still too young for that.”NOT.  How you live your life today affects your cardiovascular risk in the future. Simply said, if you stay fit and healthy today, you’ll live a longer, happier life. Remember that obesity and diabetes are now becoming more and more common at a younger age.
2. “I don’t have high blood pressure. If I do, I’d know because there’d be signs.”High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” for a reason. You won’t know you have high blood pressure unless you take a test. As early as now, if you do have high blood pressure, it is imperative that it be treated right away because if not, you can have a stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, or other serious health problems without any warning signs from your body.
3. “My chest hurts; I’m having a heart attack.”Actually, chest pain isn’t necessarily associated with heart attacks alone. When you’re having a heart attack, the signs you should watch out for are nausea, shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, pain or discomfort in one or both arms, in the jaw, the neck, or back. But if you think you are having one, even if you’re not sure, call for help right away. Better safe than sorry. 
4. “My heart beats really fast; I'm having a heart attack.”Calm down. It’s normal to experience variations in your heart rate. It spikes up when you exercise or when you’re excited, it slows down when you’re sleeping. A change in your heart beat is harmless, but sometimes it can be a sign of arrhythmia – an irregular or abnormal heartbeat. Arrhythmia is harmless, but some can last a long time and affect how your heart works so you better have it checked. Read more:

Dissecting the Color of Your Snot

Dissecting the Color of Your Snot

We all get sick at one point and whenever we’re blowing our nose, we tend to check out its color believing that it can indicate how sick we are or how close we are to recovering. The snot can be of different colors, from white, to green, to even yellow, as the body continues on fighting infection.

While doctors say that green mucous is an indication of bacterial infection which can be treated with antibiotics, green snot actually means that the immune system is fighting off an invader for days. The color is produced from the protein found in white blood cells. Read more:

How to Care For Patients Effectively

How to Care For Patients Effectively When it comes to healthcare, nurses spend more time with the patient, which makes it important for them to nurture a positive nurse – patient relationship. This will enhance their overall experience and might even help with their recovery. So as a nurse, make sure that you read on the following tips so you’ll have an idea how you can effectively build rapport with your patients. 1.   Get to know your patients Like all other relationships, it’s important to know the other person. When it comes to your patient, you may want to know more than their disease or medications, so you’ll have something to talk about. It may be about hobbies, their interests, or even their children. This will help break down any inhibitions and make your patients feel comfortable and less anxious.  2.   Educate Patients trust their physicians and nurses, knowing they are their best educators for whatever they are going through. Anyone who’s undergoing medications, treatment options, and possible consequences, have all the rights to know every little detail about their disease. But when it comes to educating your patients, take into consideration factors such as their auditory or visual limitations, and language barriers, if there’s any. It’s best to offer them available reading materials related to their disease, or with website links which they can check out. If the hospital or clinic you’re working in have video resources, offer it as well and clarify their questions. 3.   Know their needs and anticipate them It doesn’t matter whether it’s primary care or acute care setting. You can make a big difference in patient care if you learn how to anticipate the needs of your patients so you can make them feel that you care and you’ll do everything to provide the best care that they deserve. 4.   Follow through is just as important Credibility is just one of the aspects you need when building a career. As a nurse, make sure that you follow through with everything you say you’re going to do. Regardless of how little the task is, such as promising a patient that you’re going to give a list of recommended diet for his or her health, do it. This will only show that they can trust you and you can give them the care that they need. 5.   Address them with their name Yes, memorizing names can be a challenge, but a patient will feel more special and cared for if you exert enough effort to remember his or her name. It may look like a little act, but it can go a long way and make your patient feel comfortable around you. The level of your knowledge isn’t the sole basis of becoming a great nurse. You may be one of the most qualified out there, but not having a positive relationship and harmony with your patients will get you nowhere.  Read more: