Internet a Medium For Healthcare

Describe how you feel about patients using the internet as a medium for healthcare. Are there any groups that you feel suffer because of internet access issues or do you think patients blindly listen to their providers about medications and supplements?

As far as how I feel about patients using the internet as a medium for healthcare; I would say that researching product on the internet is able to provide. Then again, the web has many ups and downs that it would be important to make sure to know what websites are considered safe resources before labeling their information accurate or trustworthy. There are times when I turn to the internet to research certain drugs, but I usually have an idea of what the action of the medication (basically the internet is my 2nd resource).

I believe that the age group that suffers the most in this case is the younger and older adults. The younger adults because some of the population lack researching skills which might turn them to use any type of site as a resource; instead of taking a second look at what other sites have to offer. The older adults because they are not usually up to date with technology which kind of holds them back from gaining more information about various things. To tell you the truth I always used to have a problem knowing what websits to trust as references until I took my first research class; so I can only imagine how the rest of the world feels about this particular problem.

I strongly believe that many patients take their Physician's word for just about everything when it comes to their health. If their doctor told them that a specific medication is use to turn your urine green for fun, then that is exactly what they expect to happen no matter what other resources may say. My point is that since the world keeps all of pretty busy we hardly have enough time to research anything when it comes to health problems/medications, so we count on our heathcare providers to provide us with the necessary information about our health. We as patient should start to take responsibility in our own health by taking time to find resources that would be useful to have a better understand of our diagnosis/medication/illness (whatever the case maybe). My advise would be to read the information that is provided to you by your healthcare provider and if that doesn't make sense ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS and if that doesn't work you always have other resources such as your pharmacist, internet (but first finding what site are safe to use), books, nurses, and so on...

OB Rotation

1. Write a blog about an experience you had in either peds or Women's health rotation that you felt strongly about.

I can remember is when I was placed in L & D unit which I had two patients tat I was watching over for that day. Their labor progress was slow and I thought that would not have the opportunity to watch a birth, but boy was I wrong. That day I watched two natural births, which was very exciting and to add to my emotions I was in the presence o first time mothers. Now, back to my point, I was very impressed with how involved the nurse's were with these births and the amount of confidence they demonstrated while completing their nursing duties. I have seen only one birth before this experience and I never knew how scary the whole process of labor could be and all the different problems that may come along with delivering a baby. Luckily, the nurse that I was with asked me questions, helped me expand my knowledge about what a nurse does in this particular department and also gave me a quick overview of how to read the fetal heart monitors strips and labor board (which helped me see how far along the labor process was both labor). Overall, my experience was unforgettable and I am extremely thankful for the entire nursing staff on the OB unit for helping us through our clinical:)

2. Did the situation change your views about nursing, about people, about anything?

Yes, my experience helped me appreciate nurses in the OB field more because of how much they help these mothers through one of their most joyful moment of their lifetime (although it may not seem that way at first). I could never handle this type of unit because babies scare the daylights out of me and I just wouldn't know what to do if something went wrong. Although, I loved the feeling of seeing first time mother's with their babies which is the most amazing feeling in world because these were actual mothers who appreciated God's little blessing. Many people don't actually think about how lucky they are to be able to have babies, but the truth is that babies are miracles that not everyone gets the opportunity to experience.

3. If you could change something (within reason) about the situation, what would you change? If I could have changed something it would be to add more days to our OB rotation because three days was not enough to consume all the OB unit had to offer, but that is the only thing I could think of off the top of my head.

4. What type of nursing do you think you want to do when you are done?

I have never really sat down to think of the endless career opportunities a nurse has out in the medical field and now that I am on my way of becoming a nurse (I am just not sure). I love the idea of having different options in my future career path and knowing that I will never be bored. I have always wanted to go into the Oncology field because their are so many different areas in this field in which research is still being completed on (that the exposure would be unforgetable). I want to be side by side with the patient knowing that I am helping them through one of their toughest obstacles that they will experience in their lifetime. Having close family put into that situation has guided my decision on becoming specialized in this area of nursing. All I can remember about the experience is how hopeless my family and I felt, but how much we counted on the nurses to take great care of my family member. BUT I also want to expose myself to everything the nursing field has to offer, until I have had enough:)

Generic vs. Brand name medications

Describe how you feel about generic vs. brand pharmaceuticals. Do you think one is more effective or better than the other? What would you recommend for your patients if they asked you if thy should buy generic vs. name brand, knowing they will most likely do what you say for ALL their prescription drugs, no matter what it is?

As far as how I feel about generic vs. name brand pharmaceuticals, my feelings remain mutual towards using both types of medication. Although I am all about saving money when you know that the generic product is just as good as the name brand name. I look at the situation this way if you were to go to Wal-mart to buy bread; just because you buy the Great Value brand (which is the Wal-mart brand) does not necessarily mean that you are getting less form the item compared to buying the brand Sunbeam. Just like medications, generic brands were placed out in the stores in order for people with lower income could afford the necessary pharmaceuticals for their families. Also, there are health care insurances that will only cover generic brand medications because of the difference in price and if you were to sit down and do the math (you could see a dramatic difference in most cases). Although that brings up the fact that insurance companies would not necessarily except medications that would not cure/or heal the under lying cuase of disease/illness; if they knew the intervention of medication would not be effective because that would leave them in a bad situation. Meaning more cost towards them if these medications that were prescribed were not effective. Get the piture? I leave you with this note "Research that has been completed on this topic of generic vs brand name has shown that generic names are a lot more affordable and are just as effective as the brand name medications (if not more) that are out in the pharaceutical world." So, you make the choice is really better than the other product??? : )

Just my thoughts:)

Describe on theory about the general pathophysiologic changes that occur in cancer from the cellular level to the tumor stage.

Cancer as a whole usually occurs from a mutation of a single cell. This cell then grows out of control because there is an absent of signal that alerts normal cell growth (Hurst, 2008). At a certain point the normal cell is no longer capable of returning to its orginal form and growth continues. Some cancer may be benign which usually is in a single location whereas metastasis is usually spread form its orginal unit. When metastasis occurs the cancer cells divide rapidly and tend to become overly aggressive. Some changes that may be present upon assessment of a cancer patient include: changes in their GI/GU habits, abnormal bleeding or discharge, presence of lumps, change in daily intake due to indigestion or sores and pain. Tumors may occur on glands, tissue, organs, or any part of the body depending on its blood source which is needed for growth and maintenance. The abnormal growth of cells forms a tumor (lump) that may interrupt other bodily function such as normal hormonal secretion. Now lets say that there is a tumor growing on a gland such as a thyroid, this tumor then may cause abnormal secretion of hormones (ectopic) which can increase damage to the body or just cause imbalances (Hurst, 2008). That is cancer and tumor in a flash:)

All information taken from:

Hurst, Marlene. (2008). Hurstreviews: Pathophysiology review. Brookhaven, Mississippi:

McGraw Hill.

What can nurses do to confront teenage smokers (think about developmental stage) to get them to quit?

For teenagers I believe the best way to get them to think about quitting smoking is explaining and showing them the affects of smoking. Education is the best way to treat them as adults, so that is what we have to keep in mind. Many this age are smoking to explore or to try to fit in with others, so during this developmental stage it is important to let them know you are not judging them and you are there to support whatever their decision may be because as we know teenagers don't like to be told what to do. I was actually lucky to have a best friend who started smoking when she was 12 years old, whom would never let me touch a cigarette even if I begged. Sometimes it is helpful to have people around you that will be there for you if they decide to quit.

If parents smoke, do you think their kids are more likely to smoke?

I definitely believe that parents play an important role on whether their kids smokes or choose not to smoke. If you expose you children to an environment with parents that smoke chances
are that their child will grow up to explore and are more likely to become smokers themselves. I believe that since these kids have cigarettes around their homes, they can get a hold of carcinogens easily without searcing for a supplier.

What is the most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18?

The most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18 would have to be motor vehicle accidents for the younger adults and injury for the rest of this age group. The main reason for motor vehicle accidents is that adolescent and young adults during this time are searching for an identity and are willing to take more risks than other age groups. Some kids may be invoved in gang activities and/or are exposed to firearms.

List one strength and one weakness in the next generation of school age kids and explain you answer.

One of the strength the next generation of school age kids will have is increased knowledge. I believe the kids in today's generation have more pressure in school to do well ad reach above and beyond their age level which is excellent in some ways, but scary at the same time. I can remember looking at my younger brother's school work when was in middle school and thinking to myself that I needed to review in order to actually help him out on his homework. Of course that was a few years ago which probably means that kids are expected t learn and know more then we did at their age.
The weakness I would consider with school age kids is the pressure they are under to fit in with the other students their age and how easily they can be influenced. I have heard many horror stories about what the kids in elementary/middle/& high school talk about and experience and trust me kids nowadays need early education in all different departments to help with prevention of smoking, pregnancy, drop out rates, drinking and drug abuse. I look at my nephew who is only 18 months and I have already decided that I want to home school him because of all the bad influences school will bring into his life. Just my thoughts:).

Folk/Home remedies???

Describe a folk remedy or a home remedy that you know of. Mention the source you heard it from.

An old cold and congestion remedy that my family has used for many years is taking honey that is mixed with ginger and lemon and drinking it mixed in hot tea. Although the smell alone makes me gag, I believe that my "home remedy" works in some ways because whenever we take it we all feel better within days. I know a cold usually takes up to 10 days to clear up, so whether or not there is some truth to using this remedy I will never truly know because even with research everyone is different (so what may work on one person may not necessarily work on someone else).

Is there any truth to it or is there evidence to disclaim it? Find an article and tell us whether the current research supports the "old-wives" tale or disclaims it.

I was suprise to find out that there is some truth to my family's cold/congestion remedy. It turns out that there is research stating that hot tea does help with congestion, but it is no 100% recommended which is fine with me because different remedies work for different people (Davis, 2007). Also, Vitamin C as we know is commonly used for the common cold in America and as I found out honey does contain a lot of Vitamin C. Reseach has shown that Vitamin C is useful towards shortening the duration and severity of the common cold virus (Simasek & Blanino, 2007). Although there is not 100% guarantee that my "home remedy" will work, I will continue to use it and pass it down to my kids (if I have any in the future:) ).

Do you disagree with using "home-remedies" like the one you posted or not? Do they cause more harm than good? or do they serve a purpose?

I very much agree to using "home remedies" to a certain extend, I believe that there are many therapies/remedies out in the world that are being used that are helpful for some medical illnesses. But I also know that there are many medical issues that need to be taken care of by a healthcare provider when possible because in some cases the situation at hand may be too severe and "home remedies" may not be the best idea or option. My "home remedy" I would consider to be harmless for the fact that nutural foods are used which would cause no harm if there is no benefit from the remedy. Everyone in the world have there own therapies/remedies for different illnesses and whether or not it serves a purpose is up to the person to decide; so in my case I would say that my remedy does serve a purpose for my family.

Would you remmend the one you described to a patient?

As far as recommending my "home remedy" to any patient of mine, I would hold back just for the fact that many patients rely on your every word as a nurse (unless they are close friends or family and you know they won't sue you). If they were to a specifically ask me what types of remedy I use at home at this point I would definitely tell them, but if they were to ask me if I would recommend this remedy I would tell them that "it's you own call on whether you decide to use it or not".

References:

Davis, C. (2007). Foods & news that fight colds & flu. Vegetarian times, (338), 46-48.

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/

Simasek, M., & Blandino, D. (2oo7). Treatment of the common cold. American family

physician, 75(4), 515-520. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/

Picture taken from: http://nicoleheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2008/05/2--

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Drugs

Describe how you feel about direct-t0-consumer marketing of drugs in the U.S. So you think DTC marketing really influences people decisions about drugs.

I'm really not affected by direct-to-consumer marketing. The only time I see marketing about pharmaceuticals is when I watch T.V.(and as we all know in nursing school there is not much time for that). Although I can admit that watching the same commercials that try to advertise the same drug/product tends to get on my nerves, I believe these drugs are a waste of time and money. I am lucky enough to realize that there are other issues in my life to worry about, other than testing out a new product that is set out to work miracles on everyone. I do believe though that direct-t0-consumer marketing does actually have a lot of business in the U.S. For example the Proactive facial product for acne, I can truly say has attracted many of the younger population in the U.S. I can't tell you how many people I have come across that have acutally tried Proactiv and have been disappointed with the end results. I feel bad that drug marketing influences the majority of the population so easily that everybody has hope that the marketing product will set out to do, what it was made to do (but in many cases that is not how it works out). One thing we all need to remember is that everyone is different and that is why many of the products advertised or sold react differently with each individual.

OVER THE COUNTER AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Describe your experience or your families experience with OTC or prescription medications. Did the medication do what it was supposed to?
Even though I am in the nursing profession, I have always been against using medication when possible. I believe America has become too dependent on the usage of various medications to cure illnesses and symptoms. Don’t get me wrong I know that there are drugs out in the world that are made to treat and cure certain problems, but there are also many dangerous involved. Coming from a different culture I was brought up with home remedies that are believed to treat certain illnesses and whether or not the remedies specifically work is unknown because eventually the problem or illness would go away. When given a choice of using a prescribe drug or OTC medication depending on the situation I usually try to use other remedies before relying on drugs.
I can remember one time last year when I broke out in a rash (around my neck, arms, and tummy area); I waited about a week to see if the rash would go away on its own. Eventually the end of the week came and I had to go to work, so that is when I decided that I could not work with this rash that kept itching like crazy. I gave in and went to Medi-Quick and told them my story and they believed that it was an allergic reaction but to what we are still not sure of. Before going to Medi-quick the measures I took included: discontinuing my detergent, trying to switch soaps, and watching my diet but nothing seemed to help; so that is what finally drove me to take whatever I was prescribed. I was given a steroid shot and also given pills that were to be taken for the next seven days, although I do not remember the name of the medication off the top of my head; all I remember was the itchiness and rash subside that day. I also believe that many illnesses can be more of a “mind over matter” situation and that is why I think my problem felt 90% better that exact day when I went to seek care.