Why don't dental nurses ever speak to patients

It may be the strategy of the individual dentist. Staff in my practice converse w/ patients to put them at ease and because the assistant needs patient cooperation for some procedures the staff does. The more the staff can do the easier it is on the dentist. At the same time this can be risky because contradictions happen; patients can like the dentist but complain about staff and leave the practice and worse go on social media and vent their complaint. Some dentists have very successful practices built by making sure their staff stays focused and limits undesirable consequences of a talkative staff. The relationship there is clearly between the dentist and the patient. To conclude: it varies on the management style of the dentist and I left out the status/persona of patient clientele.

Refer: Michael Starkey

What are some current trends in pediatric nursing

Oh, thanks for asking me to answer but what seems like a few years ago has actually been 30 years since I worked as an RN in a neonatal and then pediatric ICU, while finishing school for a year. I can tell you the trends then but that wouldn’t help so maybe this referral will. It was a great, wonderful experience and all the people I worked with are 30 years older for real but have not changed in my mind. It goes so fast. If you don’t have your own children they say it’s easier on you emotionally. I suppose that must be right.

This is great:  It’s not paraphrased because how can you paraphrase it? But the site asked why, and I don’t take any credit for the great work.  Please go to the website and see the people that wrote this. They ask a couple questions first before you can access the material but it’s freely given out. Again, I  don’t claim copyright.

Trends IN PEDIATRIC NURSING PRACTICE

■ Increased numbers of children requiring mental health

services

■ Increased numbers of children becoming ill as a result of

antibiotic- resistant organisms

■ Increased usage of blood conservation techniques for

hospitalized children

■ Increased emphasis on provision of safety education

(e.g., Internet safety, dealing with bullying)

■ Increased admissions based on environmental risk factors,

such as dangerous living environments, unstable households,

and risky behaviors

■ Increased admissions based on deficient knowledge base

of caregivers, such as not following or understanding the

treatment regimen

■ Increased admissions based on lack of primary care

access

■ Earlier onset of puberty and its ramifications for

adolescent sexual health

■ Shift in the focus of medical/nursing care from

disease treatment to health promotion and disease

prevention

■ Provision of health education in the school system

■ Increased incorporation of families in the overall care of

children

■ Increased numbers of children requiring home-care

provision

■ Increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorders and

childhood depression, requiring more education and

research in these areas

■ Increased childhood incidence of the following

conditions:

■ Obesity

■ Hypertension

■ Diabetes

■ Asthma

 Refer: Robert House

Do mental health nurses ever give needles to patients

We don’t call them “needles.” We call them syringes. In 25+ years of psych nursing, I would estimate that I’ve given approximately 10,000 IM injections.

The number is so large not because I’m a crazy Nurse Ratched as so many would like to believe, but because psych patients get sick, just as non-psych patients do. The large numbers add up with flu clinics, volunteering to give TB sub-Q injections at a free health care clinic for veterans for several years, and other medications which are ideally given IM for best, quickest results.

During flu clinics, we thoroughly but plainly explained the benefits of getting the immunization. We agreed that everyone found needles unpleasant. We had good relationships with most of our patients.

To make the process more painless, we assembled an assortment of dinosaurs which both patients and staff found entertaining to arrange while anticipating the injection. We also provided a small but tasty sweet treat (if medically OK) after it was done.

Probably we give more injections than any other type of nurse. My second-most unusual and outstanding skill is giving nearly painless IM’s, thanks to flu clinic practice. The other is parallel parking.

On many occasions we do give injections to agitated and out of control patients. We don’t do it lightly. It requires an order from an MD, specifically for that dose. We don’t like sticking needles into people already in great distress, but if they are so agitated they are in danger of hurting themselves or others, there are not that many options, and I’m including quiet time, calming rooms, seclusion rooms, de-escalation, etc.

Because my specialty was alcohol and drug addiction, many of the IM’s were given because of the way alcohol and drugs destroy the body. A person in the throes of DT’s needs ativan may need magnesium to lower the chance of seizures, etc. The agony that DT causes is so great IM’s are the best choice.

Many of our patients come to us in very ill health. IVDA’s often have STDs, which require an IM dose of antibiotics. Many have full-blown AIDS and very compromised immune systems. TB is also very frequent. I could fill pages with the illnesses rampant on a psych unit.

As far as insulin—depending on the unit and patient, some patients are allowed to administer their own, as the goal of the unit is to get patients functional and able to care for themselves properly on discharge.

What makes a great paediatrician

I have been a nurse for 9 years.

8 of those in pediatrics, with the most recent in pediatric critical care. I work with COUNTLESS resident physicians and we receive a new batch of them every June. To say I am biased would be fair.

I have my favorite doctors. I can honestly say it’s not fair to judge a physician in residency, but there are some signs that make for amazing pediatricians.

In my humble opinion:

1.   Humbleness. There is nothing worse than a doctor who thinks he knows it all. Does he know more than Jim Bob who works on a tractor and hasn’t gone to high school but has held his newborn baby for three weeks every night while he has seizures? Sure. From a book. From a previous patient. But Jim Bob knows his own baby more than this doctor ever will. Those who are humble enough to give the parents the right to feel like they know their own child will be fantastic physicians.

2.      Be human. Often times, especially with new doctors, there is such an obvious line drawn in the sand between “them” and everyone else (including nurses and staff and patients). It’s weird when I work next to you saving a life of a newborn but when I see you at the supermarket you act like you don’t know me. We all are on the same level of caring for people- your education is just different than mine. I could have gone to med school but decided to be a nurse instead. I know what I do, but don’t think I couldn’t do the same as you if I tried. That goes for your patients as well. When you treat others as humans and not those who are beneath you, you will be a fantastic physician.

3.      Perfect your bedside manner. Get on the child’s level. Learn about the new movies or what kids enjoy. Spend time talking to the parents for a moment about where they are from or how they feel today. This will take you far and they won’t forget it. They will ask for you.

4.      Be gentle with yourself. You’re not perfect. The work you do is terribly exhausting and mentally straining. It’s ok to say “I don’t know” or “I’m tired”. It’s ok to cry. The best doctors I have worked with have been gentle with themselves on their own limitations and feelings.

       Refer: Sara Craw

Can powder formula be given to babies under 2 months

Yes, most formulas are… formulated for infants from new-born to 12 months of age.

I would pay attention to its designation as an infant formula. You don’t want to give toddler formula to a new-born… although in a pinch it may still work… on occasion.

The formula market has become now so specialized that there are formulas designed for new-born and early infancy and other formulas designed for older infants. This is in order to mimic better breast milk, which changes naturally as the baby grows older. However any the formula is still a far cry from the breast milk, as the latter is alive, it provides immunity and it reacts to not just the age of the baby but to her illness and her growth spurts as well. That being said, there are illnesses, metabolic disorders and allergies that may benefit from specialized formulas instead of the breast milk, however, those are rare and should be diagnosed by a physician.

What kind of nurses take care of new born babies

What kind of nurses take care of newborn babies?

There are generally three types of nurses that care for a newborn in the hospital setting: 
Labour and Delivery Nurses typically assist with deliveries and care for the baby immediately following the birth (taking vital signs, cutting the cord, and assessing the APGAR score).
Maternity Nurses care for babies on the postpartum floor of hospitals (mother/baby unit)
NICU Nurses care for babies that is sick or premature

These nurses often will utilize their skills outside the hospital in a private setting. Through personal care, RN's (along with newborn Care Specialists and Postpartum Doulas) provide additional support to mothers and newborn to ease the transition home.

Refer: Haleigh Aliquots

Are there work from home opportunities for nurses?

Yes, there are two that come to mind.

One caveat, the pay is greatly reduced as compared to working in a hospital (I checked, but more for myself).

One type of job is an "Abstractor". This nurse is responsible for auditing charts for specific information. One example, I'm a perinatal quality review nurse. That means I have to report to CMS, Joint Comission etc, stats on certain metrics. A simple one is-was baby solely breastfed during the hospital stay? While this might sound easy to figure out, it's not. EHR are a nightmare of rabbit holes, compartments and fragments. The abstractor needs to be able to reliably determine answers to these questions. Then, part of my job is to re-abstract and verify the abstractors work (but just a sample). The company that we work with is called Q-centrix, or Quantros. I'm super ignorant about the machinations of them as a company other than I know the abstractors work from home. And they make about $20/hr here in California. 

Another job I'm aware of is an Advice Nurse. They generally work from home and typically follow a script. They typically need licenses in multiple states, as they generally work for insurance companies who have customers around the country. The company I checked into was paying about $25/hr. This was a while ago, and I don't remember it's name. But putting "Nurse jobs work at home" in as a search should be a good start.

Refer: Tasha Poslaniec