A Quick Review of the 12 Cranial Nerves

1st -Olfactory nerve - relays smell

2nd - Optic nerve - transmits visual information

3rd - Oculomotor nerve - supplies external muscles of the eyeball with motor and sensory fibers

4th - Trochlear nerve - also supplies external muscles of the eyeball with motor and sensory fibers

5th - Trigeminal nerve - supplies muscles concerned with chewing and relays sensations from the face

6th -Abducent nerve - concerned with lateral eye movement and blinking

7th - Facial nerve - controls the muscles of facial expression, serves the taste buds on the front two-thirds of the tongue, and sensation to the skin of the fingers and toes

8th - Auditory nerve - concerned with hearing and balance

9th - Glossopharyngeal nerve - carries sensation and taste from the back of the tongue and throat; helps control swallowing

10th - Vagus nerve - carries both sensory and motor connections to many organs in the chest and abdomen

11th - Accessory nerve - supplies two neck muscles, the sternomastoid and the trapezius

12th - Hypoglossal nerve - supplies the muscles of the tongue and some of the small muscles of the neck

November is American Diabetes Month

Fast Facts:

http://www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/ADM2008-Fact-Sheet.pdf

I love this idea. Wedding favors that benefit the American Diabetes Association, go to:

https://www.diabetes.org/support-the-cause/make-a-donation/wedding-favors.jsp

Blood Gases

Arterial

pH: 7.35-7.45

pCO2: 35-45

pO2: 70-100

HCO3: 19-25

O2 Sat %: 90-95

Venous

pH: 7.32-7.42

pCO2: 38-52

pO2: 28-48

HCO3: 19-25

O2 Sat %: 40-70

October is SIDS Awareness Month

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria, a.k.a staph, that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems.

There is also a type of MRSA known as community- associated MRSA, which affects otherwise healthy people in the wider community (such as children at school).

Symptoms:

Most MRSA infections are skin infections that produce the following signs and symptoms:
* cellulitis (infection of the skin or the fat and tissues that lie immediately beneath the skin, usually starting as small red bumps in the skin),
* boils (pus-filled infections of hair follicles),which are often red, painful or have pus or other drainage.
* abscesses (collections of pus in under the skin),
* sty (infection of eyelid gland),
* carbuncles (infections larger than an abscess, usually with several openings to the skin), and
* impetigo (a skin infection with pus-filled blisters).

Transmission:

By direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else's infection (e.g., towels, used bandages).

Prevention:

* practicing good hygiene (washing hands well with soap & water or an alcohol based hand sanitizer). * covering skin abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandage until healed.
* avoiding sharing personal items (e.g., towels, razors) that come into contact with your bare skin; and using a barrier (e.g., clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches;
* maintaining a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with people's skin.

Treatment:

*Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-1 tablet PO bid
*Minocycline or Doxycycline-100 mg PO bid
*Rifampin (Adult dose: 300 mg PO bid x 5 days; pediatric dose: 10-20 mg/kg/day in 2 doses not to exceed 600 mg/d x 5 days) in combination with Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, Minocycline, or Doxycycline has been shown to have a synergistic activity against

NCLEX Preparation

I know first hand that taking Nursing Boards can cause much anxiety for a new grad. So much is going on since graduation from Nursing School. You probably have started a new job & are on orientation. Learning more clinical skills now, than when you were in school. Your patient ratio will slowly increase. The number of meds that your patients require will double or even triple than when you where in school. You will also performing nursing procedures that you may have not done before like irrigating a G tube or flushing a central line. You now are working 8 to 12 hours a day if not more. Working shifts can really be stress on a person if they have never done it before. On top of all of this, you are preparing for the NCLEX. Talk about STRESS. What is a new grad to do? Well I have a solution.

STAT Nursing Consultants, is a Pittsburgh based consulting group & have been helping nursing students and graduates decrease their anxiety and enhance their thinking skills on tests. They help students who are at-risk of failing in nursing school and graduates who have failed the NCLEX. STAT Nursing Consultants use cognitive and behavioral techniques that can also be taught to improve any nursing student or graduate's test scores.

I have used STAT Nursing Consultants years ago after failing the NCLEX the first time I took it. STAT Nursing Consultants was well worth it. I felt relaxed & confident going in to take the exam. And yes, I passed my boards after my second try. I highly recommend using STAT Nursing Consultants.

For more information go to their website: http://www.statnursing.org/

Sarcoidosis

I was shocked to hear about the death of actor Bernie Mac & that he had Sarcoidosis. This rare disease is not something new to me. About 5 years ago my mother-in-law was having respiratory problems. She didn't think any thing of it, being that it was cold & flu season. However, when she was having difficulty breathing one Sunday afternoon, completely changed our lives.

She was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia, admitted for treatment & then discharged, only to be readmitted again. This time numerous tests & procedures. The anxiety of possible lung cancer. Then the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. My mother-in-law & I both being nurses have never heard of this diagnosis. This is when the research began. Here is a great website to get more information about this rare disease: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/sarc/sar_whatis.html

Famous actor & Revlon model Karen Duffy also was diagnosed with the same disease. Read more about her at:

http://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/1011duffy.htm

http://www.inspire.com/groups/stop-sarcoidosis/discussion/famous-people-with-sarcoidosis/

Teen Idol Speaks Out On Diabetes

Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers spoke on Fox & Friends today about his diabetes & to raise awareness of Juvenile Diabetes. Nick was diagnosed 3 years ago with Juvenile Diabetes. Symptom free, with the exception of a 15 lbs weight loss. Nick is making this a positive experience. First he said, “Why me?” Now he’s saying “Why not?”

See the complete interview on Fox & Friends.
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=2970617&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/foxfriends/

CE Credits

The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing has online CE's that are approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Check out the website for more info.

http://www.nursing.pitt.edu/academics/ce/index.jsp

Dr. Makes Kidney Machine For Young Patient

I came across this info on another blog & felt I had to share this with you. Check it out & see what you think. If only all doctors would be this compassionate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7542404.stm

Getting Fit

Childhood obesity is on the rise. This is a fact. Working as a School Nurse I have seen it first hand. We are required to send letters home to the parents for those who are at risk (BMI greater than 85%) & those who are over. Lots of paperwork & mundane calculations.

How do we encourage & teach these kids about getting fit? I am always brainstorming for new ideas "How can I connect with these kids?" Then last night while laying in bed, the light bulb went off. The Wii Fit! I know from recent experience with one that it is a great workout. Goals are set, you create a virtual trainer & your progress is tracked. Of course not everyone will have one. But if I know a student has one or a parent asks for advice, this may be a suggestion.

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx

Percentile Range:

Underweight -Less than the 5th percentile
Healthy weight-5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
At risk of overweight-85th to less than the 95th percentile
Overweight-Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile

New School Year, New Requirements

Wow! It is already August & school will be starting at the end of the month. August 28, to be exact. This will be my third year as a school nurse, I wonder what adventures await me this year?

One big challenge will be the massive paperwork with the new immunization requirements. I am dreading the non-compliant parents who won't send in the paperwork by the required deadline. Letters were sent in the spring by the superintendent, a note on report cards by the principal & a letter by the principal via snail mail. I think 3 notices are suffient, however this is only my opinion.

Here are the new requirements that will take place this school year. I have checked the Allegheny Health Department & PA Department of Health websites & the 2008-2009 immunizations are not listed at this time.

NEW SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION REGULATIONS (phased in by 08/31/08)
All grades K-12
4 doses of tetanus (1 dose after the 4th birthday); 3 doses if series started after 7
years of age
4 doses of diphtheria (1 dose after the 4th birthday); 3 doses if series started
after 7 years of age
3 doses of polio
2 doses of measles
2 doses of mumps
1 dose of rubella
3 doses of hepatitis B
2 doses of varicella or written statement from physician/designee indicating
month and year of disease or serologic proof of immunity

Grades 7-12 (in addition to the above vaccines)
1 dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap)
1 dose of meningitis vaccine (MCV4)

When Anaphylaxis Looks Like Asthma

This is a great article a fellow school nurse sent me this past spring. I thought that I should share it with everyone. Check out the following website: http://www.allergymoms.com/uploads/newsletters/allergymoms_newsletter_03_09_08.html

Calling All Pittsburgh Nurses

I registered this domain with the intention of creating an online community for Pittsburgh Nurses to share their experiences, expertise, knowledge, & up to date scoop.

I am a full time mom & nurse who has been out of the nursing field until 2 years ago.

Why? To say home & raise my family. I didn't give it up completely, I did go casual after the birth of my first child. I managed to work casual up until a Case Management opportunity peeked my interest. I did this for almost a year. I resigned when my hubby was offered another job & we decided to have me stay home.

The summer prior to my youngest starting Kindergarten, I realized that it is probably time to find a job (once she started school all day). Who is going to hire me after being out of the clinical scene for about 3 years. It scared me because a girlfriend, who is also a nurse, told me that she was told she had to take a refresher course. Classes again? Oh God! Can I do this.

Then an unexpected opportunity fell into my lap. My neighbor told me that the school that my children go to did not have a nurse. So I hurried & updated my resume & applied for a sub position. I received a call 3 weeks later & was told to come in for orientation. This past year was my 2nd year as a permanent sub. I am no longer worried about the gap in years between jobs.

It was my anxiety about getting back into the work field that sparked this website.

I know there are nurses who blog in the Greater Pittsburgh area. If you are or know of a Burgh Nurse, please let me know & I will add your blog to the list! Just email whiteinc4(at)comcast.net and I would be more than happy to add them.

PA State Board of Nursing CE Update

The PA State Board of Nursing has update the date for obtaining CE's prior to renewing your Nursing License. For details go t0:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/nurseboard/faq_rnce.pdf

Welcome to Pittsburgh Nurse

This site is being started to stay in touch with nurses in the Pittsburgh area. Please tell your friends about this blog. Come back soon.