White Paper on NPs Working in Retail Settings (Minute Clinics etc)

Click on the title to read an interesting article on Nurse Practitioners in retail settings. I'm interested in what other healthcare professionals think about this issue. You can leave comments on both sites if you like!

Brenton and Krista

Here's a few pics of my oldest son and his girlfriend at Prom! I couldn't resist posting some here for everyone to see!

Nurse Practitioner Student's Cats Are Too Distracting!

I have decided that my lovable cats are just too darn distracting. Anytime I am trying to work on my computer or books, they throw themselves into my chair or across my books. I know they are trying to get more attention, but geez! What is their fascination with my printer!! One day, these cats are going to get their paws or heads stuck in there. They also won't let me go the bathroom by myself either! They butt their heads against the door if they don't beat me into the bathroom. They are great stress reducers though.

I had some great clinicals this last week. One was in our fast track ER and one with a Family MD. I may find myself working in one of the two places. As I've said before, I'm using my clinicals to find out who I will work with eventually.

On a sadder note, our family dog died the day before yesterday. My kids are grieving and my husband really loved him too. He had a degenerative eye disease that made him blind and gained a lot of weight. I'm sure it was a fast heart attack. He looked peaceful out by the shady tree in our backyard.. SIGH....

Off to do more homework! Thanks for all the support so far from all of my loyal readers!!

Abuse in the OR

I made an entry on my other blog in reference to abuse in the OR by doctors. You can see it here.
It's pretty sad when nurses still have to put up with primadonna surgeons who think that they are gods. Please stop by Livin Large and give her some advice on how to deal with this effectively!!

Nurse Practitioner Student's Daughter Got Married

Hello everyone! Thought I would jot a little post about my 18 year old only daugther getting married the day before Mother's Day. SIGH...
Last year she decided, after much pressure from her father over the years, to move to his house about 45 minutes away. She was in 10th grade and seemed to think that the grass was greener at his house. After all, we were the ogres who made her follow the house rules.. You know the ones...
No being out all hours of the night. Letting us know where she was. Helping with the dishes (dishwasher), folding laundry every now and then..keeping her room picked up and taking care of her cat litter box. Sounds like slave labor, huh??? WAAAAA!!!!!
My husband has driven this child back and forth to her visitation with her father for the last 10 years and has treated her like his own. What thanks does he get??? None of course. It sucks being a step parent. She told everyone how he would "yell at her". Well, when you're told in a normal voice to do something on a daily basis and you don't seem to hear it... Yelling will commence! It's natural..
Anyway... I got a call a couple of weeks ago from this child of mine who told me that she was getting married. As I sat there in shock, she asked if I was still there?? I couldn't speak for a few minutes while I tried to wrap my brain around the stupidity of it all.. What was she thinking??? I married when I was 17 and told her that it was a HUGE mistake not to have life experience before committing to a marriage. Finish highschool (which I did)..Go to college.. See the world.. then settle down..
All I heard was "I want your approval but even if I don't get it.. I'm getting married anyway". I said, "to who???? I didn't even know she was dating anybody!" Nice warning!! I told her that I had to go and that it had to sink into my brain before I could respond.. Off goes the phone...
3...2...1... ARGH!!!!!!! Yelling and Screaming and Crying commence!!!
This is my only daughter!! What happened to the "Mom I'm dating Chris... Mom, I'm in love!! I'm engaged!.. then Mom, we're getting married... You know.. the right order of things????
By the way.. this all started because when she turned 18, she didn't want to listen to Dad's rules either and quit school in the 11th grade and moved into her friend's house. The husband is the friend's older brother (18)....
Oh well.... After a few weeks of torturing my co-workers with my saga.. she got married in her Dad's yard. It was a nice ceremony.. The part where "does anyone object" was cut out and smartly so.. Half our side would have stood up and spoken out I think... What can I do?? She's 18 and will learn her life lessons... She's not pregnant...yet.... I begged them to wait until I'm 4o at least.. I'm going to be 39 in September.. I expect that they won't make it that long..
Here's some pictures.... I'm off to therapy for my TMJ.... (just kidding)Note the strategic placement of my husband's hand in the bottom picture...

Ordering books for Nursing School??

Hello everyone! If you are ordering books through Amazon.com for nursing school or any school for that matter, click on my Amazon links and it also helps me pay for my books as well... Spread the word to come through my site and if you have an Amazon link on yours that I haven't noticed, let me know. We need to support each other get through the expenses of school!!

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! I had lunch at Red Lobster with mine! She came up for my daughter's wedding this weekend. I'll post pictures later on that whole process.. It's a kind of long story!! Click on the link for a cute Mother's Day tune!

Grand Rounds Are Up At Aetiology!

A wonderful Grand Rounds is up.. Check it out!

Scientists theorize that Alzheimer's disease and Diabetes are linked.

Theory links memory disease with brain's problem using sugar

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated Press
First published: Tuesday, May 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- A provocative new theory suggests that one root cause of Alzheimer's disease is linked to diabetes -- a theory about to be tested in thousands of Alzheimer's patients given the diabetes drug Avandia in hopes of slowing brain decay.

It's a scary scenario: Alzheimer's already is expected to skyrocket as the population grays, rising from 4.5 million sufferers today to a staggering 14 million by 2050. If the new theory is right, the nation's current obesity-fueled epidemic of Type 2 diabetes could worsen that toll.

But proponents see potential good news: If diabetic-like changes in the way brain cells use sugar to generate energy truly trigger Alzheimer's in at least some patients, then maybe doctors could intervene early and slow down that degeneration.

Diabetes has long been listed a risk factor for Alzheimer's later in life because it damages blood vessels that supply the brain.

The Avandia research suggests a more insidious connection: that Alzheimer's can be silently triggered when brain cells can't properly use their main fuel, sugar -- just as Type 2 diabetes is triggered when insulin gradually loses its ability to process sugar body-wide.

"When they're in an insulin-resistant state, it does not just affect the body, it affects the brain as well," explained Suzanne Craft of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, who led the initial research.

There are 18 million Type 2 diabetics, considered to have two to five times a non-diabetic's risk of developing Alzheimer's -- if they live long enough, into the 60s and 70s when Alzheimer's typically strikes, Craft says. Type 2 diabetes often leads to heart disease or other ailments that kill before then.

This is a very interesting theory and one that considers watching. There has been a huge rise in both Diabetes and Alzheimer's and it makes sense that the overuse of sugar in our diets can cause both spikes. Alzheimer's is a horrible, insidious disease that robs patients of precious memories of loved ones. It is very disheartening to watch people deteriorate into a mere shell of themselves. Caregiver strain is a major issue as sometimes patients are abused by the very people trying to care for them. We have to be vigilant in order to make sure that the patient and the family is taken care of in these situations. Diabetes is no picnic either! This disease effects several areas of the body and is very hard for patients and families to deal with as well.
Click on the link to read the rest of the story!

A Doctorate of Nursing's Experience With Healthcare (Or Lack Of)

You have to read this article. Being a patient myself recently, makes me shudder about just how bad it can be out here. Thanks to NHS Blogdoc for the link to the article!

Updating Links

Hello to all... Just a quick note to update everyone on what's up! I finished the semester with an A in Research and an A- in Advanced Assessments. Whew! Time to buy new books for the next semester. I really appreciate the support given so far in regard to expenses! I'm adding some links for recommended reading at Amazon.com for anyone who is looking for NP and medical books.
I order from them due to the last book supplier not seeming to get their act together last semester.
Also, please update your links to include my other blog at Blogcharm... You'll find it in my sidebar!
Cheers!!!!

Grand Rounds Are Up at Polite Dissent

Enjoy Grand Rounds!! Very nicely done this week...