The Global Nursing Community has Lost a Gem! - Dr. Marjory Gorden

The global nursing community has lost a gem. Dr. Marjory Gordon the proponent of the famous Gordon's 11 typology a prominent feature of the assessment phase of our nursing process.

Gordon passed away on April 29, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts (USA).

Gordon earned bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Hunter College, City University of New York and a doctoral degree from Boston College.

In 1982, she became the first president of NANDA, the North
American Nursing Diagnosis Association. 

She was principal investigator on research projects involving nursing process and nursing diagnoses, and co-director of a U.S.Public Health Service Grant to improve nurses’ diagnostic and ethical reasoning. 

Gordon was Professor Emerita at Boston College, where she spent 23 years on the faculty of the Cornell School of Nursing. 

She was a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and in 2009 was honored by being named as a Living Legend of the Academy.

In 2008, Gordon received the Mentor's Award from NANDA-
International; she was among the members of the inaugural class of NANDA International Fellows inducted in 2012. She also received the Massachusetts Nurses Association Education Award; Japanese Society for Nursing Diagnosis' Distinguished Service Award, and the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses Living Legend Award, among other awards too numerous to mention.

Sr. Callista Roy, offered this testimonial of Gordon at the American Academy of Nursing’s
Living Legend awards ceremony: 

"She began this work [of creating a common nursing language] when computers were just starting. And, now this is the basis for the nursing component of the electronic medical record. I think she's a role model for all us. She is constantly raising the standards and the clarity of nursing diagnosis so as to give nursing a voice and visibility in health care." 

She called Gordon a "perfect candidate" for the Living Legend award because her work "that started 40 years ago is even more relevant today.

Nursing as a discipline is stronger in the U.S. and around the world because of her efforts.

"Her role in our association was critical – as its first president, chair of its Diagnosis Development Committee, a board member – and as an ever present voice for standardized nursing diagnoses that would support clinical decision making. The fact that she insisted on diagnostic criteria to support that critical thinking – before the introduction of technology or electronic health records – is a testament to her vision as well as her awareness of the need for accuracy in diagnosis to drive quality, safe patient care.

Courtesy:  Adekunle Akinola

How To Make Your Older Years Better

Growing older is not something many people want to do for fear of health issues and losing family.

But, growing older doesn’t have to be dreadful, it can be relaxing if we go into it the correct way.

Copyright: Dancingmindconsciousbody

There are a number of things that we can do in our younger years to make our older life much better. Here is a list. (Am a culprit of #3!)

• Quit smoking: Smoking is so bad for just about every part of our body. It affects our lungs, heart, and other organs. It is an expensive habit that we shouldn’t even start. There are many consequences of smoking that can affect us later in life.

• Get on a good standing with family: Our family isn’t always going to be here. You should make up with your daughter, son, grandmother or whomever. Don’t let them live or leave knowing you despise them or vice versa.

• Stop eating fast food: Fast food is one of the worst things that we put into our body because processed foods have high sodium and calorie contents which will have adverse effects on our health. We are prone to hypertension, diabetes and obesity when we eat fast foods.

• Exercise: Exercising is important for maintaining weight and keeping your muscles, bones and tissues healthy. Keeping your weight at a normal level is good for the body.

• Save money: You never know what could happen. You will be glad that you saved the money you did. Start saving now, even if it’s a little bit. Every little bit helps!!

• Be content: Being happy with what you have then you will be less likely to be a millionaire, but you’ll be happy. Learning to be happy with what you have and not expecting too much is important.

• Pursue your goals: You may want to go skydiving or help someone in need. You can still do that and you will be glad you did. If you see to it that you meet your goals, you will be so much happier later in life.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old we, grow old because we stop playing” ~ George Bernhard Shaw

• Sleep: sleep is super important because the body heals while you’re sleeping. So, be sure that you’re getting enough sleep.

• Dental hygiene: Dental problems only get worse over time. Make sure you take very good care of your teeth and fix the things that happen as soon as possible.

• Save memories: whether it is writing your memories down or taking a picture, be sure to save your memories. These memories won’t happen again so saving them will be very important to you later.

• Give back: when you give to others you feel a sense of accomplishment. You will feel good about the things you do for your community or about the people you have helped. You should do this without expecting anything in return.

• Be curious: being curious will lead you to do things you never thought you would do. Don’t let your fears get in the way of something you may never forget.

• Read: reading is a good way to escape your reality and enter someone else’s. It is also a good way to educate yourself. Reading expands the mind and allows you to think it different ways.

• Travel: traveling can be so much fun and exhilarating. Traveling will change your life because you are faced with something you’ve never faced.

• Meditate: Meditating has so many benefits that you need to start now. You will be more in touch with yourself if you meditate

• Be you: don’t compare yourself to other people. You are just as amazing as the person that is right beside. Everyone is different, but let them be their different and you be yours. Stop trying to be someone you’re not and just be yourself.

• Journaling: keep a journal about anything and everything you want. Writing down memories is a guaranteed way that you will remember what happened, even though you may mentally forget about it.

• Be a homeowner: Buying a house is a huge accomplishment in just about everyone’s life. Yes, it is a big responsibility, but it is also a huge step in your life. By the time you are 50, you should have your home almost paid for.

• Be good to your friends: your friends are very important people in your life. They are there to support you and love you through everything, so taking care of them is important too. People who make you feel good about yourself are the kinds of people you want to keep around.

• Avoid people who don’t treat you well: when you are around people who don’t treat you well, you will absorb their negative energy. This is not something you need, so try to avoid these negative Nancy’s.

I hope this list help us as we walk on the road to a healthy life!
Is there any point you can share with us?

...ADAPTED

Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Nursing

Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Nursing

Many people who go into nursing do it because they have a desire to help people. They start out compassionate and empathetic. 

In the best scenario, nurses maintain their level of compassion and caring throughout their career. 

Unfortunately, in some cases, the stressors of the job lead to a decrease in empathy, burnout and sometimes compassion fatigue.

If you are a nursing student or a new grad, it may seem too early to talk about compassion fatigue. But the earlier you recognize what compassion fatigue is and how it develops, you can take the steps necessary to prevent it.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue is a decreased ability to feel compassion and empathy towards your patients. It develops over time due to physical and emotional exhaustion from caring for the sick and injured.

Anyone who works in the medical field and provides direct patient care is at risk for compassion fatigue. But nurses tend to develop it at higher rates than other healthcare team members. This may occur because nurses often have the most direct patient care contact.

Although not everyone who works in healthcare has a decrease in compassion, it can be a common problem for many. According to a study published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing, anywhere from 15 to 85 percent of healthcare workers develop compassion fatigue at some point in their career. The more stressful the job, the higher the risk of developing the condition. For example, emergency room nurses tended to have higher rates of compassion fatigue than nurses in labor and delivery.

The consequences of compassion fatigue can affect patients, co-workers and nurses themselves. For example, the quality of care may be decreased when a nurse loses compassion. Even if you still provide the needed treatments and care, your lack of compassion may come across to the patient.

Have you ever worked with a co-worker who did nothing but complain?  When a nurse develops compassion fatigue, they may be more likely to complain at work, not pitch in and call in sick. Compassion fatigue can also take a toll on a person’s wellbeing. It can lead to a lack of job satisfaction, anxiety and depression.

How Does it Develop?

If you start your nursing career with a desire to help people and have a compassionate attitude, how does it change? It is probably not one factor, which leads to a decrease in compassion. Instead, it is often a combination of things. For instance, continually dealing with large workloads can make any job in healthcare overwhelming. In some cases, nurses may have to deal with more than they can handle, which leads to rushing through tasks just to keep up. Human interaction and compassion often take a back seat to getting through the workload.

Another factor, which may lead to compassion fatigue is dealing with non-compliant and difficult patients. Dealing with rude or angry patients on a frequent basis can take its toll emotionally. Having supportive management and supervisors can help nurses cope with difficult situations.

Working too many hours can also increase a person’s risk of becoming burnt-out and losing compassion for their patient’s. Your current life circumstances also play a role in your ability to deal with the stress of caregiving. If you are having trouble in other areas of your life, such as financial or relationship issues, it can spill over onto your job. 

Signs you May be Developing Compassion Fatigue

One of the best things nurses can do is recognize the signs of compassion fatigue before it leads to complete burnout. Some of the signs of compassion fatigue include those listed below.

• *Dread when coming to work
• *Anger
• *Anxiety
• *Decreased feelings of compassion
• *Loss of interest in your career
• *Inability to concentrate or make decisions at work
• *Disruption in home life
• *Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Prevention and Dealing with Compassion Fatigue

Whether you are still in nursing school or already working in the field, there are things you can do to prevent compassion fatigue from developing, such as the following:

Understand what compassion fatigue is: Some nurses have never heard of compassion fatigue. They may feel stressed out and have a decrease in patience, but they fail to realize what is going on.

Know the warning signs: Understanding that compassion fatigue can develop and recognizing the warning signs can help you get a handle on the situation before it escalates. 

Check in with yourself: Life gets busy, and it is easy to rush through your day moving from one task to the next. Take a few minutes now and then to ask yourself how you are feeling. It can be difficult to admit you are starting to lose compassion, but it is essential if you are going to correct the situation. If you feel you have a problem, don’t just ignore it.

Develop stress relief strategies: Everyone is different when it comes to developing strategies to deal with stress. Some people exercise while others enjoy listening to music or getting a massage. Find healthy ways to recharge after work, such as hanging out with friends, spending time outdoors or pursuing a hobby.

Take time off when needed: Everyone needs a break from the demands of work. A car cannot run on empty and neither can a nurse. You need to replenish your body, mind and sprint by taking time away from work and doing things you enjoy.   

Talk about how you feel: If you think you are developing compassion fatigue, don’t hesitate talking to someone about how you feel. Whether you talk with a trusted co-worker, friend or a professional counselor, it can help to discuss your feelings. Many healthcare facilities offer free counseling to employees to help them deal with both personal and work related issues.

Whatever you do, don’t just ignore the situation. When you lose empathy and compassion for your patients, it is difficult to provide the best care possible. In addition, your job satisfaction will likely decrease, which makes work less rewarding and more stressful.

By Jodie Price.

Things Most People Don’t Know Nurses Do

What do nurses really do?

Most people have no idea. If you had an attentive audience, what kinds of things would you want them to know? Here are 5 things that most people don’t realize nurses do every day on the job.

Here are 5 things that most people don’t realize nurses do every day on the job.

1. Analyze and interpret labs

LFTs, CBCs, ABGs, electrolytes and more. You name it, a nurse can interpret it. Lab values are a telling piece of the patient puzzle, but only when taken in context with an individual’s unique health picture and comorbidities. Nurses are often the first to see lab values as they are reported and to make clinical decisions based on the results.

2. Work in conjunction with (not beneath) doctors

In medical shows, things often go like this: A patient begins to decompensate. “Nurse, get the oxygen!” a doctor shouts. “Yes, doctor,” the nurse replies. Oh, come on. What the general public probably doesn’t know is that the nurse has already called the code, started CPR and prepped for intubation.

3. Keep things running smoothly

It’s a double-edged sword. Because when things in healthcare go really well, there’s usually a mastermind nurse behind it. That’s when a nurse has done an exceptional job, except most people don’t even notice.

4. Intercept medical errors

Nurses catch mistakes. Unusual concentrations, erroneous orders, missed symptoms and overlooked allergies. Constant surveillance and attention to detail saves patients from befalling a medical error day in and day out.

5. Save lives

Many in the public don’t realize it. They think doctors are the ones who heroically save lives. But nurses also save lives every day. Sometimes they save a life before anyone even knows it’s in danger.

by Meaghan O'Keeffe, RN, BSN

Your turn...

What else do nurses do that the public doesn’t know about?

Articles: Nursing Basics Still Matter

Nursing at its finest is the stuff of bedpans and bed baths.

There I was, orienting to a busy medical ICU, perplexed over a bedpan! 

You’d think, since I was just graduating from nursing school, that bedpans would be my area of expertise. 

Critical thinking and vent strategies came easy; how could I possible admit I had no idea how to give a bedpan to a patient?

Frightening, to graduate from nursing school and a competitive externship program without this competency. Somehow, though, every unit I’d experienced offered patient care assistants, or patients who didn’t need this age-old tool. I’d certainly helped patients to the bathroom and cleaned incontinent ones. 

Despite the barrage of clinical learning, the basics of offering the pink plastic tool hadn’t sunk in.

Paralyzed, I stood with it in my hand, looking at my intubated, awake patient. I’d had the wherewithal to ask the family to step out, but couldn’t figure out which end went first. The horror of my preceptor finding it backwards would end me. Did the pointed end go towards the patient’s back? The larger end toward the feet for better coverage? Why couldn’t I remember?

Somehow, I managed to decide, and with heart racing, I urged the patient: “Turn to the side!” We both grimaced: I grasped the bedpan with one hand and his right hip with the other, while he reached towards the opposite side rail. His body, heavy with fluid, resisted my timid and inexperienced grasp, and he rolled back onto his back, without bedpan.

My preceptor, just passing by, or discreetly watching from her secret post behind the curtain, arrived just as I was about to start my second try. From the opposite side of the bed, she pulled his body towards her and I placed the bedpan where I thought it should go, praying to the ghost of Florence Nightingale that I’d positioned it right.

If it hadn’t already been so, this experience made it clear to my preceptor that, while I was confident in my nursing knowledge, my skills weren’t up to snuff. 

Instead of choosing a final clinical placement in a med-surg unit or intensive care, I had opted to spend my senior year working in public health. When I decided that I wanted bedside experience before specializing, I figured I’d just pick up what I missed on orientation.

For some reason, understanding when to intubate a patient came easily, but giving a bed bath? Terrifying. In our unit, we had no patient care assistants, and my preceptor’s goal was to teach me how to perform all patient care without any help. “I don’t want you to do everything by yourself all the time; I just want you to know how to do everything by yourself.”

So, we started slow: I’d begin the bath, washing the front, and then I’d call for her help as soon as trouble hit, or I needed to turn my patient over. But before long, I would be finished before she could even come to check on me—bath, turn, primp and all. 

Soon, bedpans stopped scaring me, and neither did feeding patients, readjusting bipap masks, emptying foley bags, or primping pillows.

A lot of basic nursing tasks are pretty logical to figure out. A bedpan is shaped like a toilet seat; it would be ridiculous to position the narrow end towards the back. 

Bed baths are actually chances to slow down and fully assess your patient’s every mole, wound, and toenail. They’re also a great chance to chat and make people feel human in a sterile, cold environment. Even intimidating skills like IV insertion can be practiced and learned until they are anxiety-free procedures for both patient and nurse.

But the hardest thing to learn when we’re first starting out is that these tasks of care are not lists to be followed or steps to be taken. In school, we practice them in unison and in the same order, but real life has a funny way of adding unique twists to their course. Flexibility and an ability to tailor each uniform task to a unique patient is part of the process of grasping basic nursing skills.

While delegation of these tasks is sometimes appropriate, we must not avoid them. Nursing at its finest is the stuff of bedpans and bed baths. These are the moments when our patients feel our intentional touch, rest under the gaze of our watchful eye, and know the quality of our care. Years later, I realized that the lesson my preceptor taught me—to be fully self-sufficient—was simply a cover for her belief that the littlest tasks can be the most important.

By Amanda Anderson, 

a critical care nurse and graduate student 

in New York City currently doing a graduate placement at AJN.

Ref:
Jacob Molyneux, 2015. Bedpans and learning: Nursing Basics Still Matter. Retrieved from http://ajnoffthecharts.com/2015/04/08/bedpans-and-learning-nursing-basics-still-matter/