Ah, the month of love and Lent. How many of you observe Lent?
We’ll dive right into the highlight reel of blogs by encouraging you to read this February 2013 post about “giving up” for Lent. Rachel Hill is a mother to two young ones and wife to a husband who continues his long, brutal fight with melanoma. Kevin was diagnosed in October 2011, and his saga is detailed in The Hill Family blog. This story was made so much more personal to me after meeting Rachel and her husband in person about a month ago.
As nurses, we sometimes lose perspective on the “behind-the-scenes” struggles of patients and families who deal with devastating diseases. We nurses have the potential to be strength-givers or strength-stealers to those who find themselves under our care. Let’s be those nurses that offer strength.
Strength may come from us in more than just kind words or moral support. We may also offer strength by standing up against stereotypical judgments made against our patients, even by their own family. Jo at Head Nurse does it again with a great post on obesity. Four fantastic rules on how to treat fat people respectfully provide spot-on reminders to never to judge a book (or person) by the cover.
The effort to reduce overuse of antibiotics continues, especially concerning children. New guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated otitis media (ear infection) emphasize a “wait-and-see” approach as the standard for clinical practice, updating the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines from 2004. You may have to register for a free account on Medscape before reading this article.
Infusion Nurse Blog details eleven suggestions for those that find themselves on the receiving end of an IV needle. Not only great advice for a patient, but also a roundabout reminder for intravenous-access-hunting nurses to practice excellent, aseptic methods when performing venipuncture.
Finally, Nerdy Nurse talks about one of the most important things to nurses. SHOES. And get this…she includes an evaluation of the top 9 MEN’S nursing shoes as well as the top 10 women’s nursing shoes. Way to go, Nerdy…our feet feel loved!
Hope you had a great, love-filled month! What do you have planned for March? Let us know in the comments! In addition, we’re always on the lookout for more medical/nursing blogs to follow. Have any to suggest?
I do not observe lent but it is a time of reflection to see how we can make changes in our lifestyle. I work with a company that provides solutions to Obesity in terms of helping the body heal itself by normalizing the bacteria in the gut. The University of Maryland did an extensive study on bacteria in the gut. I am going to attend the Association of Operating Room Nurses meeting in San Diego in March.
thanks for the mention. It’s an honor!