Welcome to the world of tomorrow!!

Social networking is no longer just a fun way for friends to share with each other. It has become a powerful connection tool. Businesses and employers are looking to get a better picture of potential hires. People are connecting and networking to promote business or themselves. If the educational system does not acknowledge this presence, I believe education will be further removed from the real world. This is a hard topic to teach. In some ways I don't know how effective it would be. This is a "social" network. To me teaching people social dynamics would allow them to utilize these tools by default.

I am a little torn between putting lots of money into improving technology and just making the best with what already is in use. I don't have specifics into the cost vs. profit margins of the use of upgraded tech. I would be very interested in finding these numbers out. My business side looks at what is presently out there, or at least at the hospital that I work. We use a large and very integrated computer system. The pros for using it is that things run a lot smoother. There is much less discussion over handwriting issues for example. The main con in my mind that I see everyday is that orders are not always put in the way they are carried out. Nursing staff does a lot of interpretation based on patient condition. I was not around long prior to our use of the computer system. This may be a part of nursing that will always be there.

To blend my two topics, I believe a major benefit of teaching how to use all these new programs could alleviate some of the basic interface problems that unfamiliar users have. Also, the advancement of human interface design would make technology more intuitive and less of a skill to be learned. The one thing I am certain of is that no matter what, technology will continue to advance and become more integrated into every aspect of our lives.

Recovery from CVA

One of the most devastating events in life for some people is when they have a stroke. As nurses we play a major role in their progression through our facilities. As soon as signs are noticed in a person they are either rushed to the hospital or they are transported by EMS. If signs are not recognized early enough the signs become a permanent part of the patients life. Much time and money has been put into the development of treating CVA's. The goal of these treatments is to have the symptoms resolve and have life go back to normal. If you've ever had a chance to work with patients who have had any sort of neurological injury, you know that healing is not a fast process. My concern was,with how fast neurological research is moving forward, are we as nurses keeping up with rapidly changing practices? For the patient this could mean the difference between have life return to normal or living with a life long disability. I do realize that there are extenuating circumstances that could leave a patient with disability no matter what we do, but we as nurses are patient advocates and must do the best we can to improve our patients outcome anyway we can!

What I looked for with my research were ways that we as nurses could improve mobility after a stroke had left a patient with hemiparesis, which is one of the most common symptoms post- CVA. From a patients perspective knowing what is out there and what can be done to improve disability can make the future less bleak. As nurses we do not want to give false hope. Knowing what can be done and the efficacy rates of each therapy can allow us to continue to be professional nurses.

Knowledge is a powerful tool. For out patients it is part of out role to provide them with tools to help them reach their goals. Not all goals can be met, but we can show them that they have the power to take charge of their condition. Through taking charge they are able to feel empowered and continue to live a productive life despite physical limitations.

Ability Camp: Stroke Therapy
http://www.abilitycamp.com/stroke.html
This site was from a rehabilitation camp. It was more of a holistic therapy camp. I didn't necessarily agree with everything that they said, but for the patients sake I thought it would be good to include alternative therapies. I believe these should also be taught on to inform patients on as much as we can about whats out there for them.

Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivor
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/109/16/2031
This site was put out by the American Heart Association. Tons of information through them! What caught my eye was the recommendation for extended physical therapy. Previously therapy had been cut short because it was believed only a limited amount of therapy could be beneficial. Great for our patient to fight with insurance companies for!

Movement Therapy Helps Stroke Patients
http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20071211/movement-therapy-helps-stroke-patients
This is a webmd.com article on restrictive therapy post CVA. Restrictive therapy has shown to be effective at regaining motor function in muscle paralysis post CVA

Living After Stoke: Web Presentation Series
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=living
This is a presentation put on by the National Stroke Association about life after stroke. Lots of great information through out the website about stroke.


Thorne AJ; Acute Care Perspectives, 2009 Spring; 18 (1): 12-8 (journal article - case study, tables/charts) ISSN: 1551-9147 CINAHL AN: 2010288347

Subjects: Constraint-Induced Therapy; Stroke

This site was a review of an older technique of restraining the unaffected side of a patient with hemiparesis. It showed that motor function was improved with this therapy in both research animals, as well as humans.

Wang R; Chan R; Tsai M; Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 2000 Jan-Feb; 37 (1): 73-9 (journal article - research, tables/charts) ISSN: 0748-7711 PMID: 10847574 CINAHL AN: 2000056421

Subjects: Muscle Spasticity; Stroke; Stroke; Adult: 19-44 years; Aged: 65+ years; Middle Aged: 45-64 years; Female; Male

This journal went over the technique of providing electric impulses to muscles that had developed spasticity post CVA. The purpose was to relieve tension and increase flexibility of the affected limb.

Learn something new everyday

Now in my final semester of obtaining my RN or as I like to call it becoming a man nurse, I have begun a class covering the role of technology in the medical world. We are also discussing the role social networks play in today's world. To start with I would like to say that I had no idea of the immenseness of social media. We had a video to watch that covered the how many people are involved with different aspects of social media. It is amazing to me how many people are on these various sites. One good thing I see out of the proliferation of social media is that the world has shrunk once again. Up until this age has improvements in transportation brought people from great distances together, but still there was some difficulty at getting mass numbers together. The internet has allowed for people from all around the world to have conversation instantaneously. The next area we talked about was technology in the hospital. This was in the form of an electronic health record or EHR. At first glance and even using one at the facility I work at, I did not realize the depth that even a basic computer system must go into. A electronic record of a patients care is only one part of a system. The system must also be able to compile data in standard terms for research and trending. It also must be able to provide avenues for care. Above all the system must be SECURE! These records heavily protected and backed up.

With that being said it seems clear that informatics is important in today's medical world. I believe that having an electronic record is vital for many reasons. To start with I think it is a more accurate way to put in patient information. With so many things in nursing being subjective, placing standard phrases helps limit the way in which the same issue can be described. One of the greatest benefits I see about a universal EHR is the speed at which data can be analyzed and research. This could drastically reduce the time it takes for evidence based care to be improved; a constant goal of medicine.

For now I have only scratched the surface of the monstrosity and am looking forward to diving in and learning the pieces that make up this seemingly endless puzzle of networks. I shall prepare my TRON suit and prepare the enter the computer!

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First post as student Murse

Excited to start a conversation about nursing and nursing professionals!