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  • Posted on April 06, 2012
IV therapy

Performing the Intravenous Insertion for the First Time

The mere thought of inserting quite a huge needle through the vein of another person did scare me a lot. That was in the past. Luckily I’m not afraid of inserting needles anymore. welcome to my world, Nursing.

Looking back, I had tingles all over me when I had my intravenous therapy training after passing the nursing board exam. Intravenous therapy trainings are often offered in hospitals and I signed up at a hospital which offers the training every week. Some colleges also offer the training but its not that common. You can get a list of LPN programs that may provide the IV therapy training on lpntrainingprograms.org website. I was with a good College classmate of mine. I get nervous even during lectures. I couldn’t get nerve-wracking thoughts out of my mind: “Will I get to insert the needle in one shot?”or “What if something happens to the patient when I insert the needle intravenously?” I got more worried when the instructor finally said, “You’ll perform the intravenous insertion on your partner to practice for the first time.” WHAT? I did hear correctly but I felt that I was deaf or something was wrong that I kept hearing what the instructor had just said. We had three attempts to do it. The third attempt though would actually give us a low score already.

Until when the practical test day had finally arrived, I had inserted the needle into her vein successfully – in ONE SHOT! Boom! Perfect score!

So what did I do to have actually succeeded on my first intravenous insertion?

  1. Review and practice. I browsed the IV therapy manual given to us during the training. I carefully read the step-by-step process of IV insertion. While putting into mind the steps, I even motioned it with a pen in my hand (thinking that the pen is the needle). That’s my tactic in studying various nursing procedures. I could remember the steps a lot easier when practicing it with my own hands and imagination. Some even buy the materials needed and practice at home – for real. I couldn’t afford to risk the veins of my family members so I never practiced for real.
  2. Be confident. Having no discipline in controlling your anxiety would let your fingers tremble. This could be a reason for a fail IV insertion. What if it’s your first time to perform this procedure? Just keep in mind that others can do it in one shot, and so can you. Before inserting the needle for the first time, take a deep breath and think, “I can do this.” Sometimes what you think is what you get.
  3. Select the perfect vein. The usual site is the cephalic vein. The bigger the vein, the more chances of a successful IV insertion. Choose the one that doesn’t branch out to ensure continuous flow of the solution to infuse. Avoid using the veins that are located at the wrist. Aside from its close distance to the nerves, it’s difficult to prevent movement of the wrist.
  4. Prepare, Insert, Accomplish. Now perform what you have learned during the lecture/training. Everything was also in the manual so there’s no need to worry if you’ve read it. Proceed with the skin preparation and IV insertion. If you followed the steps correctly and with confidence, you’re sure to accomplish it effectively.
  • Posted on March 29, 2012
boy and cooked vegetables

Is Your Child A Fussy Eater?

Being a mom of three, ranging in ages from 8 to 6, I know that this is a hot topic among parents, especially ones that define themselves by what their children eat.  I am a prime example.  After I got married, three children came along within a matter of two years.  They each had distinct personalities although there were a set of twins among them.  The biggest difference we observed however was their taste in food, and how they accepted new introductions to their repertoire.

My oldest son who proved to be the biggest challenge had textural issues where he was accepting of foods with only certain textures.  Foods such as broccoli and cauliflower were taboo as far as he was concerned.  He only enjoyed foods that did not pose him a challenge or were mostly uniform throughout the meal in texture.  Going out to eat specially became a huge challenge as our social life was a big part of our evenings and dinner plans.  Every pizza party we were invited to was a nightmare as I always had to bring my own pantry to offer my son instead of the steaming Italian pie.    One important tit bit that I must pass on about food and your child is leading by example.

As I was perpetually on a diet, I avoided most starchy foods such as pizza, sandwiches and potatoes.  My son who like most children practices what you do and not what you say, picked up my poor eating habit although I would insist that those were healthy choices for him.

With my twins, the problems with eating were somewhat more complicated.  In order to prevent myself from creating another fussy eater, I chose to let my kids snack if they didn’t clean their plates.  The idea was that they will fill themselves up with something, even if it not with the healthiest food, at least they will not go hungry.  Much to my chagrin, this back-fired and the children did not even attempt the foods I gave them at meal times because they knew that they would receive alternative snacks at the end of the meal.  They were on to me that the snack choices would get even more interesting if they hardly tasted their meals.  I did not realize that the sugars were ruining their teeth and more importantly was setting them up with poor eating habits for life.

Ultimately, it was my pediatrician who intervened and put a stop to the madness.  I had to implement what I had known all along.  Give them healthy choices and stick to your guns.  Do not let them call the shots about what they eat.  These poor eating habits die hard and in adult life will become their cross to bear.  The biggest challenge is to not give in to their demands and insist that the food on the table is all they will get for the meal.  It’s that or nothing.  This may be heart-wrenching initially but the dividends will pay off as you see them realize that you mean it.  Before you know it, you will be left with a child that makes choices both you and he can live with.

  • Posted on March 29, 2012
dabuse

Tell Tale Signs of Domestic Abuse

Ever wondered if that black eye on your friend is from a fall as she said or from the boyfriend that that she seems to have to report to every few hours? Most relationships experience difficulty or hard times but when violence enters the picture, it is unacceptable.  Domestic abuse is often a pattern in which one spouse tries to exert control over the other through violence.  Ironically, violence does not have always have to originate from the male spouse.   Back in 2003 when I was working as a medical assistant in my neighborhood doctors office, I noticed that one of the nurses in the office was always in sunglasses and in long-sleeved clothes even in the middle of summer.  We weren’t that close or we didn’t work all that close either. But me and one of my friends, were always talking about her and wording why she is that way most of the time.  Little did we know that she was exhibiting the classic signs of a domestic abuse victim.  She did not confide in her colleagues, so it took a hospitalization before we realized that she was trying to cover up the embarrassment she underwent during the abuse.  It was not until after the authorities intervened that she got the support to stand up against the abuse.

The pattern often starts with verbal abuse, name calling, slamming doors and throwing dishes against the wall.  It then escalates to pushing, shoving, and grabbing.  From this point on, it gets to the more dangerous behaviors that call for first aid, if not for en emergency visit to the hospital.

The following symptoms should be watched out for:

  • Does he embarrass you with put downs in public and in private?  These insults start escalating to violent acts.  If he insists on knowing your whereabouts at all times, or knowing what you are doing and who you are doing it with; that is a red flag that might indicate control issues.  He may resort to violence if he decides that the attention he is getting is not sufficient.
  • Does he prevent you from seeing your friends or family members?   If he is exerting control on whom you talk to or the content of your conversation with them, that is an unhealthy sign.  Controlling your finances is another sign to watch out for.  If he takes complete control of your paycheck and leaves you asking him for an allowance, it is a sign that he wants to exert control over every aspect of your life.
  • Do you find him making all the important decisions in your life?  He may take control of aspects of your life that have no impact on him.  But to him, allowing you any leeway in your life is a sign that he is relinquishing control which perhaps instills the fear that he is no longer in charge.
  • Does he make you feel small and threaten that he will take your children away?  Even worse if he is threatening to hurt your children, then it is a sign that your fears need to be taken to the police for intervention from the authorities.  One should not wait until it is too late as this threatening behavior itself is a sign of escalated violence.
  • Posted on March 28, 2012
business travel

What Do You Carry In Your Carry-On Baggage?

 

Ever wondered what other people carry in their carry-on baggage? I have, here is what I discovered as being the most essential things one must pack for any trip no matter how short.

From all our trips I have gathered some important tips as to what to carry in your carry-on baggage.

Credit cards, ID, and passport go without saying, but often in our zeal to pack, it is the first thing we place in our bags.  One should not have to go excavating in the bag in an airport or airplane, so make sure it is packed last and easily retrievable if needed.

Medications are almost as important as forms of ID and money.  They should include medicines from aspirin all the way up to prescription drugs.  Allergy medications make it to the top of my list.  One never knows what one is about to encounter at your destination, so reliable anti-histamines should be packed and must be easily found in the bag.

Hand sanitizer is a must in your bag.  Airports and airplanes are notorious germ factories, so any chance you get, go for the hand sanitizer.  It may stave off a few infections.  But do keep in mind that it does need to be a small bottle.  Anything larger than 2 ounces is automatically discarded at security check before boarding the plane.

A book to read on an airplane is essential unless you enjoy the drivel in the airline magazines and fully completed Sudoku puzzles! Books are especially useful when there are airline delays, which have become so commonplace today.  A great book will help you pass the time.

Some cash is important to carry.  Yes, granted most airports do have ATM machines, but given the time of day that you may be reaching, they may be shut down for the day, broken or at the other end of the airport.

An iPod or music player is another great addition to your carry-on baggage.  It does not have to be just music, a book on tape, a motivational talk or a stand-up routine can easily be carried in an IPod to stave off boredom and maybe even get a few laughs.

A bag of toiletries in the carry-on is helpful especially if you get delayed and are stuck overnight separated from your checked in luggage; just the essentials, such as toothbrush, toothpaste, sunscreen, cleanser and so on.

Another item that I never leave to chance is my video camera.  Especially if it is a sight-seeing trip, that is the one item that cannot afford to be damaged, so I make sure that it is always packed in my carry-on baggage.

Lastly Emergency should be the first line of defense to protect you from airborne germs in the plane.  People tend to catch more colds in an airplane than at other locations, so a preventative approach must be considered.