Say Thank You To A Nurse Today. May 6th – 12th is National Nurse Week.

May 6th – 12th is National Nurse Week

I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the nurses. Whether you are a hospital nurse, a home health nurse, an office nurse, a nursing home nurse, a surgical nurse, a hospice nurse or some other type of nurse, thanks for everything you do. And thanks for putting up with the doctors. And thanks for putting up with the patients and their families. We all don’t make it easy for you. But you still show up and take care of us.
I truly appreciate you and hope you will keep being a nurse. We need you. I encourage every one to do something nice for a nurse today. Maybe send a thank you note to the nurse that works at your doctor’s office or drop off a healthy treat. If your loved one is in a care facility, do something nice for the nurses there. Maybe offer to volunteer one day a month and help with meals at the skilled nursing facility. Anything you can do will help. We already have a shortage of nurses so if we want the future to be safe for us, be nice to a nurse today and remember to thank them all year long.

Are Mixed Messages Harming Your Health?

When you are in the hospital, you are vulnerable to the problem of “Mixed Messages.” What this means is that each of the specialists come in and give you information about the part of the body they take care of. So the pulmonary doctor will say, “Your lungs are doing better.” The cardiologist will say, “Your heart is failing.” And the internist will say, “Your infection is getting under control.” But nobody is giving you the big picture. Nobody is telling you how to interpret all of these pieces of information about your health situation. So here is what happens next. The next day your internist comes in to talk to you about end of life issues. You are shocked and ask, “How can I be dying when my lungs are doing better?” You have just done what most people do. You latch onto the best news and forget to take into account the worst part of the news. Yes, your lungs might be better, but you can’t live without your heart and your heart is failing. But nobody is explaining this to you.

Nurses do the same thing. Each day, different nurses are assigned to you. And each nurse has a slightly different view of how you are doing. Or they say, “You are doing better.” What does “better” mean? It doesn’t mean better and you are going home, it means you are doing better than the worst moment you have had in the hospital. Lots of people die in hospitals that are doing “better.” Better doesn’t tell you the whole story.

So what can you do? You can ask the main doctor, called the attending, to give you an overall update about how you are doing. Not just a part by part explanation, but a “big picture” explanation. And if you are getting mixed messages, make sure you listen to the good and the bad. I know that this can be difficult but it is necessary so you can make appropriate decisions about your health. The only way you can have informed consent is if you understand all of the information, not just the news you want to hear.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Is Your Patient Being Harmed By Mixed Messages In The Hospital?

When you and your colleagues are rounding on the patient, each of you gives the patient/family an update on the patient’s condition. The pulmonary doctor will say, “Your lungs are doing better.” The cardiologist will say, “Your heart is failing.” And the internist will say, “Your infection is getting under control.” These are all true statements but the patient gets confused. Patients tend to focus on the good news you have given them and forget the bad. So when you come in later to talk about a DNR, they are shocked because patients don’t understand how the organ systems work together. This is one of the primary reasons people don’t want to sign a DNR. They don’t understand the big picture about their health. They don’t understand that your lungs can be better and you can still die because your heart is failing. And I am not even talking about the miscommunication that can occur because of language differences, medical illiteracy, language illiteracy, cultural differences and differing levels of capacity. All of these make things worse.

But you do have power when it comes to mixed messages. Make sure the attending is speaking to the patient or the family every day and giving them the big picture. The attending needs to explain how the overall view is for recovery. Some hospitals are creating a, “Captain of the ship” policy to mandate these big picture updates. This can become especially important when the patient shifts from being a surgical patient to a medical patient. It the captain of the ship needs to change, make sure the new captain now knows that they are in charge.

Nurses can do the same thing. Each day, different nurses are assigned to the patient. And each nurse gives a slightly different evaluation of the patient. Or they say, “You are doing better.” What does “better” mean? It doesn’t mean better and the patient is going home, it means that they are doing better than the worst moment they have had in the hospital. Lots of people die in hospitals that are doing “better.” Better doesn’t tell you the whole story. So, please be careful and give clear information. And you may have to give the information multiple times, especially if it is bad news. It takes much longer for bad news to sink in than good news. And it would for you too, if you were the patient.

Have a kind and respectful day.

On Monday, May 11th at 2PM PST, blogtalkradio.com/kindethics, I will be interviewing Frances Shani Parker, author of “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”

On Monday, May 11th at 2PM PST, blogtalkradio.com/kindethics, I will be interviewing Frances Shani Parker, author of “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”

She is an award-winning writer, consultant, and former school principal, Frances shares insights and experiences about her years of hospice volunteering in Detroit nursing homes. Using stories, poems, and general information, she has written a groundbreaking book that is an inclusive and literal guide for becoming dead the right way. Topics include hospice, caregiving, dementia, death, bereavement, and strategies for improving eldercare and nursing homes. While universal perspectives are presented, the often missing views of people of color and residents in urban nursing homes are examined.

Frances’ background as an educator and her upbringing in New Orleans, LA add interesting layers to her problem solving in nursing homes and to her descriptive storytelling. She uses her writing and public speaking skills to advocate for senior citizens and promote conversations empowering others to have dignified death journeys. Her favorite anonymous quote is “If you think one person can’t make a difference, you haven’t been to bed with a mosquito.” Visit Frances in cyberspace at www.francesshaniparker.com and at her blog titled “Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog.”

She welcomes your questions and calls. You can call in to listen or to ask questions at (347) 945-5152.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Wash Your Hands or Use Hand Sanitizer – And make sure the medical professionals who are touching you are doing the same

I just finished reading, Complications: A surgeon’s notes on an imperfect science by Atul Gawande. A fascinating read into the world of surgery and the recovery process. In this time of swine flu, he brings up an important point. Wash Your Hands or Use Hand Sanitizer. And more importantly, make sure your doctor and all the people who are touching you in while you are in the hospital, wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. It was interesting to read about how diligent surgeons are in the operating room about keeping you safe from germs. But when they visit you in your hospital room, they are less cautious and sometimes forget to wash. And it is not just surgeons, it is everyone in hospitals. I think what I might do the next time I am a patient in the hospital or visiting someone in the hospital, is to make sure I bring in a large bottle of hand sanitizer to keep by the patient’s bed. That way, the patient can take charge and make sure that everyone that touches them has cleaned their hands. And that also includes the visitors. I hope that a long term side effect of the swine flu scare is that people keep washing their hands even after the scare is over. It is one powerful thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we love throughout our lives.

Have a kind and respectful day.

On Wednesday, May 4th, 8AM pst, blogtalkradio.com/kindethics, I will be interviewing Dr. Mark Apfel, “Having the POLST Conversation With Your Patients”

On Wednesday, May 4th, 8AM pst, blogtalkradio.com/kindethics, I will be interviewing Dr. Mark Apfel, “Having the POLST Conversation With Your Patients”

Dr. Mark Apfel is a physician champion working with the California Coalition for Compassionate Choices, finalchoices.org. He will be discussing how the POLST form will be helping physicians and patients. He will also be answering questions about how to use the form with your patients as well as how to discuss these end of life issues with your patients.

To listen or to call in dial (347) 945-5152. Or go to blogtalkradio.com/kindethics or go through the blogtalkradio link on the right side of my blog.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Viki Kind interviews Dale Carter, “When you get that emergency call about your loved one being ill.” Tuesday, May 5th at 11AM, PST. www.blogtalkradio.com/kindethics

Viki Kind interviews Dale Carter, “When you get that emergency call about your loved one being ill.”  Tuesday,  May 5th at 11AM, PST.  www.blogtalkradio.com/kindethics

Dale Carter has had personal experience getting the call that her mom was ill in another state.  And the panic and helplessness it caused.  Now she is another year wiser and more experienced and would like to share what she has learned.
About Dale Carter
* long-distance caregiver to her elderly mother
* founder of the blog, Transition Aging Parents
* author of the Ecourse, “Five Essential Strategies to Help your Aging Parent Face Change”
* mentor on the new social networking site, TheCircle.org (launching May 1st)
* nursing home volunteer

Dale created Transition Aging Parents blog as a way to share my experience and reach out to other adult children of aging parents.  Dale provides insight and shares information and resources to help adult daughters and sons ensure their aging parents “thrive and find joy in every stage of life”.
Dale believes one of the most important gifts we can give our parents is to educate ourselves and be our parent’s advocate and ally.

A New Trend – Vigiling Services

Unfortunately, many patients are going to end up dying alone in the hospital, either because the rest of their family has died first or they are private people without any friends or family. I don’t know if you have heard of this but hospices across the country are providing a wonderful service. It is called vigiling. The hospice sends volunteers over to their local hospitals to sit with the patient who is dying alone. As much as nurses try very hard to be present for the dying, they have many patients to care for and can’t stay just in one room. So the volunteers sit in shifts and stay with the person until they die. Of course, these volunteers are highly trained and work cooperatively with the doctors and nurses. How wonderful. This patient has someone present in case they need help as they die and they do not have to feel lonely and afraid.

Now people who work with the dying would say that people live as they die. So if you have been a mean and hurtful person, then you may die alone. Or if you have lived a social life with lots of friends, then you will die surrounded by friends. Your death depends on your life.

No matter what, vigiling is still a good thing to do. People should not have to die in fear or in pain. We don’t know what brought this person to this moment in their life because we don’t know their story. And they are probably too ill to tell us about their life’s journey. Ultimately, we should show compassion and give our patients comfort as they die.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Friday interview with Raquel Smith, the Premiere Caregiver Coach on Friday, 9AM PST

Friday I will be interviewing Raquel Smith at 9AM on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.  Raquel is the Premiere Caregiver Coach and Founder of the Caregiver Oasis Network. Raquel has facilitated a movement which is changing the way caregivers provide self-care while caring for their loved ones. Raquel has been a featured speaker in the Conscious Life Expo hosted in Los Angeles and is a host on the Los Angeles Public Access Channel. Raquel has been a contributor to publications like the Mindset newspaper and Healthy Wealthy N Wise Magazine. Raquel is also a featured as an expert writer on EzineArticles.com.

The website for Raquel is www.thecaregiveroasis.com. TheCaregiverOasis.com provides a forum for Caregivers to assist them in living their lives in balance while performing their caregiving duties. The caregiver coaching program provides essential invaluable tools for caregivers.

Have a kind and respectful day.

12PM PST, Thursday Radio Interview Holly Thomas – HeartMath Stress Relief – Free Gift Offer

Thursday, I will be interviewing Holly Thomas at 12PM pst, on the Kind Ethics Blog Talk Radio Show, here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/KindEthics

Holly Thomas provides stress and emotional management techniques to clients in Los Gatos, California where she lives with her husband and their Irish Red and White Setter, Keelin.

Her experience as a yoga instructor, her personal studies in meditation, mindfulness techniques and consciousness psychology all support her in helping people learn practical ways to integrate stress reduction into their busy lives.

Holly’s goal was to find ways to bring simple, effective, scientifically validated stress and emotional management tools to the everyday person. She has been a licensed provider in Los Gatos for three years and has been working with health care providers and their patients using the HeartMath techniques and personal biofeedback units. Holly believes that what makes HeartMath different from other forms of stress management, is that the techniques effect a physiological change in the body immediately upon practicing, and you can literally do the techniques while standing in line at the grocery store, talking with others, and while busily rushing through your day! The ease at which the tools can be used does not diminish its effectiveness. In fact, one who diligently uses the tools in their life can actually re-train their nervous system over time, to handle stress and manage their emotions with more ease.

She will talk about her experience with the HeartMath system in particular, and how it has been transformational in her ability to help people who may have felt helpless in their battle to relieve stress, anxiety, and fatigue in these fast paced times.

Holly has a special offer for the listeners. You can download a free De-Stress Kit from written by the founder of HeartMath from her website, www.heart-wise.net or the HeartMath website. If they do not have a access to a computer, or would like a free hard copy, they can call Holly at (408) 596-1396. Holly also donates hard copies to organizations who may benefit. The point is to get these free tips to as many as we can in hard times.

Have a kind and respectful day.

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