Nurses Corner

The Problem with Nursing

Any nurse can tell you that the profession is
rewarding, stressful, challenging. There's always
new technology to learn, or new guidelines, and
always, more paperwork. Patients are sicker, the
job gets tougher by the minute.

Supposedly there's a nursing shortage. I can tell you
why that is, it's not that there are too few nurses out
there, it's because hordes of them have left the
profession, yet they keep their licenses current.

Some call it a sabbatical.

I call it "Runs From Paperwork."

It's atrocious.

In todays litigious society, everything you do as
a nurse has to be documented. A few years ago,
nurses charted by exception. If for example, a
patient had a fever when vital signs were checked
at 7 p.m. this was noted. Other things like administering
medications that were ordered, were considered the
norm, and therefore not charted.

But, that's when life was sensible.

RN Tip Of The Day

The old saying, "it's all in your head" is
often true! More often than is realized,
symptoms and illnesses can be controlled
by what you think, and how you think about it.

A positive outlook, even in the most dire of
circumstances, helps tremendously with the
outcome of the disease process. If the patient
maintains a positive outlook, which isn't always
easy, and manages to keep a sense of humor,
symptoms will be greatly reduced. This in and
of itself, has proven time and again to not only
keep the patient focused on a good outcome, but
in fact contributes to healing.

The mind controls the body, always. That's not to
say that the mind can cure all...or can it? I don't think
that health care professionals have delved into this
aspect of care with nearly the vigor that it needs to
be addressed.

For us average mentality folks, it is said that we only
use a small portion of our brain, the rest lays there,
doing little. Imagine, if we used the power of our minds,
what effect that could have on our health.

Can you think your way to wellness? Yes, I do believe you can.

But it can't be done with just one thought, it has to be a
focused, relentless attention to the problem. Like a tape
recording on a feedback loop, keep in your mind the
solution to the problem. It can be something as simple
as, "I will NEVER have a cold or the flu again."

People doubt me when I tell them I did that 23 years ago,
and have not had a cold or the flu since making that
declaration. But it wasn't just the declaration. I focused
my mind and in my head repeated that single sentence
perhaps a thousand times. 23 years. No colds, no flu, and
I'm around people with both almost daily.

You decide. Then do it.

To your health!