Most of us have family and friends that we can depend on for their love and support. But sometimes we don’t really realize just how lucky we are to have these special people in our lives.

I am an RN and have worked in many different areas of nursing, including Rehabilitation Centers. Let me tell you a little personal story about one of my patients.

I will call this patient Mark, though that was not his real name. He was a 27 year old gentleman who had AIDS. He came to our facility from one of the local hospitals. He came by ambulance, alone. Mark was a very nice looking gentleman who was sweet and shy. He never really complained about anything. He mainly stayed in his bed, in the dark, and watched some TV. Whenever I checked on him, he was always alone. If I asked him how he was doing, he would say, “Fine”. If I asked if I could get him anything or do anything for him, he would say, “No, thank you”. He was the type of patient that you just wanted to reach out to and hug.

As the days went on, he became weaker. Still, no complaints… Still, no visitors…. Still, alone………

I tried to visit him as much as I could, even if to just walk in and say, “Hi Mark, how are you today?”

Mark was a very special patient to me, though I knew very little about him. There was no contact information in his chart. There were no family members listed. There were no friends mentioned. His chart was blank for any personal information. It was all medical information. He was like a number, without a name. He was sick. He was alone. But he was a very, special young man.

Mark’s stay at our Rehabilitation Center only lasted a few months. He never improved. He only got worse.

Then one day, he grew worse by the hour. The staff and I knew he was dying and probably wouldn’t make it through the night.

I stayed by his side as much as I could during my shift. He laid there silently. Neither of us spoke. We both knew what was happening. Mark was not alone now…… I was there.

After my shift was over, I stayed……. with Mark. I sat……. with Mark. I prayed……. for Mark.

Mark died…and so did a piece of my heart…….for Mark.

I was there……..to pronounce his death………..and then………. I left.

Mark did not die alone. He had a friend……me……….and together his soul was offered up to God……………

May God bless you Mark.

Mary

The Corvette Club 

My boyfriend, Jim, and I are members of the Corvette Club of Richmond. This club is very active. One of it’s main outings is to visit the children at The Children’s Hospital here in Richmond. The Club gets it’s members together to meet and ride to The Children’s Hospital each year, before Easter, to deliver stuffed Easter Bunnies to the children.

We are lining them up!!! 

My boyfriend, Jim, and I are members of the Corvette Club of Richmond. This club is very active. One of it’s main outings is to visit the children at The Children’s Hospital here in Richmond. The Club gets it’s members together to meet and ride to The Children’s Hospital each year, before Easter, to deliver stuffed Easter Bunnies to the children!!                                                                                                                                                                              

 Here comes the Easter Bunny!!!!

This group of ‘Vet Members are very dedicated to their annual Bunny Run. The staff line up, just waiting for the cars loaded with stuffed Easter Bunnies to arrive.

The Club delivered over 1,000 bunnies to the children!!!! It was the best Easter Bunny Run participation that they had ever had!!!!! I’m not sure who were the happiest, the members or the children!!!!

 And we have arrived!!!!

And we’re having fun!!!!                                                   

And there is Mr. Bunny, delivering the bunnies to the hospital staff, who will give them to all the children!!!

This is a wonderful way to nurture children!!!!!

Everyone enjoyed this great Easter visit!!!!

If you have never visited the Children’s Hospital, then maybe you should. Those children need all the love and visitors they can get. And you will never forget or regret the visit!!!!

Thanks,
Mary

Isn’t this a great picture? This is nurturing. We all need nurturing from the beginning of life. Unfortunately, not all of us human beings or animals are lucky enough to be nurtured. And that, my friends, is extremely sad.
Without nurturing, we are unable to grow as a healthy human being or animal. It is a basic need in life and without it, we suffer greatly.
So, how do we “get” to be a nurturing person? Is it something that is learned from the beginning of life or during the process of living, or is it a gift?
I believe that nurturing is a vital key to life and if we are fortunate enough to have been nurtured in life, then we are able to build our lives by nurturing others. But not everyone is lucky enough to express this nurturing quality. We are all made of so many different personalities with various characteristics. That’s what makes us all so unique.
Those of us who enter the professional field of Nursing have this special nurturing quality. It helps our patients in so many wonderful different ways in many different circumstances. And that is what makes us nurses rock!
Can you image, and you have probably already witnessed this, taking care of a patient or being taking cared for by a nurse, who was not the nurturing type? A pretty sad experience I would have to believe. I think people who do not know how or who are unable to express nurturing, may be in the nursing field for the wrong reason.

Make it a great day!

Mary

With the continuing rise in crime rates, forensic nursing is quickly becoming a popular part of the American judicial system. Forensic nursing is one of the newest forms of forensic sciences recognized by the American Nurses Association. The new field combines the health care profession with the judicial system.

Nurses trained in forensic nursing are needed to quickly and appropriately gather evidence that can be used in a court of law. Along with gathering forensic information, they also testify in trials of their jurisdictions.

The appeal of forensic nursing is mainly with victims of violence. Multiple people are seeing victims, social workers, doctors, the police etc. This can be hard on the victim. Having one expert that can do everything from start to finish including going to trial would make it a lot less stressful for the victim.

Because forensic nursing is such a new and growing specialty, it offers great opportunities for recent nursing graduates and experienced RN’s looking for a career change.

In 1992, approximately seventy nurses gathered together in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the first national convention for sexual assault nurses. This convention led to the founding of the IAFN, the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Their mission statement was the concept of nurses willing to devote their energy and resources to develop a role in nursing that can have an impact on the future of forensic science and the health care industry.

Forensic nurses practice in many diverse fields. They range from nurses who specialize in domestic violence, emergency trauma, and sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE’s), which SANE’s are often the entry point into forensic nursing. Forensic nurses may also serve as legal nurse consultants or attorneys.

The education for forensic nursing varies. Degree programs are available in forensic nursing but are not required for entry into the profession. Certification courses required for the SANE program is a good start.

The employers of forensic nursing specialists vary as well. They include acute healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, county prosecutors, coroner’s offices, medical examiner’s offices, insurance companies, and psychiatric facilities.

Another opportunity is working independently on a per job basis to all of these employers – starting a forensic nursing business.

The industry of forensic nursing is only getting more and more attractive to nurses that really want to make a difference in the community around them. It’s an opportunity for them to help victims of violence and helping the perpetrators of violence to get help.

Any Family dealing with the loss of a loved one is usually involved in the Medical Community.  The ones with the most frequent and closest care are the nurses. The nurse is there working closely with the client assess their needs as well as the family’s needs. Family and dear friends are coping with the many physical and emotional demands of the dying or palliative patient.  It is a heavy burden to bear and bearing it can cause a deep feeling of hopelessness that blurs all vision of hope for help and improving the situation for both the Patient and the Family.

A Nurse is a listening ear and not only for the client but for the family.  There are a lot of fears that can be put to rest when they are voiced and appropriate and helpful solutions are presented.  A nurse is A Client Advocate who will speak up and seek out help that the client or family may not know how to or be unable to themselves.

When many fears have been put to rest by being able to talk them out with the Nurse and Other members of the Palliative team then the client and family will have a better sense of being in control of the process a little better and are then able to make healthier and more beneficial decisions for their care.

A Client who is unable to speak for them is often spoken for by the family member.  They may not be reading the signs that the patient may be giving non-verbally. The Nurse can come along side the Family member and help them become more aware of how to assess the needs and manage comfort levels in a safe and healthy way.

Speaking the truth in kindness is a difficult thing to do.  But as the Patient is priority the nurse takes this responsibility and does her best to respectfully bring to awareness the needs.  She helps set up a Plan with the Doctors, Case managers and many other valued members of the health team.

Often a Spouse will try to take a lot of the load on them and they often get burnt out and put themselves at risk of physical and emotional exhaustion.   There are many Palliative resources that can alleviate the stress and help improve both client and Family members’ safety.  For example and older woman trying to help her palliative husband to the bathroom is unable to support him if he would fall and the risk of them both ending up with a detrimental injury is high!  The care giver in this case the wife would be of no further help if she ended up in hospital with a broken hip for example. This can be avoided with getting a helper in for transferring the client or for daily care like getting bathed etc.

Helping the Client and Family become aware of the help they can get and being positive with them as much as possible Speaks Hope were things seem Hopeless!

It is always good to talk and ask as many questions as you need to.  You can only get more information to help relieve your overwhelmed feelings if You are in this situation.

Employment as a Nursing Assistant offers you a unique opportunity to explore many avenues of the medical field. You will primarily be working with the patients, their families, and the Nursing staff. However, it is not uncommon that you will have interactions with many other areas including physicians, X-Ray, surgery, specialists, and emergency staff.

Since you will be working with so many types of individuals, having quality communication skills is a vital quality to have for being an effective Nursing Assistant. You will be responsible for meeting the basic needs of your patients including feedings, bathing, and dressing. They level of care with vary depending on the individual needs of the patient. In addition, you will be providing them and their family with emotional support.

Your position will involve working closely with the Nursing staff on a daily basis. This will be the medical professionals you deal with the most. From providing vitals for all patients to offering assistance with whatever comes up, the nursing staff needs to know they can rely on you. This means showing up as scheduled, completing your tasks to the best of your ability, paying attention to detail, and being willing to work as part of a time.

Depending on the type of medical facility you work in, physicians of the patients may be stopping in to check on them. They often ask questions of the Nursing Assistant. For some, this is intimidating. If a physician is asking you for information on a patient, take it as a compliment. Physicians often recognize Nursing Assistants as having more one on one interaction with the patients. Therefore, things that you observe can help them with treating the patient.

For example, a doctor may prescribe a new medication. You will be able to let the physician know if the appetite of the patient has changed as well as if the patient’s level of being coherent has changed.

Working in the medical profession, you will be exposed to a variety of other staff from different medical fields. This is because of the changes in the needs of your patients. You may be asked to take patients to X-Rays or to help get them prepared to be moved to the surgery unit. There will be an array of specialists checking on patients, again based on the individual needs of those you are serving.

Working with emergency staff is very important. Their interactions can make all the different in some situations. It is vital that you are trained on when emergency staff should be called. You need to have detailed information on where to call, who to call, and what information to give them. This should all be secured prior to any event actually happening.

In this type of situation, you will need to work with emergency staff to provide information. Anything you can tell them about the events that occurred as well as the events before the incident took place can be of importance.

The role of a Nursing Assistant is one of many hats. You will have the opportunity to provide quality care for patients as well as be exposed to many other arenas of the medical field. The more you are able to effectively communicate with these other professionals, the better service you will be providing to those in your care.

Dental Assistants are essential to the field of dentistry. They work hard to make sure all the dental tools are cleaned properly, patients feel comfortable, and they assist Dentists and Hygienists with dental procedures. In addition, they help with lab work and are trained in medical emergency procedures. Combined, these duties require individuals who are energized and ready to help others. Dental assistants much be effective communicators and fast learners.

The demand for dental assistants continues to grow. Many people are taking more of an interest in their oral hygiene now than ever before. Since people are living longer, their teeth are requiring more preventative care as well as dental procedures. Dental technology has also made procedures less painful. As a result more people are willing to go in for dental services. Another area is the market for cosmetic dentistry. People are going to dental facilities to get their teeth whitened and to improve the shape of their teeth.

There are over 280,000 Dental Assistants currently employed Nationwide. Most of these Dental Assistants are working in dental offices. A small portion work in government agencies, prisons facilities, and physician offices. Many Dental Assistants are working in more than one dental office due to the demand for more Dental Assistants. The potential for this occupation is better than most other medical fields. It is anticipated that it will be one of the top contenders in growth through 2012.

There are many job opportunities for Dental Assistants in the market already. This means almost all Dental Assistants who complete a training program will secure employment immediately. This job market is Nationwide, so relocation for employment is a great possibility for those who are interested. In some instances, the employer will assist you with relocation costs.

Many individuals choose to enter the field of Dental Assistant because of the job market outlook and the rate of pay. On average, Dental Assistants earn $13.62 per hour as a new employee without any job experience. The highest noted starting rate Nationwide is in New York at $19.97 per hour. Considering the minimum wage in most states, the starting pay for Dental Assistants is at least double. That is a great incentive to pursue a career as a Dental Assistant.

Pursuing a career as a Dental Assistant can be a perfect career move. It will provide you with the opportunity to work with people, allow you to explore the dental profession, you will have no trouble securing employment, and the pay is great. You will also have standard working hours with paid Holidays. Most dental assistants receive discounted or free dental care for themselves and their families. Keeping all this in perspective, the demand for Dental Assistants is a great motivation to take a look into the career options.

To find out more about Dental Assistant programs in your area, contact you State Dental Board or your local colleges. You can also find great information on such programs via the internet. It is very important that you make sure any program you are considering is accredited in your state. Most programs can be completed in 12 to 24 months. Tuition assistance and scholarship programs are available. Most Human Services programs will assist with the cost of programs that can be completed within 2 years and that there is a job market for.

Nursing resumes are slightly different from every other resume that you would send out. Being that nursing is a specialized profession, you need to remember a few things when putting together your first resume. Nursing resumes can be difficult to write because they will not include the same information as a standard resume trying to secure an office position. Read through the tips below before you start sending out your resume to potential employers.

First off, remember that nursing resumes will not include all past work experience. When applying for an office job, you usually show all of your past work experience, no matter how irrelevant it may sound. But remember that nursing is a specialized profession. You want to make sure that you put down your experience relative to nursing and downplay the rest of your work experience.  This is not to say that you cannot include other work experience on nursing resumes, just be sure to not let those jobs overshadow your nursing experience.

Remember to include all nursing related experience on your resume. Anything that pertains to nursing, or caring for people should be highlighted on your resume so that it stands head and shoulders above the rest. This can include any volunteer work that you may have completed, or any nursing work that you did while in college. Nursing resumes often include information about the rotations that you did while completing your degree. This shows that you have experience in the field and are capable of working full time.

Nursing resumes should always include your educational achievements as well. Be proud of what you accomplished. If you were elected into the National Honors Society for nursing majors be sure to include this information. If you had a high GPA, include that also.

Nursing resumes may be difficult to write, but if you follow the tips above you will be able to put together an intriguing package for hiring managers. Sample nursing resumes can also be found on numerous online sites.