Health Headlines - September 1

Docs to Watch for Guillain-Barré After H1N1 Vaccine Neurologists should be on the lookout for any signs of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in people vaccinated against H1N1 swine flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Neurology announced Monday. Experts do not expect the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to increase risk of the rare disorder, but are acting out "an abundance of caution," according to a news release from the American Academy of Neurology. Because of its association with the 1976 swine flu vaccine, GBS could be of greater concern with any pandemic vaccine, the release said. "The active participation of neurologists is going to be critical for monitoring for any possible increase in GBS following 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccination," said Dr. Orly Avitzur, who is directing the AAN effort. The request comes as part of the CDC's national vaccine safety monitoring campaign. The H1N1 vaccine is still in production. Officials expect that vaccination of high-risk groups -- including health-care workers, infants, children and young adults ages 6 months through 24 years, pregnant women and adults with underlying health conditions -- will start this fall. In GBS, the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, causing tingling and weakness in the extremities. It is usually, but not always, treatable. Neurologists and other health-care professionals should use the CDC and FDA Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to report any post-vaccination adverse events, the announcement said. ----- Workouts Trump Angioplasty for Heart Woes, Experts Say There's mounting evidence that exercise may be a better fix for clogged arteries than angioplasty, although persuading patients to be more physically active is the tough part, experts said at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology on Sunday. For example, one 2004 study, led by Rainer Hambrtecht of Klinikum Links der Weser in Bremen, Germany, found that nine out of 10 heart patients who bicycled regularly rid themselves of their cardiovascular troubles a year after beginning the exercise program, compared to 70 percent of patients who got angioplasty but didn't exercise. "It's difficult to convince people to exercise instead of having an angioplasty, but it works," said Hambrecht, who spoke to the Associated Press from the meeting held in Barcelona, Spain. Other research has shown that a third of heart attacks and strokes -- 280,000 U.S. heart deaths -- might be prevented if patients walked briskly for a total of 2.5 hours a week. However, experts say that less than 20 percent of heart patients get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise five times weekly. Exercise lowers artery-clogging LDL (bad) cholesterol while boosting levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, it helps the body deal with sugar better, and it breathes new health into blood vessel walls, the AP noted. But getting patients to get up off the couch and exercise regularly is a tough sell when compared to getting an angioplasty, which involves opening arteries with a tiny balloon and then inserting a mesh tube called a stent. These operations typically take less than a day in the hospital. "Most patients want the quick fix," Dr. Christopher Cannon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard University and spokesman for the American College of Cardiology, told the AP. "It's a lot easier to get your artery fixed than it is to exercise every day." ----- Gulf Coast Births Fell Post-Katrina Births plummeted in most of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in the 12 months after the catastrophic storm, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. Overall, in 14 coastal counties and parishes of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, births declined 19 percent in the year after the hurricane compared with the year before the storm, according to a review of birth certificates filed in Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated areas of the Gulf Coast. In the selected parishes of Louisiana, births dropped 30 percent and in Mississippi, 13 percent. But births increased 6 percent in the selected areas of Alabama. Other findings: Births in the chosen parishes of Louisiana plunged 51 percent among non-Hispanic black women, 21 percent for Hispanic women, 34 percent for Asian/Pacific Islanders and 14 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Among non-Hispanic black women in Orleans Parish, the central parish of New Orleans, the proportion of total births fell from 78 percent before the storm to 60 percent afterward. The proportion of teen births was unchanged, except in the Louisiana counties where teen births fell 11 percent. ----- U.N. Wary of Swine Flu in Birds Now that the H1N1 swine flu has spread to turkeys in Chile, the United Nations is concerned that poultry farms around the world could become infected, BBC News reports. Although swine flu is no deadlier than the seasonal flu, scientists worry that it could mix with more dangerous strains. Already it has spread from humans to pigs. Last week's discovery of the virus in turkeys on two farms near the seaport of Valparaiso may be a "spillover" from farm workers, experts believe. Up to now, no cases of H5N1 bird flu have emerged in flocks in Chile. But, "the introduction of H1N1 in these populations would be of greater concern," said Juan Lubroth, interim chief veterinary officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. "In Southeast Asia there is a lot of the (H5N1) virus circulating in poultry. Colin Butter from the Institute for Animal Health in England agrees. "We hope it is a rare event, and we must monitor closely what happens next," he told BBC News. "However, it is not just about the H5N1 strain. Any further spread of the H1N1 virus between birds, or from birds to humans would not be good," Butter said. "It might make the virus harder to control, because it would be more likely to change," he said.Health Headlines - September 1

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/health-headlines-september-1

Does a nursing home have the right to refuse a patients choice of doctor?

A local nursing home has a patient who had to change her doctor, but when she made her choice the nursing home administration refused to let the doctor see her. Any precedence on this?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/does-a-nursing-home-have-the-right-to-refuse-a-patients-choice-of-doctor

Persuing a nursing career with a misdemeanor on my record is it possible?

When I was 17 years old I got charged with a DUI and underage consumption of alcohol. When you start your clinical you have to pay for a criminal background check. Will I pass and be able to be licensed as a nurse does anybody know? PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!!!!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/persuing-a-nursing-career-with-a-misdemeanor-on-my-record-is-it-possible

I am a LPN(nurse) Where can I get medical billing experience I need a new career direction?

I worked in LTC for a long time and am currently teaching CNA classes. I think I got the billing bug at the LTC facility I worked at. I had hoped my experience as a nurse would be a big plus, but so far not so much. There are so many scams out there if you search medilling on the net. How can I get some OJT? I have been studing my buns off and I'm so excited because I get it! It may sound borinng to some but to me it's like a puzzle to put together. I need CHEAP softwrare to do it "on the side" at home. Any ideas would be great. i have no idea where or what I'm looking for in software.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/i-am-a-lpnnurse-where-can-i-get-medical-billing-experience-i-need-a-new-career-direction

Conscious Sedation Provider Course - Philadelphia PA

?
?
?
Conscious Sedation Consulting is offering a comprehensive didactic training and certification course in the administration of conscious (moderate) sedation and analgesia.

All training and certification will be provided by?John Hexem MD PhDwho has 25 years experience as a board certified anesthesiologist.

Pre-registration required - seating is limited.?
?
To register please call? 888.581.4448 x 2.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
www.SedationConsulting.com

This course is appropriate for all non-anesthesia health care providers who are involved in the administration of sedatives and analgesia.?Course has been developed in accordance with core principles described in National Accrediting Organization Standards and specialty society guidelines.

This is an intensive didactic sedation process review and examination of current guidelines,?standards and best practices.

Course Topics Include

Culture of Safety


Standards


ASA Classification


Patient Assessment


Airway Management


Monitoring


Pharmacology


Adverse Events


Risk Management


Discharge & Follow-up


Process Improvement

Conscious Sedation Provider Course - Philadelphia PAOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.com/news/articles/8863-conscious-sedation-provider-course---philadelphia-pa

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/conscious-sedation-provider-course-philadelphia-pa

Are there Online Pre-Requisite Nursing Courses Available?

Hello. I have a B.A. in Anthropology. I've decided I want to become a nurse and do an entry level MSN program (meaning I will earn my RN as well as MSN concurrently). I need to take pre-requisite classes such as Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, etc. Taking them at a community college is very time consuming as I currently work full time. Going this route, it will take years before I can even enter the MSN program. I would like to take my pre-reqs online. Can someone please let me know of an accredited school that I can take 5 classes at that will transfer? I'm going crazy!!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/are-there-online-pre-requisite-nursing-courses-available

AONE Launches Anniversary Fund

AONE Launches Anniversary FundOriginally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NursezonecomNursingNews/~3/jUxpm0Vaeao/AONE-Launches-Anniversary-Fund_32394.aspx

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/aone-launches-anniversary-fund

How much does a male RN nurse make starting off, a year?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/how-much-does-a-male-rn-nurse-make-starting-off-a-year

NAHN's Commitment to Hispanic Nurses and Community

Pictured left to right: Maria Elena Ruiz PhD, RN, FNP-BC (NAHN OR Chapter President) and Angie Millan MSN, RN (President Elect NAHN National Organization 2010-2012)Last week, the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses was pleased to have Angie Millan MSN, RN (President Elect NAHN National Organization 2010-2012 and current President, NAHN-Los Angeles Chapter) as an honored guest at their monthly meeting. OR Chapter President Maria Elena Ruiz PhD, RN, FNP-BC began with an inspiring presentation, "Listening to the Voices of Latino Nurses in Oregon: Findings from the Leadership Development Workshops-Latino Nurses in Oregon Speak Out". It was clear from Dr. Ruiz's findings that Oregon Latino nurses are committed to uniting and providing the necessary support, role modeling, and mentoring necessary to empower each other, in addition to lending a voice for Latino issues. A good portion of the meeting was spent on discussion of health promotion events geared toward the Latino population in Oregon and Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Millan shared that the upcoming annual nursing conference planned in LA would include speakers from the March of Dimes to help educate nurses about what services are available that would be beneficial to children and families they are caring for. The IX Annual Bi-national Health Week taking place October 2-15, 2009, a large scale multi-national health campaign targeted at the Latino community to promote physical activity and healthy eating habits, was also discussed. The goal is to bring awareness and focus to some of the most critical health issues and health disparities that have a significant impact on this under-served group. The National Association of Hispanic Nurses endorsed the Office of the National Nurse initiative earlier this year. The Board of Directors of the National Nursing Network Organization is honored to have their support. Here is a statement from the letter received from President Norma Martinez Rogers Rogers PhD, RN, FAAN, "The National Nurse would provide a visible nurse leader to advocate for enhanced prevention efforts for all communities. Further, we recognize the potential of having a National Nurse who would be able to meet with health care leaders to highlight health disparities and bring forward new ideas."NAHN's Commitment to Hispanic Nurses and Community

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/nahns-commitment-to-hispanic-nurses-and-community

Nursing school and loans?

Ok so here's my situation..
I went to school for medical assisting and took out a 7k loan...I didn't find ANY work so now I have registed for nursing school..my question is will I be able to go to nursing school with loans already out AND Get more loans for school?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/nursing-school-and-loans

I'm nearly 16 and i want to be a Mental Health Nurse - Is there any training i can do now?

I want to work for the NHS and be a mental health nurse when im older.

The thing is i really want to get some training now, as i am very mature, and want to get some experenice, to what it's like. Is there anything i could do

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/im-nearly-16-and-i-want-to-be-a-mental-health-nurse-is-there-any-training-i-can-do-now

4 Jobs For Nurses That Are Located Outside The Hospital

A profession marked by its ever-rising shortage, nursing has started to feel the shock of the rise of unemployment. About to graduate from their programs, scores of nursing students are worried and uneasy about locating their first job.

With hiring freezes and an increase of more qualified nurses competing for entry level jobs because they have become victims of a worsening economy, the hunt for jobs has become another obstacle for future nurses. However, this may be because nursing students are unaware of other job opportunities.

Many people presume that hospitals or doctors' offices are the best places to find jobs. In fact since this is where most people will be looking, your chances of finding a job plummet to find a job you'd want. You'd be surprised at the numerous industries and enterprises that need nurses as part of their team.

Insurance Firms. Visit any major insurance company's website and you'll come across a variety of jobs asking for a nursing degree. Particularly, case management is one of these groups. A case manager assesses a member's clinical requirements and authorizes the required services. For example, if a member's daughter was suffering from an eating disorder and desired residential treatment, a case manager would be summoned by an admissions team from the preferred facility. The case manager is responsible for evaluating that this is the suitable facility and continues to supervise the patient's development while subsequently sanctioning more treatment if desired.

Medical writing. If you have a knack for the written word and a nursing degree, you can take your skills to a freelance writing line of work. Magazines are always pursuing features written by educated sources and would be interested in submissions on an assortment of topics. From a nurse's take on hospital infrastructure to the best ways to care for a newborn infant, informational articles sell briskly when they feature any health-related topic. Articles are paid per word or with a per article fee. Freelance writing can also help to supplement a part-time income.

Pharmaceutical sales. Nurses are considered necessary in this field to inform and support new and existing products to fellow medical professionals. Jobs at companies selling medical equipment and drugs call for nurses to travel extensively while continuously adding to the breadth of their product knowledge. Prospects for this type of job can be discovered by doing a search of pharmaceutical companies and browsing their job listings.

Government and legal arena. The government at national, state and city levels has a need for nurses. Whether to assist a government funded pre-natal care program to coordinating with the State Department of Health, careers for nurses are available. Government vocations permit nurses to branch out and grasp a more educational approach and benefit from a change of pace.

Hopefully the job search seems a little less dire when bearing in mind all the innovative and overlooked areas jobs are found. More employment opportunities can be discovered in other industries not mentioned within this article such as learning institutions, prisons and medical answering services. Keep an open mind and always think of others. Good luck job hunting!

While looking for that nursing job outside the hospital you might notice that many nurses wear Urbane Scrubs such as Urbane Scrub Pants and Urbane tops.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/4-jobs-for-nurses-that-are-located-outside-the-hospital

Travel Nurse Positions - Hound.Com

www.hound.com travel nurse careers, travel nurse positions, travel nurse job opportunities, travel nurse jobs, hound.com

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/travel-nurse-positions-houndcom

DREXEL UNIVERSITY RN TO BSN ONLINE PROGRAM any info please?

DREXEL UNIVERSITY RN TO BSN ONLINE PROGRAM ANY INFO, WAS IT A PAIN TO NAVIGATE THE ONLINE PART, WHAT R THE CLASSES LIKE, PLEASE ANY INFO IS HELPFUL.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/drexel-university-rn-to-bsn-online-program-any-info-please

How do I become a Forensic Nurse(with RN,BSN)?

I am working on obtaining my BSN right now. After I become a registered nurse, what will I have to do to become a forensic nurse (specifically a SANE)?

Is there a certification course/exam for those who already are Registered Nurses?

thank you!!!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/how-do-i-become-a-forensic-nursewith-rnbsn

What is the difference between Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Practical Nurse ?

What is the differene between a Licensed Practical Nurse and Regsitered Practical Nurse ?

Obvioulsy RN is registered nurse however the above dont appear to be any different , does anybody know ?
Thanks

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-is-the-difference-between-licensed-practical-nurse-and-registered-practical-nurse

i sued a nursing home for abuse to my mother and caused her death early. do i have to pay taxes on this money?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/i-sued-a-nursing-home-for-abuse-to-my-mother-and-caused-her-death-early-do-i-have-to-pay-taxes-on-this-money

100 Most Powerful People In Healthcare

100 Most Powerful People In Healthcare
Monday August 31, 2009
Even if healthcare reform is not passed, it?s evident that America?s healthcare system is already controlled largely by government agencies and politics.

The Modern Healthcare 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare is dominated by politicians and government officials ? including President Obama in the top slot, and Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services) in second place. The top six spots are filled by Washington D.C.-based officials, and a total of 32 people on the list are also D.C.-based.

Most of the remaining slots on the list are occupied by CEOs of some of the nation's major health systems, such as Tenet Healthcare, Lifepoint Hospitals, Kindred Healthcare, and HCA, among others. Additionally, the list includes many leaders of medical professional associations such as the American Medical Association and American Nurses Association, and other associations of physicians and nurses.

Check out Modern Healthcare?s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare, and then share your thoughts: Who would you add to the list, and why? Who would you remove? What rankings were surprising to you?100 Most Powerful People In HealthcareSource: www.about.com

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/100-most-powerful-people-in-healthcare

what are the pros and cons of being a travel nurse?

I want to be a traveling prenatal nurse.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-travel-nurse-2

What country has no bs nursing education offered in their colleges?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-country-has-no-bs-nursing-education-offered-in-their-colleges-2

Hospital jobs available while in nursing school?

I'm currently a graphic designer going back to school for nursing. I work during the day and go to school at night, and am finishing up prereqs and any classes I can before diving into the 9-5 nursing curriculum, to allow me to work as much as possible before starting. I'm wanting to get a job on the weekends in a hospital environment, what is available to me? I have a bachelors but it's in Studio Art, so that doesn't apply at all. I dont mind what I'd do, I just want to get into that area as much as possible to get some sort of hospital experience under my belt. Suggestions?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/hospital-jobs-available-while-in-nursing-school

Staff at Veterans Nursing Home Feels Terrorized By Administrator

DAYTONA BEACH - A State Department of Children and Families Inspector General's Investigation found that many staffers at a Daytona Beach Veteran's Nursing Home found the workplace environment to be problematic.

The probe found that 35 of 57 staff members had particular concerns about the administrator at the Emory L. Bennett Memorial State Veteran's Nursing Home. The administrator, Belkis Pineyro-Wiggins, was described by those 35 employees as "terrorizing" or "belittling" and "degrading" or "threatening," according to the 13-page Management Review completed earlier this month.

In a comments section at the end of the report, the Inspector General's Office recommended that the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs review specific portions ot the document and determine appropriate actions.

One staffer told the investigators that Pineyro-Wiggins referred to a resident as a "pig," made fun of that resident and said the resident was "too fat." Pineyro-Wiggins denied ever speaking to or about a resident in such a derogatory way.

The report also indicates that staffers did not have concerns about the safety or treatment of residents at the facility.

The most serious claims involve the way staffers say Pineyro-Wiggins treated them. One staffer, for instance, said that Pineyro-Wiggins "berated and degraded kitchen staff and spoke to them "like they were children," according to the report.

But she did tell the I.G.'s office that when she started work at the nursing home "she discovered that staff members previously experienced a lenient environment where policies and procedures may not have been enforced." She also said that many staffers resisted change to their work environment.

[page]

The management review document states that Pineyro-Wiggins has been the nursing home administrator since August 2007.

When she was told that 61.4 percent of staffers interviewed -- or 35 of 57 staffers -- expressed concerns about the work environment she had fostered and not the changes she made, Pineyro-Wiggins "admitted there was room for improvement, not only for herself, but for the entire staff," the report states.

The Emory L. Bennett Memorial State Veteran's Nursing Home is a 120-bed, residential facility. It provides skilled nursing home care to veteran residents who are not acutely ill and do not need hospital care.

The Inspector General's Office recommended that the Department of Veterans' Affairs review one case involving a voluntary demotion of an employee. Contrary to Pineyro-Wiggins' statement that the employee was repeatedly disciplined, the I.G.'s review found "no evidence of any type of disciplinary action leading up to the voluntary demotion on July 17, 2008."

The review also recommended that Veterans' Affairs look at the overall concerns about the workplace environment expressed by staffers and their "fear of retaliation and/or retribution for making any negative comments."

And it found "some evidence to suggest that the Administrator may have violated a staff member's use of sick leave to care for his spouse, even though the staff member provided appropriate documentation."

The I.G. also found that Pineyro-Wiggins may have "violated state Purchasing Card guidelines" although it did not appear that she "attempted to defraud the state of Florida in doing so." She had told investigators she was reprimanded for this episode, and the I.G.s office recommended that Veterans' Affairs confirm appropriate corrective action was taken and ensure Pineyro-Wiggins has proper training on the use of the Purchasing card.

Finally, the report recommends that Veterans' Affairs look at the case of a staff member whose graduation card with monetary donations from other staffers was withheld by Pineyro-Wiggins. Another staffer's card with unknown contents was withheld as well. The I.G.'s office wants to "ensure that these cards are given to their rightful owners and determine if any corrective action is warranted."Staff at Veterans Nursing Home Feels Terrorized By AdministratorOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.com/news/articles/8847-staff-at-veterans-nursing-home-feels-terrorized-by-administrator

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/staff-at-veterans-nursing-home-feels-terrorized-by-administrator

What is a good gift to send to an elderly couple in a nursing home?

I always send my great aunt and great uncle, in their 90's, flowers for every holiday (I live 2 states away from them). I'd love to send them something besides flowers but I'm not sure what is appropriate.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-is-a-good-gift-to-send-to-an-elderly-couple-in-a-nursing-home

Hairdressing Jobs - 10 Way To Secure Hairdressing Apprenticeships

by Toni Moretti

It seems no matter how bad the economy gets one thing people will not do is compromise their appearance. This is particularly true of women. They will go without a lot of things but when it comes to getting their hairstyles there is no giving that luxury up. Although in most cases it is considered a necessity. This makes the hairdressing field a very lucrative career. This is the very reason why it is becoming so competitive. So if your hope is to become a hairstylist then you are going to have be adept at following through on your goals.

Step 1: Stay in tune with the times. Not only do you have to ensure that you have received proper training you have to ensure that your quest for knowledge is on a continuous basis. You can never stop learning in this industry because it is a fast-paced industry always having something new surface through technology.

Step 2: Protect your investment. You invested in a good training program to become a hair stylist to begin with, so don?t stop there. Whenever the opportunity arises to take, extra courses make every effort to do so. Conglomerates like Schwarzkopf for example are continuing running product knowledge courses. This is your way to stay current so take advantage of them.

Step3: Follow the fashion trends. Just as clothes fashion changes every year so does hair fashion. Most often, the trendsetters will gear both these entities to compliment each other. Therefore, if you know one area then you must most definitely learn the other as well. A perfect place to pick up new trendy information is through trade shows, fashion shows and magazines. These three areas can only survive in the fashion industry by staying current. . Step 4 Take control. If you are concentrating on building your reputation as a superior stylist then your co-workers have to be on the same train of thought with the same objectives. It?s important that you set the proper ethics for the junior stylists. Be creative and participate in the input of what is needed to make the business better for both your employer and the sales.

Step 5: Be creative and enthusiastic about your work. Be involved in associations, contests and competitions. It?s never too soon to get your name known within the industry. By doing so it can open the door to many job opportunities.

Step 6: Enhanced skills will go a long way in making you an indispensable employee. For example, take some course in the latest equipment, or take some sales courses as most high caliber Salons have a full product line they sell.

Step 7. Take advantage of what?s available to you like at Salonjobseeker.com. This is a wonderful source for finding employment within the Industry whether it is at an entry level or supervisory capacity or senior stylist.

Step 8. No matter what stage your career is at you must have an impressive CV. Seek out what the most current format is for preparing this as well as interview techniques.

Step 9. Never assume that you are going to get that job you are after. How you present yourself at the interview will be the deciding factor. It is not only your skills that the prospective employer is interested in, but your people skills as well. They go hand in hand. Be prepared for a practical test. After the entire employer has a right to be able to see your capabilities.

Step 10. Finally keep yourself fresh, enthusiastic and motivated. In addition to all of this, add some creativity. With these types of assets, you will no doubt work your way up the Industry ladder swiftly and effectively.

About the Author:

Learn how to cut and style great hair with professional hairstyling tutorials. You will learn to cut hair with your own personal trainer on 4 volumes of DVDs.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/hairdressing-jobs-10-way-to-secure-hairdressing-apprenticeships

RN Accused of Drug Theft

A Pymatuning Township man has been accused of taking prescription painkillers for his own use from UPMC Horizon, Greenville, where he worked as a registered nurse.

Michael K. Miller, 47, of 1703 Park Lane, was charged by the state Attorney General's office with acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, which is a felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, according to a news release issued Thursday by the office.

Miller was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Brian Arthur, Greenville, and waived the charges and his preliminary hearing to the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas.

He's free on bond and will be prosecuted by the Mercer County District Attorney's office. Miller faces a maximum of 16 years in prison and $255,000 in fines.

"Our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation agents are very active in investigating medical professionals who are illegally using prescription pain medication. It is a potentially dangerous situation if the person you trust with your medical care is under the influence of drugs," Attorney General Tom Corbett said.

Erin Palko, spokesperson for UPMC Horizon, said she could only comment that Miller no longer works for the hospital.

According to court documents filed by Narcotics Agent Lawrence J. Fuksa:

Fuksa was notified March 19 by Ronald Barnes, director of the hospital's pharmacy, that Miller was suspected of theft for possibly taking Percocet from the medical acute care unit.

[widget:newsarticlescandals]

E. Tina Zank, nurse director, told Fuksa two nurses came to her office March 17 to discuss concerns they had regarding medication activity that happened during a shift with one patient.

During that shift, Miller reported twice medicating the patient of another nurse identified only as Nurse Gray while Nurse Gray was busy with other patients. Each time Nurse Gray checked on that patient, he denied having any pain.

Nurse Gray checked the computerized system that dispenses and tracks patients' pain medication and found her patient had Percocet signed out to him multiple times, with some doses only 10 minutes apart.

Nurse Gray said Miller had a habit of medicating other nurses' patients for "no apparent reason" when those nurses could easily medicate their own patients.

Barnes said he immediately printed reports from the system, which showed excessive amounts of Percocet being given to patients. Those records didn't match those patients' medication administration records.

On March 19, Barnes, the vice president of care services and Miller's nurse manager met with Miller, who admitted he had taken the Percocet for his personal use.

Fuksa interviewed Miller June 10 at the Butler City Police Department, where Miller said he had an addiction problem with Percocet and he was the person who took the drug from the hospital to use at home. RN Accused of Drug TheftOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.com/news/articles/8850-rn-accused-of-drug-theft

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/rn-accused-of-drug-theft

Health Headlines - August 30

Gulf Coast Births Fell Post-Katrina Births plummeted in most of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in the 12 months after the catastrophic storm, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. Overall, in 14 coastal counties and parishes of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, births declined 19 percent in the year after the hurricane compared with the year before the storm, according to a review of birth certificates filed in Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated areas of the Gulf Coast. In the selected parishes of Louisiana, births dropped 30 percent and in Mississippi, 13 percent. But births increased 6 percent in the selected areas of Alabama. Other findings: Births in the chosen parishes of Louisiana plunged 51 percent among non-Hispanic black women, 21 percent for Hispanic women, 34 percent for Asian/Pacific Islanders and 14 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Among non-Hispanic black women in Orleans Parish, the central parish of New Orleans, the proportion of total births fell from 78 percent before the storm to 60 percent afterward. The proportion of teen births was unchanged, except in the Louisiana counties where teen births fell 11 percent. ----- UN Wary of Swine Flu in Birds Now that the H1N1 swine flu has spread to turkeys in Chile, the UN is concerned that poultry farms around the world could become infected, BBC News reports. Although swine flu is no deadlier than the seasonal flu, scientists worry that it could mix with more dangerous strains. Already it has spread from humans to pigs. Last week's discovery of the virus in turkeys on two farms near the seaport of Valparaiso may be a "spillover" from farm workers, experts believe. Up to now, no cases of H5N1 bird flu have emerged in flocks in Chile. But, "the introduction of H1N1 in these populations would be of greater concern," said Juan Lubroth, interim chief veterinary officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. "In Southeast Asia there is a lot of the (H5N1) virus circulating in poultry. Colin Butter from the Institute for Animal Health in England agrees. "We hope it is a rare event, and we must monitor closely what happens next," he told BBC News. "However, it is not just about the H5N1 strain. Any further spread of the H1N1 virus between birds, or from birds to humans would not be good," Butter said. "It might make the virus harder to control, because it would be more likely to change," he said. ----- Pregnant Women, New Parents Urged to Get Swine Flu Vaccine Women who are pregnant and new parents should get the swine flu vaccine when it becomes available this fall, to protect themselves and their children, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Speaking during a telebriefing, Dr. Anne Schuchat, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said women at any stage of pregnancy should get the shot, the Associated Press reported. "There's no benefit to waiting until you're out of the first trimester," added Dr. Laura Riley, of Massachusetts General Hospital. The H1N1 swine flu first appeared in Mexico and the United States in mid-April, and then spread to the southern hemisphere, where winter and the flu season are drawing to a close. The swine flu is expected to return to North America in the fall. The swine flu, which typically produces mild symptoms and a quick recovery, has shown no signs of mutating into a more dangerous disease. Vaccines for the regular seasonal flu are already available in many parts of the United States, and testing continues for a swine flu vaccine. The experts urged people Thursday to get both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations, and not wait to get them together, the AP reported. Asked if there will be swine flu vaccines available without the controversial preservative Thimerosal, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there would be. He said there's no evidence that Thimerosal poses any health threat, but because some people are concerned about it, a form of the vaccine without it will be available, the news service said. ----- U.S. Issues New Guidelines for Treating Children With HIV Experts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have revised their guidelines on the prevention and treatment of dangerous infections in children with HIV. The new guidelines -- which update 2004 recommendations -- stress the importance of using powerful antiretroviral drugs to suppress the virus that causes AIDS, and offer guidance on when medicines might be discontinued once a child's immune system recovers. "The guidelines will help health-care workers and public health officials who work with children to save lives that might otherwise be lost," Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a joint NIH/CDC news release. "The infections that can accompany HIV are often the major cause of illness and death of HIV-infected children." Children with HIV have depleted immune systems and are therefore vulnerable to so-called "opportunistic" infections, including tuberculosis and pneumonia. These types of infections remain the leading cause of death for HIV-infected children, the news release stated. The new guidelines, to be published in the Sept. 4 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Report, include:a renewed emphasis on the use of antiretroviral drugs to keep HIV at bay,advice on managing "immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome," a potentially dangerous over-activity of the immune system which can occur as formerly impaired immune responses rebound under treatment,information on drug interactions for children on HIV medications,new advice on the use of antibiotics to fight off a form of pneumonia that often threatens newborns suspected of being HIV-positive,updated advice on immunizing HIV-positive children against pathogens such as hepatitis and HPV,new recommendations that might allow some well-treated, HIV-infected children with newly robust immune systems to discontinue medicines aimed at preventing opportunistic infections. Formerly, experts advised that people stay on these medicines for life.Health Headlines - August 30

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/health-headlines-august-30

Can a parent be forced to live in a nursing home after signing a power of attorney form?

Wife has provided funds for nursing home care. Husband has since had a heart attack but is recovering nicely. Wife has now passed on. Brother is willing to move into his home & provide care for his (brothers) few remaining days he has left. Children & grandchildren say no way.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/can-a-parent-be-forced-to-live-in-a-nursing-home-after-signing-a-power-of-attorney-form

Nurses: Will You Stay or Will You Go?

Nurses: Will You Stay or Will You Go?Originally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NursingAndCareer/~3/ZRRyf_p6H1M/BlogPostDetail.aspx

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/nurses-will-you-stay-or-will-you-go

How can I become a Labor & Delivery Nurse? What kind of education should I have?

I want to be a labor & delivery nurse. I'm in high school, and I'd like to know what classes I should take while in high school and also, what kind of courses to take in college.

Also, I would be forever grateful if anyone had any information on the salaries, years of college, and daily schedule, or close to one. If you are one or are something close to that, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/how-can-i-become-a-labor-delivery-nurse-what-kind-of-education-should-i-have

How long to nurse on command?

Breastfeeding 4 month old on demand still, was told by my mom that I should stop nursing on demand at this age. Should I really be scheduling his feedings? If so, how do you start that exactly? If not, when do you stop nursing on demand?
Thanks.

Suggested category- Military
LOL
thanks everyone.
'irriated lactivist'- awesome avatar!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/how-long-to-nurse-on-command

What are the typical work hours for a nurse at a major hospital?

I have a friend who is a nurse at a major hospital. I was wondering if she has time to date me. I heard that she works long hours. What is her schedule?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-are-the-typical-work-hours-for-a-nurse-at-a-major-hospital

is there a good software to re teach me math?

I am going to nursing school this fall and I really want to be flawless with calculating dosages and anything else that has to do with math in science and nursing. I havent had a math class in 5 years so i need to relearn a lot of things that I have forgotten. Instead of wasting my time and money spending an entire semester or more in college math classes, i would like to find some helpful software or prgrams that can teach math lessons and walk me through difficult equations. what should i do? Please help!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/is-there-a-good-software-to-re-teach-me-math

Is state registration exam required in every state to present to the nursing schools?

I recently.. spoke with a student nurse. She told me that in WI and at her school, what is requested for nursing students is that you pass the class for CNA and get your school certificate. She said she did not.... have to go and get registered by the state for the school. So.. she didnt do it, because she did not want to work in that area while in nursing school.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/is-state-registration-exam-required-in-every-state-to-present-to-the-nursing-schools

The Aging Population of Cosmetic Surgery Patients

by Thomas Heffner

The Baby Boomer population is defined as the children born after World War II from the years 1946 to 1964. As the Baby Boomers get older many they are trying to retain their youthful looks more than ever. More mature men and women are actually helping to raise up the number of plastic surgeries performed every year. The population of the US is getting more mature but unlike earlier generations, this population has placed a much higher value on physical beauty.

Cosmetic surgery is more acceptable now than it has been in the past. There are lots of different reasons behind the increase in the acceptance of plastic surgery. Reality cosmetic surgeon television shows compete with dramatic programs featuring good-looking cosmetic surgeons helping all sorts of equally wealthy people. In fact, some studies have shown that better looking people actually make more money than their less attractive co-workers. Many people are saying in the work force longer than they used to and those older people want to look as good as their younger office mates and co-workers.

People from this older generation have a healthy eating regimen, they exercise regularly and they want to look as young as they still feel. They are the first population to grow up with a real emphasis on healthy living. Cosmetic surgery can make a person's exterior body look as good as they may feel internally. While some young people turn to plastic surgery to attract a love interest many older people use plastic surgery to simply look younger by a few years and improve their self-esteem.

Skin and surface procedures such as microlaser skin peels, Botox applications, and wrinkle filling procedures are often the first plastic surgical procedures tried. Many of the more commonly performed procedures are meant to improve the skin, especially after decades of growing up without sun tan lotion. The most popular plastic surgery procedure by far is the injection of Botox to smooth out wrinkles.

It's not just women who are visiting the local plastic surgeon. Most people think of plastic surgery as something that appeals more to women, but that's not always the situation. It is true that many older women are opting so-called "mother make-overs" which usually consists of breast augmentation, a breast lift and a tummy tuck. Men usually choose surgical procedures such as eyelid tucks, face tightening and other operations that make them look more healthy at the office.

As more older people continue to seek ways to look and feel younger there will be more cosmetic surgeons there to serve them. The expanding Baby Boomer population is more health conscious and more interested hanging on to their natural health for as long as possible. Plastic surgery is not just for the young anymore - it's now a great way for Baby Boomers to keep feeling young and healthy.

About the Author:

Need to learn more about cosmetic surgery? You can visit our site to read about new techniques, new strategies and the best cosmetic surgeons in on the East Coast.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/the-aging-population-of-cosmetic-surgery-patients

For nursing school, is it okay to use student loans through it all?

For the whole duration of nursing school to get your RN, is it okay to use student loans throughout the way? i dont think i will have time and energy to work. i want to put my all into my nursing program, being a nurse is my dream. how much will it add up to, about? will it be hard paying it off, as a nurse? thanks!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/for-nursing-school-is-it-okay-to-use-student-loans-through-it-all

What's involved in training to be a nurse?

So I'm really interested in nursing and I just wanted to know what's involved in becoming a nurse such as training, jobs etc. if anyone could provide me with detailed information it would really be appreciated.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/whats-involved-in-training-to-be-a-nurse

Choosing Between Speech Pathology or Occupational Therapy as a Career

by Amy Nutt

Speech pathology and occupational therapy are rewarding and challenging careers that involve helping people with a limiting physical condition. Both careers focus on helping people overcome life challenges so they can adjust and live a productive life.

When considering a career in either speech pathology or occupational therapy, most people will make a choice based on their own personal goals and desires. Speech language pathology is the evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders. Speech pathology is related to physical therapy in that they help individuals who have physical disabilities associated with speech such as difficulty in pronouncing words, hearing impairments, voice disorders, cognitive communication impairments, memory and problem solving disorders, and swallowing difficulties. A speech therapist will work with people who have difficulty speaking, forming words or sounds, or who are recuperating from an injury or illness that has affected their ability to speak. Speech disorders can result from a number of conditions such as delayed development, a genetic disorder, an accident, or a medical condition such as a stroke. Although they are involved with helping adults, many speech pathologists tend to focus on children because early childhood is an important time for speech and language development. Those who want to specialize in helping children will often choose speech pathology as a career.

Many people choose speech pathology due to a number of specialized areas one can pursue. These areas can include disorders in fluency, neurogenic speech and language, language development, articulation, alternative communication, and swallowing. They employ a wide variety of assessment plans, diagnostic techniques, and treatment procedures. For those interested in research and development, speech language pathologists can specialize in seeking an understanding of the causes of a speech disorder and develop effective methods for evaluation and treatment of the condition.

One will often choose a career as an Occupational Therapist because they have a genuine interest in enabling people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapy is a career that focuses on activities regarding daily living. Their job is to help people with impairments to adapt and function in everyday life activities. They help individuals with developmental, emotional, physical, and mental disabilities. The goal is to improve functioning and wellness. Functioning tasks can include such actions as meal preparation, showering and dressing, managing money, and implementing their daily routine. They will also help them function better in the workplace. Areas focused on include memory, cognition and perception and motor skills.

Occupational therapists assist patients with achieving their set goals by improving their ability to participate in daily routines, modifying the environment to help them function better, and adapting an activity to better support their needs. They work with individuals, children, families, groups and the community to facilitate health and well-being by establishing or re-establishing their previous occupation. As well, Occupational Therapists are becoming increasingly more involved in tackling the impact of social and environmental factors that affect a person's ability to return to their previous occupation.

Occupational Therapists focus helping patients return to their previous occupation, while speech pathology focuses on the specific area of communication disorders. Both professions are in great demand and provide a valuable service to the community and health profession. Whichever one you pick, you are sure to have a rewarding career.

About the Author:

Medical Jobs are waiting for you! Help someone in need and starting looking for physical therapy jobs all over the country. Visit our job search section to learn more.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/choosing-between-speech-pathology-or-occupational-therapy-as-a-career

Getting Know Geriatric Nursing

by Bart Icles

Nursing is one of the medical professions that remain to be attractive to students. We may all well know that nursing involves care for patients suffering from diseases and illnesses, care for newborns, care for babies, and care for those who have been involved or are involved in a medical emergency. But do you know that there is a specific field of nursing that concentrates on the care of the elderly? Geriatric nursing refers to the care of older adults and it involves the management of their different needs. It also addresses issues that older adults might have with drugs and infections.

It is quite a challenge to provide nursing services to aged individuals. One of the primary reasons is the complexity of their conditions. This is also the main reason why the elderly always deserve a certain degree of personal attention. Geriatric nurses are tasked to address the different needs of aged individuals to promote their health so they can age successfully. Their needs typically vary depending on the physical, psychological, social, cultural, and family concerns that they might have.

Aged individuals can suffer from different kinds of diseases and illnesses. Geriatric nursing aims to address these different concerns to alleviate the discomfort and pain that the elderly can suffer from. These include pressure injuries. Most old people suffer from pressure ulcers or lesions often caused by unrelieved outside pressure. The ulcers develop when there is blocked or obstructed blood flow, tissue ischemia, and cell death. When left untreated, pressure injuries can become chronic and can become causes of great discomfort among older adults.

Another field of interest for geriatric nursing involves the management of cardiovascular disease. Most, if not all, aged individuals suffer from diseases that affect the circulatory system. More often than not, heart diseases are caused by disruptions in blood circulation due to constricted blood vessels, spasms in the heart and blood vessels, and occlusion. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are the two kinds of heart disease that many old people suffer from.

There are still many areas of concern when it comes to geriatric nursing. This makes it a very attractive degree because students will be able to explore many different fields of the human anatomy, not to mention that the elderly can have very special needs. One can lookup degrees offered by many colleges and universities to learn more about this very interesting field of nursing. Another option is to browse the internet for online degrees on such a field of specialization.

About the Author:

Geriatric nursing is a unique field because you get the chance to work with a very specific market of people and you learn to cater directly to their needs. A geriatric nurse is someone who is kind, gentle, loves to listen and yet can uphold their demeanor in a professional way at all times.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/getting-know-geriatric-nursing

What is the average salary for a RN Nurse in Maryland?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-is-the-average-salary-for-a-rn-nurse-in-maryland

Could u pls tell me good online anatomy and physiology courses which include lab as prerequisites for nursing?

Anatomy and physiology I&II courses for nursing.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/could-u-pls-tell-me-good-online-anatomy-and-physiology-courses-which-include-lab-as-prerequisites-for-nursing

Top 5 Medical Schools

For some people the medical field is the most interesting and fulfilling field to be a part of. Whether it's becoming a nurse or a doctor, thousands are making every effort to get into a school to make their dreams come true. Although
dreams can happen it can be difficult to get accepted and it is also a challenge trying to figure out which university you'd like to apply to. There are many questions that aspiring professionals have that must be answered before applying to a university. Research must be done, time must be taken, and information must be gathered, but unfortunately they don't always have enough time or the ability to do the research. Because of this I decided to make a list of the top 5 medical schools and a little information about them.1. Creighton University School of Medicine was founded in 1878 and is a Jesuit, Catholic Institution. Their research is focused on bacterial resistance, hearing loss, conditions that cause bone loss, and cancer. The application deadline for the 2010 fall semester is November 1, 2009 and there is a $100.00 application fee. Creighton University School of Medicine is located at 2500 California Plaza in Omaha, Nebraska, and the admissions office can be reached at 402-280-2799. Additional information can be obtained on-line at www.medschool.creighton.edu. 2. Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School is affiliated with seven teaching hospitals and is funded by sponsors which equals to $200 million per year. It has become a national leader in medical education and biomedical research and is Rhode Island's only medical school. The application deadline for the 2010 fall semester is November 1, 2009 and there is a $95.00 application fee. Brown University is located at 97 Waterman Street in Providence, Rhode Island. Additional information can be obtained on-line at www.med.brown.edu or by contacting the admissions office at 401-863-2149.Top 5 Medical SchoolsOriginally from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2099981/top_5_medical_schools.html

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/top-5-medical-schools

PPR-Travel Nursing Isley at Wai'anapanapa

PPR travel nurse experiences amazing coastal trails at the edge of the world.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/ppr-travel-nursing-isley-at-waianapanapa

What online program can I use to become a RN?

All I can find is non-accretided schools or schools offering RN to BSN or MSN. I want to use an online program to earn my Registered Nursing licence, which school offers that?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-online-program-can-i-use-to-become-a-rn

what are the pros and cons of being a travel nurse?

I want to be a traveling prenatal nurse.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-travel-nurse

When you enter a nursing program, do you also have to fulfill general education requirements?

I'm almost finished with nursing pre-reqs, and will be applying to nursing schools at universities pretty soon. I want to get a Bachelor's in Nursing, but do I also have to fulfill the university's general education requirements?

Or all you need for a BSN is pre-reqs + nursing program classes?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/when-you-enter-a-nursing-program-do-you-also-have-to-fulfill-general-education-requirements

A New Solution? Community Colleges Begin Offering BSN Degrees

A New Solution? Community Colleges Begin Offering BSN DegreesOriginally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NursezonecomNursingNews/~3/oyMRJ1LA6lg/A-New-Solution-Community-Colleges-Begin-Offering-BSN-Degrees_32340.aspx

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/a-new-solution-community-colleges-begin-offering-bsn-degrees

I had to move my elderly aunt in a nursing home. How do I go about handling her things?

She was living alone and she has a ton of old furniture, paintings, and collectibles. I can't take them all and she doesn't really care what happens to them. Can I maybe get an appraiser/auctioneer to tell me what her stuff is worth and help me sell it? How do I find one I trust? Thanks in advance for any help.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/i-had-to-move-my-elderly-aunt-in-a-nursing-home-how-do-i-go-about-handling-her-things

What It Takes To Be A Physical Therapist

by Amy Nutt

In our lifetimes, we have the option of trying out very many jobs, or even careers, to find out what we really love. In many cases, it may take quite a few years to find true joy in their employment, as were not all sure as to what we want to do. As we try out many jobs, we build skills and a work ethic that is positive for the thing we eventually find out we want to do for the rest of our lives. Simply put, we find our calling. There are many jobs out there to choose from, and while they are rewarding, more and more people are finding the field of physical therapy as a dream job.

What it Takes

In the media, there are more and more advertisements about this medical career that is physical therapy. With these advertisements and growing public knowledge, it has made the career choice one of the fastest growing professions stateside. Although it is growing rapidly, it still requires a certain level of drive and work ethic to achieve this goal, all the while still being quite attainable for those willing. The job duties of the physical therapist include working with doctors and other therapists to rehabilitate them. These people could be suffering from painful injuries, maybe diseases, or other ailments.

To be a physical therapist, there is always going to be a certain level of training and education. Normally, there are two different parts that a person must successfully pass to be a therapist, which normally last three to four years. The first part is more of the education similar to what one would see at a school. The second is where it gets to the heart of the matter, where you essentially learn more of what you need to know to be a successful physical trainer.

This is in addition to an advanced degree, such as a masters degree to legally practice physical therapy. After all of the applicable training, there is also a national standardized test that is required for you to practice. The test is something that can be easy to overcome if the person is genuinely serious about what they want to do, if they genuinely have a passion for physical therapy.

The Joy of Physical Therapy

Choosing a career in physical therapy is something that is worthwhile; as there are many healthcare jobs available for people who are required to practice. They enjoy a very decent salary, although its more about the people that they have the privilege of helping. The physical therapist is a person who really has a zest for life, as they get to live every day helping people who are in need. What is more exciting than that?

In addition to that, there are many different professions in the physical therapy field. Whether its bringing someone back to health after a tremendous enjoy, or helping out an athlete get back to fighting form, there are essentially no bounds when it comes to this exciting career!

About the Author:

Many opportunities are waiting in physical therapy jobs. Openings in Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant jobs need to be filled! Visit us to learn more about our assigment opportunities.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-it-takes-to-be-a-physical-therapist

Radiation Therapist

Radiation therapy is another great allied health career option, in the field of oncology. Radiation therapists specialize in administering doses of radiation to treat cancerous growths in patients. The radiation, in various forms, and delivered via various methods, helps to shrink the tumor. Learn more about this rewarding career, and how to become a radiation therapist.Where Radiation Therapists Work: Radiation therapists may be employed by hospitals, or they may work in cancer treatment centers most commonly. Radiation therapists often work as part of a cancer treatment team including an oncologist, nurses, medical imaging professionals, and more.How to Become a Radiation Therapist: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a career in radiation therapy requires at least an associate's degree, and sometimes a bachelor's degree.
Additionally, one must complete an accredited training program in radiation therapy, which often includes a 12-month certification program. The education program includes training in a variety of core competencies including "human anatomy and physiology, physics, algebra, precalculus, writing, public speaking, computer science, and research methodology."
You must obtain a state license to practice, if you live in one of the 32 states requiring it.Additionally, certification by the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists is required by most employers. This is obtained by passing the ARRT's certification exam.What Do Radiation Therapists Do? Brief Overview: Radiation therapists use high tech machines, called linear accelerators, to administer beams of radiation directly to the patient's tumor.
First, the radiation therapist must identify the location of the tumor using imaging equipment, such as a CT scanner. According to the BLS, this is called "simulation".
Once the tumor location has been pinpointed, the radiation therapist operates the linear accelerator from a separate room where they are not exposed to the radiation. Each treatment session is about 30 minutes, and is delivered regularly, sometimes daily, over the course of several weeks.During the course of radiation therapy, the radiation therapist monitors the health of the patient and adjusts for any serious side effects. According to the BLS, this includes keeping detailed medical records. Additionally, because patients are often under emotional and physical stress, radiation therapists must have exceptional interpersonal skills, and be able to help offer emotional support during a difficult time in a patient's life.Salaries for Radiation Therapists: The median salary for radiation therapists is $66,170, according to the BLS.
Those who work in outpatient care centers often earn higher, averaging around $73,000 annually. Hospital-employed radiation therapists earn less, averaging about $63,500 per year.
With the prevalence of cancer in the population, radiation therapy is a very stable career with an excellent outlook. The BLS projects a 25% growth in the field in the decade ending in 2016 - which is much higher than average growth in any career.Professional Associations for Radiation Therapists: For more information about certification, licensure, and job postings, specific to radiation therapy, professional associations are always an excellent resource for medical professionals.
American Registry for Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
American Society of Radiologic TechnologistsSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Radiation Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos299.htm (visited August 26, 2009).Radiation TherapistSource: www.about.com

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/radiation-therapist

Physical Therapist Job Description

by Amy Nutt

Physical therapists assist patients with debilitating conditions such as back pain, arthritis, fractures, sports injuries, head injuries, strokes, and cerebral palsy. They provide therapeutic services to improve a patient's mobility, alleviate pain, and help them cope with permanent physical disabilities. They may use therapeutic equipment and techniques such as massage to improve muscle strength, whirlpool baths, ultrasonic machines, and ultraviolet and infrared lamps. They teach patients how to do exercises to improve their physical health.

Physical therapy has many specialties such as cardiopulmonary, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics, and pediatrics. Physical therapists practice in many areas that can include outpatient clinics or offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, private homes, education and research centers, schools, hospices, industrial workplaces or other occupational environments, fitness centers, and sports training facilities. They are usually part of a health care team that creates programs for patients based on their particular needs and condition. They can also teach patients and their families how to use such medical devices as wheelchairs, braces, canes and crutches, and artificial limbs. Typical duties can include measuring a patient's motor function, balance and coordination, muscle strength and performance, range of motion, creating and implementing treatment plans, assessing a patient's ability to function independently, and writing progress reports for doctors.

According to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, physical therapists are qualified and professionally required to:

Undertake a comprehensive examination/assessment/evaluation of the patient/client or needs of a client group Formulate a diagnosis, prognosis, and plan Provide consultation within their expertise and determine when patients/clients need to be referred to another healthcare professional Implement a physical therapist intervention/treatment programme Determine the outcomes of any interventions/treatments Make recommendations for self management.

Physical therapists should have strong interpersonal skills to effectively educate patients about their physical therapy treatments and to work together with the patient's family. Therapists should also be compassionate and have a strong desire to help people in need.

Educational Requirements

A physical therapist must have completed a physical therapy program with a master's or doctoral degree. Courses will include biology, chemistry, and physics. They will also be required to complete specific courses such as therapeutic procedures, biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, and disease pathology. To be a licensed therapist, graduates of accredited programs must pass national and state licensing exams. In order to maintain their licenses, many states require that physical therapists take continuing education programs and participate and complete therapy workshops.

Work Environment

Physical therapists normally work in large areas due to the physical therapy programs. They are involved with a team of health professionals. Most physical therapists work forty hours per week. Physical therapists can also work as independent contractors.

Salary

Salaries vary according to education and experience. In 2004 the median salary of physical therapists was $60,180 per year. Physical therapists benefits included paid holidays and vacations, health insurance, and retirement plans.

Job Outlook

Employment of physical therapists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016. Facilities and clinics are now making more use of the expertise that physical therapists can provide.

Due to an increased interest in exercise, high risk sports, and an aging population, physical therapists will continue to be in great demand. Future medical achievements will also increase the survival rate of trauma victims, therefore causing an increase demand for rehabilitative care. Growth may also result from advances in medical technology which will allow for more innovative treatment of serious disabling conditions. Physical therapy can be both a rewarding and challenging and career.

About the Author:

Are you looking for occupational therapy employment? Start looking for physical therapy jobs all over the country. We are a health care staffing company that will help to obtain the right medical position for you. http://www.trinityhsg.com

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/physical-therapist-job-description

Losing Weight With The Amazing Acai Berry

by Casy Wigwire

Since the past few hundred years, the Acai berry is appreciated and honored for its excellent properties, like promoting and benefiting the health, energy level increasing property, and improving sexual performance. It is appreciated as a fruit for its delectably sweet, chocolaty taste and for being equally popular as a raw material for wine. Acai berries have been liked for their amazing flavor and great health benefits provided by the fruits. Recently from the 1990's the whole world has began appreciating the powerful nutrient content packed in these berries, which grow naturally in the rain forests of Amazon and from where it is harvested twice a year. Various tribes living in Brazil portion of Amazon, since past many centuries, rely on these berries for curing of diseases and ailments and also as a major food product.

Ranging right from improving blood pressure, lowering of cholesterol levels, improving the body's immune system to fighting disease like cancer, these small sweet tasting berries have many qualities which benefits the health of the consumers. The Acai berries are also known to be advantageous towards heart health, prostate health, and has also been known to be used in powerful antibiotics

Acai berries are termed as miracle fruits by many people, as it naturally increase and improves one's energy levels, these berries have stronger effects as compared to other immunity and health enhancing fruits and herbs, and scientists are clearly stating a very bright future regarding the various uses of these fruits.

Its property to be digested and absorbed almost instantly is one of its greatest benefits. Here are few acai berry advantages that can be experienced equally by old and young alike:

Acai berries have vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant and helps ease the pains related to asthma and arthritis, reduce muscular degeneration and prevent stroke.

About the Author:

Premium Acai Slim is a leader in the weight lose industry using the Acai Berry as a target ingredient. To learn more about this supplement and how you can lose up to twenty five pounds per month please visit Acai Slim

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/losing-weight-with-the-amazing-acai-berry

My father died after 5 years in nursing home. He owes on a re-possessed car and to the IRS for unpaid taxes?

My mother died five years earlier.

He became Medicaid eligible after about 1 year in the nursing home, lived about 4 more years.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/my-father-died-after-5-years-in-nursing-home-he-owes-on-a-re-possessed-car-and-to-the-irs-for-unpaid-taxes

Nursing Student Wins $450K In School Suit

Nursing Student Wins $450K In School Suit
Thursday August 27, 2009
She may not have a nursing degree, but 55-year old Sara Castle of Georgia has just won more than a few years? worth of a nursing salary after taking her case to court.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sara Castle filed the suit against Appalacian Technical College after she was expelled in August of 2007 for being a whistle-blower. Castle notified school administrators that a teacher was repeatedly skipping hundreds of clinical instruction hours. When nursing students arrived at the scheduled time in the morning, they would often be sent home after a few minutes, instead of staying to complete several of hours of training with the instructor.

It was a pattern of behavior that Castle felt could endanger the future patients of these would-be nurses. So she voiced her concerns, the teacher was fired, and Castle was dismissed from the school 13 weeks before graduation, despite her passable grades.

?After two days of testimony, it took the jury less than an hour to rule in Castle?s favor . . . She was awarded $400,000 in punitive damages and $50,000 for emotional injuries,? the AJC quotes.

Castle has no current plans to return to school to finish her degree; the trial has taken up much of her time the past two years. Hopefully she will be able to find a way to become a nurse some day. She seems like someone who stands up for her beliefs, especially those that affect patient safety, and her integrity would serve her well as a nurse!

More on Nursing Careers:

Top 3 Nursing Careers
Nursing Career Profile
Types of Nurses

What are your thoughts on the jury's decision? Was it a fair judgment? Did Sara Castle do the right thing, and would you have blown the whistle if you were in a similar situation? Share your experience and perspective below!Nursing Student Wins $450K In School SuitSource: www.about.com

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/nursing-student-wins-450k-in-school-suit

Immunization Rates Remain Stable at High Levels Among the Nation’s 19- Through 35-Month-Old Children

Immunization Rates Remain Stable at High Levels Among the Nation's 19- Through 35-Month-Old ChildrenOriginally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NursezonecomNursingNews/~3/0lSp_06JBnY/Immunization-Rates-Remain-Stable-at-High-Levels-Among-the-Nation's-19--Through-35-Month-Old-Children_32384.aspx

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/immunization-rates-remain-stable-at-high-levels-among-the-nation%e2%80%99s-19-through-35-month-old-children

would having a criminal record stop me doing nurse training?

a couple of years ago i got arrested and charged with fraud this was during a bad period in my life and have never been in trouble before or since, id split with my ex then had a cancer scare and i ended up using a fortune teller and not being able to pay for it, hence the fraud charge, ive since got back on track and hate the fact that i fell on the wrong side of the law and want to make a contribution to society by training and ultimately becoming a nurse, do you think this is possible

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/would-having-a-criminal-record-stop-me-doing-nurse-training

What country has no bs nursing education offered in their colleges?

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-country-has-no-bs-nursing-education-offered-in-their-colleges

Starting Salary for Registered Nurse in South Carolina?

Hello, I'm a rising nursing student and I know the salary has changed but does anyone know the starting salary of a graduate ICU Registered Nurse in SC?

Thanks.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/starting-salary-for-registered-nurse-in-south-carolina

What is the best way to pay for nursing school with student loans?

any tutition programs

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-pay-for-nursing-school-with-student-loans

Will the iPhone be able to upload software like a PDA?

I am a nursing student and we have many resources that can be placed onto PDA's like drug guides, labratory testing guides, and a bunch of other software that is intended to be used while in the clinical setting. If they can, the iPhone will probably be the most inclusive hand held device. I'm pretty excited for this advancement to come out. However, there isn't Cingular coverage where I currently live.
I plan on moving to San Diego when I graduate, so I won't be living in a Cingular dead zone forever.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/will-the-iphone-be-able-to-upload-software-like-a-pda

The Perfect Storm: Too Few Nurses; Too Many Sick Kids

The Perfect Storm: Too Few Nurses; Too Many Sick KidsOriginally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RnTalk/~3/_FFbkxgJK-s/perfect-storm-too-few-nurses-too-many.html

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/the-perfect-storm-too-few-nurses-too-many-sick-kids

how can I transfer to a college with nursing

In high school my gpa was 3.6, freshman year at my college was 2.2 because of personal problems...
should I stay at my current college to improve my gpa to transfer to another college with nursing later? I know colleges with nursing won't accept my current gpa... or what else should I do?
thank you.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/how-can-i-transfer-to-a-college-with-nursing

What do I have to go through to become an RN (Registered Nurse)?

I'm in high school and my plan is to become an RN. Can someone tell me what I will have o go through to do so, or what you had to. I would like to know what i will have to go through with schooling and with the experience I will need to become an RN as my profession. If you have experiences from being an RN, I would love to hear about them to help me know this is what I want to do.

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/what-do-i-have-to-go-through-to-become-an-rn-registered-nurse

Changes Starts from Within 2

by Taiana Camarado

Most of us have good intentions to better ourselves. We all wish to selfmotivate, improve our self-discipline, and have a stronger sense of purpose. We would all like to increase that vital sense of drive and passion for life. That would make it so much easier for us to achieve our aims, and the simple reality is that we can.

But, basic goal setting is not enough. If you really want to improve your life, visualize it first, exactly the way you want it to be. Then, continuing to use visualization daily to reinforce that vision and make it better and better with each application. It makes sense to put your heart and soul into any designated plans for future accomplishments. This is where visualization techniques come into play.

The good thing about this visualization is that you will be doing it for forty days then cut back. Even if you are not clear with what it is that you really want, this can help you work it out. You need to have patience and be calm and listen to that inner voice. The more you apply it the better you get at recognizing this voice and have clearer messages.

Even if we have a fairly good idea about where we want to be in life, from time to time we still encounter barriers on the way. These obstacles require us to make important decisions in life so that we can overcome them and continue progress on our plan to achieving our goals.

For many of us, decision-making is a hard issue to deal with. Quite often this is because our inner fears hold us back. We become crippled by the thought of making life-changing decisions.

Although this is understandable, if we push forward down the path towards our goals, with our self-worth build on fears, as our foundation of life and selfesteem, we will struggle to achieve anything at all of value. When you think about it, every single choice that we make leads us somewhere. Its at this crossroads of choice, is where we become indecisive because we dont want to make the wrong choice.

Now, you too, can break through the barriers, remove all barriers in your life, have success, enjoy wellness, experience awesome levels of happiness, feel a motivational spirit within, develop more self motivation, motivate yourself and others, improve your health, be more healthy than ever before, feel inspiration day, inspire others, know the secrets of life, and achieve your own potential. Taianna Camerado is a personal life coach and trainer. Her Amazing E-book contains recipes and audios to help you take control of your life and dramatically improve your mind and body today.

About the Author:

Trainer and Personal Coach Taianna Camarado, personal trainer and body worker, will show you how you can break through and surpass the barriers in your life. You can be a top performer in everything you do. Check out Trainer and Personal Coach Taianna's guaranteed method: break through and surpass The Barriers Breakthrough and create the new you!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/changes-starts-from-within-2

Are there any nurse refresher courses for practical nursing that can be done online?

I am a nurse who has been out of practice since 1999. I would like to reinstate my lisence but am required to take a refresher course. Anything information would be appreciated!

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/are-there-any-nurse-refresher-courses-for-practical-nursing-that-can-be-done-online

Dialysis Treatment in USA: High Costs, High Death Rates

Deb Lustman was late getting to work a few days every week, and often felt she wasn't thinking as clearly as she once did.

The reason: Lustman, 50, was spending four hours a day, three days a week, undergoing kidney dialysis at a dialysis center, where a machine filtered toxins and fluids from her blood. Normally, that's the job of the kidneys, but for reasons doctors have never figured out, hers had failed.

Nine months into her treatment, as soon as her doctor raised the possibility of home dialysis, Lustman decided to switch. So, in July 2008, after she and her husband learned the ins-and-outs from a nurse, she began dialyzing five evenings a week at her Magnolia, N.J., home, with her two Maltese, Sophie and Jake, often lounging next to her. Now Lustman, an optician, dialyzes on her own schedule, not the center's, and she's not late for work anymore. And, she says, "I'm healthier."

Thanks to more frequent dialysis, totaling 15 or 16 hours a week, "I feel not only physically better but ... mentally better" and no longer "loopy," she says.

Lustman is a rarity, however: Only 8% of U.S. dialysis patients treat themselves at home. The vast majority of the more than 350,000 Americans on dialysis are treated in centers, where three treatments a week, three or four hours each, is the norm -- not because it's optimal but because that's the way it has been done for nearly four decades.

A growing body of evidence suggests that longer and/or more frequent dialysis treatments, either at home or in a dialysis center, are far superior to the status quo. Although the USA spends more per dialysis patient than other countries, that does not result in higher survival rates or even, many argue, a better quality of life.

"The standard of care is really inappropriate," says Brenda Kurnik, Lustman's doctor, who practices in Marlton, N.J. "Basically, it prevents people from dying, and that's about all it does."

So why doesn't the USA do better? Many blame Medicare's End Stage Renal Disease Program. Launched in 1973, it's the only federal program that entitles people of all ages to health-care coverage on the basis of a single diagnosis: chronic kidney failure. By paying for lifesaving care for hundreds of thousands of Americans, the program is a testament to what health insurance reform might achieve if Congress were to adopt it.

But it also may be a cautionary tale: Its cost has far exceeded initial projections, and some doctors and other analysts question whether Medicare get its money's worth and whether patients get the best treatment. Less than one-quarter of dialysis patients ages 18 to 54 are well enough to work or go to school.

In 2007, Medicare spent $8.6 billion on the treatment and medications of dialysis patients, from babies to the elderly, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's March report to Congress.

In addition, Medicare pays billions each year for the hospitalization of dialysis patients. Although they are younger on average than most Medicare beneficiaries, who must be 65 to qualify for coverage, "this is an incredibly sick population," says epidemiologist Paul Eggers of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Such patients, Eggers says, enter the hospital six times more often than Medicare beneficiaries who don't have chronic kidney failure.

[page]

Despite the costs, a substantial proportion of dialysis patients die every year. In 2006, 20.1% of U.S. dialysis patients died, most often of heart disease or infections. In Japan, the death rate was about half that; Australia's rate was halfway between the USA's and Japan's.

Explanations for why the USA has the highest dialysis death rate in the world vary. Some U.S. kidney doctors say that countries with national health programs, such as Britain, withhold dialysis from the oldest, sickest patients, while the Medicare program takes all comers. But foreign doctors deny that their countries ration dialysis. They -- and many of their U.S. colleagues -- attribute the higher U.S. death rate in part to Medicare's own payment system and the resulting "one-size-fits-all" treatment.

The standard of care has become the three treatments a week for which Medicare pays, usually in a dialysis center, and no longer than four hours each. Home dialysis, which allows for longer, more frequent treatments, is more common in most countries with better survival rates.

'Capable of doing better'

The status quo has many critics. In June, a group of nephrologists, or kidney doctors, who had met at a Harvard teaching hospital to discuss the issue sent a letter to White House and Medicare officials urging "substantial changes in the delivery and financing of care ... to improve patient outcomes" for those with chronic kidney failure.

"We are capable of doing better," they wrote to White House health policy czar Nancy-Ann DeParle and Barry Straube, chief medical officer at the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. "Small, incremental improvements in the outcomes for patients with kidney failure are no longer acceptable."

When Medicare's kidney-failure program started in the early 1970s, "the science was such that somewhere between three and six hours of dialysis three days a week was sufficient. Things sort of settled into that pattern," says Dallas nephrologist Thomas Parker III, co-organizer of the conference at Harvard's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

But normal kidneys work 24/7, not a few shifts a week, so the standard treatment replaces only 10% to 13% of their function, Parker says. How much dialysis is enough isn't clear, he says, because few studies have randomly assigned patients to different amounts to test which approach is more effective.

In his July 22 prime-time press conference, President Obama endorsed the use of such studies, called comparative effectiveness research, to ensure that the U.S. health-care system gets the most value for its money. The economic stimulus package has earmarked $400 million for such research. "If doctors and patients have the best information about what works and what doesn't, then they're going to want to pay for what works," Obama said.

In a report issued June 30, the Institute of Medicine listed its top 100 priorities for comparative effectiveness research. Dialysis and kidney transplantation were high on the list.

Parker said Friday that the nephrologists had received a "very promising" response from Straube, indicating that federal officials "are open to further communications" about the future of dialysis.

[widget:whats_your_nursing_trivia_iq]

Only the wealthy had dialysis

When President Nixon signed the 1972 bill establishing the End Stage Renal Disease Program, only 10,000 Americans were on dialysis, and more than one-third were doing it at home. Only the wealthy could afford long-term treatment.

The world's first outpatient dialysis center, the three-bed Seattle Artificial Kidney Center, predated Medicare by 11 years. There wasn't enough money or machines to go around. So an anonymous committee of Seattle community leaders decided which candidates would get dialysis and live and which would not and die.

The Medicare program opened up treatment to thousands who would have died without it. "We were naive in estimating how much this was going to cost," says Brandeis University professor Stuart Altman, an economist who advised Nixon on health policy and now advises Obama. "People didn't realize how many more people were going to go on it, how much longer we were going to keep these people alive."

It soon became clear: If you pay for it, they will come. "All of a sudden, large numbers of people who were not traditionally on Medicare qualified," Altman says. "We created this giant money machine that made a lot of nephrologists and entrepreneurs rich."

Dialysis became big business, with free-standing centers established in hundreds of cities by corporations, not hospitals. The number of U.S. centers has increased 4% every year, according to a June report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. In 1998, there were 3,394; in 2008, 4,957. About 60% are owned by Denver-based DaVita, a Fortune 500 company, and Fresenius Medical Care North America, a Waltham, Mass.-based subsidiary of a German company that operates centers in 28 countries and also sells dialysis machines and other supplies.

And about 70% of Medicare dollars spent on dialysis and injectable drugs goes to DaVita, which runs more than 1,500 U.S. dialysis centers, and Fresenius, which runs more than 1,700. In the first quarter of this year, DaVita's revenues were $1.45 billion, up more than 8% from the first quarter of 2008. Fresenius' revenues from dialysis in North America were $1.57 billion, up 5% over the first quarter of 2008.

Since 1983, Medicare has paid dialysis providers, whether for-profit centers, non-profit centers or hospitals, a "composite rate" per treatment, which averaged about $155 in 2007. And because Medicare pays the same amount no matter how long the treatment, there's no financial incentive to dialyze patients longer than a few hours at a time.

On top of the composite rate, Medicare pays extra for newer, expensive injectable drugs -- namely erythropoietin, or EPO, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, and vitamin D, which plays a role in bone health -- and lab tests. These extras added an average of $75, or 50%, to the cost of each treatment in 2007. Countries with national health systems don't use the injectables nearly as much. They use less EPO and prescribe oral vitamin D pills that cost about one-quarter of the injectable versions but, their doctors say, are equally effective.

[page]

Longer, more frequent dialysis

Longer and/or more frequent dialysis can improve quality of life and survival and reduce hospitalizations, some doctors and patients believe, although the government isn't yet convinced.

"If you ever see patients who are dialyzing six or seven times a week, they are totally different" from those who receive the standard three treatments, says nephrologist Christopher Blagg, a University of Washington professor emeritus who for many years served as director of the Northwest Kidney Centers in Seattle.

Besides improved blood pressure control and lower use of EPO, they generally feel better, with more energy. And chances are they live longer, Blagg says. As he told the House Committee on Ways and Means in March, "dialysis patient deaths and cardiac incidents are significantly more frequent on the day after the two-day gap between treatments that occurs with three dialyses in the seven-day week."

From Medicare's point of view, though, the End Stage Renal Disease Program "is a pretty expensive program, and it needs the best justification imaginable that more dialysis would be better," says Eggers, the kidney disease institute epidemiologist.

Most of the evidence that longer and/or more frequent dialysis is superior has come from observational studies, in which patients decided on their own to try it. Perhaps some characteristic of the patients who choose to dialyze at home or overnight in a center -- and not the dialysis itself -- explains why they feel better and require less hospitalization than patients at centers.

A randomized trial, in which patients are randomly assigned to a particular therapy, is generally considered the gold standard for comparing treatments. Eggers is the project manager for two such dialysis trials, funded by the National Institutes of Health. One is comparing traditional thrice-weekly, four-hour dialysis treatments with six short daily treatments, adding up to about 16 or 17 hours a week. The other is comparing the traditional in-center approach to six nocturnal, or overnight, treatments a week.

Yet, neither of the trials enrolled as many patients as had been hoped, Eggers says, and he figures he knows why. "You have to go to a patient and say, 'here is something that you do three times a week that you hate,' " he says, and then tell them that they might have to do it twice as often. "It's a pretty significant thing you're asking a patient to do without a huge guarantee."

Because of the studies' limited size, they won't be able to determine conclusively whether more dialysis saves lives, Eggers says. "We might show that patients feel a lot better and have better heart function."

Blagg says he is so convinced of the benefits of more dialysis that he felt it was unethical to enroll patients in Eggers' trials, in which they had a 50-50 chance of getting the standard treatment.

30% could be treated at home

Home is a convenient setting for longer or more frequent treatments. About 30% of U.S. dialysis patients are candidates for home treatment, though only 8% now do it, Blagg says. By comparison, about 55% of dialysis patients in New Zealand dialyze at home, as do 30% in Australia and 20% in Canada.

Some U.S. patients don't even know home dialysis is an option. To fix that, Congress passed a law last year requiring dialysis providers to tell patients about all dialysis methods, beginning Jan. 1.

Home dialysis may also be more cost-effective, according to a May report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office which collected information from the large for-profit chains and non-profit and hospital-based dialysis providers. All of them said their per-treatment costs are lower when patients dialyze at home.

Centers recoup the "serious upfront costs," mainly for the machine they provide, after the patient has been dialyzing at home for a year or 18 months, Blagg says.

[widget:newsarticlemedicalresearch]

J. Michael Lazarus, Fresenius Medical Care North America's chief medical officer, says he wishes more patients would dialyze at home, because it would cut his company's overhead and help it deal with a nursing shortage. But, he says, home dialysis is a hard sell to U.S. patients. "When you build enough dialysis units so there's one on every corner," Lazarus says, patients think " 'why should I go home when I can go to your dialysis unit that's 10 minutes away?' "

Some patients find home dialysis too disruptive for their families. After doctors in 2007 had to remove the kidney her oldest son had donated to her, Michelle Adams-Walton, 46, tried hemodialysis at her Seaside, Calif., home for a couple of months. Her youngest son, now 20, served as her dialysis partner, a requirement for home dialysis.

"That machine did not work out for me," Adams-Walton recalls. "We were both starting to feel the dialysis was taking over our entire lives." However, she says, she had seen enough evidence to convince her that the more dialysis, the better. For her, nocturnal dialysis has been the answer.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Adams-Walton, who works full time as a librarian, drives 90 minutes to one of the few centers set up to provide overnight treatment. She goes on the machine at about 8 p.m. and is taken off at 4 a.m. Then she drives home and tries to catch some more sleep.

Since starting nocturnal dialysis, she says, "I certainly feel so much better." Before, "I was able to function, but just function."

What happens next

Congress has ordered Medicare to revamp the current pricing system. Payments for injectable drugs and lab tests not currently covered by the composite payment are to be "bundled" into it, effective Jan. 1, 2011. Details aren't expected to be released for a few weeks, so the potential impact on dialysis care is difficult to predict.

The open questions:

-- Will Medicare keep home dialysis training costs outside the composite payment? Home dialysis advocates fear that rolling such costs into the bundle will discourage centers from offering the home option.

-- Will the expanded composite payment be based on what Medicare already pays for dialysis and injectable drugs? That wouldn't result in any savings but could lead to an excessive reduction in the drugs' use, says Bill Peckham, 45, a Seattle dialysis patient and blogger.

-- Will Medicare start paying on a weekly or monthly basis, instead of per treatment? Peckham fears that would lead to fewer, not more, treatments.

Straube of CMS emphasizes that a "quality incentive program" will accompany the new payment structure. Instead of paying only on the basis of quantity, he says, Medicare will also begin rewarding dialysis providers on the basis of quality standards, such as how well they manage patients' side effects.

Lazarus, of Fresenius, predicts "a number of (dialysis) units will close because of the bundle. Where are they and who's going to be deprived?" If they're rural, for example, that could greatly impact some patients.

Still, expanding the composite payment is "the right move," Lazarus says. "We have to do something about cost. We have to do something with a system that's out of control. It's a broken system, and we need to fix it."Dialysis Treatment in USA: High Costs, High Death RatesOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.com/news/articles/8840-dialysis-treatment-in-usa-high-costs-high-death-rates

View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/dialysis-treatment-in-usa-high-costs-high-death-rates