November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024 Nursing Newsletter

By Challenger Corporation · 2 minute read

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Eliminating Fluoride...Good or Bad?
Honoring Veteran Army Nurses
AI in Nurse Training
Happy Nurse Practitioners Week!
Rise in Nurses Quitting Early
Test Your Knowledge With Our Quiz Questions

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Eliminating Fluoride in Water Would Create Health Problems Beyond Oral Health, Experts Say

With attention focused on food health and safety lately, and new studies on long-term impacts of fluoride, it’s much in the news lately. This article talks about the overabundance of fluoride in foods and treatments, and the importance of monitoring, rather than elimination. As an additive that can be harmful in large enough amounts with long enough exposure, but some proven efficacy when used lightly, it’s worth reading.

Eliminating Fluoride in Water Would Create Health Problems Beyond Oral Health, Experts Say - Medical Xpress

What Veteran Army Nurses Say About Their Experiences Serving in Vietnam

Really interesting stories with nurses from the Viet Nam war. How they had to fight for recognition, and battling PTSD on their return to civilian nursing. The CBS article talks about some of the highlights. The actual documentary is available on Paramount+ channels.

What Veteran Army Nurses Say About Their Experiences Serving in Vietnam

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AI in Nursing: Real-Life Experience, Right Away

Less about AI than use of VR integrated into nursing training - teach the knowledge, then allow students to conduct a simulated experience related to the teaching in a simulated environment. The students do graduate to live preceptors, but it gives them experience on their own in a simulated environment. The AI part comes into play with the supplemental information available for the nursing student to question. Having a variety of clinical supplementary information available in learning environments speeds up the initial conceptual learning.

The application used is a development from UNC’s School of Nursing.

AI in Nursing: Real-Life Experience, Right Away - UNC Greensboro

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Happy Nurse Practitioners Week!

See how Med-Challenger can benefit your program!

UK: Huge Increase in Nurses Quitting Early in ‘Perfect Storm’ for Patient Care

The article is examining the increasingly rapid rise of nurses quitting the profession just 5 to 10 years after training. Because NHS staffing is a little different from the US systems, and for a much smaller population, there’s some direct applicability to what the United States is seeing in nursing, but probably in a more severe form. The analysis hits on money (later in the article), burnout, exhaustion, increasingly low staffing levels, increasing patient needs.

Like in the US, graduating more nurses is not going to be impactful if you can’t retain them. Canada is also experiencing the same problems, with 50% of nurses in some provinces leaving the profession before age 35.

UK: Huge Increase in Nurses Quitting Early in ‘Perfect Storm’ for Patient Care - Royal College of Nursing

QUIZ QUESTION

60 year-old female with painless non-pruritic rash

A 60-year-old female with a history of hypertension presents for evaluation of several months of a painless non-pruritic rash as well as of the bilateral upper and lower extremities but no pain. (see Figures).

She notes no fevers, chills, night sweats or weight loss. No recent tick bites or recent respiratory/gastrointestinal infections or travel. She currently takes hydrochlorothiazide. She does not use tobacco products, alcohol or illicit drugs.

Blood pressure is 130/80, Pulse 75, respirations 14, oxygen saturation 99% on room air, Temperature 99F. General physical examination is within normal limits.

A picture of the rash is shown. Neurologic examination is remarkable for bilateral symmetric upper and lower extremity proximal muscle weakness and no distal muscle weakness. Sensation and reflexes are intact in all extremities.

Complete blood count, serum chemistries, and liver enzymes are within normal limits. CK is 4500 U/L, aldolase is elevated. TSH is normal. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein are within normal limits.

What is the most likely diagnosis?