Letter to my future students

Dear Students,

I am writing you today to inform you of how important obtaining an excellent education is in today's 21st century. I am on the younger end of the population obtaining a Master's in Nursing Education degree and through taking classes in the traditional classroom, online and virtual setting I am amazed at what today's technology has to offer. I was inspired and pushed outside of my comfort zone (which consisted of using powerpoint and word documents) by an instructor at Roberts Wesleyan College, named Dr. Treschuk. We used skype, discussion forums and chat rooms to communicate with one another. Eliminating the familiar technology such as cell phones and email we worked in groups to create Wiki pages filled with endless technology (check out my group Wiki Space). My point behind this is that I figured since I was a young "tech-savvy" individual that I was already current with today's latest technology. After learning about Nursing Informatics, I quickly realized I didn't have the slightest clue as to what a Jing, Glog, Virtual Reality or Smartboard was let alone how to work it. Did I mention that most of these tools are free?

My advise to you is to always remember that there is room for learning and change. Today's technology will be outdated in 5 or 10 years so it is important that resources are used appropriately so learning can take place! Once school is finished, don't just stop there continue on the journey and strive to learn as much as you can. Your patients, your family, your job and your life will depend on it! As a teacher I will strive to help engage you in learning by using various tools available for your use. Keep an eye out and "follow" by blog or twitter accounts to keep a tab on interests of mine. I hope that you too will engage yourself in what the 21st century has to offer.





Best wishes!
Hannah Kay, RN, BSN

What is happening peripherally?

When the heart stops pumping accurately look what is common...

Why is this happening? Take a look... Right sided heart failure commonly leads to peripheral pitting edema in the lower legs and arms.

-Treatment for those suffering from peripheral edema: Place extremity at or above the level of the heart to help improve circulation

-Patients may need to go on medications such as Lasix or Spironaldactone. If these medications are used keep in mind that strict intake and outputs need to be measured. Ask the doctor if a foley catheter is needed. -Patients may also be placed on a sodium restricted diet To tie last week's Blog Post to this week's post please watch the following slide-show and click through the activity regarding Pulmonary and Systemic Edema