College of San Mateo
January, 2012 Volume 4, Issue 2 Announcements!!!
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WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!!! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday break. Hopefully
everyone is well rested and ready to take on 2012!
Adopt a Family was a success!!! Here’s a little message from our fellow classmate…
Happy Holidays Everybody,
First and foremost I would like to say, “Thank Goodness we made it through another
semester!!!!!! Good Work everybody.” This year the CSM nursing program piloted the
first annual tradition of adopting a family for the holidays. Thanks so much for the
donations and time volunteered. As nursing students we have the opportunity to care for
patients when they are sick, however, not so often when they are well. By adopting this
family we were able to care for the community and show support in wellness as well as
sickness. As novices we had the opportunity demonstrate our dedication to this selfless
and rewarding profession and practice being all that a nurse should be; empathetic,
compassionate, and caring. Thanks so much for making this a huge success!
Happy Holidays. Cheers !
Miranda Wyatt NSA Student Advisor
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Inside this issue:
Announcements
1/2
Holiday
Message
2
Science Behind
Caring
3
Diet & Stress in
Nursing School
4
Get to know
Marta
5
Get to know
Palmer
6
Maternity Tips
7
Pharmacology
8-9
Outcome
Criteria
10
Photos
11
Announcements cont…
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Take a look at our NEW CSM Nursing apparel!!! We’re currently working on getting sizes for Men & Women.
Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated when these become available!
ATTN 2ND YEARS:
Believe it or not, graduation is right around the corner! To put this
in perspective for you that’s less than 5 months away! With that said, I would like you ALL,
yes ALL OF YOU to begin thinking about a 100 word statement that you will submit to
me later on during the semester. I will provide full details in the very near future. But for
now, just think about what you would like to submit. Think of it as your very own selfevaluation of the past 2 years. We’re about to GRADUATE GUYS!!!
A Holiday Message
By Aaron Ly st
Congratulations 1
and 2nd year students! We made it through this hectic semester and I’m happy that we have this great long break! I can’t wait to hit the slopes this winter and face plant in the snow. If there is anything I miss about nursing it’s our group and I know each group feels the exact same way (or not). Regardless, I can see that we are becoming like a family and all we want to do is help each other succeed. I know we all can do this and I truly believe it! Keep up the good work and never forget to relax and have fun during the program. I’m going to miss messing with you guys (AX) group! 2
The Science Behind Caring
By Summer Downing which negatively affects health, brain function,
performance and your sense of well‐being. When
you are experiencing positive emotions such as
appreciation, care, joy or love, your heart rhythm
pattern becomes more ordered and coherent.
Ordered and harmonious heart rhythms
(coherence) associated with positive emotional
attitudes send signals to the brain that reduce
stress, anxiety and depression, reduce cortisol,
increase DHEA, and improve brain function,
hormonal balance, immune response,
coordination and reaction times. *** Notice how I bolded and underlined “care” in the
paragraph above. Isn’t it awesome that we have
chosen a career path that is CARING for those
who need it most in their disease process or
compromised health? While we have years of
stress ahead of us (from this crazy thing called
“life”), our very own future jobs will positively
affect our well‐being and this is, indeed, such a
rewarding thought. Just remember, when you
have that difficult patient(s) or, even sooner, are
majorly stressing in school, take a few minutes
time‐out and practice some deep breathing.
Remember the bigger picture and don’t forget that
our identities aren’t in what jobs we have chosen,
but rather that the path we are on happens to suit
each and every one of us in our purpose in life.
How lucky we are to be equipped with the
knowledge and skills to CARE for others when
they can’t care for themselves. As future nurses, there is no doubt that we are all
aware of the link between stress and the negative
effects it has on our health (and of course our
patient’s health, a fine example of the long‐term
effects of stress). We know that we are better able
to serve our families, friends, selves and patients if
we are in a calm, relaxed state of being. But have
you ever thought about the deeper meaning and
in depth science of this physiological process? My
employer turned me on to a little device called
“emwave”, which “measures your coherence level
by analyzing the subtle beat‐to‐beat changes in
the time intervals between heartbeats.” This
changes frequently based on the emotions we are
feeling. The device correlates your breathing with
your heart rate to help you keep them in harmony,
and you actually start to feel a sense of calm as
you achieve the desired pattern. I wanted to learn
more about the science behind this, so I’ll stop
boring you with the information about the device
and provide you with what I learned from the
Institute of HeartMath, the makers of this
method/program. “Heart‐rhythm coherence” – psychophysiological
coherence is a term used by scientists at the
Institute of HeartMath to describe a highly
efficient physiological state in which the nervous
system, cardiovascular, hormonal and immune
systems are working efficiently and harmoniously.
Simply stated: More coherence = less stress. When you experience stressful emotions such as
tension, anxiety, irritation, or anger, your heart
rhythm pattern becomes irregular and incoherent,
h h
l
ff
h lh b
f
“Remember the bigger picture and don’t forget that our identities aren’t in what jobs we have chosen, but rather that the path we are on happens to suit each and every one of us in our purpose in life.” 3
Diet and Stress in Nursing School
By Jackie Mapalo
Stress is inevitable in nursing school. In addition to this stress, students are subjected to other added stressors such as work, family, friends, the shaky economy or a combination of the above. During stressful events or “fight or flight” responses to stress, cortisol (a stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands) is elevated to unsafe levels. Diet also affects stress. During nursing school, it is not unusual for students to increase consumption of foods which contain caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. These are all responsible in giving the body and mind highs and lows. Caffeine and sugar cause blood sugar levels to spike with a rush of energy to the body and then energy levels to quickly fall or crash. After the crash, the body craves more of the stimulant or sugar There are foods which can actually help buffer the body’s response to stress. The following are 10 foods which can help relieve one’s stress and anxiety. 1. Tea – Green tea contains theanine, the amino acid which increases alpha waves (the brain’s output of relaxation) and reduces beta waves (the brain’s output of tension). Green tea also increases dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. 2. Milk – Milk contains tryptophan. When tryptophan is metabolized in the body, it is converted to serotonin which produces a calming and relaxing effect. 3. Fish – Salmon and Albacore tuna contain Omega‐3 fatty acids which keep cortisol and adrenaline levels from peaking. 4. Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate lowers levels of cortisol. 5. Oranges – The vitamin C content in oranges helps prevent expected increase levels of cortisol. 6. Turkey – Turkey contains L‐tryptophan, an amino acid which triggers the release of serotonin. 7. Spinach – Spinach contains magnesium which helps lower stress by reducing cortisol levels. 8. Nuts – Nuts contain B vitamins which help lower blood pressure. Walnut and flax seeds also contain Omega‐3 fatty acids which reduce cortisol volumes. 9. Blueberries ‐ Blueberries are also high in vitamins C which stop the secretion of cortisol. 10. Asparagus – Asparagus is high in Folic Acid which stabilizes one’s mood. Folic acid is also needed to make serotonin. So the next time you feel the urge to eat that candy bar, try incorporating one or more of these stress reducing foods into your diet. You will feel calmer and lower your stress level naturally. 4
1:1 with Marta Torres and Palmer Ng
By Sanjani Kumar
Marta Torres is blissfully married with 2 kids (2 & 6 yr old) She is a first year nursing student who lives in Menlo Park, however she will be moving to Hayward in January 2012. She states “I don’t work as I would have a panic attack if I did, especially with all the school work and two children and husband!” What made you want to become a nurse? “I remember that when I was a little girl I would play with my brothers in the backyard: they were the injured soldiers and I was the nurse that would nurse them back into health (funny but true). I grew up in a single parent home. My mother an immigrant from Mexico would never take my brothers and I to the hospital, when we got sick. She relied in home remedies and “curanderos” (folk healers). I cannot tell you how many times I got sick with the same bacterial infection, and my mom’s medical diagnosis was always different. So since I was a little girl the role of a nurse fascinated me. Being able to help sick seemed rewarding. I still feel that way. Helping people who are not able to care for themselves gives you that sense of accomplishment. I truly believe in equal health care for everyone regardless of your financial status or background. Knowing that I can help my community by being a bilingual and “Latina” gives me more strength to not give up. I want to help those that are less fortunate, those that are sick and cannot take care of themselves and I want to be someone’s support system.” Marta, how do you manage school and have a family? When I started the program my 7 year old niece was living with me, just recently did she move to Washington with her mom, so when I started the program I had to deal with 3 kids instead of 2 and it was Crazy! I usually come early in the AM so that my husband can take the kids to school and that way I don’t get stuck taking care them! (Otherwise I will be late). I get up early because I have more energy in the AM than at night, I get up at 5am every morning and get ready for the day, and get the kids’ stuff ready for the day as well. When I get home I make dinner (which lately has been frozen foods and lots of quesadillas) and spend some kind of time with my kids helping with homework etc. I can barely manage but I am hanging in there! Tell me something about your support system? Well my darling husband, poor thing he’s been feeling neglected for the past months, I already promised quality time during the break! (He’s looking forward to that) He helps me a lot with the kids, (he could clean/ cook more although). My mom helps me as well, she picks up my kids if I am running late and she watches them every Saturday. You are almost done with first year how does that feel? I thought we just begun! One semester into nursing school and we covered soooo much in such little time. I feel relieved that the semester is over, yet I feel anxious and excited for what is yet to come. 5
How do you deal with stress? I have it almost every day, some more than others. Shopping helps me relieve the stress but I can’t do that now (no time or money). I tend to breath, and listen to music. What relaxes me the most is a nice warm bath that is the best. What was clinical rotation like for you? Wow first day of clinical I was beyond nervous. I did not know what tube was connecting to what. I have never seen a tracheostomy so I was a bit scared. I guess the more practice you have; you get rid of the nervousness and that feeling of being scared. Now it’s not a big deal to give a bath or assist with any of the ADLs, you grow into the role I guess. I’m still scared of all the tubes! What would you tell the first year students next year? I will tell the first year students to study and read the material, because going to lecture is not enough. I would also tell them to practice a lot in open lab because it really does help when you are at the hospital. Also if you don’t know something, ask! Don’t be afraid. Manage your time wisely, don’t put things for the last minute, get your stuff done fast so you don’t worry so much about little things and you can focus on those test, that are nerve wreaking. Study groups: not for everyone: know your own learning capabilities. What would you tell the first year students next year? I will tell the first year students to study and read the material, because going to lecture is not enough. I would also tell them to practice a lot in open lab because it really does help when you are at the hospital. Also if you don’t know something, ask! Don’t be afraid. Manage your time wisely, don’t put things for the last minute, get your stuff done fast so you don’t worry so much about little things and you can focus on those test, that are nerve wreaking. Study groups: not for everyone: know your own learning capabilities. Palmer Ng is also first year nursing student. He is single and lives in San Francisco. What made you want to become a nurse? Someone told me I should go into nursing, so I thought to myself ‐why not‐ and here I am 3 years later. It’s not actually too bad. I am liking it and learning a lot. Tell me about your support system. I have a wonderful family. They all are very supportive and helping me in every way they can. I will make them proud. I push myself to succeed in this program. How do you feel since you are almost done with first year? I'll let you know after the spring semester (LOL). There is a week left in this first semester, and I am having a bit of anxiety. What do you do to relieve stress? Watch T.V. and exercise. How did you like the rotation when you had performed the actual hands on task? It is a lot different doing the skills in lab than on a real patient at the hospital. For example, doing my first physical exam, I felt unsure of myself. After a whole semester, I feel a bit more confident doing the assessment and working with a patient. Overall, I liked it a lot. It was a good experience. What are some of the things you will tell the first year student next year? Study! You can do it. 6
Men in Maternity 101: Tips for Success
By Mike Palapinyo
Alright guys, listen up. I’m about to tell you all the little secrets you need to know to survive maternity. If you are a
female student, you are not allowed to read this so go away… ;) Be respectful Face it; this is an area of nursing that is considered to be the most sensitive for a guy to be in. It touches on cultural,
social, emotional and almost all aspects of care. Being in the maternity unit can be a joyous event or in rare cases it can
be tragic one. Just remember that whatever event unfolds before you to be kind, caring, and most importantly
respectful of your patient’s wishes. Some of you may get the opportunities to work with post‐partum patients right off
the bat and some of you may not get that opportunity until much later. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get that
opportunity right away, in my case I was turned down many many times before I ever got any exposure. But fear not!
The babies will need you! I was sent to the nursery so many times; you could call me the swaddle king! I currently hold
the CSM record for most swaddled babies on a shift. Offer yourself If you get the chance to work with the patient, let them know when and how long you will be here on the unit. As you
will see, the day can get quite chaotic in the blink of an eye. The nurse you are working with may be tied up with a more
critical patient or preparing to discharge one while simultaneously admitting another. If this is the case, make sure you
let your patients know that you are available for them. Simple communication can go a long way. Expressing your
commitment to give care to your patients will instill a sense of security. For safety reasons, avoid going into a patient’s
room alone. Ask a fellow classmate to accompany you if the primary nurse is unavailable. Remember guys, many of the
patients here are not sick, but require close observation, and their needs must be met. Take the opportunity Guys, I cannot stress this enough. If you have the opportunity to perform a skill within your scope of practice such as
giving an injection, inserting a foley catheter, or observing a special procedure, make sure you take it. It’s already
difficult enough getting the exposure. If you have that opportunity, make sure you jump on it like a hot grenade. Stay busy Most of you will be assigned to 1 or 2 patients. If you are caught up with all your assessments and charting, offer to help
your nurse with their other patients, or stay active by helping out on the unit. For instance, if permitted, help out by
answering the phones on the unit, restocking certain areas, or offering help to your fellow classmates. Don’t be a sleepy
student. Remember that all eyes are on you. Ask questions Guys, we’re all students here, so it’s okay to be wrong, we are all here to learn. Don’t be afraid to ask questions because
you’ll only benefit from them. Think of it this way, the more questions you ask, the more answers you will have, and the
more answers you have the better you will do on the test! Even if maternity is not the area you want to pursue let
nurses know you are interested and want to learn from them. Again, you may not get all the experience as your female
peers so it is important for you be involved as much as possible. If you’re not sure about something ask the nurse, ask
your clinical instructor, you can always come to any of us 2nd years as well, we’d be more than happy to help you out. If
all else fails you can always pop into Mandy’s office during her hours. She’s like the Jedi Grand Master when it comes to
all things related to maternity. Maternity was a very memorable rotation for me and I know it will be just as memorable for all of you. I hope these
simple words of advice will help you through your rotation. Study hard, give it your best and have fun. Remember, if I
can do it, you can do it too. Soon enough you’ll be a swaddle master just like me. By the way, the ladies love it when
you tell them you play with babies! Good thing none of them are reading this. Anyways good luck guys! Pharmacology: Common Drugs in Nursing
By Cassie Detamore
DRUG
USE
GROUP
PO
DOSING
COMMON
BASELINE
SIDE
ASSESSMENT
EFFECTS
Metoprolol Tartrate {Lopressor} HTN, Angina, Acute MI Beta‐Blocker 50‐200mg PO BID for HTN, Angina (100mg PO BID for acute MI) Fatigue, dizziness, diarrhea, pruritus BP & HR Simvastatin {Zocor} Hypercholesterolemia HMG CoA reductase inhibiters OR “Statins” 5‐40mg PO QPM Abdominal pain, constipatio
n, flatulence, diarrhea Question for possibility of pregnancy, assess baseline labs: Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, hepatic function test. Lexapro {escitalopram} Depression & Anxiety SSRIs‐ Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors 10mg PO Nausea, insomnia, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness Monitor for suicidal thoughts; unusual behavior changes Synthroid {levothyroxine} Hyperthyroidism T4‐ Thyroid hormone 50‐200mcg PO Q‐daily Palpitation
s, increased appetite, tachycardia
, nervousnes
s, tremor Monitor pulse for rate, rhythm. Observe for tremors and anxiety. Azithromycin {Zithromax} Bacterial Infections, Macrolide pneumonia (community Antibiotics acquired), chlamydial 500mg PO x1 day 1; then 250mg PO q24hr x4‐5days. Diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, vaginitis, dizziness. DO not take antacids within 2hr before or after taking medication. Be alert for superinfections. 7
8
Q‐daily Crestor {rosuvastatin} Hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia HMG CoA reductase inhibiters or “Statins” 5‐40mg PO Q‐daily Pharyngitis
, headache, diarrhea, nausea, dyspepsia. Question for possibility of pregnancy. Assess baseline labs: Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, hepatic function test. Bronchospasm Bronchodilater Proair HFA {albuterol inhaled} Metformin HCL {Glucophage} Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Anti‐
hyperglycemic &
2 puffs inhaled q4‐
6hrs PRN Throat irritation, URI, cough, bad taste, tremor, dizziness. Monitor rate, depth, rhythm, type of respiration. Quality and rate of pulse. Assess lung sounds for wheezing/rales. 1000‐2500 PO QPM Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, indigestion. Monitor fasting serum glucose, Hgb A, renal function. Monitor for Lactic Acidosis 50‐200mg PO Q‐daily Nausea, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, dry mouth, libido decrease. Monitor for suicidal thoughts. Clinical worsening. Unusual behavior changes. Antidiabetic Sertraline HCL {Zoloft} Depression, OCD, PTSD, Panic Disorder SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) 9
Outcome Criteria for Fall Semester 2011
By Joey Cortes
Student nurse will attain an overall score of 75% or higher by the end of Fall Semester 2011. Exam days are
stressful and everyone has their own ways of studying. My way is to load up on caffeine, hit the books like no
other, and pray that I retain some of the information I read. Even though this method has worked, it’s not the
most effective or most efficient way of studying. I went around asking students how they studied and I got a lot
of interesting feedback that might help out everyone. One method is to form study groups. Make a study group
of no more than 4 people and assign each person a section to cover so that each student contributes. These
groups are effective in bouncing off information that one might not think of if he or she was studying alone. In
regards to covering all the material on the syllabus, a group of students had a great way of breaking down the
material in steps. First, these students would have the outline and ATI readings completed before lecture.
Reading these two materials is perfect in getting a general overview on the topic that’s going to be covered.
Having that general overview is crucial because if a student doesn’t have that understood, it’s hard to connect
everything else together. Next, pay close attention to the instructor during lecture. Lecture emphasizes
important concepts that the instructor expects us to know. Information written on the board or repeated sayings
by the instructor is something that’s going to be on the exam. After lecture is completed, students should go into
the Fundamentals of Nursing and the Medical Surgical Nursing books to grab more detailed information about
the topic. The outline, lecture, and ATI only gives the student a synopsis and the two main text books cover
everything else. It’s important to read these books because we all know it’s going to be on the exam even if it
wasn’t covered thoroughly during lecture. Also, these two books have NCLEX questions attached them on the
Evolve website. The website provides rationales to the answers which are awesome in understanding why an
answer is correct or incorrect. Once all the readings are completed, students have everything covered but there
are concepts that are hard to understand. When this happens, it’s time to go to Open lab and ask questions to
either the Lab Aide or other students that’s there. Someone is always there to lend out a helping hand so don’t
be shy when asking help. I plan on using these methods for studying for the Final. If you guys see me next
semester, then these interventions are effective and my outcome criteria met at… 10
Fall 2011 Photo Gallery:
N212/N232
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
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Get Your Scrub On!
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KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK EVERYONE!!!
2011 WAS A GREAT YEAR, LET’S MAKE
2012 EVEN BETTER!!!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY STUDIES
TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!
See a photo you like? Want to see more? Well then goto: Fall 2011 photos: http://photobucket.com/fall_2011b The password is S. Chase’s MR #. If you think I’m going to give it to you, you must be CRAZY, HIPPA