KANS wins NSNA’s Most Outstanding State Website Award
After a fun filled week in Charlotte for NSNA’s 61st Annual Convention, we found out that KANS won the award for Most Outstanding State Website! This is a great accomplishment for our chapter and a great way to let people know we are here! All of us who attended have some great ideas for our upcoming convention in October. We are very excited to implement these ideas and were so happy to meet all of the other nursing students from across the country. We also sold some merchandise to make money for our chapter. The tumblers and towels were a big hit. If you have any pictures from the national convention, be sure to email them to kynurses@gmail.com.
March is Women’s History Month
As future nurses, we should all know about one important woman, Florence Nightingale. In class we always learn about what she did for our profession, and hopefully we all remember her contributions to the healthcare field that is so important to all of us, men and women. If you have an extra three minutes and would like a brief overview of her life, please take a moment and watch this short video.
KANS State Conference Theme for 2013
Get excited for the 2013 KANS conference! This year’s theme is “Putting the Pieces Together…Where Do You Fit in?” We will focus on the many roles we will assume as nurses. We have remained the most trusted profession for many years, and we plan to stay on top! We will have many break out sessions and activities for you this year. Please check back often for more information about the conference and registration.
Nurses ranked most trusted profession in Gallup poll
Nurses ranked most trusted profession in Gallup poll
Eighty-five percent of Americans rated registered nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high,” earning them the top spot in a Gallup poll ranking perceived ethical standards across a wide range of professions.
Nurses outperformed pharmacists by 10 percentage points (75%) and medical doctors (70%) by 15 points, scoring the highest of all professions on a list that included teachers, policemen and members of congress.
Survey participants were asked to rank 22 professions on a five-point honesty and ethical scale ranging from “very high” to “very low,” in telephone interviews conducted from Nov. 26-29, 2012. The random sample consisted of 1,015 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
This is the highest ranking nurses have ever received since the profession was first included in the poll in 1999. Nurses have received the highest ranking each year except in 2001, when firefighters ranked first after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Original article: http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/nurses-ranked-most-trusted-profession-in-gallup-poll/article/271330/#
February is Heart Month
February is National Heart Month! Make sure you know all the information to keep your heart healthy and be able to tell your patients what they need to do as well.
Key Risk Factors for Heart Disease:
High blood pressure
High LDL cholesterol
Smoking
About half of Americans (49%) have at least one of these three risk factors.
These medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also increase your risk:
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Poor diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
Click the link below and complete the assessment to see if you are on the right track to a healthy heart!
Take Action Against the Flu
Many cases of influenza have been confirmed around the state, and in our chosen profession, we must take steps to prevent spreading the flu to our patients and each other. Read below how to protect yourself and the information to tell your patients to keep everyone healthy during flu season.
Take time to get a flu vaccine.
- CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
- While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. (See upcoming season’s Vaccine Virus Selection for this season’s vaccine composition.)
- Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as the current season’s vaccines are available.
- Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
- People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
- Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
- Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.
Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
- See Everyday Preventive Actions
[257 KB, 2 pages] and Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) for more information about actions – apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine – that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like influenza (flu).
Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.
- If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can treat your illness.
- Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.
- Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For people with high risk factors [702 KB, 2 pages], treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.
- Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk health or is very sick from the flu. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking this drug.
- Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
More information can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm
KANS 2012 Annual Convention
Here are some long awaited pictures of the KANS 2012 Annual Convention. Thank you to all who attended and we hope you spread the word and come back again this year. If you have any pictures of your school group that you would like added, please email them to:kans.kynurses@gmail.com
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
Cervical Health Awareness Month 2013: We Have the Means to Prevent Cervical Cancer; Let’s Find the Will
RTP, NC — As we recognize January 2013 as Cervical Health Awareness Month, the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) call for expanded access to life-saving screening tests and vaccines.
Each year in the U.S. approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and more than 4,000 die as a result. The numbers are even more soberng globally; approximately 80% of deaths from cervical cancer occur in the developing world. In both the U.S. and around the world, the disease disproportionately impacts poor women.
ASHA/NCCC President and CEO Lynn B. Barclay says we can do better: “Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccines and screening tests. Making sure these tools reach the most vulnerable women is critical, of course, but so are efforts to educate women about the disease. Accurate, culturally-sensitive information and access to care are an unbeatable combination.”
It’s also important to reach out to health care providers, Barclay says. “Only about 35% of girls and young women who are eligible for these vaccines have completed the three-dose series. Parents are strongly influenced by the recommendations of the family doctor or nurse, so we’ll continue developing cervical cancer information and counseling tools designed specifically for health professionals. “
ASHA/NCCC address the challenges of cervical cancer prevention by offering numerous programs that include national advocacy, publications, and interactive services that provide education and support for patients, families, and health professionals. For more visit us online at http://www.ASHAsexualhealth.org and http://www.nccc-online.org/index.html.
Click here to order materials.
The American Social Health Association (ASHA) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1914 to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities, with a focus on educating about and
New Executive Board begins the New Year
Last weekend the 2013 KANS Executive Board met in Lexington, KY to discuss old and new business. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the upcoming year, and what you would like to see KANS do for you, feel free to let us know.
A Mental Health Nurses Perspective on Newtown and its Aftermath
A Mental Health Nurse’s Perspective on Newtown and Its Aftermath
December 19, 2012
By Donna Sabella, MEd, MSN, PhD, RN, mental health nurse, AJN contributing editor, and coordinator of the monthly Mental Health Matters column
As we all know by now, last Friday, December 14, our nation was forced to bear witness to another act of unconscionable violence, as 20 children and six adults were gunned down inside their elementary school on a morning that began with the murder of the gunman’s mother.
As the country ponders why and how this could have happened, we know that there are no easy answers. Those answers that we do arrive at will undoubtedly involve much thought and soul-searching. How could one human being, one lone gunman barely an adult himself, wreak such devastation on so many?
The pain and grief of Friday hangs heavy over Newtown, and only those who lost a child or loved one that day can begin to imagine the sorrow they are experiencing. But the sorrow and grief do not stop there. As President Obama stated on Sunday night in his remarks to the Newtown community, the nation collectively shares their sorrow, disbelief, and pain.
As we know, one need not be directly involved in an event to be affected by it. This horrible event forces us all to confront the notion that while we are the land of the brave and the home of the free, we share our land with evil, with senseless violence, and with concerns about our safety. If a child cannot be safe in school, what must we as a nation do to correct that situation?
As we all struggle to come to grips with the events of December 14, there will undoubtedly be challenges to the psychological well-being and mental health of first responders who were exposed to scenes most cannot imagine, of those directly affected by the shooting, and even of those of us miles away. Under the circumstances, it’s normal to feel pain, grief, anger, fear, and a number of other emotions and feelings. It’s normal to empathize with those closest to the epicenter of tragedy. At times like this, we need to be good to ourselves and find ways to acknowledge and process our pain.
Below are a number of things we can do to take care of ourselves at such times, as well as a few resources that may be useful:
•Acknowledge and honor what you are feeling instead of trying to ignore or cover up what you are experiencing.
•Know that we all grieve differently, so don’t worry if your feelings don’t match those of others. And contrary to popular opinion, not everyone needs to talk about things, especially right after a traumatic event.
•Find and do what gives you peace during trying times. For some, comfort is found in religion and spirituality; for others, talking to a trusted friend, doing volunteer work, or spending time with friends and family provides solace and comfort.
•Take care of yourself physically, making sure to get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise; don’t rely on drugs and alcohol for solace or stress relief.
•A major concern is what to tell our children, should they have questions. Base your responses on the child’s age and the questions she or he asks, and let them talk about how they’re feeling.
•Focus on the here and now. We can’t undo the past or control the future. Living in the present helps keep us grounded.
•Know that you’re not alone and that many others are experiencing similar feelings. For most, recovery will come in time. However, should you begin to feel overwhelmed, seek mental health help. Depending on your situation, you may want to consider grief counseling as well as trauma-based counseling.
Resources and Information
Grief: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/grief_loss.htm
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): http://www.nami.org/
PTSD: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: http://www.goodtherapy.org/trauma-focused-cognitive-behavioral-therapy.html
On December 14, Adam Lanza joined the list of those whose names are seared into our collective memory: Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, Seung-Hui Cho, Jared Lee Loughner, and James Eagan Holmes. Would that getting each of these young men the mental health services they could have used were as easy as their getting guns. Maybe then we would see less of this type of thing and fewer names on the list. I believe that gun control is important, but we also need to do more about making mental health treatment more accessible and less stigmatizing and improving society’s understanding of mental health matters as well. In the next Mental Health Matters column, I will share in more detail what we might do to better recognize and intervene before someone crosses the line.
