Nurse Liz

Adventures of a Family Nurse Practitioner

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CELEBRATIONS & UPDATES

This week was exciting! We had our sixth wedding anniversary, went to some fun sunflower festival, Avery had her two year old well child check, and we headed off on our vacation! We also experienced our first full fledged airplane meltdown. Which was an adventure. Work was also cool because I am starting to feel more confident in my role as a Family Nurse Practitioner finally. This weeks tips include: how to maximize your experience as a student, how I start talking about preventative screenings early, and more!

Posted on July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 by Liz

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Potatoes are wonderful, but they shouldn’t be us Potatoes are wonderful, but they shouldn’t be used to cure strep throat. Strep throat when left untreated, can lead to rheumatic fever which damages the heart and can lead to a whole host of issues including the need for a heart transplant. Untreated strep can also lead to kidney damage and failure, and reactive arthritis. Strep is one of those that even the nurse parents drag their kids into the office for. So you know its legit. Remember to get your medical advice from your own healthcare providers, and not the internet friends!  #potatoestreatstrep #strepthroat #pediatrics #badmedicaladvice #familymedicine #familynursepractitioner #nursetok #potatoforstrepthroat #strepthroathack
Watch out for that fine print! Amazon’s new prim Watch out for that fine print! Amazon’s new primary care service One Medical has an interesting clause in its terms of service, where you automatically waive your rights to sue them, UNLESS you opt out of that clause within 30 days of signing up. Not a lawyer, so obviously not legal advice, but to me that seems like perhaps you may not want to sign those rights away. What do we think? #amazon #onemedicalprimarycare #nursesoftiktok #nursepractitioner #primarycare #thatssuspicious #thatssuspiciousthatsweird
Recently I had to provide some healthcare assistan Recently I had to provide some healthcare assistance to a human on an airplane. And I learned a few things. I was fortunate to be on an airplane with an above and beyond medical kit. But that is not the norm! The FAA has some ancient requirements for medication and equipment and it’s missing things like glucometers, epi pens, and reversal agents like narcan. This would be a great thing to write to your federal elected official about and let them know why these requirements should be updated! #airplane #emergencyinair #nursepractitioner #flightattendant #nurse
10,000 Nurses in New York City are scheduled to go 10,000 Nurses in New York City are scheduled to go on strike starting on Monday January 9th. There has been a lot of criticism of nursing for having strike now, during a time when hospitals are already full with patients in the height of cold and flu season. But I think its important to know that nurses are not choosing now to strike on purpose. This is when their contracts expired. And in the union world, that is when you go on strike. When there is no ability to come together and come up with a new contract. Are strikes potentially harmful for patients? Absolutely. But hospitals RIGHT NOW are not safe. And that is exactly why nurses are striking in the first place. 

#nurses #nursesstrike #nursestrike #publichealth #newyork #newyorkcity #nysna #newyorknurse #nursepractitioner #fnp
Last night, the world watched as football player D Last night, the world watched as football player Damar Hamlin collapsed after going into cardiac arrest on the field. Millions watched as CPR ensued. And today my feed has been filled with words reminding us how what we saw was not normal. And it’s ok to take time to process it. And I realized. That is not the narrative I associated with CPR and codes. It was not an abnormal occurrence, particularly at my first nursing job, to see this type of thing day in and out. And I felt like I ā€œcouldn’t cut itā€ when I eventually left bedside nursing for primary care. Because I didn’t want to see people die anymore. I hope you know, that’s not a normal thing to see. And if you are messed up about it, that’s normal too. I very much hope he recovers. And I hope we do too. Healthcare is a lot. And I hope you know it’s not normal to see what we do. And it’s ok to pivot if you need something less volatile ā™„ļø

#nurses #nursing #medsurg #pedsnurse #fnp #familynursepractitioner #damarhamlin #nfl #football
I cant remember how I got up in that crib but will I cant remember how I got up in that crib but will never forget how I got out šŸ™ˆā˜ ļø. #pediatrics #pedsnurse #nurse #nursestories #nursepractitioner #dontbeme
The day I met every resident and med student at th The day I met every resident and med student at the hospital #laboranddelivery #laboranddeliverynurse #nurselife #nursepractitioner #childbirth
Dear NHS Nurses, We support you! Nurses deserve fa Dear NHS Nurses, We support you! Nurses deserve fair pay. Patients deserve to have a safe nurse patient ratio. Today nurses in the NHS are performing the second day of their strike to help raise public awareness that the way things are right now are NOT ok and need to change. Help spread the message!  If you want to show your support for them, share a message on social media using the hashtags listed here. Nobody wants to strike. But things can’t go on like they are. Seems like a universal nursing issue. Sending lots of love your way NHS nurses! 

#NHSStrike #RCNStrike #nursestrike #FairPayForNursing #nursessupportingnurses #nhs #nhsnurses
Here’s a few things you can do AT HOME to help y Here’s a few things you can do AT HOME to help your little one suffering from an upper respiratory virus.

A cool mist humidifier: the enemy here are the copious boogers, and a humidifier helps keep the snot nice and loose, which is a lot easier to blow, sneeze or suck out. Cool mist is key for littles, as the warm ones can burn them if they were to pull them over and spill the contents onto themselves.

Saline spray or drops. Using these in the nose can help break up the boogers, again making them easier to remove from the airways.

Suction bulb/Nose Frida: This is hit or miss depending on your child. If they tolerate it, removing the snot is SO helpful for their breathing. But if your littles are like mine, this threw them into such hysterics that it made even MORE snot. worsening the overall situation.

Tylenol/Motrin: Tylenol  and Motrin (once they are 6 months) can help reduce fever and the discomfort commonly associated with these infectious.

Honey: For those over 1, honey can help reduce throat irritation and thus help keep some of the coughing at bay.

\#pediatrics #pedsnurse #rsv #rsvawareness #primarycare #familymedicine #nursepractitioner #NP #FNP #sickkid #mykidisalwayssick
I genuinely apologize to any tech human who has ha I genuinely apologize to any tech human who has had to deal with my incompetence during the last decade šŸ™ˆšŸ™ˆ. I do not mean to unplug the computer with my foot. I blame the danskos. #nurse #nursepractitioner #healthcare #healthcareworkers #fnp #np
We don’t have all the details from the case, so We don’t have all the details from the case, so this is me just thinking out loud. But it seems wild to me that two nurses would choose to ā€œwillfully neglectā€ dressing changes on patients who then worsened significantly after only a few days. When we know the staffing situations in long term care facilities are HORRIBLE and these nurses likely had 30-40 if not more patients. 

Takeaway here my friends is PROTECT your license. Do not accept jobs with unsafe staffing ratios. And if you are in one, document document document. Couldn’t get something done? Document that it wasn’t done and the reason was because there was not enough time due to unsafe staffing. And Spread the word about the horrific ratios in long term care. As healthcare workers we deserve to work in safer situations. And our patients deserve ratios that allow us to actually care for them.

#nursepractitioner #nursesarrested #nurseschargediwthfelony #felonyneglect #nursesinjail #southcarolinanurses #nurses #nurse #fnp #longtermcare #skillednursingfacility #lpn #rn
And then we wonder why nobody wants to work in pri And then we wonder why nobody wants to work in primary care 🫠. Insurance companies dictate how we can do our jobs, and often we have to prescribe medications we know will not be the best fit, because insurance requires you to ā€œfailā€ two other meds. Which not only wastes so much time, but can be harmful. #healthinsurance #healthinsuranceisridiculous #primarycare #primarycareprovider #pedsnurse #fnp #nursepractitioner #patientadvocate
It can be super hard to know what are ā€œnormalā€ It can be super hard to know what are ā€œnormalā€ signs and symptoms of a respiratory virus in a little kid who can’t communicate well vs what the ā€œstart to worryā€ signs are. So here’s the list I usually give parents regarding what symptoms I’m ok with their little having, versus the ones I really want to know about ASAP. 

Normal: 
Boogers, Fever, Cranky, Tired, Tummy Ache, Not eating, more sleepy than normal (but rousable), vomiting, sore throat, cough and sneezing. 

More worrying signs:
Grunting, Nasal Flaring, Skin Tugging around lungs while breathing, high pitch breathing noises. 

And my least favorite: a kid who goes from cranky and coughing loudly all the time to suddenly very quiet and difficult to wake up. That little one is TIRED. And a tired body needs help. 

As always, keep in close contact with your child’s healthcare provider, and when In doubt always go with your gut when deciding where the safest place for your child is. 

#familynursepractitioner #pediatrics #rsv #rsvawareness #normalvsabnormal #pedsnurse #fnp #nursepractitioner #rsvsymptoms #rsvtreatment #familymedicine
Working from home? Overall = awesome. But My bigge Working from home? Overall = awesome. But My biggest issue has been I cannot sit still to save my life. Which makes me anxious and feel trapped. And not ideal for productivity.  My husband has the same struggle, and a year ago we ordered a @Flexispot desk for him so he can stand and sit and have a way more modifiable work space. And now I have one of my own! It’s going to live in the basement where I do most of my crafty stuff, but can also double as a spot I can work from as well. I put a yoga mat under it and literally pace while dictate messages and emails. What a time to be alive haha. I love how they’ve held up, and make the space you put them in a lot more useful since they serve a ton of purposes. If you need a new desk or workspace definitely check them out! They still have their holiday sales ongoing and you can check out the options at the link in my bio!  We love ours! 
#nursefromhome #workfromhome #nursepractitioner #healthcare #MyFlexiDesk #flexiblewfh #FlexiSpon4Women
You should be able to go to work and not worry abo You should be able to go to work and not worry about returning home. You should be able to go to the hospital, and only have to worry about the medical situation that you are there for. Hospital shootings are no longer rare, what makes this situation shocking is the lack of response from the hospital. They failed to notify their staff that an active shooter was in the building, in a stairwell, that could have been accessed by employees at any time. Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville, Tennessee failed to notify patients, and staff of a direct threat. And that is unacceptable. Please make noise about situations like this and ask your hospital systems to invest in security and metal detectors. And support HR 1195 - The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act 

#nurse #nurselife #familynursepractitioner #hospital #hospitalsafety #healthcare #healthcareheroes #healthcareworkers
Thank you Italy for being the only reasonable part Thank you Italy for being the only reasonable party in this discussion lol #nursepractitioner #dnp #dnpstudent #dr #physician
I am right there with you that it’s confusing. I I am right there with you that it’s confusing. I personally would not refer to myself as dr, as a nurse practitioner, to my patients. Because the goal of an introduction is to be as clear as possible, and I know most patients think Dr = physician. HOWEVER. Making it illegal is ridiculous. Because a Doctor is a degree. Not a certification. Healthcare needs to start using certifications as identifiers because more and more professions within healthcare are acquiring doctoral degrees, and saying its illegal to use the title associated with that is NOT the look or unity we need in healthcare. And its not patient focused. But I hope we can fix that. Because everyone deserves to use the title if they want to and earned it. 
#unpopularopinions #nurse #nursepractitioner #dr #dnp #healthcare
There are a ton of professions whose terminal degr There are a ton of professions whose terminal degree is the doctorate. But in California, only physicians are allowed to use the title. Per the California Medical Association this is to help ā€œreduce patient confusionā€ and serve the public better. Which is a different topic for a different day, and largely I do actually agree that we need to figure out a better way of showing who we are in medicine. But being petty and using lawsuits like this as a way make a point is spending time and money on useless fights when that could be so much better used to fight the ACTUAL issues we see in healthcare. 

Anyways. If you have your doctorate, make sure you are allowed to use the title doctor in your state so you don’t land yourself in a situation like this. 
#familynursepractitioner #npschool #physician #ama #nursing #fnp #doctor #dnp #doctorofnursingpractice #doctorofphysicaltherapy #doctorofpharmacy
The self control thing is hard. I tried. #thisiswh The self control thing is hard. I tried. #thisiswhyidonthavefriends #workingmom #preschooldrama #nurse #nursepractitioner
@elyse_myers you are in good company šŸ˜‚ and I pr @elyse_myers you are in good company šŸ˜‚ and I promise they didn’t even notice #nursepractitioner #np #fnp #healthcare #nurselife #primarycare
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