Friday, October 28, 2011
Be Professional Please!
I will not mention where I work but tonight is one of those nights thats getting a little out of hand. I don't think I'm an uptight person and I would not even ask someone to watch their language around me. I just think that people should try to be professional when they are at work. No matter what the job is people don't want to be uncomfortable at work. Filthy language at work makes me very uncomfortable. Tonight alone I have heard mention of blow jobs, pole dancing, a request for all the women to come to work in thongs tomorrow, jokes about one person giving another sexual favors, and climbing into someone's vagina. And I have only been at work for an hour and a half. I feel that is very inconsiderate of other people and is just rude, unacceptable behavior. I may sound angrier than I actually am. This is personal thoughts on the subject but I am not angry. I am used to this sort of behavior from my colleague's, unfortunately. I'm not angry but it makes me feel awkward and out of place since I would never joke or talk that way. So, while I am not going to say anything to my coworkers about their rude behavior, I would just like to let you all know that while we may not say anything about the filthy talk it does make some of us uncomfortable.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Depression
So my brother called me the other day obviously very depressed. My brother always battles depression but this time it really didn't make sense. At 29 years old he has never held a job for more than a few months and hasn't had any training or education to help him to get a good job. Well, he started truck driving school a few months ago and is getting ready to graduate next week. When he graduates he has multiple job opportunities to start out at 45,000 a year. So I think he should be happy and excited not depressed. His reason for being depressed was that he doesn't want to waste the next week in class when he's already passed his final. He wants to go to work now. I tried to explain to him that a week is not a big deal and he should be excited that in a week he will be making more money than he's ever made in his life. I don't think I got through to him.
Depression can be a major problem to some people. Everyone feels down at times but people with major clinical depression are often unable to get better without treatment. They may have feelings of sadness that last for weeks, inability to sleep, appetite changes, loss of interest in things that normally bring pleasure, and thoughts of suicide. Depressive disorders appear to have a genetic tendency as well. This is obvious in my family because my father died from suicide and was an alcoholic. Substance abuse can be another sign of a major depressive disorder. All of my siblings, except me, have struggled with substance abuse, depression and thoughts of suicide. When these things are seen in families it is critically important to seek treatment.
Treatment may include a combination of psychotherapy and medication. There are many medications that are available to help with depression. Most of these medications work by altering chemical levels in the brain.
If someone you know is battling depression it is important to take it seriously. Do not minimize their feelings or make them feel guilty for feeling the way they do. If you are depressed please seek help. Depression is a serious medical condition and needs to be treated medically. Some people feel that depression is all in your head may stereotype people who take medication for depression. This is really sad. Just because depression is not a physical illness that you can see does not mean that it is any less of a medical condition.
Depression can be a major problem to some people. Everyone feels down at times but people with major clinical depression are often unable to get better without treatment. They may have feelings of sadness that last for weeks, inability to sleep, appetite changes, loss of interest in things that normally bring pleasure, and thoughts of suicide. Depressive disorders appear to have a genetic tendency as well. This is obvious in my family because my father died from suicide and was an alcoholic. Substance abuse can be another sign of a major depressive disorder. All of my siblings, except me, have struggled with substance abuse, depression and thoughts of suicide. When these things are seen in families it is critically important to seek treatment.
Treatment may include a combination of psychotherapy and medication. There are many medications that are available to help with depression. Most of these medications work by altering chemical levels in the brain.
If someone you know is battling depression it is important to take it seriously. Do not minimize their feelings or make them feel guilty for feeling the way they do. If you are depressed please seek help. Depression is a serious medical condition and needs to be treated medically. Some people feel that depression is all in your head may stereotype people who take medication for depression. This is really sad. Just because depression is not a physical illness that you can see does not mean that it is any less of a medical condition.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Looking for a Daycare
Every mom knows how hard it is when you have to leave your little one and go back to work. I have been blessed because I have a full-time student friend that lives with me and has watched my son for the last two years while I work. Starting in January though, I will need to work full-time while I take a semester off before starting grad school. My friend will not probably not be available all the time so I'm starting to think about childcare options.
I'm pretty picky, like most moms, when it comes to a babysitter or daycare. In a perfect world I would be able to be a full-time mom and have a fulfilling and high-earning job I could do from home but that just isn't reality. So I must think about my options. The first option for most people is a family member or friend to watch the baby. I don't have any family in the area except my mom who lives an hour and a half away. Most of my friends either have their hands full with their own children or work themselves. So that is not going to work.
So I'm down to two choices. Either an in home daycare or a child care center. They both have their pros and cons. The good thing about an in home daycare is they are often more flexible with hours. Being a nurse that would be beneficial for me. Also, some people feel children get more one on one care in a home and that the environment is more comfortable and nurturing. The bad thing is that licensing is often not as strict for homes, providers may not have early childhood education, and you really don't know what happens when your not there. Unless I knew the provider well I would worry about abuse or neglect because no one is monitoring what the provider does.
I think a center is the best option for us. The bad thing about a center is that there are so many children and each adult is responsible for more children. It is also not as comfortable as a home. The positives are that they are well regulated, offer age-appropriate activities, you don't have to worry about your child sitting in front of the tv all day, and you don't have to worry about what to do when the provider is sick.
The most important part of child care is that the child is happy and well taken care of. If your kid hates going to daycare then there might be a problem. It's really important to check out references. Contact information for the state can be found here to check the background of a center. A child care center will meet our needs best but a home might be best for someone else. Every family has to consider what is most suitable to their own needs.
I'm pretty picky, like most moms, when it comes to a babysitter or daycare. In a perfect world I would be able to be a full-time mom and have a fulfilling and high-earning job I could do from home but that just isn't reality. So I must think about my options. The first option for most people is a family member or friend to watch the baby. I don't have any family in the area except my mom who lives an hour and a half away. Most of my friends either have their hands full with their own children or work themselves. So that is not going to work.
So I'm down to two choices. Either an in home daycare or a child care center. They both have their pros and cons. The good thing about an in home daycare is they are often more flexible with hours. Being a nurse that would be beneficial for me. Also, some people feel children get more one on one care in a home and that the environment is more comfortable and nurturing. The bad thing is that licensing is often not as strict for homes, providers may not have early childhood education, and you really don't know what happens when your not there. Unless I knew the provider well I would worry about abuse or neglect because no one is monitoring what the provider does.
I think a center is the best option for us. The bad thing about a center is that there are so many children and each adult is responsible for more children. It is also not as comfortable as a home. The positives are that they are well regulated, offer age-appropriate activities, you don't have to worry about your child sitting in front of the tv all day, and you don't have to worry about what to do when the provider is sick.
The most important part of child care is that the child is happy and well taken care of. If your kid hates going to daycare then there might be a problem. It's really important to check out references. Contact information for the state can be found here to check the background of a center. A child care center will meet our needs best but a home might be best for someone else. Every family has to consider what is most suitable to their own needs.
too tired to write......
This has been a long week. I knew it was going to be bad before it even started and now that it's over I'm ready to sleep. I would actually pay good money to be able to get 8-10 hours of uninterupted sleep tonight. But that will not happen. My two year old does not sleep. He slept beautifully as a baby but does not sleep well as a toddler. He has to sleep in our room because he has tube feeding going at night and he arches and kicks and tosses and turns all night long. I tried to take a nap today since my husband was home for a little while this afternoon but that didn't work out either. The baby knows how to open doors now and every time I started to doze off I would hear the door open again. So that leads me back to my starting point. I am too tired to write or think of anything to write today. After working, school, kids choir concert, house keeping, grad stats mid-term, papers written, blah blah blah........I really have nothing to say today except that I'm ok with losing a few points because this is too short.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Role Confusion
Ok, I would like to clear up some confusion about my career role. My family keeps asking me when I will get my "PA". I tell them, "It isn't a PA its an NP". They say, "Oh, then you get your PA"? I will never be a PA. Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are actually similar in many ways but are distinctly different. There is a lot of confusion in the community about what a Nurse Practitioner is and what Physician Assistant is. I will not try to explain in great detail the role of the Physician Assistant because I'm not one nor will I ever be.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are referred to by many as "mid-level" providers. Some Nurse Practitioners are comfortable with this terminology and others feel that it is an inaccurate description of the care they provide. Studies have shown that Nurse Practitioners deliver the same or sometimes better outcomes than primary care physicians. This particular link is to a study that shows no significant difference between patient satisfaction with Nurse Practitioners and Physicians in primary care.
The role of Nurse Practitioners is always expanding. Nurse Practitioners are Masters or Doctorate prepared and may work in primary care in a clinic, or in a speciality such as orthopedics. Some oversee educational programs such as a hospitals diabetes education. They can work in a hospital and make rounds on patients or work in home health. In over half of the states Nurse Practitioners may work independently from physicians. This means they can actually open clinics for themselves. Unfortunately, Missouri is not one of those states. Physician collaboration is required here. However, with health care reform occurring, it will be necessary for states to remove barriers for Nurse Practitioners to be able to provide care for the growing number of health care recipients. Missouri and many other states restrict NPs from operating to the full capacity of their education and training. Hopefully, Missouri will remove many of its barriers in the next few years before I graduate.
I could write several pages to discuss the roles of Nurse Practitioners but I would just like you to know that Nurse Practitioners are well-trained and capable health care providers. They are able to diagnose and treat most acute and chronic diseases. Many times NPs have a better bedside manner due to their nursing background. In the future many of us will be seeing the Nurse Practitioner instead of a physician and that should not be viewed as a bad thing!
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are referred to by many as "mid-level" providers. Some Nurse Practitioners are comfortable with this terminology and others feel that it is an inaccurate description of the care they provide. Studies have shown that Nurse Practitioners deliver the same or sometimes better outcomes than primary care physicians. This particular link is to a study that shows no significant difference between patient satisfaction with Nurse Practitioners and Physicians in primary care.
The role of Nurse Practitioners is always expanding. Nurse Practitioners are Masters or Doctorate prepared and may work in primary care in a clinic, or in a speciality such as orthopedics. Some oversee educational programs such as a hospitals diabetes education. They can work in a hospital and make rounds on patients or work in home health. In over half of the states Nurse Practitioners may work independently from physicians. This means they can actually open clinics for themselves. Unfortunately, Missouri is not one of those states. Physician collaboration is required here. However, with health care reform occurring, it will be necessary for states to remove barriers for Nurse Practitioners to be able to provide care for the growing number of health care recipients. Missouri and many other states restrict NPs from operating to the full capacity of their education and training. Hopefully, Missouri will remove many of its barriers in the next few years before I graduate.
I could write several pages to discuss the roles of Nurse Practitioners but I would just like you to know that Nurse Practitioners are well-trained and capable health care providers. They are able to diagnose and treat most acute and chronic diseases. Many times NPs have a better bedside manner due to their nursing background. In the future many of us will be seeing the Nurse Practitioner instead of a physician and that should not be viewed as a bad thing!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Visiting In-Laws!
I do love my in-laws. They are really good people. I know most people say their in-laws are coming to visit with a roll of the eyes. I don't feel that way. The only bad thing about it is they came at a bad time. They got here the Saturday before last and are leaving next Saturday. That means we only had one weekend with them and have to spend two weekends transporting them to and from Kansas City. My husband had to work the one Saturday they were here so we didn't get to do anything that day anyway. He also worked the whole first week and even had to go to Kansas City overnight for work one day. Then we will have to take them to Kansas City Friday and be back for him to work overnight at a lock-in for College Heights that night. Thankfully, he did take vacation this week but it still seems that he didn't really get to spend much time with his parents. The other bad part is that the kids are in school. My older kids are 12 and 16 so they have had to go to school and do homework and haven't been able to do much with their grandparents.
We do have some good plans for the next couple of days. Tomorrow we are going to let the kids skip school and we are all going to the Tulsa Zoo. Then Thursday when the kids get out of school we are going to go to Lambert's for dinner and then Branson to watch Noah the Musical. (10 dollars for Joplin residents this weekend) I think my husband, son and father in law are going fishing tonight also. The other good thing is that my baby has gotten to spend a lot of time with his grandparents. He hasn't seen them much since they live in California so this has been good for the baby and his grandparents. It's also been nice for me to be able to leave him with them while I go to work or school. My mother in law has been making dinner for the family on the days I'm at work too so that has been really nice. I'm going to miss them when they leave!
We do have some good plans for the next couple of days. Tomorrow we are going to let the kids skip school and we are all going to the Tulsa Zoo. Then Thursday when the kids get out of school we are going to go to Lambert's for dinner and then Branson to watch Noah the Musical. (10 dollars for Joplin residents this weekend) I think my husband, son and father in law are going fishing tonight also. The other good thing is that my baby has gotten to spend a lot of time with his grandparents. He hasn't seen them much since they live in California so this has been good for the baby and his grandparents. It's also been nice for me to be able to leave him with them while I go to work or school. My mother in law has been making dinner for the family on the days I'm at work too so that has been really nice. I'm going to miss them when they leave!
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