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Think thank
Every fourth Thursday of November, millions of Americans gather for dinner to commemorate the celebratory meal that took place in 1621 between the Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag people in Plymouth, Massachusetts. For...
In a manner of speaking: Overheard bedside conversations
English is not my first language. And anyone who adopted a second language as an adult can probably relate when I say that certain words and turns of phrase will remain foreign to me,...
Facing the challenge of masked communication
“Can you hear me now?” was the byline of a popular TV ad in the early 2000s for a cell phone company, promising excellent cellular connectivity for life! (Can you imagine?) These days, I...
We shall remember
On July 29, 2020, the New York Times reported that at least 150,909 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. since the pandemic gained a foothold in mid-March. There is another ongoing count...
First pandemic and second thoughts
“Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.”
— Victor Frankl
Excited about landing my first job as a nurse (AT), I texted a friend of mine about it. Immediately, I was praised for...
Shout out and murmurs in the Year of the Nurse
“This morning I forage into the Purveyor’s Store… no mops, no plates, no wooden trays, no slippers, … no basins, no towelling, no chloride of lime.” — Florence Nightingale, 1854 (Letter to the Secretary...
If you’re grateful and you know it clap your hands!
It starts with a distant sound of palms smacking together, then joined by more doing the same, leading to an undeniable crescendo of applause. Thrown into the mix are hooting, honking, whistling, and clanging...
The nearness of you: Cheerleading nurses from a distance
I want to let you know I am thinking of you.
My bedside nursing years are past. But I shall do my bit by cheering you and all healthcare workers on for all the...
The memory of all that
There is no telling when, but they percolate into my head unsummoned, like a musical worm whose melody you cannot shake off. Sometimes it comes when I am mid-sentence while teaching a class, other...
Enable and ennoble: Teaching and learning in nursing
This year marks my 23rd year teaching nursing. One habit I have (there is no support group for this) is thinking and ruminating.
A few years ago, I had a student in my clinical group who...
Downtime: The time to nurse
Not long ago, I walked down a hospital corridor of a medical-surgical unit and found all the work stations on wheels (WOWs) flush to one side, with nurses sitting in front of a blank...
Hepatorenal syndrome and large-volume paracentesis
Averting a Crisis.
Takeaways
Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), impaired renal function resulting from advanced liver disease, is characterized by renal vasoconstriction, systemic vasodilatation in the absence of other identifiable causes, decreased glomerular filtration rate, and hypotension.
...
Gratitude to those who trust us
There is a ritual in medical schools to hold a memorial service to honor those who have donated their bodies or body parts to advance medical education and research. In spite of advances in...