What interesting/fun activities can you do with cancer patients?
A spa day with your products would be absolutely lovely! After all the stuff they have been through, they need a little pampering. Perhaps someone to give shoulder or foot rubs? When I was on oncology I would joke around with people like there was nothing wrong with them and they loved it. People who have been sick long term and tired of being reminded of it all the time and being too sickly sweet or feelings sorry for them all the time just reminds them that they are different. They aren't cancer patients, they are people who just happen to have cancer. It doesn't change who they are. I know it is uncomfortable to be around people who have a serious illnes. Just ask them what they want and treat them like a normal person. It would be a lovely vacation for them! Bless you and best of luck with your project! Ask for the unit manager on the ward you are thinking of going to to see if this would be appropriate for the patients there. Failing that, the elderly are a very overlooked group. They would LOVE to have a visit from your I'm sure! Look at some of your local care homes.
Activities for Alzheimer's patients...?
That is awesome that you work with the geriatric population! How about playing bingo and perhaps a volunteer can be present to assist the residents in finding the letter/number. How about also having a reminiscing group of trends 'back when' to perhaps trigger their long-term memory which tends to be much more intact than short-term memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Examples could be trivia of cars, what food had cost, famous actors/actresses and movies, fun games that they played when they were younger. And someone had a great idea of pet therapy which can really be therapeutic for others and bring warm, fuzzy feelings, pardon the pun ;)
What activities can I do with my senior patient?
Take her for a walk even if she has a wheel chair. Ask if she has old photos you can look at with her. I spent a day with my great aunt once going over photos she would have me write names on the backs. To me 71 doesn't seem old since I am 65 and wouldn't see my self disabled by age at that age so maybe she has something else to need care. Mom like Jig Saw puzzles, computer games, cards, casinos and of course eating. She liked to shop too but got tired and found casinos cheaper than shopping. Are you allowed to drive her places like a mall? You could take her to museums, zoo or other places even if she has a wheel chair but not much time in 3 hours. Take her to a dog park if she likes dogs, bring her a dog to play with if you have one and some dog treats and toys. If she doesn't have a computer you could bring a laptop. Then connect to internet and show her how to use Amazon.com or Walmart.com. If you set up Skype with her kids or grand kids she might love seeing them. Go on Facebook and send friend request to people she knows so she can see what they post. Help her write snail mail letters and cards,
Activities or games for schizophrenic patients?
Schizophrenia is a disease that ebbs and flows. This means there are acute periods called "relapses" when patients experience a number of sensations that are an addition to their usual repertoire of feelings. Because they are additions, they are referred to as "positive symptoms" although they are far from positive in the sense of being wanted. They are the hallucinations, delusions and thought confusions which seem to return periodically, triggered, probably, by a variety of stresses. They respond, in general, to decreased stimuli, calm interactions, and antipsychotic medicine. Interspersed among the acute periods are various stages of convalescence during which patients frequently experience negative symptoms. These are subtractions from the normal repertoire of feelings such as loss of interest, loss of energy, loss of warmth, loss of humour. In general, these do not respond to medical interventions but require more complex psychological assistance. 1. Music therapy has a high level of subjective acceptance among patients. 2. No negative effects are recorded despite the therapy being introduced in the post-acute phase. 3. The positive therapeutic effects quoted are relaxation, activation, reduced anxiety, easier contact-making, and improve opportunities for emotional expression. The duration of the effects is limited. 4. The training-related concept and the clearly structuring behavior of the group leader are given a positive rating by the patients. Musical games may be used to help clients learn to switch attention from one topic to another.
Activity ideas for nurse guest speaker?
*Make your dramatic play area into a doctor's office to introduce the theme before the nurse comes to visit. *Do you have stethoscopes for the children to listen to their heart beat? If not, the nurse could bring a few (one for each teacher and herself). She could have the children listen to their heart beat, then put on some music and do something active like jumping or dancing. Then listen to the hear beats again so the children understand how exercise raises their heart rate to keep their heart muscles healthy as well as the rest of their body. There are lots of short, kid-friendly books about the heart to support this kind of activity. *See if you can borrow some handicap accessories, like crutches and a walker. The nurse could read a short story about someone who needs this kind of help (Mercer Mayer's Just a Little Different is a good one) and let the children try using the items to help them understand people who need these things. *The nurse can explain the importance of hand washing and teach the children to wash their hands appropriately. She can use a little dab of vaseline on their hands, then pretend to sneeze as she shakes a little cinnamon or glitter on their hands, then tell them the need to wash well to remove the germs! She can teach them a little song to sing as they wash to be sure they are washing long enough. The ABC song works, or Wash, wash, wash your hands many times a day. Washing, washing, washing, washing wash those germs away. (Row row row your boat.)
Any ideas for activities or games for Mental Health patients?
Hi..I think your career as a Mental Health Nurse whatever your Majoring in as great!! Now,back to your question...I think that art is a good idea, such as painting a patients feelings at the time their painting..make sense? You know? Ask the patient what their feeling,then paint their feelings.Similar to the Bingo.."When I'm angry I"..same with the painting.I feel that when a patient can express their feeling through art..that this can really help them to be able to express their feeling without actually verbally expressing them.I know of some patients(I've seen them) who aren't really good with or don't have the verbal ability or even the emotional ability..to express their feelings as well as others.So,through art? They are more able to express their inner feelings more openly,and honestly.Hope this helps..Good luck.
As a nurse, how do you deal with rude patients?
Thanks for the A2A. A few things help. I don’t tend to get this a lot. I was talking with one of the other nurses I work with last week about this very thing, but about interactions with docs. Neither of us had much experience with rude docs. The demeanor, presentation of confidence (not arrogance or coldness), professionalism sort of helped ward off a lot of that was our conclusion. YMMV.First, being polite to all my patients helps. Setting that tone from the beginning. That means I ask patients how they’d like to be addressed. I do not call anyone honey, dear et cetera. Ever. Ever. It is demeaning and dehumanizing. Respecting their space and boundaries. That sort of thing.Second, what is really going on when someone is rude? Putting on your nurse detective hat here is important. Observe. Listen. Are they in pain? Afraid? Stressed? Sleep deprived? In short, is there a reason? Ask questions. Reflect back what you are seeing and ask about what they are feeling. This takes time and skill. Then address whatever the underlying issue(s) is/are if there are any.Third, some people are jerks. Before, after, and during their health care encounters with you. Regardless of the reason, gently drawing and then maintaining the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not is essential. Do it the first time. Do not let things escalate. You don’t want to get frustrated yourself. You don’t want them to think rudeness or bullying is okay. You are there to help them. Not to be their dumping/offloading/scapegoat.Finally, get appropriate support for you and the patient. This will vary depending on the situation. They may need some counseling, meds, environmental changes, a contract or so on. Health Care Professionals do not need to tolerate abuse. Support from peers and admin is important. Having plans and policies in place for these sorts of situations before they occur is important.
Why are some nurses cold and uncaring with patients? Isn't it their job to be comforting and kind?
As a retired physician, not a nurse, there are a few thing I could think of:in every profession there are more and less compassionate people, as far as I know being compassionate isn’t a strict requirement to qualify for nursing or med school, more often academic performance and motivation are.having to work in an (often most of the time) emotionally challenging environment to prevent us from crashing emotionally, we often without being aware of it will develop a kind of protective shield against getting too much involved emotionally, which we only will lower after many years of working experience, some develop “compassion fatigue”.the pace at work is far, far more intense than say up to the seventies, patients are sicker, more complex things need to be done well and on time with little room for mistakes, the work usually has to be done with less staffing and often less highly qualified people, so although anxious and nervous patients having none life threatening conditions understandably feel the need to be comforted, and if possible surely should be, compared to the much sicker patients this need ranks lower in priority to those nurses who themselves are often overburdened as it is.how the patient experiences the nurse’s attitude is also negatively influenced by the patient’s fears and anxieties, for the patient everything revolves around her/himself, they aren’t able to see nor gauge other patients’ needs, and strictly speaking that isn’t their concern either, while for the nurse having so many patients to care for they need to have their priorities right.
I want to be a Nurse Practitioner. Where do I start?
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) who has completed graduate-level education (either a Master's or a Doctoral degree). Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)s, CNMs, and CNSs are additional APN roles. All Advance practice nurses are Registered Nurses who sought additional education and training. To become licensed to practice, Nurse Practitioners hold national certification in an area of specialty (family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, adult care, acute care, etc.), and are licensed through nursing boards rather than medical boards. The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse practitioners focus on patients' conditions as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families. NPs make prevention, wellness, and patient education priorities. Educating patients about their health and encouraging them to make healthy choice. In addition to health care services, NPs conduct research and are often active in patient advocacy activities. Nurse Practitioners treat both physical and mental conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, and ordering tests and therapies for patients within their scope of practice. NPs can serve as a patient's primary health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice. In the United States, nurse practitioners have a national board certification. Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally certified in areas of FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner), Pediatrics, including Pediatric Acute/Chronic Care, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Oncology and general Pediatrics (PNP), Neonatology (NNP), Gerontology (GNP), Women's Health (WHNP), Psychiatry & Mental Health (PMHNP), Acute Care (ACNP), Adult Health (ANP), Oncology (ONP), Emergency Medicine (as FNP or ACNP), Occupational Health (as ANP), etc. In Canada, NPs are licensed by the province or territory in which they practice.
What are the duties of a nurse aide?
Over the decades, a prolonged nursing shortage has developed a variety of degrees in nursing science. The Certified Nursing Assistant is an entry level nursing position that typically supports a Registered Nurse with their nursing responsibilities. Although this nursing position does not require a nursing degree, it does require a certification.Things a CNA can do-Reposition a patient (very important in preventing bed sores)-Monitor vital signs-Documentation of health information-Assisting with medical procedures-Maintain a hygienic and therapeutic environment-Serve as a patient advocateThings a CNA can’t do-Administer medications-Assess patient stability-Sterile procedures-Draw blood (there are a few certifications that allow cannulation in various settings)Despite the limitations of the CNA certifications, working as a Nurse Assistant / Nurse Aide is an excellent way to gain experience in nursing. Many nurses leave the the field after a few years of practice. Starting your nursing career as a CNA will allow you to ‘test the waters’ without developing a burdensome amount of debt. Even better, most employers have programs to provide financial assistance for CNA’s who wish to continue their nursing education!Still have questions? Send me a message on NurSearch!