Nursing Blog

by: Ben Escomm Some of you may have heard that afib is common, comes with age, and is harmless. Not necessarily true. Clots can form in the heart from atrial fibrillation which can lead to a stroke. Afib may start as happening only every so often, but it usually leads to more episodes, which may lead to a more permanent episode (i.e. occurring all the time). The irregularity in the heart rate can cause you to be symptomatic. And there are some studies that are looking at a link between afib and heart failure. So atrial fibrillation is not something to take lightly and it should be managed by your doctor. No doubt, if your doctor has diagnosed you with atrial fibrillation, then he or she has already started you on some drug treatment. The most common would be a blood thinner to prevent a clot from forming in the heart and thus reducing the potential for a stroke. When a patient is in atrial fibrillation, their heart is very irregular and sometimes can race at a rate of between 100 and 1

The question "profession or not" has never been satisfactorily answered, not least because the definition of 'profession' is not exactly a fixed item. However, some aspects of the definition might be considered 'core items'. A profession has a unique body of knowledge and values - and a perspective to go with it. A profession has controlled entry to the group eg registration A profession demonstrates a high degree of autonomous practice. A profession has its own disciplinary system. A profession enjoys the Recognition and Respect of the wider community. 1. Nursing DOES have a unique body of knowledge and values, but all too often adopts the medical perspective over its own; most acadamic nurses these days don't try very hard to inject new nurses with any values other than the medical model (Yes, there are exceptions!). In that sense, nursing can only ever be a 'profession allied to medicine', not a true profession in its own right. 2.

Team Management of Patients With Heart Failure A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Cardiovascular Nursing Council of the American Heart Association Kathleen L. Grady, PhD, RN; Kathleen Dracup, DNSc, RN; Gemma Kennedy, PhD, RN; Debra K. Moser, DNSc, RN; Mariann Piano, PhD, RN; Lynne Warner Stevenson, MD; James B. Young, MD Key Words: AHA Scientific Statement • heart failure • prevention Heart failure is estimated to affect 4 to 5 million Americans, with 550 000 new cases reported annually.1 In the past 3 decades, both the incidence and prevalence of heart failure have increased.1 2 3 Factors that have contributed to this increase are the aging US population and improved survival rates in patients with cardiovascular disease due to advancements in diagnostic techniques and medical and surgical therapies.2 4 5 6 Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease that is characterized by frequent hospital admissions and ultimately high mortality rates. Because of its high medica