Do you know who’s who in your Hospital?

Unless you’re a frequent flyer at your hospital you’ve probably got no idea who’s who when it comes to determining who’s a doctor and who’s a nurse. Even I have trouble at times and I’m a nurse.

Think about it, the uniforms worn by health care professionals range from casually to smartly dressed doctors to a plethora of different uniforms amongst permanent, casual and agency nurses; all of whom have nonexistent to very little clear visible means of identification.

Of course, we all have identification cards that hang down near our navels, but so does everyone else, and, if you’re anything like me you need to get up close and personal to work out who the hell you’re talking to.

Just in case you’re wondering, I always introduce myself to the patients I care for and inform them what my role is first time around; which is normally followed by the words, “Care for a cuppa?” But! Occasionally I’ve had to say to patients, whilst the doctor looked on slightly embarrassed, “I’m not your doctor, I’m your nurse.”

This identification crisis wasn’t a problem in the 1970’s when nurses wore identical uniforms and doctors wore white coats; with patients knowing full well, who was who in the pecking order. While I’m on that, I can also remember being threatened to be hang, drawn and quartered by the St Vincent’s Hospital management team if ever I was caught wearing my nurses uniform out on the streets! How things have changed!

Yes, healthcare has come a long way in Australia since then but we seem to have lost the plot in regards to letting patients and visitors know who’s who in the hospital.

The current identification crisis in hospitals that has caused so much confusion and stress amongst patients, family members and visitors was recently brought up in the Garling Report. You may remember that I referred to this report sometime ago in my article titled, “Mixed-sex hospital wards”.

Commissioner Peter Garling makes a recommendation in his 2008 “Final Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in New South Wales (NSW) Public Hospitals” to remedy this crisis but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

It’s now almost twelve months since he outlined in recommendation 62 (Volume 2, Chapter 15, page 564 onwards © State of NSW through the Attorney General’s Department of NSW) that:

“Within 12 months, NSW Health implement a state-wide policy ensuring uniforms or vests are worn by each health professional, identifying in large print the role of the health professional. The state-wide policy should:

(a) Designate a colour to each professional role and ensure that the colour is consistently adopted;

(b) Include a requirement for posters to be prominently displayed throughout NSW Health facilities providing a chart to indicate which uniform or colour is assigned to which profession; and

(c) NSW Health amend existing policy or develop additional policy to require the wearing of name badges (or similar, but not cards on lanyards) by each type of health professional, bearing in large print the person’s name and title or role.”

and as far as I can see nothing has been done to improve the system he deemed inadequate.

So, where to from here? Do we go back to the good old days, or, considering the poor financial state of the Health System, act on the recommendations when times get better?

To delay it any further, is to only confuse and stress the ones we have been empowered to care for even more; an intolerable situation.

(1) Has your hospital got its act together? (2) Do you know who’s who in your hospital? (3) Please let me know your thoughts on this.

To be continued…

Read more...

Erin Brockovich goes into bat for Australia

Erin Brockovich an acclaimed American environmental activist made famous by the actress Julia Roberts and a new recruit for the Australian Law Firm, Shine Lawyers, has gone into bat for Australia to save the “Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve” from being mined.

Set in Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula the wetland conservation property, which came to light with the assistance of the Australian Government:

“is home to a set of eight unique spring fed wetlands which provide a critical water source to threatened habitat, provide permanent flow of water to the Wenlock River, and is home to rare and vulnerable plants and wildlife.”

The “Save Steve’s Place” campaign, which is also supported by another high profile celebrity, Russell Crowe, is being led by the wife of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin and her daughter, Bindi.

To date 208,426 individuals from Australia and overseas have signed the petition to prevent the mining of the 135,000 hectare (333592 acres) property.

As you may have noticed in my sidebar, (see Steve Irwin’s image with links) I have promoted this cause for sometime and given further support by signing the petition.

We often SPEAK about protecting the world’s natural wonders but how often do we actually do anything truly constructive. Now is the time to act! Sign the petition online now!

To be continued…

Read more...

Blushing my way around douches to midwifery

Blushing my way through three years of training at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst to become a male registered nurse (1975 – 1978), swapping douches for less embarrassing male-oriented procedures with female nurses whenever I could, you’d think that I would have known better to go into midwifery at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia in 1980.

With the wife and I both nursing there for only a short time, I decided to try my hand at midwifery because it was the traditional thing way back then to combine this course with general nursing, as both went hand in hand if you wanted to get anywhere.

For the next twelve months I subjected myself to something quite extraordinary even though in the end, I wasn’t cut out to be a midwife. Having flunked the course by a whisker, I moved onto greener pastures.

Delivery, most favoured by me, neonatal intensive care was not far behind. Miracles abounded in both units and I am happy to say not once did I drop my bundle (baby that is).

The most traumatic of times were in the postnatal wards. I had cared for women in the past, but the daunting tasks that lay before me were totally alien to me. Trying to educate English and non-English speaking women on such things as breast feeding while their partners looked on with menacing brooding eyes was certainly challenging to say the least.

Was it my inexperience? Was it because I was a male? Was it my inability to control my blushing? Was it the eyes from both mother and father burning holes in the back of my neck that unsettled me so much? Most times I felt like a Christian about to be eaten by lions!

Heaven knows how the mums felt at the time. But I did try my very best attempting to put them at ease. For example, each shift, ray lamp in hand, my perennial checks were done utilising several towels so as not to reveal too much and in the process saving their modesty as best I could.

I will always cherish the multitude of special moments during my training, especially my first delivery and assisting in the delivery of two of my children at the same hospital.

Now this brings me to another point. Should fathers be allowed in the delivery room? If you asked my wife she’d say, “Why the bloody hell not!”. Having been present for all three of our sons deliveries, my wife wouldn’t have had it any other way. To cut to the chase, if the wife or partner wants the father in, so it should be.

There has been some talk lately here and overseas about this after the media quoted a leading obstetrician as saying “the presence of fathers in the delivery room is not only unnecessary but also hinders labour”. HIs reasons are many which I won’t go into here.

Why not you say?  Well my new acquaintance Ross, a male nurse from Queensland and the author and creator of “Nurse in Australia” writes in depth about this very issue in one of his latest well researched articles titled, “Should fathers be allowed in delivery rooms?”. I ask that you visit his site to take in what he has to say.

For those that have taken the time to visit here and at Ross’s site, whether you’re male or female, we would both like to hear what you have to say regarding this issue. I would also like to hear about your experiences with the male and female nurses that cared for you whilst in hospital having your baby. Father’s comments are also welcomed!

To be continued…

Read more...

Macular Degeneration

We take many things for granted and one of the most important is our vision, especially as we get older. Sight, amongst other things, enhances our ability to paint, read, post an article on our blogs, take in the faces of our loved ones and to see the glorious sights that lay before us.

It’s not until we become a statistic in our 50’s and beyond, if not earlier, that we look back to see if we could have done anything different to save our sight.

The leading cause of profound vision loss in Australia, macular degeneration (MD), sometimes referred to as age related macular degeneration (AMD) affects one in seven people over the age of 50. Globally, AMD ranks third as a cause of visual impairment.

Simply put, macular degeneration is a progressive incurable disease of the retina, particularly the macula, which destroys sharp, central vision. The macula is part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail and it is located in the center of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

There are two types of AMD. Dry AMD results in gradual loss of central vision, with Wet AMD , also known as advanced AMD, being characterised by a sudden loss of vision. For many, it is possible to have AMD without knowing.

Although there is no cure, there are treatments available for the two forms of AMD (dry and wet) that can slow down its progression. The earlier it is detected, the more vision you and I are likely to hold onto.

However all is not lost as according to “Macular Degeneration Support”:

“You will not go blind from AMD, but you can, over a period of several years, lose your central detail vision, making it difficult or impossible to read, recognize faces, write checks, and drive. If this happens, technology and rehabilitation offer ways to either maximize your vision or replace it in non-visual ways.”

Personal stories from Australians living well with AMD can also be found at the Macular Degeneration Foundation. Well worth a read!

Now, in my endeavour to determine if I am suffering from the signs of AMD, besides visiting my eye specialist, I came across the Amsler Grid that I have used to access my macula.

The Amsler Grid should be used two to three times a week at home to check for changes in your vision. That’s not to say that regular visits to your eye doctor should be missed as you can easily miss signs that only a trained eye specialist will find.

Please follow the directions that are below this grid.

1. Do not remove glasses or contact lenses you normally wear for reading.
2. View the grid approximately 35cm (14 inches) from your face in a well-lit room.
3. Cover one eye with your hand.
4. Focus on the center dot with your uncovered eye.
5. Repeat with the other eye.

If you see wavy, broken or distorted lines, or blurred or missing areas of vision, you may be displaying symptoms of AMD and should contact your eye specialist immediately.

Note: Do NOT depend on the grid displayed for any diagnoses as only a eye specialist can confirm the diagnosis of AMD.

Tips for healthy eyes to help reduce the risk of AMD or to slow down its progression:

1. Have your eyes tested and make sure the macula is checked.
2. Don't smoke.
3. Keep a healthy lifestyle, control your weight and exercise regularly.
4. Eat a healthy well-balanced diet.
5. Limit your intake of fats.
6. Eat fish two to three times a week.
7. Eat dark green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit daily.
8. Eat a handful of nuts each week.
9. Provide adequate protection for your eyes from sunlight exposure.

Remember to consult your doctor before making any changes in diet or lifestyle.

The large majority of the information you see here has been gathered from sites whose sole purpose is to educate people like you and me about Macular Degeneration. For that, I thank them very much as up until this time, I knew little about Macular Degeneration. Finally, I implore you to visit their sites by clicking on the words underlined as well as on the images.

To be continued...

Read more...