Dr. Corinna Tanner, RN has a career in nursing because of her blindness

 "....Tanner was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the macula, the area of the eye that is responsible for straight-ahead vision. This means that those with Stargardt disease can only see out of their peripheral vision.

Tanner is the first to admit that growing up wasn’t easy. “I had to put a lot of energy into the things I did,” she says, “I wasn’t able to do reading and math and other school subjects the way that other kids did, so I just had to work harder.”

Even with her eyesight worsening as time went on, Tanner was able to find her niche. She learned how to play the violin purely by ear and also pursued dance. In fact, when Tanner came to BYU as an undergraduate student, her original major was dance!

It wasn’t until later that Tanner found nursing. Years later she became a single mother who needed to provide for 3 kids. In that circumstance, she looked into what a possible nursing career could bring. “I thought there would be so many opportunities in nursing, because I could see nurses doing things that I could imagine myself doing, in spite of my vision impairment,” she says, “What I didn’t expect was that I would be able to develop a specialty helping the blind, and I could use my own life experience to help others.”

Your can read more about Dr. Tanner here:

https://byunursing.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/there-aint-no-mountian-high-enough/?fbclid=IwAR3ObjGHTV4jD5lLunXFqwN_f0SUQhdsuRqVqCBXPsLHFAm4bALHOjjDfs0

Cheers!

Donna

Abigail Bauer, RN completed nursing school while undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer

 

Brooke Killmon reported from University Park, PA:

"About seven weeks into her program, in March 2021, Abigail Bauer woke up with an unexpectedly swollen neck. After two weeks filled with multiple doctor appointments and examinations, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Bauer’s doctor moved her quickly toward surgery in April, but with risks of vocal cord paralysis due to the nerves that control the vocal cords being attached to the thyroid, Bauer had obvious concerns about the surgery.

Knowing the risks, Bauer decided to undergo a total thyroidectomy in April 2021. Although all she could do was whisper at first, the surgery was successful. She slowly regained her voice after six months.

“It was hard going to school, taking care of a new puppy, working full-time hours, and getting treatment. But my school work was a positive outlet for me to put my energy,” Bauer said. “I was very fortunate that I had Patton. I told her about my situation, that I was having all these complications, and I couldn't finish some of the work by the course deadlines. But she was so accommodating and kind, and I don't think I could have done it if it wasn't for her.”

"Bauer said the experience has allowed her to become more empathetic, helping her to become a better nurse. By experiencing many of the emotions she felt as a patient, Bauer has been able to reflect on her own perspective and create a more valuable human interaction with her patients."

“I work with people on the absolute worst days of their life, and I think my diagnosis really gave me a better patient perspective and more empathy with them. They [patients] need more compassion and empathy while they’re with us, and for me, I didn’t realize that to its full extent until I personally dealt with my diagnosis,” Bauer said. “If it wasn't for the support of my family and friends, I (am) not sure I would have been able to get through it.”

Bauer’s condition is now stable, and her cancer is in remission. She will undergo testing every three months for the next two years to monitor for the possible spread of the cancer, but despite the challenges she has faced, Bauer maintains her positive outlook on life and has goals of her own to meet the ever-evolving needs of the health care landscape. She recently passed her critical care RN certification and completed an advanced trauma course."

To read more about Abigail Bauer visit:

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/news-and-features/nursing-student-overcame-thyroid-cancer-while-completing-degree

Cheers!

Donna

Could Smart glasses help nurses with disabilities?

 

"Nurses at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust are trialling the glasses"

"Nurses are to wear virtual reality-style goggles during home visits in a bid to cut paperwork and free up more time to spend with patients."

"The glasses can transcribe appointments directly to electronic records and allow staff to share live footage to hospital staff to get a second opinion.

The aim is to reduce administration linked to appointments so NHS nurses can focus on more clinical duties.

They are being trialled in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole from next week.

Community nurses are estimated to spend more than half of their day filling out forms and manually inputting patient data."

Read more about these glasses at:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-62616690?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Cheers!

Donna

Monkeypox: A public health emergency

 

On July 23, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland, The International Council of Nurses (ICN) "called for protection of nurses and other healthcare workers who are caring for patients infected with the monkeypox virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a global health emergency with more than 16 thousand reported cases from 75 countries and territories, and five deaths.¹

At the frontlines of healthcare, nurses play a central role in the response to this health emergency, particularly by providing health education on prevention and infection control, as well as safeguarding against stigma and discrimination. Nurses and other healthcare workers require access to protection personal equipment (PPE) and materials in order to protect them from exposure and limit the spread of the virus. They must also have access to up-to-date information on modes of transmission, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, infection control procedures, counselling and care, through in-service or continuing education.

Dr Pamela Cipriano, ICN President, acknowledged Dr Tedros for raising the issue of monkeypox as a global health emergency and drew attention to the risk of infection amongst nurses who care for those infected with monkeypox.

“As we regrettably witnessed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and other healthcare workers often do not have access to proper protection against infectious diseases. In order to protect our healthcare workforce and prevent the spread of this disease, training and professional guidelines are required along with PPE.

ICN urges national nursing associations to actively participate in sensitizing and educating the public about monkeypox; take measures to combat stigma and discrimination; and help secure a safe practice environment, including protective equipment and materials, that permits adequate care to people with monkeypox and ensures protection of nursing personnel from exposure to the virus.”

Howard Catton, ICN’s Chief Executive Officer, added:

“COVID-19 is far from over, and now we have a new public health emergency in the form of monkeypox. Global health must be the number one priority for all countries and investment in nursing has never been more important for the achievement of healthcare for all. Never forget that it will be our healthcare workers who will be on the frontline responding to this latest public health emergency.

Nursing care is non-discriminatory and ICN deplores the stigmatisation or marginalisation of anyone requiring healthcare. The monkeypox global health emergency once again exposes, and risks exacerbating, health inequalities.”

¹ WHO Director-General's statement at the press conference following IHR Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox - 23 July 2022."

Monkeypox - “Protect nurses, combat stigma” says International Council of Nurses | ICN - International Council of Nurses

Monkeypox (who.int)

Stay safe,

Donna

 

A virtual career fair for people with disabilities: An opportunity for nurses with disabilities

 

Register Today! Are you a person with a disability,  looking for a career opportunity or internship? This Virtual Career Fair is FREE for career seekers with disabilities to attend. Experienced professionals, recent college graduates and college students with disabilities meet online with employers across the nation to discuss competitive career opportunities! Candidates are invited to interact with employers via chat. Connect with employers looking to hire people with disabilities Access opportunities within a wide range of careers. National employer participation across many industry sectors Public and private sector opportunities​ Interview with ease  Participate from the comfort of your home, dorm room or favorite cafe! Multi-tasking chats about careers and internships End-to-end accessible technology platform Career Fairs with Less Hassle  Save time and money. No business suit or travel required No printed out resumes necessary Virtual Career Fair Date: August 3, 2022 Learn More at www.careerco.com The Virtual Career Fair technology platform is accessible. Bender Consulting Services is a DisabilityIn Certified Disability-owned Business Enterprise. For information: bender@careereco.com or 770.874.7807

Dani Hillenbrand, a wheelchair user, graduates from George Fox University College of Nursing in Oregon

                                     Dani Hillenbrand received her diploma from Dr. Robin Baker, President

Blair Best authored an article about Dani Hillenbrand that included the following.

"Last year, while she was already in nursing school, Hillenbrand suffered a catastrophic medical event that left her in a wheelchair. While many would be discouraged, Hillenbrand said it pushed her to work even harder.

“When it comes to what I do and what I know I can do, it’s not challenging — the challenges that I do face are imposed by society, and assumptions made about disabled people,” she said."

Hillenbrand has this message for other wheelchair users looking to get into healthcare:

“You can’t let your advocacy for yourself waver. You have to know that you’re going to have to advocate really hard for yourself throughout all of it.”

Read more about Dani Hillenbrand at:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/newberg-woman-becomes-first-wheelchair-user-oregon-graduate-nursing-school/283-3933da0d-ecef-4277-980a-9c9592bf602b

Cheers!

Donna

Naomi Judd: A Happy Nurses Week message from 2020

Naomi Judd, who sadly passed away on April 30, 2022, was so much more than a country singer. She was an ICU nurse, mental health advocate, spokesperson for the American Liver Association, prolific author, and founder of the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund to raise awareness about hepatitis C.

In her memoir, “River of Time,” she described her diagnosis of hepatitis C, which she said she unknowingly contracted during her time as a nurse. She said that by 1995, her doctors had told her she was completely free of the virus.

In the memoir, she described feeling like she had lost her identity when she returned home after a 2010 reunion tour, isolating herself at her home and dealing with crippling panic attacks. She also said that she had been dealing with trauma from childhood sexual abuse. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward at a hospital and spent time in an outpatient treatment program (Boston.com).

Please enjoy this Nurses Week message from 2020.

                                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLSzJiXa_EE

Rest in peace Naomi,

Donna

River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope: Judd, Naomi, Wilkie, Marcia: 9781455595747: Books (amazon.com)

https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2022/05/01/naomi-judd-of-grammy-winning-duo-the-judds-dies-at-76/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLSzJiXa_EE

Naomi Judd obituary | Country | The Guardian