Climate change and its effect on your health

As we experience some of the worst wildfires in recorded history, it's ever clearer that climate change is here, and it's here to stay. But what does this mean for public health, outside of the acute impact of such disasters? A greater number and frequency of extreme weather events—heat waves, drought, floods, and fires—have modified trends of human migration and thus increased the human-to-human transmission of various diseases. We've also seen an increase in known and unknown pathogenic microorganisms, vectors, and hosts, all of which may pose great risks to our health. This is certainly frightening to think about, but Dr. Rachel Harold, MD, a recent graduate of the infectious disease fellowship at George Washington University added, “There’s certainly plenty of opportunity for us to move towards a more low carbon society and change our practices and our economy to change the trajectory and reduce the impact of climate change.” One of the greatest ways we can address this is by moving toward more sustainable forms of electricity production and away from our reliance on carbon fuels. Read more

Medical researcher shares new procedure that could cure blindness —

Boton Roska, a Hungarian researcher, recently won a national prize for his new study that has the potential to cure blindness. He was awarded over one million euros to further his gene-based treatment to restore sight, now in clinical trials. The therapy involves the reprogramming of cells in the eye that control light-sensitive receptors necessary for vision; in other words, reactivating retinas to achieve sight similar to that of watching black-and-white television. Fingers crossed as clinical tests on blind volunteers continue. Read more

Cultural considerations for healthcare providers —

As nursing professionals, we must practice cultural awareness with every single patient. That's why we spoke with Kim E. The Diabetes NP to better understand that culture is more than just race; there’s culture across genders and generations. Whether it's the dynamic between race, gender, or even individuals of different ages, we must recognize that “culture” has many layers to it, and we cannot function in our biases as healthcare professionals if our goal is to care for everyone. So, how can you address biases you, or those around you, may have? It begins with focusing on the patient as an individual; one person doesn’t represent an entire group, and one group doesn’t represent an entire person. Read more

Healthy, energy-boosting snacks for nurses —

Nutrition and nourishment are two critical elements of nurse wellness. So, we teamed up with Joy Bauer, nutrition expert for NBC's Today show, to learn how to snack prep in style and keep ourselves energized while doing so — even during the longest 12-hour shifts. Joy led us through a power-packed snack demo and opened the floor for live nutrition Q&A. You can find all of her energy-boosting recipes and the full event recording on our blog. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

The epitome of nurse advocacy —

Dawn Wooten, a licensed practical nurse at Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, recently supported a complaint issued to Homeland Security. The 27-page complaint—focused on the above facility, which houses men and women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—included information about the facility’s refusal to test detainees for COVID-19, even when they had fevers (and even though over $28,000 was spent on COVID-19 testing equipment). The complaint also includes information on questionable hysterectomies taking place on detainees as well as the shredding of official medical records. Wooten noted that it was not clear whether women consented to the hysterectomies, or if they even understood what was about to be done. Multiple nurses also raised concerns about the doctor performing these surgeries, who Wooten calls “the uterus collector.” So far, ICE said it will not comment on these matters before the inspector general but that it is taking these allegations seriously. Once a nurse, always an advocate; thank you, Dawn. Read more

The key to successful vaccine distribution —

When an effective vaccine is approved and ready for public dispersal, there are various boxes that must be checked. First, plans must be put into place early, even before a vaccine is approved. This includes the acknowledgement of systemic and individual responsibilities as well as an agreed-upon, concrete distribution plan. Second, federal, state, and local officials must be onboard and ready to lead the distribution strategy. Third, the federal government or military alone cannot be charged with the physical distribution of the vaccine; trusted public health officials and entities must be on the ground, ready to distribute vaccines in unison. Fourth, vaccine distribution must take a triage strategy, not one of first-come, first-served basis. And fifth, a strong combination of multiple-organization involvement, ample resources, and constant communication are essential to a successful distribution plan. Read more

Officials claim the CDC didn't write current testing guidelines on its site —

The recent, and controversial, guideline on the CDC's site stating that people without COVID-19 symptoms don't need to get tested apparently came directly from Human Health and Services officials, skipping the CDC's formal scientific review process. While the original draft was created by the CDC, additional editing and "input" were added by the HHS and Federal Coronavirus Task Force. A new version of the testing guideline is expected to be released today, but has, again, apparently not been cleared by the CDC's scientific review process and is instead being revised by officials from the HHS. What's more? This information comes days after findings that political members of the HHS modified the CDC's weekly reports on scientific research. Some experts think the current guidelines were motivated by political goals in order to make the number of confirmed cases look smaller than it really is. Read more

Upcoming Events

9/23, 4pm PDT: Healthy Finances: Paying Down Debt for Nurses —

Imagine retiring when you want, having complete control and freedom of your time, and living your happiest, healthiest life without worrying about your finances. The first step of financial freedom is becoming debt free. In this webinar, you will learn a step-by-step guide to pay off your debt (and have fun while doing it). Six years ago, Lauren Mochizuki, RN and her husband paid off $266,329.01 of debt in 33 months. She'll be sharing all of the insights she learned throughout her quest to become debt free that will set you up to be successful in your own journey to financial freedom. RSVP