PEOPLE TO PEOPLE DELEGATION - COSTA RICA

This just came in our email today, it sounds like an interesting opportunity and we wanted to share it to our followers. Let us know if you decide to go and what you might have learned from your travel there!  PEOPLE to PEOPLE DELEGATION TO COSTA RICA Don't miss this opportunity to join my delegation and travel to Costa Rica. Nursing Delegation to Costa Rica. This is a great opportunity to travel to an enchanting part of the world while enriching your professional career and collaborating with colleagues. The Nursing Delegation to Costa Rica, January 10-17 2015.

On this delegation you can:   Experience the people and culture of Costa Rica. Learn firsthand about Costa Rica's efforts to be sustainable, green, and protective of animal and plant life. Appreciate rich biodiversity at Arenal Natura Ecological Park as you witness exotic frogs, birds, and reptiles in the tropical rainforest at the base of the majestic Arenal Volcano. We hope to discuss:   • The Costa Rican health system and management of acute and chronic illnesses • Role of nurses and other healthcare professionals • Nursing education and training • Major communicable and non-communicable health challenges for the people of Costa Rica

Ways to Help

It has been a long hard winter and spring is not really looking completely as positive and bright as I thought it would. These days horrific and devastating events are occurring at a higher rate...doesn't it seem like that is true?
I don't have hard facts to back me up with this opinion, and maybe since I am in tune with the news more than I ever have been as an adult - it just seems more apparent. The other factor may be that every time I go to a trauma conference we talk about disaster preparedness and training and THAT makes me always feel unprepared and vulnerable.

I was reading some news releases about West, Texas and the shock, fear, and sadness that has resulted from that explosion. Many people say that if you were standing outside watching the fire you would probably be dead - mainly because of the concussive  blast that occurred. All pets that were outside are dead, windows are all broken - shattered into pieces and/or stuck into walls. All doors of houses were blasted open, including shelf doors and cupboards. The pictures are horrendous. The story is unbelievable. The questions are the same - Who? Why? How?
Then to the earlier part of the week - The Boston Marathon - again, this seems insane? Right? I spent the better half of the day reading about the older brother's life history, his marriage, his wife and their toddler daughter. I've seen the amazing pictures, the graphic and truly shocking pictures and have wondered - has the World become battle field? If it is not a terrorist bombing, it is an earthquake, plant explosion, building cracks and crumbled in India, Tsunami's, radiation poisoning, drought, the list goes on!

All of us need to be prepared to take care of ourselves, as well as be prepared to help others. Whether that means signing up for the next CPR course or signing yourself up as an American Red Cross Volunteer. Everyone has to be able to care and help out each other.

Here are some ways in West, Texas that you can help if interested:
1.  Sign up with the Red Cross in Texas - at Dallas American Red Cross
2.  Donate Blood - Blood Center of Central Texas, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, LifeShare Blood Center, Louisiana
3. This was an easy way to find a non-health volunteer opportunity in Texas - Volunteer Match - Texas

Now, if Boston is more in your neck of the woods I have checked out a couple of opportunities here as well.
1.  Sign up with the Red Cross in Boston at - Boston American Red Cross
2.  Donate Blood at Mass General - Mass General Blood Donation
3.  And again, another easy way for a non-health volunteer to find ways to help in Boston - Volunteer in Boston

Please extend a hand, donate some blood, take that CPR course you have always wanted to take, and just do something for you, your friends, your family and your loved ones.

Good luck,


ONAAT CREW

Navigate the World of One Nurse At A Time

David Fox and Sue Averill just finished working on this little gem for One Nurse At A Time. It is an excellent video and it takes about 4 minutes of your time to watch. The video briefly describes what we do, how to use the website, what is on the website and some great educational tools at your disposal.





I hope you enjoy this little gem of a video! I did! Please pass on to others if you wish!


Navigate the World of One Nurse At A Time - Video




Cheers -

ONAAT

Excellent Toolkits from AANP

One of our scholarship nurses Jenn Tucker, RN posted this great informational from American Academy of Nurse Practioners. On their website AANP Toolkit they have a tab dedicated to "Education". Under this tab, they have various different types of education for nurses, nursing professionals, or moms, dads, grandparents or whoever!

The topic I looked at is Safety Matters: Pediatric Medication Safety

What an excellent resource for parents- it had all the information you will ever need when it comes to giving your child a medication- right down to the specifics on the medication bottle you receive from the pharmacist. Excellent!

The other topics on the website include:
- A Pathway to Better Health
- A Road Map to Managing your Triglycerides and Protecting Your Heart
- Fibromyalgia
- von Willebrand Disease
- Road Map to Teen Health: Adolescent Health Promotion
- A Breath of Fresh Air: Living with COPD
- Preceptor NP

A major tip when using this website, download or save the pdf to your computer. It saves time and is sooo much faster than trying to toggle through the pages on the actual website.

The great thing about these toolkit is they are designed by AANP's as they are desgined to keep Nurse Practioners informed on important health issues and to assist them in educating their patients.  There are new toolkits being developed all the time, so check back at their website frequently for more information.