I’ve finished my two weeks in maternity, I’m half way through my two weeks working in the mental health unit, and I’m gearing up for the two weeks in the emergency department… All this as well as getting engaged, making weekend trips away, and preparing for exams. I am beat!
My very first day two and a half years ago. I’ve now enrolled in the units for my last semester and I’m headed for my postgrad!
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Alcohol is able to cross the placental barrier. Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs when a woman drinks during pregnancy causing the baby to be born with a range of physical and mental defects. Alcohol affects the normal development of the central nervous system and can cause developmental delay, learning and behavioural difficulties in the child and mental retardation. Characteristic craniofacial abnormalities are seen with fetal alcohol syndrome shown in the picture above. As adults, those who were born with FAS are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and are predisposed to other mental health problems.
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived… this is to have succeeded
“
| — | Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Potential causes of a decreased LOC
A- alcohol, acidosis, anoxia, allergies
E- epilepsy, environment
I- insulin, infection (sepsis)
O- overdose
U- uraemia (metabolic), underdose
T- trauma, toxins, tumour
P- psychiatric disorder
S- stroke (CVA), side effects of medication
What are the most important things you can do to protect yourself against medication errors?
Nurse with aggressive defensiveness: the compressed and pressured zeitgeist of the emergency department is skewed to siphon potentially catastrophic errors straight into your underpants. Be vigilant always. And encourage a culture of pro-tection (yourself) and co-tection (your colleagues).
Advocate for developing an information rich environment. Easy access to current hospital medication policies, drug guidelines and relevant information at the point of medication dispensing.
Be attentive. When handling medications try to punch a little space in your multi-exponential-tasking of urgent things that need to be done hours ago. Slow down and turn on your lights. Medication. Meditation. Nearly the same word.
Be accountable: When you do make an error (not if, but when), the worse thing you can do is to ignore it or try to cover it up. Immediately let your supervisor, the patients doctor and the patient know.
Be supportive. Nobody gets out of a career in nursing without a medication error or two sagging in their underpants. It is the worst feeling in the world. Even worse than getting a needle stick injury.
