Nursing Tip Of The Day

No matter how you look at it, most people are under a tremendous amount of stress. Add to that an illness or disease, and it soon becomes a vicious cycle. Believe it or not nurses deal with stress all the time, their patients stress.

In home care, we often see patients that have just returned from the hospital, and are now coping with a different level of health, or lack thereof. Even though they are happier and more comfortable at home, their stress levels are quite high, measurably so.

A patient just released from the hospital may be confused about the change in medication, treatment received when in the hospital, how their spouses or loved ones are coping with the situation, worries about long term care and the possibility that they may never get their good health back.

A frequent problem is side effects of medications and or chemotherapy. Nausea can be a formidable opponent when a person is trying to heal from injury, surgery, or chemotherapy treatments, among other things.

Often, a prescription to relieve this unpleasant side effect is given. Another pill to add to the pile of pills. Surely there's a better way.

And, there is. Make good friends with your ice pack. If you don't have an ice pack, you can easily make one with ice cubes, and a doubled zip lock bag.

Are you ready? Here's the nursing tip of the day...place that ice pack right on your stomach, not where you think your stomach is, but up high, where the inverted "V" of your ribs is, where they come together. In about 5 minutes your nausea will be relieved.

Not bad, eh?