January 2011
34 posts
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NCLEX: What to Really Expect →
pinkcollarproselyte:
So, if anyone happens to stumble upon this and you’re about to take the NCLEX, here is what it’s like.
Before you take it, you study. A lot. You study everything you learned in school. You study things you’ve never heard of which makes you a little uncomfortable.
You talk to people about it….
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Skin Lesions
Too better help me remember certain skin terms:
Macule- small, circular, change in skin color. Freckles.
Papule - circular, superficial thickening (elevation) of the skin. Wart.
Skin plaque - a broad, raised area on the skin. Because it is raised, it can be palpated. Psoriasis.
Pustule - a pustule is a little pimple full of pus. Acne.
Vesicle - a small blister.
Bulla- a large blister.
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Diseases can be carried in body substances. Period.
Precautions are used for all patients. Reason - it is impossible to know which patients are infected with such conditions as HIV, HBV, or other infectious agents.
Gloves are worn whenever the health care worker may come in contact with blood, body fluids containing blood, and other body fluids. Wear gloves at all times if you have any...
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Health Screening
The following programs and health screenings are currently recommended as part of a healthy person’s regular health assessment in the U.S.
Everyone
Dental exam
Regular visits will help to identify any tooth or gum problems before they progress. Should begin within six months of a child’s first tooth and no later than the first birthday. Regular check-ups and cleanings should be...
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Characteristics of an Adolescent
Teenagers. Ahh. Just remembering those days hurts my head.
Establish realistic expectations for family rules. Establish clear limits: curfews, work hours.
Minimize criticism, nagging, and derogatory comments. Recognize positive behavior and achievement.
Respect the child’s need for PRIVACY. They strive for independence.
Child begins to exhibit a mature understanding of death. May have...
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Characteristics of a School Age Child
Safety: Water, seat belts, skateboard, bicycle, fire safety. But most importantly - establish a plan for child if approached by a stranger.
Encourage good dental hygiene habits.
Encourage good eating habits.
Regular physical activity (group & team activities). Encourage peer relationship and communication.
Parental role-model behaviors: using seat belts, avoiding tobacco, eating...
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The answer machine at a Psychiatric Hospital
“Hello, welcome to the Mental Health Hotline.”
If you are: Obsessive-Compulsive, press 1, repeatedly. Co-Dependent, please ask someone to press 2 for you. Multiple Personalities, press 3, 4, 5, and 6. Paranoid, we know who you are and what you want. Stay on the line so we can trace your call.
Delusional, press 7, and your call will be transferred to the Mother Ship....
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Characteristics of a Preschooler
Safety is always very important. Discuss use of car seat and seat belts, precautions for swimming pools, pedestrian and street safety, proper use of playground equipment.
Control time spent watching TV and in my case, playing games on the iPod Touch. Encourage socializing with friends.
Household chores, picking up toys, straightening up room.
Structured learning environment: Pre-K.
...
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Characteristics of a Toddler
Continue to emphasize safety - poison, car seats, falls, water safety, medication.
Toilet training usually begins at 2 years - accidents are common.
Temper tantrums are attention-seeking behavior and is very common with toddlers (remember the TERRIBLE TWOS).
Need to start regular dental check-ups. Establish and maintain consistency in discipline (they need routines).
Toddlers enjoy...
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Characteristics of a baby (Infant)
Infant, aka baby. Age range is from birth - 1 year old.
Use of an infant car seat. It should face the rear of the car.
Place baby on his back or side when sleeping- to prevent aspiration. Also, by 3-4 months the infant sleeps about 15 hours PER DAY! Whoa!
More safety precautions..
The baby starts ROLLING at 3-4 months. Always keep one hand on the baby when he is on a high surface. Never...
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Moral Reasoning
Moral development is a topic of interest in both psychology and education. Kohlberg formed a theory that explained the development of moral reasoning.
Kohlberg based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of young children. A series of moral dilemmas were presented to children, who were then interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario. The following...
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Personality Development by Freud
Freud developed a theory of personality development that centered on the effects of the sexual pleasure drive on the individual psyche. At particular points in the developmental process, he claimed, a single body part is particularly sensitive to sexual, erotic stimulation. These erogenous zones are the mouth, the anus, and the genital region.
If a child progresses normally through...
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“Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the...”
– Erik Erikson
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Personality Development by Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan.
One of the main elements of his theory is the development of ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson,...
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Process of Thought - Piaget Theory
Growth implies increase in size - height & weight.
Development refers to the skills and abilities acquired throughout your life.
The path of progression is:
1- Head to toe. Head control proceeds the ability to walk.
2- Trunk to tips. The neonate can move his arms and legs easily but can’t pick up objects with his fingers.
3- General to specific. Simple tasks are mastered before...
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Care of the Newborn - Nursery
After care in the Delivery Room is complete, take the baby to the nursery for admission procedures.
Begin by removing the delivery room blanket and weighing the infant. Then place the infant in an open warmer for the remainder of the procedures to maintain adequate temperature.
Measure the infant.
Length - from top of head to heel with the leg fully extended.
Head Circumference - normal is...
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Care of the Newborn - Delivery Room
There are several needs of a newborn that require close attention.
Establishing and maintaining the newborn’s airway must be done immediately. Once the infant is delivered, his head is held slightly downward, at the level of the uterus, to promote drainage of mucous and fluid. Dry the infant’s face. If the infant doesn’t breath spontaneously, he should be stimulated to cry by...
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Characteristics of a Newborn - Review of Systems
Circulatory System
Blood Flow. When the umbilical blood stops flowing at birth, sudden pressure differences occur within the circulatory system. These differences cause the blood flowing to the lungs and liver to increase and the blood flowing through the bypass channels to decrease. Peripheral circulation refers to residual cyanosis in hands and feet. This may be apparent for one to...
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Characteristics of a Newborn- Head, Eyes, Skin
The nurse aids the newborn in the stressful transition from a warm, dark, fluid-filled heaven, to an outside world filled with light, sound, and uncertainty.
This new baby needs to adapt to a whole new world, and the nurse must be knowledgeable enough to recognize what is normal and what is not. To begin life as an independent being, the baby must establish pulmonary ventilation in conjunction...
La Leche League →
Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
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Lactation
There are 2 hormones that are responsible for the production of milk.
Prolactin- is a hormone essential for milk production by the breast. The release of prolactin is controlled by the amount of dopamine produced by the brain.
Oxytocin- stimulates contractions in the breast to “let down” or release the milk through the nipple. It also causes the uterus to contract (may result in...
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Postpartum Assessment
Postpartum care begins immediately after childbirth.
Remember BUBBLE:
B- Breasts
Inspection of nipples - everted, flat, inverted? Breast tissue - soft, filling, firm? Temperature and color - warm, pink, cool, red streaked
U- Uterus
Location - midline or deviated to either the right or the left side? Tone - firm, firm with massage or boggy?
B- Bladder
Last time the client emptied her...
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Psychological Needs of the Postpartum Patient
The major task for the parents is the process of bonding and attachment with their newborn. This takes place for 3-4 days, after the baby is born. The nurse should observe their interaction and offer psychological support and reassurance - that everything will truly be ok.
Three phases are involved in this time frame. Let’s review each one.
1-Taking-In Phase. During this phase the mother...
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
– -Anonymous