Understanding about Ambu Bag

An Ambu bag is a medical device used to provide assisted ventilation to people who are either not breathing or are having trouble breathing. The bag needs to be compressed to force a volume of air into the lungs. Ambu is a registered trademark name for a major manufacturer of the device. The technical name for the device is a bag valve mask resuscitator or BMV resuscitator.

Function

An Ambu bag is used by medical personnel, such as a nurse or respiratory therapist. Using an Ambu bag takes the place of forcing air into the lungs using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Bags come in different sizes for infants, children and adults. The different sizes are needed to deliver an appropriate tidal volume of air to the patient, based on his size.

Features

An Ambu bag consists of a bag, adapter and one-way valve. The bag is the main part of the device. It can be attached directly to an endotracheal tube or a mask using the adapter. The bag also has a one-way valve which allows the oxygen to flow to the patient and prevents the patient from breathing in his exhaled air. Some bags may have a reservoir, which increases the amount of oxygen the patient receives.

6 Hard Truths You Will Face When You Become a Nurse

It is true that the nursing experience had scarred me for life. I have helped the helpless thinking that if I give a lot of love around then I would also receive the same amount in return. But sadly, part of the career would also mean enduring treatments of ungratefulness from the people you have served. The profession will really push you to your limits and no matter how huge your efforts were to deliver the best nursing care to your patients, somehow, it is never enough. How I was treated by my patients and the company that I worked with seems to influence my view with my profession, changing it into a job that only pays the bills and not as a way of life. Eventually, I have reached a disordered way of looking at the profession. I am no longer seeing the real meaning of being a nurse and my perspective changed.

Vitamins

Vitamins are also known as supplements. Nowadays, one can get many types of vitamins as well as herbs in capsules or tablets from the pharmacies, clinics or even the supermarket. There are basically two types of vitamins : natural and synthetic. The latter is manufactured in laboratories whereas the former is extracted from natural sources. Supplements have become very popular since the last few decades both in the East and the West.

Assisting Patient with Oral Care

Adequate oral hygiene care is imperative to promote the patient’s sense of well-being and prevent deterioration of the oral cavity. Poor oral hygiene is reported to lead to the colonization of the oropharyngeal secretions by respiratory pathogens. Diligent oral hygiene care can improve oral health and limit the growth of pathogens in the oropharyngeal secretions, decreasing the incidence of aspiration pneumonia and other systemic diseases (Yoon & Steele, 2007; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses [AACN], 2006). The mouth requires care even during illness, but sometimes care must be modified to meet a patient’s needs. If the patient can assist with mouth care, provide the necessary materials. Oral care is important not only to prevent dental caries but also to improve the patient’s self-image. Oral care should be done at least twice a day for ambulatory patients.

NCP: Ineffective Airway Clearance

Nursing Assessment

Johti Singh is a 39-year-old secretary who was admitted to  the hospital with an elevated temperature, fatigue, rapid, labored respirations; and mild dehydration. The nursing history reveals that Ms. Singh has had a “bad cold” for several weeks that just wouldn’t go away. She has been dieting for several months and skipping meals. Ms. Singh mentions that in addition to her full-time job as a secretary she is attending college classes two evenings a week. She has smoked one package of cigarettes per day since she was 18 years old. Chest x-ray confirms pneumonia.

6 Surprising Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners on earth. It is used to sweeten tea and other delicious foods. But actually, it offers more than just flavor. Many Researches show that honey provides a variety of health benefits as well. Here are the top 6 benefits of honey: 

  1. Fight against acid reflux

Research published in the British Medical Journal found that honey may be an effective way to prevent acid reflux by coating the esophagus.  Researchers determined honey is 125.9 times more viscous than distilled water, and forms a much better coating, which can help reduce heartburn.

Learning Theories in Nursing

Learning theories refers to theoretical frameworks which try to explain how people and animals learn, thereby helping us understand the inherently complex process of learning. Learning refers to “a persisting change in human performance or performance potential brought about   as a result of the learner’s interaction with the   environment”. There are three main categories of learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, and humanism.