I hear you Brita! I have done a lot of research into this myself, and NRS Karen helped me enormously by sending me copies of stuff, she is the best resource! But, if she is busy (and she is a busy woman,) you can also check out
www.nih.gov , the nat'l institutes of health web site, they have clinical guidelens for many treatments, so you can educate pt's with the evidenced-based facts. Also, I surf lots of pt ed sites, which tell me what pt's need to know. Other excellent resources are the DME companies, and product manufacturers, like Ross, who makes an excellent enteral feeding pt ed booklet, and Shiley, who sent me a pt ed vidoe on ttrach care and a great pt ed booklet. Also, got info and samples of leg bags by e-mailing foley companies. There is TONS of info on the web for pt teaching. I also go to the disease org's web sites, for example, I have a pt with Paget's disease, not very common disorder, so I went to the pagets foundation, and downloaded and printed out a 6 page pt ed booklet, also one for health care providers, and I gave him copies for his doctors and his files, and put one on the chart for the per diem nurses to refer too as well. So try amaerican heart association, lung association, drug companie sites on the web. I frequently request glaxo to send a wellcome packet on asthma management to my asthmatic pt's and teach them according to the NIH asthma diagnosis and Rx guidelines recommendations.
Of course, you have to use respectable web sites designed and prepared by experts, who have done legitimate research, and not just a pt giving his/her opinion.
I have some of these links on my web site
www.geocities.com/vnarn_nj
Would you like to comment?
It is yours to read, post, and make of it what you will. I am happy that there are so many HH nurses, and we have a pretty good forum going here. It has its ups and downs, posts seem to go in spurts, then a lull, then another spurt, so keep reading, and posting!
