Neuro (ALS) question!!! Please help!

[Ashalia21]

Hi everyone,

I am a student and I am completing a research paper on ALS and working with Neuro patients. I am required to interview a nurse or someone who works or has worked with near patients. I have 9 questions to ask; if someone is willing me answer them for me along with their credentials or previous credentials that would be so helpful and greatly appreciated. The questions are as follows:

1. What do you find usually brings patients in for their initial diagnosis?

2. How difficult is it to get people with this condition to understand the severity of the situation when they are diagnosed?

3. What have you found to be the greatest cause or contributing factor of this condition? How much does genetics play into acquiring this disease?

4. What have you found to be the greatest challenge persons with this condition face (personal and/or medical)?

5. What are some practical recommendations you give your patients or caregivers to help deal with and maintain their disease?

6. Do you feel there has been a higher incidence of diagnosis of this condition in recent years? If yes, why do you think that is?

7. What are some of the most common side effects of the medications a person with this condition would experience?

8. Do your patients complain of oral side effects, if so, what type of oral side effects?

9. If you have any parting comments that you feel would be valuable please feel free to share them with me.

Thank you so much. Im sure you all remember the pressures of school! :)

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I would not be so sure that a nursing instructor would accept on of our answers since we are strangers on the internet. I would see if you could speak with a nurse in a local hospital neurology unit or a local neurology clinic.

[Sour Lemon]

Anonymity may also be an issue for many. Not too many people want their professional identity connected to an internet chat site screen name.

Someone may answer, but start working on a plan B just in case.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I did my own research as a student. I feel strongly that you should also do yours.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Pretty sure your instructor did not mean for you to post your homework on the internet for others to complete.

[KrCmommy522, BSN, RN]

I would not be so sure that a nursing instructor would accept on of our answers since we are strangers on the internet. I would see if you could speak with a nurse in a local hospital neurology unit or a local neurology clinic.

I totally agree! I keep seeing people posting questions asking users to answer a list of questions. This is seriously like the 5th or so one I've seen the last few weeks! That never would have been accepted by my instructors! When it asks the person's name you interviewed, what do you put? The screen name? It seems like it would take just as much time and effort to just call a neurology unit or clinic and ask if there is some people there you can interview.

I don't know! Just my two-sense!

[rhinoroc]

I say go to a neuro floor in the local hospital and ask the charge nurse or unit clerk if they can think of any of their nurses that would do the interview. If you have a few bucks, maybe offer to buy them lunch or coffee. I know the idea may seem intimidating but nursing in itself is intimidating, better to start working on that as a student right? I think it could open doors for you too and maybe you make a friend or two.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

These essay questions are probably best asked of someone who works in a neuro clinic. It's also best for you to take notes while the nurse talks, rather than ask her to answer essay questions. Actually I'm wondering if an NP would be better to interview... I've never worked in a clinic, but in my experience as a pt and as a mom -- in primary care, OB, peds, cards, and even in neuro (I had sx that mimicked MS, so was worked up in a neuro clinic) -- I really don't see much of the nurses. These essay questions seem more geared toward initial diagnosis and ongoing care -- not so much inpatient.

I've worked in neuro for most of my career, but can count on one hand the number of ALS pts I have cared for. The pts were all non-verbal, and anyway too few people to observe trends or that kind of thing. Myself, I wouldn't know quite how to answer these essay questions, even as an experienced inpatient/ICU RN.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

You could also call your local hospitals and see if you could speak to a CNS or nursing educator. I agree with the poster before me in that you should *GO* ... I would not recommend approaching the charge nurse, and CERTAINLY not the unit clerk. 1) they are extremely busy caring for pts. Personally I would not stop work to either do the interview or check my schedule for a future meeting. When I have downtime, I take my meal break, and 2) Neither the charge RN nor unit clerk can volunteer someone else to answer essay questions. You need agreement from the nurse in question... and I doubt a hospital would allow you to go around approaching all of the staff.

Even non-bedside RNs like the CNS et al, need to agree to a meeting time; you can't just show up and expect an immediate interview. (Not saying you do -- I just want to make sure)

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Or -- The ALS Association

If you click on "find local services," they have links to clinics and support groups. That might generate some leads.

[MelEpiRN]

You can also check out Team Gleason | Steve Gleason | New Orleans Saints

[KrCmommy522, BSN, RN]

I would not be so sure that a nursing instructor would accept on of our answers since we are strangers on the internet. I would see if you could speak with a nurse in a local hospital neurology unit or a local neurology clinic.

Not to mention the fact that these are strangers. Of course, some people do include their years of experience and what they specialize in. We hope they are truthful, but you don't always know. At least if you take the time to go somewhere and talk to the people in person, you will have no doubt that they are who they say they are and their answers are factual.