bporter1

Hello Chad! I've worked in our hospital's IRB Office and Nursing Research Departments. I agree with the other post, nursing AND research are both evidence-based. And "Research" can be practical--it doesn't need to be intimidating or theoretical. For example, we currently have an Associate's Degree prepared floor nurse conducting a research study who works in the coronary care unit. She observed several patients crying or getting very upset when they were told they had to stay in the hospital longer in order to get their coumadin levels stabilized. Much of the wait had to do with processing the venous lab draws, so she got the support of the cardiologists to try point-of-care (fingerstick) blood testing. The hardest part, of course, was doing the literature search and preparing her research protocol, but she managed to get POC meters donated and everything for her study! She's currently in the middle of her research, but I anticipate she'll be able to prove that getting faster PT/INR's not only improves patient care and satisfaction, but saves the hospital $$. It takes a while to get into the research groove, so please don't get discouraged. Think of it as a formal way to document quality improvement ideas. And when you start working, look for a hospital that supports nursing research--it's important to have adquate time and resources, and you can't do that if Administration doesn't support research. Good luck and don't give up!! Bernadette

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Hello! I'm not a nurse, but used to work in our hospital's IRB Office and interacted with Nurse Research Coodinators on a daily basis. The ones who were successful were detail-oriented, organized, had good written communication skills and could handle all the necessary paperwork. Much of their jobs dealt with documenting study procedures and adverse events for the sponsoring Pharm company/ies. Being proficient at multi-tasking seemed key, as well. The Coordinators who weren't as sucessful as Research Nurses were the ones who really enjoyed/preferred patient contact and interaction, and helping people in general. They missed patients and would get frustrated at the seemingly nit-picky and demanding documentation requirements (and they *are* demanding and nit-picky!). There were several nurses who "wanted a change," became Study Coordinators and went back to floor nursing because they missed their patients. I would suggest you consider spending some time shadowing a Nurse Research Coordinator, if possible. It can be an interesting and rewarding job for those nurses who are cut out for it! Best of luck!!

Thanks for bringing a rational side to this debate; other sources to check out (including a thread entitled "Doctors Revolt" on allnurses.com) include: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_doctors_revolt http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080331_551691.htm http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEED91E3DF937A35750C0A965958260 http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/history.htm This was quite a history lesson for me--I had no idea universal health coverage was proposed ages ago by Franklin Roosevelt along with Social Security, but the AMA quashed it. Figures.

To echo Dianacabana, yes, black berries or blueberries will do it every time, especially in jams and Oregon Farms canned fruits...

Hi, this is my first posting, but my husband and I benifitted greatly from Barefoot Science insoles. I had PF from stepping backwards into a steep ditch/hole and my husband had it from working all day as a courier delivering packages. We both felt relief within the first two weeks, but were completely symptom free after 3 or 4 months. We won't wear shoes without them now. The website is: http://www.barefootscience.com/usa/ ...or you can just google "Barefoot Science" and lots of options turn up (likes non-BS sites that will ship them for free). The website offers two pair for $70 and they last a while (about six months). Hope you find them worth a try and good luck!