Equinox_93

During your time in Africa did you have small children waiting at home for you?

Maybe- does sinus arrhythmia occur only during deep respiration? If normal respiration doesn't change a rhythm, but deep respiration regulates it- is that within the definition of a sinus arrhythmia? I thought that sinus arrhythmia was an irregularity that occured during normal respiration...? *curious* Also- does the irregularity of a sinus arrhythmia include more than just accelerations/decelerations? Does it also include inconsistant beats that regulate with deep breathing? I guess I'm just weird- all these little nuances fascinate me. LOL Thanks for the "why" :)

... Would you have your daughters labia removed? Some find that smaller or almost nonexistant labia "look better".

I'm curious- an irregular rhythm that regulates with deep breathing- is this common for irregularities? Why/why not? What could this be? (This isn't asked to diagnose- not looking at a patient or self here- it's just a point of curiosity as to what sorts of irregularities are something to worry about and what aren't- and the anatomy of WHY an irregular beat might regulate with deep breathing... The cardiac system is my current focus and curiosity LOL ... Thanks in advance! :nuke:

Sorry, but if I carry someone around in my womb for 9 months and then push or have them cut out of my body and am responsible for raising them for 18 years, you better damnwell believe that I'm going to have a say in what happens to that person, whether they share my gender or not. :) Further- my husband was circ'd, and he was even more adamant than myself that our son NOT be cut. Do a google search on foreskin restoration... You'll read several accounts of adult men who do have issues with having been circ'd. You will also find those support groups for men who do feel that they have been maimed and that the choice had been taken from them. http://www.norm.org/ Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it's not out there :)

.... If I left my kids during a crisis, it would also be called abandoning- and I'd lose my kids.... I'll take losing my license over losing my kids....

... Well... In the event of a major pandemic where everyone around is dying or a terrorist threat where everyone is afraid another bomb is going to kill everyone- "me time" kinda goes out the window in favor of self preservation.... In situations such as we are talking, there IS no relaxation time or "me time" whether you're at work or not....

Just another thought... In a widespread disaster scenario- NO ONE can be relied upon to be there in an emergency because no one knows who will be affected by the disaster/emergency. If a bomb goes off downtown, you can't count on employees not having been downtown and not having been affected. I'd rather know someone clearly won't be able to be there than to wonder. Most facilities would almost certainly rather have great staff who are there 100% day to day but are known to have childcare issues and have to be strict on their schedulling (but 100% within that schedulling) than to only hire the ones who can definately make it to work during the apocalypse.

I guess the bottom line is that there are alot of people who hold both perspectives and neither is going to change the others mind. This doesn't make anyone "less of a (insert healthcare professional here)" it just means that different people have different priorities and that's just the way it is.

Sorry, but I think you're off base. I know quite a few long standing nurses in a variety of areas of nursing and most are in agreement with the idea that family comes first. As it stands, 30% say they will not work during a pandemic (the poll thread) and 21% are undecided. I'm hardly alone in this stance. Further, you have no idea what my education or experience may be outside of what is in my profile. Just because I am a CNA at this time and moving into nursing school doesn't mean that I don't have degrees or experience in other medical or related areas. For all you know I might be a psychiatrist or other healthcare professional looking to move into a different medical field of expertise. I'm not saying I am or I'm not- I'm merely pointing out that you really have no idea. Again, I'd wager that more people than not DON'T have reliable long term childcare if they thought about the potential situations during the situations we're talking about here. Daycares and schools may well be closed during these situations. Something to really think about. If all the nurses who currently rely on daycare and school for their childcare needs were to think "Gee, I shouldn't be a nurse because I don't have someone nearby who can raise my kid if disaster strikes and I have to live at the hospital for awhile." I think we'd be looking at a far greater and more serious nursing shortage than has been going on. Do you also feel that nurses who are having a harder time finding full time work in their current area should be moving their families across the country to fill the holes in places where shortages are still a problem?

TraumaRUs- That's got to be great having family so close by. I grew up in a mining town and DH is a computer geek, so we had to move where the jobs were. *sigh* Dondie- One thing that you could try is posting an ad on Craigslist for someone to share childcare with. I'll bet you aren't the only mom in the area who's in your position... If you can find someone you're compatible with, you both may benefit greatly.... Good luck!

i appreciate the positions of those who are concerned about what will happen to your loved ones if you work. on the other hand, who do you think will be looking after you or your family if pandemc influenza hits your home? i would be looking out for my child/family. if i were working- that would be all i would be thinking about and wouldn't be at all effective. small children need their parents if they're sick. further, if it were a pandemic issue, quarantine would be in effect. if my child caught the pandemic strain- we would be quarantined in our home and you better believe i'd be there with my child. it makes no sense to go to work and expose my patients and coworkers to whatever pandemic illness has hit my home. the way you talk it's as if parents of small children should just be prepared to let the nanny raise them if "the public" is in need. or are you saying that parents of small children shouldn't work in healthcare? to me- prioritizing my family while the kids are small is expected, normal and right. once they're grown- then those priorities can shift. i'm honestly surprised that anyone would think otherwise. but- different strokes, i guess.

IMO there are ways that those trained in healthcare professions can help out HUGELY but independantly- not clocking hours at their place of employment. Just because I am not in support of mandatory service due to career choice, and would not choose to be tied to a hospital without recourse in the event of an emergency doesn't mean I would necessarily huddle down in my basement and avoid contact with the outside world. In such an emergency situation, there would be MANY MANY MANY people who would not have access to hospitals or other places where I might be employed. Being active in my community to the extent that I am able given my other obligations to my family is something that I am certainly not opposed to. So yes- you DID read me wrong. What I think alot of people aren't understanding here is that in situations such as a highly fatal pandemic strain or terrorist threat etc. there may well be no going home. There may be quarantine where people LIVE at the hospital or facility for an unknown time frame. There may be martial law imposed where going to/from work *may* be compromised. I'm not giving over my small children to a neighbor or a nanny for an unknown time frame "for the greater good". The degree of emergency mentioned here I'm not seeing as something where you can maintain your 8 or 12hr shift and then go home on a regular basis.

No- you are reading me wrong there. I am saying that if the options are between being forced to do something versus being given incentive to do something- it's more effective to give incentive.

I entered my profession to help others. Not necessarily to serve them. There is, IMO, a large difference. Florence Nightingale did not have children she was responsible for while she was doing her time as a nurse. Are you suggesting that mothers of young children should not be nurses? Or that they should abdicate their primary responsibility to their children in favor of their profession? Yes- there are extreme cases that we are talking about- however- that doesn't negate a mothers primary responsibility- to her children. There are "needs greater than ones own" all across the world- even right now without pandemics, terrorism etc. Should all nurses go trotting the globe to wherever those needs may be simply because we chose to be in the medical profession??? Anarchy? No- just a reasonable sense of sanity. If you feel so strongly about this- I assume you must have been in New Orleans after Katrina? And are probably still there given the dire need for nurses?

Yes- I'm just against forcing people to do things in these contexts on general principle. I tend to find that morale is higher and the job gets done much better/more efficiently/effectively when people WANT to be somewhere. I am wholly anti-conscription whether for war or nursing emergencies. I tend to believe that those who can generally will- when given proper incentive (decent salary, good working conditions, etc.) At the very least- I could at least stomach it were it done like jury duty- with excusable absences such as other unavoidable obligations. I'd be willing to bet that the number of people who would jump at the opportunity to work during situations like (pandemic, terrorist attack, etc.) would be very high if the government just handed out bonuses for doing the time. Money talks and they're great at printing it up when they want something. As with children, positive incentives tend to be far more effective than negative punishments. MHO.

Hey- if "they" want to pay the astronomical costs for in-home childcare plus my salary in that situation? Sure- I'll probably do it. Otherwise- they can have my license because yes- my children are my first priority. Everyone else can have my service- and gladly- but ONLY once they (my children) are taken care of. And anyone who thinks that that is somehow a wrongful prioritization is IMO the one who needs to rethink their priorities. Think about it- if a parent is worried about their child in a situation like that- how focused will they be on the task? If they are not focused on the task- how likely is it that mistakes will be made? If mistakes are made- how likely is it that someone could die? The way you talk is as if one shouldn't go into nursing if they have children they recognize their responsibility for, and don't have family nearby who can devote an unspecified amount of time toward raising (since in a case like that who knows how long the situation would last or how many hours a day/week one would have to have them do this) or who can't afford the astronomical cost of in-home childcare (in situations like we are speaking of, there is a good chance that childcare facilities would be closed- or does the state have mandates that they are required to be open as well?) Nevermind whatever special requirements those who have children with special needs might face... As for public need superceding individual right- well- sorry but I think that mindset is a load of crock. But then- I'm not a socialist. I think that the worst that should be able to happen in this situation is that if one leaves a job- they can't go back to that job and expect it to be there. This is healthcare- people are sick and dying every day. Everyone has their limits. People resign now for poor working conditions, family issues etc. A situation like we're talking here should be no different as far as being forced to work.

:) Good ta know! I'll have to try that. Sorry the other night was so..... ya know, there's not even a word for that ROFL! Wow. You've definately earned the Poop Patrol award!

How do you keep the soapy washcloths warm? I know alot of residents get very upset if their soapies are cold- and I certainly can't blame them! LOL!

Yeah- regardless of the point that "you can't catch the flu from the vaccine" I ALWAYS have gotten a flu after I get a vaccine, but NEVER get one (so far) when I don't. Odd coincidence- and not saying necessarily that it's FROM the vaccine- but it's enough of a coincidence that I stopped getting the vaccines- mainly because I can't afford to be laid out for a month recovering from sickness every time. (It takes me FOREVER to shake it- I end up with sinus infection after sinus infection after I get sick).

I think you're grossly overreacting. From reports, Mexico has seen a hundred or so deaths, the US- one. Singular. Death. I think that if this thing mutates and we start seeing more deaths? OK- sure. But right now? I think this is huge over reaction.

That IS weird. I'm in OH and from what I've heard and found- no one will even *talk* to you until you pass your state test as far as employment goes. So if there is a difference, it's not one that seems to be played out in practice....

... I might just make a phone call to the school's principal and let them know of the family's plans- and then rather than just closing the whole school after they get back- they can just tell that family that they need to keep thier kid out until medically cleared.

This flu, yes. However, the concern is that "this flu" is at a high risk of mutation into "another flu" that has a far greater mortality rate. As to child care- most people do have short term back up plans. However- how many people have long term ones in place for the event of school closings, daycare closings, nannies that come down with a serious pandemic illness or are unable to care for ones child due to enforced quarantine etc. etc. etc. How many of us don't live near family members or those who would be home and willing to care for another child? Or who have special needs children who need special care that requires alot more than just calling that nice SAHM down the street to sit for a bit? Yes- everyone should have a backup plan- but this is quite a bit different than the sort of potential back up plans that most people have in place.

That's awesome... ... assuming it doesn't pick up the anti-viral resistance that alot of flu strains have so far.....