Lithium -- teaching "hook?"

Specialties Psychiatric

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Hi, everyone. I'm in my last year of nursing school. Tuesday is the last day of my mental health rotation. :cry: I have loved every minute of it and will miss it sorely. To wrap up the rotation, our instructor is having us present on various disorders and the meds that accompany them.

I'm ready to go, with one exception. My drug is lithium and she wants a "hook" -- something catchy -- that will help my classmates remember as much as possible about lithium.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am just not good at thinking of catchy things like that on the spur of the moment. I can talk all about the drug, what it does, what the important nursing implications are, etc., but I just can't think of a hook. I wish librium was lithium because then I could say something like, "Librium helps re-establish equi-LIBRIUM," but that's not right, librium being an anxiolytic.

Can anyone give me something to work with, here? I swear, I'm not being lazy...I've done a bunch of google searches, etc., and am just :banghead:.

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

What about something off the brand name (Escalith)? For example, "Escalith helps desecalate bi-polar highs," or something like that?

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Ooooh, Christine, I like that! That's good! I think I might be able to work with that!

And congratulations on just passing your boards! Woo-hooo!

Thanks so much!

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One interesting fact about Li+ (although I don't know if this is the sort of thing you're looking for) is that it is the only naturally occuring psych drug -- it is mined out of the earth and appears on the periodic table. One of the largest Li+ mines is located in GA.

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Actually, Elk, it's interesting you should say that. I'd heard that about Lithium somewhere before and asked my husband (a chemist) about it today. I told one of my co-presenters about this, and she suggested a little visual aid of a periodic table with the Li+ highlighted on it with like a call out box that lists some of the nursing implications that goes with the drug. That alone might cause someone to remember a "spark" if lithium comes up on the boards or our psych exam:D. THANKS!

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Specializes in Psych.

Cree;

I maybe too late for your presentation, BUT...to me the most interesting thing about psych meds, is where we have "stolen" them from. Until recent research into neurochemistry, we have stumbled apon our treatments. Although I have no documentation for you, lithium was found to stablize mood swings in cardiac patients who were told to reduce their salt intake, and actually had salt shakers full of lithium salts at their dining tables. In fact, after a few died, lithium toxcicity was "born". However the following link disputes my urban legend. This link certainly makes it one of the earlyist examples of psychopahrmacology. Sorry I can't come up with something more creative like..."Lithium! It lifts the spirits of bipolar depression". Guess this is why I don't work on Madison Avenue..LOL

http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/LithiumHistory.htm

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

What about the fact they used to put lithium in 7 UP. Talk about mood enhancing

Also http://www.crazymeds.us might have some kind of witty comment as well

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Thanks, you guys!

I used the escalator thing as the hook, and then talked about the chemical properties of Lithium and it went really well...love it when you teach your instructor something new!

Thanks so much for all the help! I just love it here!

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