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Mom Becomes a Nurse to Care for Her Daughter with Rare Genetic Condition
Kelley Heger’s life changed dramatically when her five-month-old daughter Jullian was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder known as aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency, or AADC. The disorder affects the brain, muscle tone, and childhood development. It is considered life-threatening with no known cure. The 54-year-old decided to pursue nursing to better care for her daughter. She wanted to acquire enough knowledge to level with Jullian’s doctors. “They knew that there was no point beating around the bush since I knew exactly what they were talking about,” Heger said. She added that some of the physicians assumed she was a […]
Meth User Charged with Murder After Baby is Stillborn
Police have charged one woman from Central California with murder after she gave birth to a stillborn baby with toxic amounts of methamphetamine in his system. Chelsea Becker, 25, of Hanford, CA, was eight and a half months pregnant when she gave birth to a stillborn baby at a local hospital. Staff members became concerned that the baby may have drugs in his system. They alerted the authorities, which triggered an official autopsy. The investigation revealed the child had methamphetamine in his system five times the amount considered to be toxic. The coroner ruled the death a homicide. Now, Becker […]
Florida Hospitals Face Crisis After Hurricane Ian
The city of Fort Myers, Florida is slowly recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall last Wednesday. The impact has created a looming biohazard at one of the city’s main healthcare facilities. Several staff members at Health Park Medical Center told reporters that the facility’s water system was knocked out Wednesday due to the storm and it still hasn’t been restored. The workers are afraid diseases and infections will spread unless the hospital gets its water back soon. According to reports, both nurses and patients had to defecate in plastic bags. The bags were then stored in […]
Iowa Nurses Plan to Protest Higher Nurse-Patient Ratios Amid Staffing Crisis
The nurses at University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC) recently received a letter from administrators that said nurses are about to face “some of the most challenging” staffing problems to date. The memo warned that nurses in some units may have to take on as many as five patients at once. “The first two weeks of October present the most staffing challenges,” UIHC leaders told employees. “But the challenges will continue for the adult inpatient staffing through mid-November. I have already received some feedback and suggestions from staff on how to have staff safely care for five patients.” But many […]
NHS Officials Rule Patient Who Died Should Have Been Seen in Person
An investigation into the death of a 26-year-old man in the U.K. is shining a light on the limitations of telemedicine. Many health clinics and facilities limited or stopped offering in-person appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some consultations are better carried out face to face. According to official documents from the National Health Service (NHS), David Nash received four remote consultations over the course of three weeks while the pandemic restrictions were in place, but his doctors never offered him an in-person appointment. Doctors failed to identify Nash’s ear infection during the four telemedicine appointments. The infection only got […]
Woman Straps Her Paralyzed Husband to Hospital Bed as Hurricane Batters Their Home
Hurricane Ian caused massive destruction throughout the Gulf Coast of Central Florida. The storm tore off the roof of the largest healthcare facility in Fort Myers, FL, and hundreds of providers raced to move their patients to safety. The experience was particularly harrowing for home-based caregivers cut off from medical facilities. The state is known for its elderly population. Many people had to care for their loved ones while they moved inland ahead of the storm, but others chose to stay put, especially those with mobility issues. Renee Smith, a Florida resident, recently spoke about her experience taking care of […]
Reporter Saves Nurse Trapped in Car During Hurricane Ian
A Florida reporter is being hailed as a hero after he rescued a woman who was stuck in her car after attempting to drive through flood waters during Hurricane Ian on Sept. 29. The woman turned out to be a nurse. She was on her way to work early in the morning when she got stuck in the flood waters on Orange Avenue in Orlando. Reporter Tony Atkins and his crew had been at the intersection when they noticed the woman waving and asking them for help. They were aware of how deep the water was, and Atkins made his […]
5 Best Yoga Poses After a Long Day on Your Feet
Nurses are no strangers to being on their feet all day. We are constantly checking on patients, grabbing medications, and walking to and from the supplies closet. All that walking and standing can leave your feet, back, and neck aching after a long day on the floor. But sitting on the couch after work won’t necessarily provide the relief you’re looking for. That’s why yoga can be so useful. These five poses are specifically designed to relieve neck, back and feet pain by increasing circulation and improving posture. Yoga can also improve your mood, reduce anxiety, and help you get […]
Hurricane Ian Rips the Roof Off Florida Hospital as Thousands of Patients are Evacuated
The state of Florida has suffered extensive damage in the wake of Hurricane Ian. First responders are still assessing the aftermath of the destruction now that the storm has moved inland. Officials say the city of Fort Myers experienced winds up to 155 mph, heavy rainfall, and a storm surge of over 10 feet. It is considered the fifth largest storm to ever touch down in the state. Things got particularly dicey at HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte. Strong winds ripped off the roof of the ICU on the fourth floor just as the lower level started flooding. […]
The First Drug to Slow Alzheimer’s Progression is Finally Here
Researchers have been searching for a drug that can slow the progression of dementia for decades, but they have come up empty handed – until now. A new drug called lecanemab, developed by Eisai and Biogen, has shown to slow the rate of decline in memory and thinking in early stage Alzheimer’s patients. This is the first time a drug has proven effective at changing the trajectory of the disease. The study involved roughly 1,800 patients with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. According to the results, the cognition of patients taking the drug declined by 27% less than those on a […]
