Friday, October 25, 2013

Immunizations


Immunizations are still a hot topic. People just don’t seem to fully trust them and because of this there are many myths. Immunize BC is a great resource for learning about vaccines and has some great ideas for talking to the public.

Some myths that are dispelled on the site are:

Vaccines cause autism – The study that led people to believe this has been discredited

Even if the risk from a vaccine is tiny, why take it when a child's health is at stake? – The risk of contracting one of these diseases is much greater; some of them can even cause death in children.

Why immunize my kids against diseases that aren't around any more? – It may seem like these diseases aren’t around because vaccines have kept them at bay but there is actually a measles outbreak in the Fraser Valley right now.

For more myths and for more information about immunizations check out http://immunizebc.ca/facts-on-immunity/answering-myths

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Flu Vaccines are out!



New to the vaccine scene this year is the nasal flu vaccine (Flumist) covered for children ages 2-17. It has actually been shown to provide better protection in kids aged 2-8. One big difference with the Flumist and regular injected vaccines is that Flumist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine. Precautions need to be taken to ensure that Flumist is never injected with a needle. For instructions on administering Flumist, visit the link below:


A few special considerations for the live attenuated influenza vaccine:

It is contraindicated for immunocompromised people, people with severe asthma, those who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant, those with an egg allergy, and those receiving Aspirin therapy currently or within the last 4 weeks.

Special precautions must be made for those who are in contact with severely immunocompromised people. Since the vaccine contains weakened but live virus, in rare occasions, it can be transmitted through respiratory secretions.

Taking antiviral medication at the same time as receiving Flumist has potential to interfere with the immune response.

TB skin tests given in the 4 weeks after receiving Flumist can result in a false negative.

For more information regarding Flu vaccines, check out www.immunizebc.ca

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Flu Season is here


It's Flu Season again.  

And when studying for your CRNE it's important to review implications of influenza as well as national and provincial recommendations regarding flu vaccinations.
It's also important to go and get vaccinated, to protect yourselves and your patients.

Here is some exciting information from the BC flu program this year.

New to the publicly funded vaccine scene in BC this year is the nasal flu vaccine (Flumist) covered for children ages 2-17. 

This vaccine has actually been shown to provide better protection in kids aged 2-8. 
One big difference with the Flumist and regular injected vaccines is that Flumist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine. Precautions need to be taken to ensure that Flumist is never injected with a needle. 
For instructions on administering Flumist you can visit the link below:

A few special considerations for the live attenuated influenza vaccine:
It is contraindicated for individuals who are immunocompromised, for people with severe asthma, those who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant, or those with an egg allergy, and those receiving Aspirin therapy within the last 4 weeks.

Special precautions must be made for those who are in contact with severely immunocompromised people. Since the vaccine contains weakened but live virus, in rare occasions, it can be transmitted through respiratory secretions.

Taking antiviral medication at the same time as receiving Flumist has potential to interfere with their immune response, since with the live attenuated type of vaccine, the vaccine must replicate in the body to produce and immune response.  

TB skin tests given in the 4 weeks after receiving Flumist can result in a false negative, so if you are planning on having a TB skin test make sure you inform your nurse if you have received the flu mist.

Here is a great resource for reviewing immunizations and learning more regarding Flu vaccines, check out www.immunizebc.ca 


Saturday, October 19, 2013

Thunder Bay Workshop!



We are pleased to announce due to popular demand PRIMED has added a 2 day CRNE prep workshop in Thunder Bay, ON!!
 It is PRIMED's first time holding a course in Thunder Bay, though we have had many students travel from Thunder Bay to our courses in Toronto or take the online course in the past. The course will run the weekend of December 14-15, 2013.
PRIMED facilitators are looking forward to meeting the students there in December.

You can register through our website our by clicking on the link below:
www.eply.com/ThunderBayDecember2013871516

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Workshops announced for February 2014 CRNE


PRIMED is happy to announce registration has opened for the January 2014 CRNE prep workshops to get you PRIMED for the February 2014 exam.

Please click on the link below to register online or visit our website at www.primededucation.ca

Live Online Course January 11-12, 2014


Calgary January 11-12, 2014


Edmonton January 18-19, 2014


Vancouver January 18-19, 2014


Toronto January 18-19, 2014


Ottawa January 25-26, 2014


Live Online Course January 25-26, 2014

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Resources and strategies for reducing stress





Most universities have counseling resources available for students and these are great options for people who are having difficulty managing stress. However, if your university is anything like mine, it can take a few weeks to get in…

So, here are some ideas of activities that you can do to reduce stress in the mean time:

Meditation: There are many types of meditation. Relaxation types of meditation may help, but what I had in mind was mindfulness meditation. One method is the RAIN acronym. “R- recognize what is happening in the present moment, A- allow your inner life to unfold just as it is, I – investigate you experiences (sensations, emotions and thoughts), N – non-identify with whatever is there.”  Over the next few days, strive to recognize when a strong emotion is present and simply allow it to be present. Much of our stress and anxiety comes about from resisting the emotions we are experiencing. In order to investigate, it may be helpful to use questions such as: What sensations am I experiencing around this challenge? Where am I experiencing tension? What is the quality of this tension? One important point to remember with investigation is to be gentle with oneself… Lastly, non-identification means that one's sense of self is not tied to the strong emotions one may be experiencing. This allows for much greater flexibility and psychological resilience.”
Johnstone, D. (2012). How to Work with Stress and Challenging Emotions. Pelican News, 68(4), 4.

Yoga: There have been numerous studies on yoga’s ability to reduce stress and although it is to be mentioned that it doesn’t appear to replace other intervention. When used concurrently, yoga has many positive effects on those who practice it, including a reduction in perceived stress and anxiety and increased feelings of well-being. Best results are shown with sessions 2-3 times per week and 60-90 minutes per session.
Jackson, E. M. (2013). STRESS RELIEF: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 17(3), 14-19

Exercise: Exercise of all kinds has a calming effect on the body over time because you release endorphins and because your body is better able to respond to stress. Aerobic exercise appears to have the greatest and most notable affect on stress but studies on resistance training and mind-body focused exercise also reveal benefits. Aerobic exercise broken into frequent 10-15 minute sessions throughout the day proved convenient and effective.
Jackson, E. M. (2013). STRESS RELIEF: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 17(3), 14-19

Drink tea: Now, even though I didn’t really find any studies on tea drinking, I think many would agree that the things in your tea can have a great affect on your body. I suggest a peppermint or chamomile tea and to sip it slowly while doing nothing else for 10 minutes and see how you feel after. It works for me at night and I always fall asleep more easily on the tea drinking nights.

Well hopefully at least one of these gets you into a more zen-like state and you can take a break from the stress and if not, definitely think about seeking some professional help because left too long, stress can have some long standing side effects.