Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Squatting is a compensatory mechanism used by children with unrepaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) to alleviate hypoxic spells. Squatting increase systemic resistance while decreasing venous return to the heart from the inferior vena cava.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Truncus arteriosus is the failure of the large embryonic artery, the truncus arteriosus, to divide into the PA and the aorta. This results in a single vessel arising from both ventricles, providing blood to the pulmonary and systemic circulations.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) or total anomalous pulmonary venous return, occurs when the pulmonary veins abnormally connect to the right side of the heart either directly or through one or more systemic veins.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) refers to a condition in which the aorta arises from the RV and the PA from the LV. The result is two separate, parallel circuits of unoxygenated blood and oxygenated blood.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) refers to the abnormal development of the left-sided cardiac structures, resulting in obstruction to blood flow from the LV outflow tract. HLHS involves underdevelopment of the LV, aorta and aortic arch.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Coarctation of the aorta (COA) is a narrowing of the lumen of the aorta that impedes blood flow. COA causes a condition in which there are higher pressures proximal to the site of stenosis and lower pressures distal to the site.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Tricuspid atresia is a combination of defects, including the imperforate tricuspid valve as well as a septal defect, hypoplastic or absent RV, enlarged mitral valve and LV, and varying degrees of pulmonic stenosis.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) develops during two phases of growth: (1) during the division of the truncus arteriosus by the septum in the 3rd-4th week of gestation and (2) during the division of the ventricles between the 4th-8th weeks of gestation.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) consists of four defects: a large VSD that is high in the septum, an overriding aorta that straddles the VSD, pulmonary stenosis and RV hypertrophy. It is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
An atrioventricular canal (AVC) defect results from nonfusion of the endocardial cushions during fetal life, yielding abnormalities in both the atrial and ventricular septa and the AV valves.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an abnormal communication between the ventricles. VSDs are the most common type of congenital heart lesion. The four types of VSDs are based on location in the septum.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
An atrial septal defect (ASD) is an abnormal communication between the atria. The three major types are: (1) an ostium primum defect, (2) an ostium secundum defect and (3) a sinus venous defect.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 

The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a vessel located between the junction of the main and left pulmonary arteries and the lesser curvature of the descending aorta, usually just distal to the left subclavian artery.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Maternal Neonatal Nursing

Category: Maternal Neonatal Nursing 
Heart defects that allow desaturated blood to enter the systemic system without passing through the lungs result in hypoxemia and cyanosis. Hypoxemia occurs when arterial oxygen tension is below normal.

YouTube Vlog | What Is In My Nursing Bag?

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Clamping of the umbilical cord and expansion of the lungs at birth shift gas exchange from the placenta to the lungs. Removal of the placenta also causes an increase in systemic vascular resistance to about twice that before birth.

Graduate School | Bedside Nursing Experience

QUESTION: How many years of bedside nursing experience would be "appropriate" before applying to graduate school?

ANSWER: This is dependent upon the school and the program selected but I personally believe that NO specific amount of bedside experience will ALWAYS equate being a proficient medical professional. Meaning, you don't need 10+ years of bedside experience to be successful in a nurse practitioner (NP) or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) program. I'm relatively new to nursing but I've found that old-school nurses tend to have the same thought process which is, "nurses need to pay their dues and put the proper time in before even considering going to graduate school." I find the phrase very concerning and discouraging to individuals who want to advance the nursing profession.

As a young nurse, this really made me second-guess myself and hold back on applying to programs. What changed my mind was simply evaluating the nurses who had the "appropriate" experience and their overall performance. I've collaborated and worked with individuals who have 10+ years of bedside experience and they too have mild efficiency problems and seek assistance, just like I do. No one is perfect and as long as you have the proper education, adequate nursing experience and academic qualifications, nothing should hold you back. Having experience will definitely help you in your desired program but, having a certain number of bedside nursing years doesn't automatically make you competent in your position.

With that said, I've also worked with individuals who went straight to graduate school without ANY bedside nursing experience and this was problematic. These individuals have no bedside nursing point-of-reference and have never used their nursing skills to care of individuals. This is a big concern because graduate programs don't teach nursing foundations or medical fundamentals. You are excepted to have a certain database within yourself and nursing intellect. With no bedside experience, you lack this general knowledge and it puts you at a severe disadvantage academically and professionally. I believe bedside nursing experience is a necessity and should be required for all graduate nursing programs.

In summary, bedside nursing experience is great and will help you in your desired program. But, you don't need a decade or certain years of experience to advance your nursing career. Though, you will need bedside nursing experience in general to provide you with nursing foundations and adequate critical thinking skills. Apply for graduate school when you feel you ready and meet the requirements.

Nursing Student | NurseUp.Com Response

Frequently Asked Questions By Nursing Students
Answered By | Nurse Nacole

1. What do I need to know in order to be successful in nursing school? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956008788420

Make sure you understand concepts and not simply the right answers AND have proper time-management. Nursing school pulls you in different directions, from clinicals to writing papers. You have to be organized and dedicated to being successful.

2. What is the best way to study for nursing exams? 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956065455081

That’s a tough one. Just know there isn’t a right or wrong way to study, as long as you are “actually” studying. Whether it involves podcasts or reading a textbook, there are various ways to learn a particular topic and subject. If one route isn’t working, try another. Each semester required me to change up my study habits and I feel doing different study techniques really helped me in the end.

3. What should I do if I don't understand the course material? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956105455077

Do NOT ask other students. Don’t learn this the hard way, like I did. I was given all types of inaccurate information from friends in my nursing program (though, they thought this information was accurate at the time). After doing poorly on a few exams, I finally spoke to the professor and she really opened me eyes to what I was missing. It simply took a simple conversation for it all to click for me. Your professor creates the exams and can really steer you in the right direction.

4. Why is the material in my textbook so different than what I see in clinicals? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956132121741

Textbooks present the best-case scenarios and present situations with no time constraints. In the real world, that usually doesn’t happen but the education is needed nonetheless. Take what information you can from the books but know in real life, you will have to adjust and accommodate for each patient or situation.

5. I get really nervous and anxious before going to clinicals. How should I handle this? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956185455069

I suffer from anxiety as well but being prepared and not “sorta” prepared really calms me down. I noticed that I’m most anxious when I’m unsure if I studied enough. But, if I KNOW I’m prepared… the anxiety is diminished drastically. It's all about preparing for success, it doesn't happen by accident.

6. Should I continue to work while I'm in nursing school? Why or why not? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956332121721

Working depends on your lifestyle and needs at the time. I know people who didn’t work and received poor grades in nursing school. Yet, had classmates who worked full-time and received excellent grades. It comes down to the person and their ability to focus with the time given for school. If you use your time wisely, either option works.

7. What can I do to handle the stress of nursing school? 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurseup/permalink/512956378788383

Ahh stresses, now that’s a big one! What really helped me was remembering the goal at hand. The goal was to graduate and become a nurse. The nursing school gossip, bad grades, stressful group projects, late nights… all were an experience but ENDED with graduation. Know that your hard work will pay off, work towards that goal and don’t look back.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
In utero, the fetus receives blood carrying oxygen and nutrients from the placenta through the umbilical vein. Fetal arterial oxygen tension is much lower than that found in the postnatal period, approximately 20 to 30 torr (mmHg pressure).

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 

In order to deliver maximally oxygenated blood to the brain, fetal circulation differs from the adult pattern by the presence of alternate pathways known as fetal shunts. Fetal oxygenation occurs in the placenta instead of the fetal lungs.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease) is an inflammatory disease of the peripheral arteries. It is associated with smoking in 95% of cases and the other 5% are related to frostbite, trauma or the use of sympathomimetic drugs.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Malignant hypertension can cause encephalopathy. Encephalopathy occurs because high arterial pressure renders the cerebral arterioles incapable of regulating blood flow to the cerebral capillary beds.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a progressive occlusion of the superior vena cava that leads to venous distention in the upper extremities and head. The leading cause of SVCS is bronchogenic cancer.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
A thrombus is a blood clot that remains attached to a vessel wall. A detached thrombus is a thromboembolus. Venous thrombi are more common than arterial thrombi because flow and pressure are lower in the veins than in the arteries.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Arterial stiffening occurs with aging even in the absence of clinical hypertension. It can however, be an important contributor to systolic hypertension and its associated risks for cardiovascular events, dementia and death.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Lymph consists primarily of water and small amounts of dissolved proteins, mostly albumin, that are too large to be reabsorbed into the less permeable blood capillaries. Lymph also carries lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
The lymphatic system is a one-way network of vessels that is important for fluid balance, immune function and transport of lipids and hormones. Every day about 3 liters of fluid filters out of venous capillaries in body tissues and is not reabsorbed.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
The systemic arteries accommodate about 11% of the total blood volume, with an average arterial pressure (blood pressure) of about 100 mmHg, whereas the rest of the blood volume is within the heart, capillaries and pulmonary circulation.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 

Veins have much thinner walls than arteries and are more distensible. Typically, the venous system accommodates approximately 66% of the total blood volume with venous pressure averaging less than 10 mmHg.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 

By constricting or dilating arterioles in specific vascular beds, hormones can (1) increase the blood supply to vital organs that require more blood flow, (2) redistribute blood volume during hemorrhage or shock and (3) regulate heat loss.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
When metabolic activity is increased in the heart and skeletal muscle, it causes an increase in blood flow termed hyperemia. For example, the blood flow to exercising skeletal muscle increases in proportion to the activity of the muscle.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Baroreceptors (stretch receptors) located in the aorta, the carotid sinus, as well as other locations in the vasculature, influence both heart rate and vascular resistance, and therefore blood pressure.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Bainbridge reflex occurs when changes in the heart rate occur after IV infusions of blood or other fluids. The change in heart rate is thought to be caused by a reflex mediated by volume receptors in the atria that are innervated by the vagus nerves.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Inspiration results in stretch and an associated increase in firing of the SA node that increases heart rate. With expiration the stretch is reduced and the SA node firing rate slows, resulting in a decrease in heart rate.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals

Category: Fundamentals 
Atrial pressure curves are composed of the a wave, which is generated by atrial contraction, and the v wave, which is an early diastolic peak caused by filling of the atrium from the peripheral veins.