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July 2013

As the temperature shows, we're in the midst of summer. This month I want to share some important summer safety tips. But first, I want to spread the word about an exciting opportunity. I have been fortunate to tutor many talented, dedicated students in my career as a professional nursing tutor, many of whom subscribe to my newsletters. I help students succeed in Anatomy & Physiology and their nursing classes and once nursing school is complete I help them prepare for and pass the NCLEX nursing board exam. I love helping students excel in nursing school and pass the board exam, but the real happy ending is for that person to then get a job where they apply those skills and care for those who need it. Unfortunately, today's job market is very competitive, especially for new graduate nurses.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Chris Littlefield, owner of BrightStarCare Boston North which serves the North Shore. BrightStarCare offers a wide spectrum of home care services. They provide skilled nursing care for both adults and children, companion care which ranges from helping the elderly get to and from doctors' offices to supporting sleep-deprived new mothers, respite care to help ease the burden of caring for those with complex medical issues and relieve caregiver role strain, and personal care to assist those with medical needs remain safe in their home. BrightStarCare also runs corporate flu clinics among a wide range of other services.  

I told Chris how I have the pleasure of helping many diligent and qualified students prepare for the nursing board exam (which is a great time to bring up my 4-Hour NCLEX Prep Class this Saturday July 20th from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM in Newton, MA for only $60). Chris, like myself, is focused on quality, and BrightStarCare is looking for some talented LPNs and RNs to join their team. Even new graduate nurses are encouraged to apply for flu clinic positions which may serve as a great entry position to the field of nursing. Those who are interested can apply online here and the team at BrightStarCare can be reached at 978-278-3320 if there are any questions about the application process.  

A quick congratulations to Lucy, Peter, Abbie, and Kellie for passing the board exam and becoming Registered Nurses! And now on to summer safety tips! 

1) Stay Hydrated

It is extra important to keep up with fluids in the summer, especially when performing manual labor or exercising in the heat. A good general rule of thumb is to drink 1 oz for every 10 lbs of body weight prior to exercise to ensure optimal hydration and thus performance (e.g. someone 140 lbs would drink 14 ozs). Water is great, but if you're going to be out in the heat or exercising for more than 30 minutes an oral rehydration solution can help to replace both the water and salts that are lost through sweat.  

Pedialyte is a good oral rehydration solution commonly recommended to patients with vomiting and/or diarrhea (note: oral rehydration solutions are also an effective hangover cure), but the flavored versions contain artificial food dyes and artificial sweeteners both of which skeeve me out. Many food dyes are are banned in Europe because of their association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aspartame gets metabolized to methanol, formaldehyde, and aspartic acid which is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. No thanks.  

A product that I like is Shaklee's Lemon Lime Performance drink which has no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or added preservatives. It also contains Magnesium unlike other leading sports drinks. I learned of it from my friend Emily Taft who is an eco-entrepreneur with Shaklee, the number one natural nutrition company in the U.S. It's not sold in stores, so contact Emily if you're interested.  

Lyme disease is endemic here in Massachusetts and the North East. In fact, the name comes from Lyme, Connecticut where a cluster of cases occurred in 1975. Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete, a motile bacteria, that is transmitted to humans through a tick bite. A female deer tick latches on to a human and starts to suck their blood and, if left on for sufficient time, she then essentially vomits back into the person and passes along the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Isn't nature awesome?  

It's important to check for ticks when coming in for a grassy or wooded area and to call your doctor if you find a tick for further guidance. Only about 30% of patients with Lyme disease can recall a tick bite which makes Lyme tricky to diagnose. Lyme disease is very treatable with antibiotics if caught early and very difficult to treat if it isn't.  

Early symptoms are flu-like including headache, fever, and fatigue. Most patients develop an expanding "bull's eye" rash at the site of the bite. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause arthritis, Bell's palsy (paralysis of cranial nerve VII leading to a facial droop), cardiac problems, and neurological symptoms.