Integrated Experiences III Formal Paper: The Nurse’s Role in the Opioid Epidemic Brief Excerpt: After hearing Kerri Barton’s presentation about opioid use and harm reduction earlier this semester, I was moved to start exploring the nurse’s role in the current drug crisis. So often, it seemed, my patients in clinical had struggled with some type … [Read more…]
Composed of 17 campuses and spanning from preschool through 12th grade and adult education, the Portland Public Schools are home to a large and diverse student population. Tina Veilleux is the School Nurse Coordinator for the district, overseeing the nurses in each school in addition to a variety of other roles. I had the opportunity … [Read more…]
From the moment I walked into the health office of Pond Cove Elementary School in Cape Elizabeth, nurse Erin Taylor knew it was going to be a busy day. A number of teachers were out sick, and, as Erin forewarned me, this always meant more students would be visiting her office with stomach pain, headaches, … [Read more…]
An unexpected but integral part of this independent study has been the opportunity to connect with and observe the work of the Maine Department of Education’s School Health Services Team. Initially, I had no idea that this team even existed, yet it has become increasingly clear to me the important role they play in supporting … [Read more…]
One of the most difficult aspects of nursing school is the occasional sense of disconnect between classroom learning and real life. Oftentimes, on exams, we are asked what we would do or say in a given scenario, yet it is challenging to ascertain what actions we would actually take when faced with the situation in … [Read more…]
Having worked as a CNA in memory care for a handful of years, collaboration is not a new skill for me. After all, teamwork is present everywhere in this field, be it in the form of discussing updates to a resident’s care plan with the nurse or assisting another CNA to transfer a patient. Yet … [Read more…]
History & Evolution of School Nursing This piece was written as part of an independent study completed during the spring semester of my sophomore year. School Nursing: A History For as long as most living today can remember, nurses have been a fixture in both the public and private school systems. Though the role of … [Read more…]
Revisiting the Image: Year 2 This semester, I have had the opportunity to create and work through an independent study course, where I’ve focused on a nursing speciality of particular interest to me: school nursing. A large part of the course has involved observing nurses working in this role. I recently spent a few days … [Read more…]
Carbohydrate-Loading Before Endurance Events The practice of “carb-loading,” or consuming high amounts of carbohydrates in the days and hours prior to a long endurance event such as a marathon, has been a staple in the pre-race regimens of many athletes. Because carbohydrates are the main source of fuel during high intensity efforts of longer than … [Read more…]
