Why should you have more tomatoes on your diet

Tomatoes has many health benefits that can help maintain the wellness of a person. One serving of tomato-containing foods will have beneficial effect on your health.

Tomatoes contain vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Vitamin A helps to maintain good vision. Vitamin C aids in immune system and Vitamin K helps maintain the blood coagulation of the body by preventing excessive bleeding.   

Tomatoes contain antioxidants called lycopene. It is also rich in potassium which is usually found in bananas. Potassium aids in muscle function, especially in heart muscles.

For breastfeeding moms, when eaten, it should be cooked. It is known to increase the lycopene concentration into their breastmilk.

Other people doesn't like the taste of tomatoes for its sour-sweety taste. Try to cook for a better taste. But once you knew its beneficial effect in our body you need to love this fruit/vegie.

Fruit "slash" vegie since it has a debate if it is a fruit or a vegetable, nevertheless, it is very healthy to start your diet with tomato.

Have a fun and enjoyable meals with tomatoes!

Hyponatremia, our Nursing Responsibilities

I had a patient with severe electrolyte imbalance. Hyponatremia is not as simple as it is. Close observations and monitoring should be done for patients with this case. We usually think, hyponatremia is easy to correct, yes, but not all. It is very fatal if not treated well. 

This may cause demyelination leading to paralysis of the patient due to rapid correction of hyponatremia. Demyelination is neurological disease caused by severe damage of the myelin sheath of nerve cells in the brainstem.

For a patient, Mr. X with these laboratory results:

One might think, is this patient still alive? yes he is, thank God, He was found unconscious on his car and now needs critical management. This laboratory results usually represents Acute Kidney Injury if not Chronic Kidney Injury/ESRD since no known history for this patient upon admission.

On nursing side, i will be focusing on hyponatremia. Yes, the patient has a lot of imbalances that needs to be corrected but i will emphasize more on nursing responsibilities for severe hyponatremia.

These includes:

1. Electrolytes monitoring every 3-4hours.

2. Gradual increase of sodium level of at least 14-16mmol/L within 48hours, is the target goal.

3. When starting continuous renal replacement therapy, strict monitoring and reporting of laboratory
    results should be done, since CRRT may cause rapid correction of electrolytes which is not good
    for the patient. CRRT may be done for 6-12hours on strict reassessment as ordered by the
    Physician.

4. Proper IVF along with the right amount of free water should be followed as ordered by the
    Physician to avoid rapid correction of sodium.

5. Level of consciousness should be strictly evaluated.

With proper management, gradually, patient has improved, electrolytes, BUN and creatinine were corrected. He has gained consciousness and was extubated.

;-)

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Operating Room Nurse

A bladder stone was removed from patient.

                           

One of the things i missed and loved in nursing career was working in Operating Room as OR nurse. As an Operating Room Nurse you are expected to be always on the go. It has always emergencies any time. Successful operations were the only thing we could pray for, in an event that serious complications may arise if no immediate intervention will be done.  

Harmonious team in OR vastly affect the work flow. As a nurse, nursing skills, knowledge and attitude is important in achieving a good work flow inside the theatre.

There were on calls during the night, calls even in the middle of the night. But it is a satisfying job once you were able to help a patient survive during emergencies.

A Heart-Touching Letter of a Patient's Daughter to the Nurse

Not in a day Nurses were usually appreciated. But a simple thank you will bring comfort to our exhausted hearts during toxic days. I would like to share a heartfelt letter written by a patient's daughter who loves his father so much towards my colleague.

It was written on a piece of paper and it says,

Good evening, Dear nurse. I am sorry I don't know your name, it is not like me to not know. I am not myself recently as my father is my life, and light and strength.

He is a very kind and funny man, if he was awake you would become friends. 

He would ask about your family, your life and wellbeing every day. 

Thank you for taking care of him. I will not forget every effort you made

the precious nurse with the glassess too. I trust you very much and I am grateful that you two are so kind and gentle with my father. 

When he wakes up, I will have you two meet him and laugh with him. 

Thank you for taking care of my soul. He is everything.

Love, Leena. 

Thank you also for appreciating the Nurses' efforts.

An inspiring story for Nurses. Share the love.

Credits to the two nurses, Leonil and Arlene.:)

Not The First Time but My First Reality in ICU

As a nurse, we have different fields to choose from and we have an option which department we're comfortable to work with. You can choose Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Ward, Operating Room, these were only the most common areas I will mention but too many to mention.

Sometimes we choose an area that we like but regret it afterward. In each area, the struggle is real but backing out is not an option. It is always difficult at first but in the end, if you were shaped and mold with so many experiences, hard work will be worth it.

For new nurses, it is an exciting phase of our lives where we can choose or either we will be assigned to a special area. We felt very ecstatic on how it feels being there. Others may feel that it is not their chosen area, but all I can say is, we all experienced that. Just think of how you will be taught where you were assigned now. All knowledge and skills will not be acquired only in one area. It is still a ladder in becoming a competent one. Ups and downs are our partners.

Even if we have a long time experience, we will always meet something new. As a Nurse that specializes in Critical Care, I think it is one of the most challenging areas one could be assigned. It is the end stage of patient care if I may call it. Hundreds to thousands of things you need to consider when handling critically ill patients. This is the point where I can say that nursing is really a "calling".

Knowledge, skills, and attitude are your topmost armor. Everything is critical, you need to think fast and your best judgment is important especially in the matters affecting your patient. 

At first, everything is new. It seems like your mind is floating everywhere how to handle such equipment.

Code blue will be your best friend. :D when we are new in this field, it feels like we're the one needed a shock at 200joules. :)) kidding aside, reviving a patient is very satisfying when you see him coming back. Having your friends in the unit during a code blue, even if everything in your room was a mess, it is totally okay. 

Unlimited patient's bowel motion, every positioning comes with great responsibility. We are a self-proclaimed superhero. :))

Morning care, afternoon care or any care you may call it, "call a friend" is our favorite tag line. ICU life is difficult if you will work all by yourself. It is always a team. 

For others, first thing in the morning, checking an allocation is not about the patient's acuity, it is about who will be your team in your station. :))

Always ask if you don't know something, it is always the life of our patient.

For nurses who will about to embark on their chosen area, don't be afraid. There is always a time to learn everything. Start your journey, it might be a bumpy one, but still you will be proud of yourself after all.  You may cry and about to give up, just stay strong, it is part of learning process and you are not alone. "Been there, done that".  

So this is my chosen journey. 

Thanks for reading.:D

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