Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)

Dear Colleagues,
I am encouraging you to open and view this video documentary today. It will only take a few minutes and will (I believe) impact your teaching—whether you are basic science or clinically oriented, it has pertinence. It involves a type of breast cancer that even the experts have been failing to notice to the extent of contributing to patient deaths. I, myself, where I teach breast self-exam for men as well as women…have always emphasized looking for LUMPS…newly inverted nipples…breast discharge ~ Inflammatory Breast Cancer however, can present looking like a localized skin infection. If it is treated as such, it can be missed and lead to death, the cancer can be that aggressive! I was impressed enough to send it along. Hope you can take the time to get informed! We teach the people who can make a difference in so many lives even now.
Thanks! Making a difference in healthcare begins with us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Jo Cannon MD
Prof. of Clinical Medicine
UMHS-SK
Click on the title link to the Mayo Clinic site for more information.

Alcohol and surgery: Don't miss the risk

"..approximately one-half of all hospital beds are filled with patients with medical conditions related to alcohol or drug dependence.." Geraldine Birch Hurst
[OR Nurse 2009, July/August 2008,Vol2(7);pp.30-5.]

"Because alcohol remains the major drug of abuse in this country [United States], nurses must be able to identify withdrawal symptoms and medicate patients appropriately within the first 24 hours to prevent complications.."
"It benefits both the patient and the nursing staff to treat alcohol withdrawal early. Unanticipated alcohol withdrawal in hospitalized patients can add to the risks and costs of the hospitalization."
"The first step in treating patients who abuse alcohol is detecting the potential for withdrawal."

Hospital Pioneers Multidisciplinary Leadership Model

by Debra Wood RN
"Aiming to create a more respectful and healthy workplace, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) in Philadelphia has developed a new clinical leadership model, charging teams of nurses, physicians and quality coordinators with improving outcomes...It is an egalitarian model...Units have clamored to take part.
"We are bonded at the hip," said Victoria L. Rich, chief nursing executive, "We are not going to change this model. This model is what has to happen for the furture."
Title link takes you to the article published at NurseZone.com .

Educating Patients Before They Leave the Hospital Reduces Readmissions, Emergency Department Visits and Saves Money

"Patients who have a clear understanding of their after-hospital care instructions, including how to take their medicines and when to make follow-up appointments, are 30 percent less likely to be readmitted or visit the emergency department than patients who lack this information, according to a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)." Press Release Date: February 2, 2009
~ study published February 3, 2009 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Leading Change: Building Healthier Nations

The ICN 24th Quadrennial Congress, its first in Africa, will showcase the key role nursing plays in leading the way to healthier nations. The Congress will permit access to and dissemination of nursing knowledge and leadership across specialities, cultures and countries.
The three ICN pillars [International Council of Nurses]- Professional Practice, Regulation and Socio-economic Welfare - will frame the Congress sessions and programmes.

The main objectives of the Congress are:
1. To lead informed and sustainable improvement in policy and nursing practice
2. To demonstrate nursing's contribution to building healthier nations
3. To encourage leadership development in the health sector

27 June – 4 July 2009 Durban, South Africa