August 20, 2018

KCNA has established its line-up of continuing education courses for Fall 2018. You will find general information under "Continue Your Education," below; details will be available on the KCNA website by the end of the month. In the meantime, enjoy what's left of our unusually-warm-and-sunny summer here in the Puget Sound region! 
     
---  Sue Vermeulen & Rose Williamson
     KCNA Staff

P.S. Are you interested in "giving back" to the nursing profession? Consider mentoring a nursing student, new graduate or RN working in a new position, through the KCNA MentorLink program? Click here for more information OR see additional information under "Volunteer Your Time," below.



News2Use is published monthly for KCNA members and other nurses throughout King County. To comment or submit content, email [email protected].
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TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
LATINX NURSES, STUDENTS: SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE AUGUST 31


The Western Washington Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (WW-NAHN) offer five scholarships of $2,100 each for the 2018 school term. Awards are presented to WW-NAHN members enrolled in a nursing program for fall 2018, and contribute to diversity in nursing by investing in Latinx students. The chapter invites applications from nursing students who are recipients of the DACA Program. More information is available here. 

NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES
NURSES: ENCOURAGE ON-TIME IMMUNIZATION FOR ALL
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. With flu season approaching, it 's a good time to highlight the importance of immunization to patients. Young or old, compromised or healthy, patients and parents need up-to-date information and advice about staying current on their CDC-recommended immunization schedules. People of all ages can protect their health with on-time vaccination. For information, contact:
     
HONOR THE PROFESSION
Edmonds RN gaining worldwide recognition 
for educational video series

Curious about the male nurse whose video on breastfeeding has zoomed past 200,000 views on Facebook? Turns out Stefan Torres (a UW Nursing School grad working at Swedish Edmonds) is also the nurse who established the educational video channel  Nurse Weekly , viewing worldwide on Facebook and YouTube. Read more about "Nurse Stefan" in a recent article  from  My Edmonds News.  And do check out his video; regardless of where you stand on breastfeeding, the video  is fun and informative. 
Nightingale: Musical brings her story to life
 In  the musical Nightingale,  Pamela Gerke brings  the life and passion of Flor ence Nightingale alive and relevant for modern audi ences. In cele bration of Nightingale's 200th  birthday, HEARTS (Health Enriched by th e Arts) will take the show to nursing schools, organizations and healthc are institutions in 2019-20. Each performance will include an opportunity for nurses to respond to this important part of nursing h istory and to the values that Nightingale inspired. Two staged readings will be held September 23 and 27. Learn more here . 

NURSING NEWS & CLINICAL ISSUES
Aggressive immune cells shown to aggravate Parkinson's
Currently, there are approximately 4.1 million people with Parkinson's  Disease around the world. The typical symptoms of slowness of movement, rigidity and frequent shaking are caused by the ongoing death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain. Scientists working to gain insights into the mechanisms behind development of Parkinson's have now shown that T cells attack and kill the cells that produce dopamine in the mid-brain. According to the researchers, "The  findings. . . offer a significant basis for new methods of treating Parkinson's disease." Click  here  for more information.       

Addressing medical errors ethically
According to patient safety experts at Johns Hopkins, more than 250,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to medical errors. (In 2016, researchers found that medical errors replaced respiratory diseases as the third leading cause of death.) Wondering how nurses can help to address the problem by shaping a culture of safety? Read the
OJIN article, "Ethics: Ethical Issues with Medical Errors," here , for suggestions and a compelling personal story. 
 
City Council passes safe gun storage legislation    
A Seattle ordinance passed this month imposes civil penalties on firearm owners who don't lock up their guns. The legislation cites research from Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center that found safe storage of firearms reduces accidental firearm injuries and suicides among youth by 73 percent. Read more about the legislation here. 



Bacteriophages may help treat most stubborn infections  
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to modern medicine: As bacteria become immune to our most common antibiotics, researchers must develop new ways to fight infections. One alternative involves viruses called bacteriophages ("phages" for short), which prey on bacteria. Though not currently approved for widespread human use in the U.S., phages are being used under Emergency Investigative New Drug FDA clearance and could one day be used in conjunction with antibiotics against the most stubborn bacterial infections. This video explores how phages function.

CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION

KCNA's fall line-up: Continuing Nursing Education 
More information about these events will be available at
www.kcnurses.org,  "Education & Events," by the end of August.

* KCNA Fall Nursing Summit:
Helping the Homeless
Saturday, October 27  *  8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Good Shepherd Center, Wallingford
Certificate of Completion
This event will include a presentation about the Seattle-King County Clinic, an annual event offering care for the underserved. A panel discussion will include practical tips for working with the homeless, with representatives from several local agencies who serve this population. There will be plenty of time for questions!

* Seminar:
Home Lending 
Thursday, November 8  *  6:15 - 8:30 p.m.
Ivar's Salmon House, Seattle
This seminar is designed to help registered nurses navigate the Seattle real estate market through secure lending options, including first-time home buying, refinancing and special programs available to RNs. There will be time for questions. Presenter Sandora Tiburcio, Senior Mortgage Advisor for Salal Credit Union, has 20 years' experience as a mortgage broker and banker. Dinner will be provided. 

* Seminar:
Practical Self-Care Skills for Nurses
Tuesday, December 4  *  5:30 - 8 p.m.
Good Shepherd Center, Wallingford
Certificate of Completion
Learn and practice simple yet effective skills to reduce stress and boost resilience. Make space to appreciate the ordinary moments in life. The discussion will include compassion fatigue, burnout and practical tips for coping, with Phil Cohen, LAc and Jill Ghormley, ND.

Be the ONE: Learn Mental Health First Aid
The National Council for Behavioral Health plans to train one million people across the country in Mental Health First Aid, an 8-hour interactive course. Given the large number of people with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, drug addiction and other conditions, the Council points out that an individual in the U.S. is more likely to witness an emotional crisis than a heart attack. For more information about Mental Health First Aid (offering 8 hours of nursing education credit), click  here. 

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME

How to give back: Be a nurse mentor
KCNA's MentorLink program matches new graduates and nurses new to a position with KCNA members who are experienced nurses. The program is designed to be fun, flexible and inspirational - helping students and new nurses find greater satisfaction in professional pursuits while allowing experienced nurses to offer their expertise to the news generation of nurses. Applications are due by October 15 and there will be on orientation on October 24. More information here. 


Can you help at Seattle/King County Clinic?
The Seattle/King County Clinic, a four-day event offering medical, dental and vision services to underserved in our region, is scheduled for September 20-23, 2018. Nurse volunteers are still needed, especially on Thursday and Sunday. Can you volunteer? Click here. 


RESOURCES
Atul Gawande: How do we heal medicine?   
Dr. Gawande contends that our medical systems are broken. Gaw an de, a surgeon and a writer, points out that doctors are capable of extraordinary (and expensive) treatments, but are losing their core focus on actua lly treating people. Watch here . 

King County Nurses Association | (206) 545-0603 |  http://www.kcnurses.org
4649 Sunnyside Avenue North  Room 352   Seattle, WA 98103