8 Medical Supplies That Every Home Should Have In Case of Emergencies

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/TxP9AeN-WA0

Having a fully-stocked emergency kit in your home is very important. You need to invest in having all the necessary supplies and learning how to use them.

This will help you administer first aid to your loved ones when the need arises and also monitor your health as required.

Assuming that won’t need to administer first aid at some point would be incorrect. Take the necessary steps to ensure that you are fully prepared and well educated.

If you are wondering which medical supplies you should invest in. Here are a few for you to consider.

Quality Face Masks

When tending to a sick family member, you need to remember to protect yourself too. Face masks are meant to prevent any contamination. They will also help you avoid contracting any communicable diseases as you administer first aid.

Be sure to get quality face masks that are of medical standards to ensure you are protected. Consult with the HisoMedical company to get the best quality protective wear.

Well-Stocked First Aid Kit

Having a kit with everything needed to administer first aid to someone who’s sick is very important. The Red Cross recommends that you get a first aid kit for both your home and car.

It is also important to include emergency numbers and any medication that can ease pain in the kit. When you invest in a first aid kit you’ll need to check it regularly to know what needs to be replaced.

You should also pay attention to the expiration dates to avoid using anything that would aggravate the situation. As you get your first aid kit you need to make sure that it has all the tools that are needed.

The Red Cross organization recommends a few essential things that should be included in every first aid kit. Take a look at them and make sure you have everything mentioned.

A Sphygmomanometer

Keeping tabs on your blood pressure makes all the difference. It is important to constantly check your levels to ensure that you get treatment on time. With the unpredictability of hypertension, constant use of this device will save you from being admitted to the I.C.U.

It will help you make better decisions and learn what is working and what isn’t as you work toward getting better. Having this device at home will also help you save time. You won’t have to constantly go to your doctor to get your readings.

However, you should make sure that you are well informed about how to take accurate blood pressure readings.

A Thermometer
Fever spikes are one of the most common signs of illness. However, just feeling someone’s temperature is not an accurate way to determine whether they need medical attention.

This is why you need to invest in a quality and accurate thermometer. The thermometer readings will help you determine how bad the situation is.

You can then make an informed decision and take the appropriate steps toward getting better.

Witch Hazel and Calamine Lotion

If you need to address any skin issues, then these two are the products you should have on hand. Witch hazel features a natural astringent and an anti-inflammatory property that allows it to treat diaper rashes, bruising, and itching.

Calamine lotion comes with anti-itch properties that help soothe the skin and ease irritation. It is best used to treat sunburns, eczema, chicken pox, and bee stings.

Having these two in your house will help you attend to such skin issues without having to go to the doctor. However, if the issues persist you should consult with your doctor to get a better solution.  

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide contains antiseptic properties that help prevent infections on minor cuts and burns. When using it on the skin, be sure to clean the affected area first then apply the hydrogen peroxide. Pay attention to your doctor’s instructions while using this product.

Eye Wash and Protective Wear

The eyes are the most neglected parts of the body. However, when you get an eye infection, you must pay attention to making it better.

You can do this by using an eyewash that will help ease the pain and reduce any inflammation. The eyewash will help you get rid of any unwanted things in your eye that may be contributing to your infection.

Having eye pads will help keep your eye clean and reduce discomfort caused by light. This will help your eye heal faster.

A Weighing Scale

One of the most rewarding benefits of working out is the effects and improvement of your health. Tracking your weight is a great way to keep up with your progress.

However, if you notice a rapid drop in your weight, this can be an indication that all is not well. This is why you need to have a weighing scale at home. You’ll get to seek help at the appropriate time before things get out of control.

Conclusion

Investing in your health involves keeping tabs on your progress and having the necessary tools and know-how when things deteriorate.

Knowing this, you should be prepared to take the necessary steps to equip your home with the supplies that you’ll need.

Always remember that first aid is only effective if you consult your doctor afterward. This will help you avoid any complications that can easily be addressed by your doctor.

This is a guest blog entry.

How To Distinguish Between A Good Cook And A Bad Cook

Currently, many of those who are reading this article are entering a phase in their lives where they are required to be able to really cook food, rather than just mix water with this or that powder. Because of the lack of practice, many of you are completely unable to cope with it.

At least, I couldn't. However, over the past two years I have devoted myself entirely to cooking - not only because I am insatiable and completely devoid of willpower and self-control, but mostly because cooking is a great way to relieve accumulated stress. Having cooked a huge number of more and more appetizing dishes each time, having heard Gordon Ramsey scream "idiot" at people in white aprons hundreds of times, I found the main mistake of beginners and unskilled cooks.

Bad cook is too quick to slice meat

What do beginner chefs usually do:
You have spent half an hour preparing a perfect dish, and your stomach is already rumbling impatiently. The smell is so strong that you can't resist it, and you can't wait any longer, because you can control yourself no better than a 4-month-old puppy. So, you take the meat out of the oven, and thank God it's finally ready. You start cutting it, and the meat juice is flowing all over the place. This is a good sign. The juicy meat is delicious. But when you bite off a piece and you realize that something is wrong.

How can meat be so dry when brown juice has just oozed out of it? That's the problem. All of the juice is now on your plate, not in the meat. You couldn't wait for the meat to "rest" before slicing it.

Why shouldn't you do it?

When meat is heated during cooking, the juice inside starts to "boil" from inside to outside. In fact, as the meat is being cooked, the muscle cells contract, pushing the juices out. That's why when you put a dry piece of meat in the oven, by the end of cooking, a small puddle of juice is formed underneath it - and it's not drowned fat at all.

When you take the meat out of the oven, the juices inside continue to boil for a few more minutes. The residual heat from the surface of the meat must be balanced by the less hot middle of the piece, so that the middle of the piece heats up while the surface cools down. This is very important to know, because while the meat is resting, the process of balancing the temperature reaches its peak, and only then the whole piece of meat starts to cool down - now muscle cells begin to relax, turning into a kind of sponge and pulling back the liquid they had previously given.

If you start slicing meat before it has rested and absorbed moisture, you deprive it of juice, making it drier than if you leave it to rest for a few minutes. A good rule in this case is to leave the fried piece of meat for 15-20 minutes on the off stove, where it is still warm but not hot anymore. Or cover it with foil so that it does not cool down sharply. Small pieces of meat - steaks or chicken - take 5 to 10 minutes.

This is s a guest blog entry.

Paying for Medical School Without Going Bankrupt

You might have been dreaming of becoming a doctor your whole life, but you may not have thought about how much medical school can cost. To afford the often steep prices, it’s important to know how to pay for your education without going bankrupt. The trick is to know where to look. 

Consider Taking Out Private Student Loans

Even if you get financial aid and scholarships from your school, you may not have enough to cover the cost of education. That’s when you may want to consider private student loans. Unlike federal loans, which the government regulates, private loans are issued by other lenders. Depending on who offers the loan, the repayment terms, eligibility requirements, and interest rates might vary. Private loans might have higher borrowing rates, so they can cover the remaining expenses after scholarships and other aid is taken into account. Depending on the lender, you might get a lower interest rate than federal loans offer. You’ll likely need to pass a credit check to qualify, and with some, you’ll need a cosigner. 

Look for Local Scholarships 

When you think of scholarships, you may think about undergraduate programs. But as a medical student, you still have plenty of options open. No matter where you are in the process, whether going to a residency or being an undergraduate pre-med student. Many scholarships are based on merit, so pay attention to your grades. Look up scholarships that aren't related to medicine as well. You might get something based on your outside interests, volunteer work, or even heritage. Even if you just get a few hundred dollars from each, they can add up if you get enough. 

Consider Federal Financial Aid

It’s a good idea to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You likely did this for your undergraduate education, but even in medical school, it’s an important step in getting financial aid for your medical education. The application is used to determine the amount of aid you can get based on need. Even if you haven’t gotten accepted by one school, you should still start your FAFSA to get as much aid as you can. They might offer you a federal loan, but there are limits on what you can borrow, and it might not cover everything. Filling out the FAFSA now is the same as when you did it for your undergraduate education. Just see if certain schools have deadlines. Even as a young adult, you might need a parent to fill out the form, so do your research as soon as you can to give yourself plenty of time to get the paperwork in order.

Look for Service Programs

The military and government both offer service programs. In exchange for working for a certain time for them, you can have all or some of your costs covered. For instance, you might work for a couple of years in an underserved community. Or you might commit to serving in the armed forces in exchange for fees and tuition getting covered.

This is a guest blog entry.

Try Out These Amazing CBD Drinks This Winter

CBD is a compound that has massive benefits in our bodies, and the research that is being done every day about this product continues to prove other incredible benefits CBD gives us.

For starters, it plays a huge role in killing free radicals in the body, which usually cause some types of cancers. It is also an essential product in preventing cardiovascular diseases, giving us healthy hearts, and it also helps control neurological disorders.

CBD is also helpful in alleviating pain due to inflammatory diseases like arthritis because of its excellent anti-inflammatory benefits. Moreover, it also helps us get smooth and healthy skin by reducing skin diseases like acne.

Due to the significant benefits of the use of CBD related products, more governments across the world are slowly embracing and allowing products that are made from hemp to be used.

The medical benefits that hemp products have had on patients over the years have been outstanding, and many doctors are surprised by what products made from hemp can do. During this cold season, there are some great CBD drinks you can use for therapeutic benefits, and we have outlined them in this piece.

• CBD Tea

CBD tea has excellent calming effects, which is making it to be used massively across the globe. Surprisingly, this tea has existed for a very long time, and it was mainly used in traditional medicine in treating various diseases.

It is a fantastic drink, and it would fit perfectly for the cold season. If you want to purchase hemp material for making CBD tea, you should research the shops that offer this product by searching online and comparing them. 

Some shops offer discounts on products made from hemp so that people continue buying from them, which is impressive.

When you prepare the CBD tea, you should start by drying the hemp material you have bought before mixing it with hot water.

While this is the right way of making CBD tea, the hot water cannot extract all the useful elements from the hemp, but the tea is still helpful in performing essential functions.

CBD tea is a strong anti-inflammatory, and it helps patients who are suffering from inflammatory diseases because it alleviates their pain. It also helps in healing infections that are caused by bacteria and fungi. 

Moreover, due to its relaxing nature, it is exceptionally helpful in treating anxiety and depression disorders. Anxiety makes you restless, and you may end up hurting yourself or the people around you.

But when you drink the CBD tea, it immediately calms you down, enabling you to concentrate and relax.

• CBD Latte 

While most latte products are made from steamed milk and espresso, it is also possible to make a latte using hemp extracts. Generally, CBD latte has many benefits compared to the coffee made with milk and espresso.

When you drink a cup of CBD latte, you are likely to experience some positive effects on your body. For starters, if you had a terrible headache that made you feel nauseous, the feeling stops after you take a CBD latte.

 It also stops the shaking that we experience during winter because of the low temperatures during this time. Moreover, CBD latte is safe to drink because it does not have any adverse side effects on your emotions or body in general. 

 You will not experience side effects like recurring anxiety attacks, for instance. Remarkably, the CBD latte gives you a feeling of relaxation like no other, enabling you to have balance in whatever you were doing. It also helps boost your energy and overall mood. 

When you are making a latte drink, you have to choose a milk source first. You can use hemp milk that is already made, or you can create one by yourself. If you decide to make the hemp milk by yourself, mix your milk the raw seeds, and you should also add honey and sea salt to it.

You can also use the hemp seeds without milk by using water and a vanilla sweetener. Ideally, the favor should be according to your preference. You can choose vanilla, honey, salt, or any other sweetener you think would be appropriate. 

By the way, if you’ll be trying out all these drinks, why not order a higher quantity from https://mrhempflower.com/wholesale and get wholesale rates? Pretty neat right?

• Hot Chocolate or Strawberry CBD Smoothie

While many chocolate drinks are not always healthy, a creamy chocolate CBD smoothie is very beneficial, especially during the winter season. The CBD chocolate drink is refined to remove all the unhealthy elements that chocolate drinks have.

It does not contain sugar, gluten, oil, or soy, but it includes vegan to enhance its nutrient level. Moreover, making a CBD chocolate smoothie is also as simple and easy as you like.

You have to mix all the ingredients, including hemp seeds, cinnamon, almond milk, Medjool dates, and cocoa powder in a blender until they become smooth. 

Alternatively, if you don’t like chocolate flavors, there is also the strawberry CBD smoothie that got you covered. It is also refined to remove all the harmful components.

As such, it is made of a thick frozen strawberry that gives you a creamy ice texture, without necessarily using ice cream like the conventional milkshakes.

Indeed, drinks that are made from CBD have some outstanding benefits to anyone using them. They have high-levels of essential nutrients, fibers, and fatty acids that are exceptionally beneficial to us. 

Moreover, while hemp is a plant based-source, it has proteins, containing all the essential amino acids that our bodies require. In truth, it is time that all countries around the globe legalized the use of hemp products because of its remarkable health benefits.

This is a guest blog entry.

What Are the Most Popular Medical Jobs?

 

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on our physical and financial health, the healthcare industry has become the most popular and rapidly growing sector in the world. If you're looking for a fulfilling and rewarding career path, consider applying for a health care job in your area.

For those applicants seeking generous compensation and ample advancement opportunities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the medical industry will experience 18 percent job growth within the next few years. Unlike other industries, the healthcare sector remains insulated from the effects of crashing job markets that may result from coronavirus and related quarantine procedures.

Despite popular misconceptions, a medical job doesn’t require ten years of medical training under your belt or an “M.D.” alongside your name. The healthcare sector offers several job opportunities that require different certifications, skill sets, and levels of experience. So, if you’re passionate about caring for others, here’s a list of the four most popular medical jobs you should consider during your job hunt. 

Registered nurse

 
A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who assists doctors with patient care. These healthcare professionals often work with physician offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities, recording crucial patient information and administering medication.

Suppose a certified RN prefers to avoid restrictive work schedules. In that case, they can opt to work as traveling CNA nurses and travel to cross-country or international locations to offer the needed medical services. With generous food stipends, travel reimbursement programs, and free private housing, you can explore exotic locations while pursuing a healthcare career.

To qualify as a registered nurse, you’ll need to complete a bachelor's degree or earn an associate’s degree. You also must have a state nursing license.

After meeting these prerequisites and securing employment, you’ll be responsible for monitoring patient health, completing the necessary documentation, providing emergency care, and overseeing patient administration. Despite the high-stress work environment and long hours, you’ll enjoy a generous salary or hourly compensation while climbing the ladder and building your expertise. 

Physician

By definition, physicians are medical practitioners required to attend to various patient needs. These professionals include gynecologists, neurologists, obstetricians, primary care providers, dermatologists, and ER doctors.

Physicians fall into two basic categories: Doctors of Osteopathy and Doctors of Medicine. Although you can separate these healthcare professionals into two brackets, both Doctors of Osteopathy and Doctors of Medicine generally perform the same job duties, which involve diagnosing and treating patients for a range of medical problems.

Pharmacist

If you’re willing to dedicate six years of your life to your education, a pharmacist position is another excellent medical job you can consider. While many of us interact with a pharmacy team on a monthly or even weekly basis, you may be unfamiliar with a pharmacist’s relevant job duties.  Briefly summarized, a pharmacist is a licensed professional who provides patients with critical medical information and medications.

These healthcare professionals fill medication prescriptions and direct patients on how to take them. Pharmacists also explain the potential side effects of the drugs prescribed and recommend a course of action if patients experience adverse effects. Additionally, pharmacists help patients by determining if a particular medication reacts negatively with current medications and health conditions. Not to mention, they can administer immunizations.

Most of these professionals work for pharmaceutical companies, universities, or local pharmacies. Most full-time pharmacists should plan to work 40+ workweeks. 

Dentist

Dentists play a significant role in ensuring patients' teeth are healthy and not causing discomfort. Primarily, dentists assess and treat a range of problems involving teeth, mouth, and gum health. Often, a dentist’s job duties also include filling cavities, fitting dentures, and whitening teeth.

As a dentist, you can choose to specialize in treating severe oral diseases, performing oral surgery, or straightening teeth. These healthcare professionals often recruit dental assistants and dental hygienists to help clean patients' teeth, maintain patient records, and sterilize instruments. If you aren’t willing to undergo six to eight years of dental training, you can research dental hygienist and dental assistant positions in your area. 

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners are healthcare professionals who provide advanced care services. Some consider nurse practitioners to be advanced RNs with additional responsibilities, including examining patients, providing treatment, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications, ordering patient tests, and analyzing results. Unlike registered nurses, the duties of a nurse practitioner resemble those of a doctor.

With training to perform health care services like examining and treating chronic conditions and acute illness, these healthcare professionals often qualify for $89,000 to $130,000 yearly salaries. Nurse practitioners can choose to specialize in pediatric health, geriatric health, and mental health. Those interested may want to specialize in patient populations, where they train to work in different areas such as pediatrics and women's health. 

Conclusion

 
With the job market susceptible to yet another crash, secure employment in an industry with unrivaled job security and incredible benefits packages. If you aren’t interested in applying for medical school and are currently looking for positions with minimal schooling requirements, be sure to research openings for nursing assistant positions, medical assistant positions, and pharmacy technician positions.

This is a guest blog entry.

Why Breathing Exercises Are Crucial to Your Well-being

Breathing is something we do without thinking. It is also true, even when we don’t breathe right. When we are facing stress and anxiety, the way we breathe changes. However, it is not what we notice. We only know that we are not feeling well. From there, stress can take over and cause a litany of problems. That’s unless you learn the right techniques to breathe.

Be Aware of the Way You Breathe

If you want your life to be better, physically and mentally, you should take the time to check on your breathing every day. It is an action you should integrate into your daily routine so that you can act upon it, if there is a problem with it. Are you breathing too fast? Are you breathing at all or only sporadically? Then you need to learn breathing exercises for anxiety. Why: Because not breathing right is the source of many other health issues you may have.

The fact is, so many health problems can be solved through breathing. It can reduce blood pressure and even help with many chronic diseases. Breathing right is like eating right. If you eat junk food all the time or simply too much, it will have a direct effect on your body. You may have digestive problems and become overweight. Breathing is the same; if you don’t breath right, you will have cardiovascular issues which can cause a multitude of other sicknesses.

Breathing Exercises: Not Only for People with Lung Disorders

People suffering from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have to do breathing exercise to make themselves better. But an MD specializing in asthma and allergy in New York City (Dr. Payel Gupta ) believes that everyone would benefit by doing so. He says that people with healthy lungs often forget to pay attention to the way they breathe and it can cause them various cardiovascular problems. Breathing right improves the blood flow and blood pressure. He confirms that it also alleviates stress and that it helps with cognitive functions.

For Those with Ongoing Problems

If you find yourself trying to catch your breath, you should consult a specialist. If they find a lung problem, they will suggest exercises you can do to keep them in the best shape possible. Though it is true that you cannot regain what you have lost, because of a disease that affected your lungs, you can still maximize what you have. It might be more than what people with normal lungs do, when they are not breathing right.

This is a guest blog entry.

Basic Medical Life-Saving Procedures Everyone Should Learn

https://pixabay.com/photos/emergency-cardiac-rescue-3016877/

Life is unpredictable and emergencies can happen at any time. When it comes to health, people usually only prepare with various health insurance plans. Medical emergencies can be the most difficult to handle as many people are often unprepared for them. There might be times when a call to 911 will not be enough and someone might have to intervene immediately to help the person in distress. The situation can easily become overwhelming due to stress and panic of not knowing what to do, especially if it’s your child. In order to avoid being unable to provide help, it is best to be prepared and learn some basic medical life-saving procedures.

Here is a list of the most common and useful medical procedures that everyone should know and learn.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

 
CPR is one of the most important procedures that you should learn. This procedure is performed when a person goes into cardiac arrest (when a person’s heart suddenly stops beating). It is a life-threatening condition, and if CPR is not performed immediately, it can result in brain damage or even death of the individual. CPR involves compressing the chest consistently and repeatedly to pump blood to the vital organs. The procedure can be learned best at an institute like Lifesaver Education where you can get certified for CPR and AED.

Heimlich Maneuver

 
The Heimlich maneuver is the recommended procedure to perform when someone is choking. It dislodges whatever was blocking the person’s windpipe. You should wrap your arms from behind around the person who is choking, clasp your hands together and then perform multiple upward thrusts towards the person’s belly button until the object causing the choking dislodges. Bear in mind that this way of administering the maneuver is recommended for adults only. There is a different procedure for when a child is choking.

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)

 
Automatic External Defibrillator or AED is a machine consisting of two electric paddles that are used to restart a heart and bring it back to a normal rhythm after cardiac arrest. It is vital to check for lack of pulse in the person you suspect is suffering cardiac arrest before using an AED on them. Many public places such as malls, restaurants, stores and more have AED available. It is recommended to get training on how to use an AED.

Signs of a Stroke

 
It is important to know the signs of a stroke so that you can help the person in distress immediately. The symptoms of a stroke can be subtle and differ from person to person. Common signs are headaches, disorientation, sudden numbness, difficulty walking, trouble seeing out of both eyes, body drooping on one side, difficulty speaking and weakness of the face. “FAST”, an acronym for Face, Arms, Speech and Time, is a quick way to assess someone for all the mentioned symptoms and determine if they are having a stroke.
 
In any medical emergency, emergency services should be called as soon as possible so that the individual in need receives proper medical help quickly. Medical emergencies are terrifying, but if you are prepared for them, you can help those in distress and potentially reduce further health complications.

This is a guest blog entry.

6 Helpful Tips to Speed Up Recovery After Surgery

Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash

How good are you at following doctors’ orders? When you’re leaving the hospital after any type of surgery there may be a long list of dos and don’ts that accompany the bag of medication you carry with you. Do you diligently follow those tips? The truth is that even after a successful operation, it’s what you do at home that determines how well you’ll recover in the months ahead. Your actions after surgery matter!

Now, don’t get too stressed; you can speed up your recovery just by doing the right things. There are times when a surgery may result in chronic pain, in which case you can seek professional assistance such as those at Seattle Pain Relief. Along with this and your surgeon’s suggestions, why not incorporate some of our tips below? You won’t believe how simple some of them are.

What’s On Your Plate?

 
What you give your body will directly impact your recovery, so pick healthy ingredients that help you heal. Add probiotics and protein to your diet and avoid salt and sports drinks. How you eat is also important. Eat smaller meals so you can manage bloating more effectively and it may prevent feeling nauseated.

Rest

 
Resting is the best thing you can do for your body, because it mends itself while you’re asleep. If you feel excessively tired, listen to your body and stay in bed. This may be necessary as much as six weeks after surgery, because your body experiences an operation as trauma and needs to recover. 

Move Correctly

 
You need to sleep, but you also need to ensure there’s enough circulation throughout your body. Gentle stretching and regular walks outside will be ideal from about one day after having surgery. You shouldn’t cause your heart rate to increase too much, but you need that blood pumping and it will help your lymph nodes do their work. Eventually you need to get back to some level of fitness. As an added benefit, you may experience less bloating and constipation if you can get moving soon after the surgery.

Consider Your Clothes

 
This tip is for comfort, but also for health purposes. Avoid tight fitting clothes and items that have elastic bands near where your incision is. Prevent irritating your skin, adding too much pressure or accidentally hurting your body in an additional capacity.

Stop the Sneeze

 
If you have a cut across your stomach or your chest, you can imagine that coughing and sneezing won’t help the situation. Occurrences like these could damage something around the scar. If you can’t stop the sneeze or cough - or if coughing is essential to clear your lungs - apply gentle pressure to the incision by placing a pillow over it and pressing towards your body.

Take Care of Your Incision

 
Consider how you tend to your incision, even if the doctor does it every few days. It’s usually better to shower than to bathe, so the area doesn’t get soaked. When cleaning a wound, don’t over clean with products and don’t pick at the scabs.

Endnote

 
These small aspects of your recovery can have an immense impact. Be strict with yourself, because in the long run you’ll be grateful.

This is a guest blog entry.

How to Get a BSN

Have you recently completed your high school diploma or GED? Are you looking for a career change? If so, you might be wondering what kind of profession to pursue or what type of college program to attend. 

Nursing allows you to connect with others and really make a difference in patients’ lives. Nurses enjoy a diverse range of options when it comes to clinical settings and patient demographics. Keep reading to discover the steps you will need to take to obtain your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and become a licensed nurse.

Determine Nursing Degree Options

To start your journey to receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, research nursing program options. To make sure you are making the right choice, you will want to learn the difference between becoming a licensed registered nurse (RN) and getting a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). 

As a licensed medical professional, RNs provide medical treatments and care to a wide range of patients in many types of clinical settings. A person only needs an associate’s degree in nursing to become a RN. However, a nurse with a BSN—who is also a registered nurse—has completed additional education (up to a year or more than those with an associate’s degree).

Two key differences between the two are that those with a bachelor’s degree can be considered for leadership roles, such as a charge nurse. A higher salary often follows this. The other key difference is that having a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for entering graduate programs such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
 
Choose an Accredited Nursing School

The accreditation process safeguards the quality of a nursing program, giving you confidence that a nursing school’s curriculum is up to date and on par with professional standards. Attending an accredited nursing program is important for your career goals, as you can have confidence that your clinical education is training you fully for the demands of nursing.

Two important nursing accrediting bodies recognized by the Department of Education include the Higher Learning Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 

Research Nursing Program Requirements

The next step is to find out what prerequisites you must complete before applying for your BSN. Typically, nursing prerequisite courses include mathematics, English and science sequences.

Some programs require that you complete one or two years of prerequisites before applying to nursing schools. Other nursing schools incorporate those prerequisite courses directly into the nursing program curriculum. Going this latter route can sometimes mean completing all of your schooling more quickly, in as few as even three years of full-time study.
 
Apply and Enroll

Once you have completed prerequisites for your chosen nursing program, or if you have opted to attend a nursing school that incorporates prerequisites into the curriculum, the next step is to fill out applications. This step usually requires filling out an application form, submitting transcripts of completed academic courses and degrees, a personal statement, recommendation letters, and sometimes an application fee.
 
This step also involves finding out what your financial aid options are. Determining how you will pay for your nursing program by learning about the kinds of scholarships, grants, and loan programs your potential nursing school has. Because the financial aspect can be a bit overwhelming, connect with a financial aid advisor for guidance, and to make sure you are completing the required paperwork.
 
Complete Nursing School Requirements

The next step on the journey to obtaining your BSN is to matriculate into nursing school, take the required courses, and dive into clinical education. This part of your education will take about three years.

While many nurses will tell you that nursing school requires hard work and dedication, most also describes the school as a meaningful and even fun time. You will meet new friends and find yourself growing as a person, discovering your strengths, and learning new skills with each course and clinical day.

Take Full Advantage of Your Clinical Experience

Clinicals are important for several reasons. This is the time when you learn bedside manner by interacting with patients, work alongside nursing student peers, and practice new skills. Not only will you form bonds with nursing mentors and clinical preceptors, but clinical experience is where you will get to apply what you learn from textbooks and nursing lectures. 

Going through the motions, so to speak, and putting nursing techniques to practice are great ways to commit textbook information to memory. These experiences will shape the kind of nurse you become and prepare you to take the licensing examination.
 
Apply to Become a Licensed Nurse and Take the NCLEX-RN Exam 

After you have made it to the end of nursing school, the final step to becoming a licensed nurse is to take the NCLEX-RN exam. This is a comprehensive test that measures your readiness to become a full-fledged nurse. 

You’ll want to devote several weeks to studying hard for the exam and, because it covers so much material, should try to take it as soon as possible after completing nursing school. There are many studying and test-taking strategies, as well as phone apps, to help you prepare to tackle this significant milestone.

Completing nursing school is an achievement to be celebrated, one that will positively shape the rest of your life.  

This is a guest blog entry.

What is CBD isolate?

     CBD isolate in Australia is becoming very popular. You can buy them on almost every corner nowadays, and as the government takes new steps towards regulation and legalization, there is a good chance that medical marijuana will become one of the top exports for this nation. Australia has an ideal climate for hemp. Because of that, products such as CBD isolates are usually of high quality.

    By purchasing a CBD isolate, you get cannabidiol in its purest form. While this might sound ideal, using just CBD can have its advantages and drawbacks. In this article, we will talk about cannabidiol in general, CBD isolates, and all the benefits you can experience when using this product.

What is CBD?

    Strangely enough, there is still a lot of people who don’t know what CBD is.

    CBD is short for cannabidiol. It is a substance that can be found in cannabis and hemp plants. Oftentimes, people also call it medical cannabis or medical marijuana. Even though we often put focus on CBD, there are other substance within hemp that promote health and wellbeing. The plant is full of terpenes and other cannabinoids which is why it has such a wholesome impact on our bodies.

    Besides CBD, most people have heard of THC. It is the psychoactive substance that gets us high. Unfortunately, most medical cannabis products have THC and sometimes, the quantity of THC can be so high affecting your therapy in the process. The last thing that a patient need is having to flush out the toxins. Because of that, a lot of people turn to CBD isolates as a way of avoiding THC.

What is CBD isolate?

    CBD isolate is not actually a product; it is more of a product type.

    You see, we can categorize all cannabidiol products as full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolates. 

    Full spectrum items are the fullest type of products. They are a mixture of all the cannabinoids present in hemp and cannabis. Once you extract all these substances, you add them to a carrier oil. Then, the mixture is added to gummies, edibles, capsules, etc. In other words, full spectrum medical cannabis is very similar to natural hemp in a sense that it doesn’t omit anything.

    Broad-spectrum is very similar to full spectrum with one minor difference – it doesn’t have THC. Broad spectrum medical marijuana is ideal for people who want to avoid THC, but still want all the benefits of medical cannabis. It is a small twist, but most people will appreciate it.

    Lastly, CBD isolate focuses on just one substance which is cannabidiol. There is nothing else within these products besides CBD. They are ideal for people who just want to ingest cannabidiol while avoiding all other cannabinoids present in hemp and cannabis.

Are CBD isolates better than full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD?

    It is really hard to give a straight answer to this. Each one of these product groups is specific in its purpose.

    Experts often say that full spectrum is the best one as it gives you the full potency of all cannabinoids combined. This effect is also called “entourage effect”. The substances work in conjunction providing a stronger effect than the individual matters. Even THC should have certain medical properties, regardless of its psychedelic impact on the body. 

    Broad spectrum CBD excludes THC from the mix. This makes it much safer, but it also means that it isn’t as potent medically. Whether you use broad spectrum or full spectrum depends on your ability to withstand THC. Keep in mind that most CBD products are made of hemp which has a very low concentration of THC. Because of that, you can use full spectrum without getting high.

    When we talk about cannabis isolates, there is much more than just CBD. For example, there are also CBG, CBC, THC isolates. With these products, you can focus on just on specific substance while avoiding all others. In theory, CBD is the best option out of this group of isolates. Still, we shouldn’t neglect the potential that other substances have. 

    Writer’s bio: Nikolay Stoyanov is the founder of CBD advertising agency – a US-based marketing company that drives higher rankings and more Google traffic to its clients. Nikolay’s expertise lies in SEO and content marketing and he’s been working in the CBD niche since 2015.

The Best Foods for Controlling Your Diabetes

For people with diabetes, a healthy lifestyle is a balance of insulin management, blood sugar regulation, exercise, and diet. Diet plays an essential role in diabetes management, which is why people with diabetes need to know what foods to avoid, and what foods can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. 

Although the primary goal of diabetes management is to regulate your blood sugar level, it is also essential to maintain a diet that can help you prevent related complications like heart disease.

Creating Your Diabetes Management Plan

The reality is that diet alone will not be enough to manage your diabetes. However, you can work with a medical professional to establish a diabetes management plan that balances your insulin administration, fitness, blood sugar monitoring, and diet. 

Managing your diabetes can be challenging when you live in the United States, where convoluted processes and high insulin costs can make it hard to get the medication you need. The good news is that online prescription referral services like BuyInsulin can make it possible to order your insulin online from Canada.

Vegetables: Leafy Greens, Broccoli & Squash

Leafy greens: Leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach are high in vitamins and minerals, and low in calories and digestible carbs (which can increase your blood sugar levels). They are also full of nutrients and antioxidants, which are great for maintaining eye and heart health. 

Heart and eye problems are both common complications associated with diabetes. Integrating these foods into your diet is a great way to lower your risk of experiencing these complications.
 

Broccoli: Like leafy greens, broccoli is low in calories and digestible carbs. They also contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent eye complications.

Studies conducted by the same researches and published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition and European Journal of Clinical Nutrition have even linked broccoli to lowered insulin levels. The studies show that broccoli may help lower insulin levels in people with diabetes and help protect cells from the harmful free radicals produced during metabolism.

Meats: Fish

Fatty fishes like salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies are great additions to a diabetic diet. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are known to be great for maintaining a healthy heart, reducing inflammation, improving artery function, and protecting the cells lining your blood vessels. 

Proteins: Eggs & Nuts

Eggs: Eggs — egg yolks specifically— are a great addition to any diet as they reduce inflammation. They can reduce the risk of heart disease, increase your good cholesterol, and even improve your insulin sensitivity. Eggs contain properties to control your blood sugar and antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin), which helps reduce the risk of eye complications.

Nuts: Nuts tend to contain less digestible carbs and a lot of fiber. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts are all great for a diabetic to integrate into their diet. One particular study examined people with type 2 diabetes who incorporated 30 grams of walnuts into their daily diet for a year. These individuals experienced reduced insulin levels, weight loss, and overall improved body composition.

Dairy: Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great dairy option for people with diabetes as it has fewer carbs and sugars than other yogurts and is higher in protein. Studies have indicated that probiotics in Greek yogurt can also improve blood sugar regulation and prevent heart complications.
 
This is a guest blog entry.

Having Cataract Surgery? Which Type of Lens Is Best for You?

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, fully half of adults will have developed cataracts by the time they reach age 75. This common condition occurs when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision. 

Surgery to remove the natural lens and replace it with an artificial one, known as an intraocular lens (IOL), is safe and effective. It is usually performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthetic (and, in some cases, a sedative to relieve the patient’s anxiety or fear).

Before you go under the laser, however, you will need to decide which type of IOL will best suit your needs. Your ophthalmologist will conduct a pre-surgery examination, at which you’ll discuss the differences between each kind. They will make a recommendation, based on your eye’s health, your vision, and your lifestyle, as to which is the best choice.

Monofocal Lenses

This is the most common type of lens used by cataract surgeons. As you may know, the prefix “mono” indicates something singular, and of course “focal” refers to vision and focus. A monofocal lens provides sharp, clear eyesight, but at only one particular distance. For example, some people choose to have clear vision between 18 and 36 inches away, so that they can easily see their computer screen. You could choose distance vision, and wear glasses for up-close activities such as reading or crafting. Or you might decide to opt for lenses that give you good vision at a shorter distance, but use glasses if you need to see far away – say, when you are driving.

Multifocal Lenses

As you might have already guessed, multifocal lenses allow you to see at different distances, just like bifocal, multifocal or progressive glasses do. In theory, this choice means that you won’t have to augment your vision with eyeglasses. 

These lenses do have something of a “learning curve” associated with them. For instance, the zones of focus provided by multifocal lenses might not have very good depth perception, and so at first, you’re liable to stumble when going down steps or misjudge the distance between your cup of coffee and the tabletop.

Over time, your brain will adjust and learn how to select the right focus automatically.

One disadvantage of multifocal lenses is that they can cause more visual disturbances such as glare or halos, making it much more difficult to drive at night. If that activity plays a big role in your life, multifocals might not be right for you.

Accommodative and Toric Lenses

Lastly, there are two newcomers to the cataract correction landscape: accommodative lenses and toric lenses. Both of these lens types are an option for folks who don’t want to wear glasses, but who are concerned about the side effects of multifocal lenses. Just like your eye’s natural lenses do, these lenses move and shift in shape as they focus on objects that are near, far, and in the middle distance. 

Toric and accommodative lenses are very similar and work in the same way, flattening or curving as needed to provide visual acuity at any distance. There is one significant difference, however: while accommodative lenses only correct for nearsightedness or farsightedness, toric lenses can also correct astigmatism. 

“Both of these types of lenses are very new,” says a Clarity Vision eye doctor in Holly Springs. “They show a great deal of promise when it comes to helping cataract patients regain their vision without the problems associated with traditional lens types.”

Additionally, accommodative and toric lenses, because they use advanced technologies, are more expensive than their mono- or multi-focul counterparts. Expect to pay between an additional $1,500 and $3,000 per eye, on top of the standard cataract surgery costs, for one of these specialized lenses. They are usually not covered by either most private insurance policies or Medicare.  

This is a guest blog entry.