| Nurse prescribing - the benefits and the pitfalls
More than 30,000 district nurses (DNs) and health visitors (HVs) are qualified to prescribe from the restricted list of medicines described in the Nurse Prescribers Formulary (NPF) for Community Practitioners. Over 10, 000 nurses (across England) are qualified to prescribe both as independent and supplementary prescribers. As of May 2006, Nurse Independent Prescribers (NIPs) have been able to independently prescribe any licensed medicine (and some controlled drugs) provided that it is within their area of competence. These nurses can also prescribe any medicine as a supplementary prescriber.
This article takes a look at some of the benefits and disadvantages of nurse prescribing (as seen by doctors, patients, and nurses), the extent to which nurses are prescribing medicines, and some of the factors that facilitate and hamper the prescription of medicines by nurses.
Pasco Notebook: Rushing Title Down To Wire
Pasco County's single-season rushing record is going to come down to the final regular-season game when Ridgewood hosts Zephyrhills and Gulf travels to East Lake. Both Ridgewood coach Chris Taylor and Gulf coach Jay Fulmer said they have all intentions to play both of their star running backs, Byronell Arline and David Williams, their normal load in their regular-season finales. Williams leads the Bay area with 1,904 yards and Arline is second with 1,881. Both have exceeded the previous mark of 1,734 set by Wesley Chapel's Tyrone Tomlin in 2001. Fulmer said Williams, who has a deep thigh bruise, practiced this week, unlike last week when the Bucs held Williams out all week because his leg was hurting too much. Williams told Fulmer this week that his leg only hurts when he wakes up in the morning.
Go on, touch someone
London - When Jim Coan scanned the brains of married women in pain, he spotted changes that may help to shed light on an age-old mystery. As soon as the women touched the hands of their husbands, there was an instant drop in activity in the areas of the brains involved in fear, danger, and threat. The women, who had been exposed to experimental pain while they were scanned, were calmer and less stressed, and a similar, but smaller, effect was triggered by the touch of strangers. "It's the first study of the brain's reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first to measure how the brain is involved in the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships," said Dr Coan, a neuroscientist at Virginia University. Touch, a key component of traditional healing, is being increasingly studied in mainstream medicine, with some trials showing symptom benefits in a number of areas, from asthma and high blood pressure to migraine and childhood diabetes.
Canada to invest in health care for African children
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Canada is contributing $105 million over five years toward an international fund to help save children in Africa and Asia from dying of preventable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and measles, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday. The contribution is part of the “Initiative to Save a Million Lives," sponsored by UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and other donor countries. The funds were announced in conjunction with a 20-minute visit to a local elementary school, where Harper was photographed with a crammed and humid class of kindergarten-age children.
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'Tis The Season For Allergic Reactions
With the holiday season just around the corner, millions of Americans are preparing to decorate their homes, gather for feasts and travel to visit relatives. However, for allergy and asthma sufferers, the holiday season presents several potential triggers, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
"Whether it's feasting on holiday meals, setting up your Christmas tree, or visiting your pet-owning relatives, allergy triggers may be lurking inside of our warm, cozy homes this time of year," said Alisa M. Smith, PhD, FAAAAI, vice-chair of the AAAAI's Indoor Allergen Committee. "Unfortunately, with busy schedules, travel time and the stress of the holidays, it is easy to forget to take the proper care when dealing with allergies and asthma. However, avoiding potential triggers and taking the proper precautions is necessary to keep symptoms under control," Smith added.
Meet 30 of the area's most talented people age 30 and under
This year's 30 under 30 list spotlights men and women who have attained a significant position in their field, received an award for their work or achieved physical feats. The list includes East Carolina University and professional athletes, business owners in a variety of fields including mental health, animal services, fashion and tattooing. We've got television reporters, military veterans and even a mayoral candidate. If you know of someone that we didn't include in this year's list, there's always next year, provided your candidate is 30 or under as of November 2008. Send an e-mail to mixer@coxnc.com to tell us about your candidate. Robin Armstrong Age: 26 Occupation: Assistant Director for Graduate Programs at East Carolina University's College of Business Husband: Joshua Why we picked her: Armstrong advises ECU students as they progress through their master's of business adminsitration program.
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