Many people recognize this symbol, but not everyone understands what the Star of Life truly represents. Each branch of the star plays a vital role in pre-hospital care.

🔹 Early Detection - No matter who you are a bystander, a nurse, or a trained responder—the first and most important step is to assess the scene for safety. Before offering help, be aware of potential hazards, including environmental dangers like fire, traffic, or unstable structures, as well as human threats. There are instances where trying to help can put you at risk. What if the person involved is armed or aggressive? Approaching without caution could make you another victim. Always observe, evaluate, and ensure the scene is safe before stepping in.

🔹 Early Reporting - Once the scene is safe, call for professional help from public or private EMS services. Who can call? Anyone! Whether you’re a passerby, a friend, or an off-duty medical professional, reporting the…

Looking back to 2018 when I started nursing school to where I am now in my life, it is evident how much I’ve grown as a person.

When I first started nursing school I was a quite person. I began my first placement in 2018, I attended an adult day program for patients with Dementia once a week. I was still very new to the nursing world and just beginning to build my confidence. The RPN’s and RN’s were very supportive in my journey and really helped me build foundational communication skills throughout my three months there. I left that placement feeling more confident in my basic nursing skills.

Moving onto my placements in years 2-4, I began working in the hospital and getting a lot of exposure to a variety of patients in various settings. I was placed in pediatrics, medicine, postpartum, and brain injury rehab. These placements all…

First and foremost, what is public health nursing? Who started it? The term public health nursing originated with Lillian Wald, the first public health nurse, and she also founded the Henry Street Settlement. Prior to the twentieth century, the public health nursing type was called “district nursing.” During this period, public health nurses focused on caring for the poor and sick in their homes while also looking at how to provide care and support in the economic, social, and environmental aspects (Kub et al., 2015).

·         The era of district nursing has strong developments, as well as the role of the nurses at Henry Street Settlement that was founded by Lillian Wald. The success of the settlement was proved by having 3 991 calls from the homes of the sick and 26 600 for nurse visitations, and the other 694 were treated individually in the First Aid room (Kub et…

The Emergency Department is a place where critical patient assessment is heavily emphasized. I work as a 4th year nursing clinical extern in the emergency department at my local hospital and there are various factors that can contribute to comprehensive assessments utilized on the floor.

In our ER, the HEWS (Hamilton Early Warning Score) is one assessment that utilizes risk reduction and can prevent further decline in a patient's condition if their vitals are unstable. The HEWS is located on electronic medical records/charts that signal to healthcare providers if there are any issues with a patient's vitals. The scale ranges from a low of 1-4, a medium of 5-6, and a high risk of 7 and above. If a patient has a score of 7, there is an increased likelihood of a transfer to more intensive care, whereas if the patient scores 4 or lower, there is a decreased clinical…