Being a School Nurse

I recently took a job as a school nurse. At first I stared toward the heavens wondering why I did such a thing. After all, the daily monetary compensation barely pays the bills and it's neither glamorous nor awe-inspiring. It is one thing, however...it is honorable. It is honorable to bandage a boo-boo on a frightened child. It is honorable to assist a child through an asthma attack. It is honorable to teach healthy habits to a child. There will never be a made-for-tv movie about school nurses. There will never be a school nurse cruising around town in the Mercedes she bought with her huge salary. There will, though, be grateful parents, comforted children, and the experience of working with talented and caring teachers every day. Whoever coined the phrase "money isn't everything" must have had a mom who was a school nurse!
National Association of School Nurses
NurseNoggins

Natural Childbirth?

He's here! My precious new grandson made his appearance 2 weeks early on July 17, 2006. My first grandchild! How can I describe the feeling? It's like the sudden gasp you take emerging from a deep dive in the ocean. It's like the soothing warmth of stepping on the beach in spring when it's been baking in that early sun. It's like the first snow in the Rockies. It's like coming full-circle. It's wonderful. So now, I wonder why we have to inject every medical intervention invented into the birthing process. My daughter was committed to natural childbirth; she and her husband were well trained and very practiced. But from the moment they stepped onto the LRD floor the nurses were talking epidural. There was NO encouragement for the method in which she was trained. All through the night she did a superb job of breathing and relaxing through every contraction but the very moment she whispered"I don't think I can do this" the room was swarming with personnel. Prior to that point there was hardly a nurse to be found! I am convinced that she was in transition at that point and I really fault the medical comunity for being regimented and mechanized and narrow-minded. For Heaven's sake, provide your patients with support in their chosen path. This was not a case of a screaming woman in labor; it was indeed a well-practiced young woman who had reached a text-book point in her labor. By her own admission, had someone checked her dilation and stated that she was at 8cm she could have gone the distance. I'm not saying that having an epidural is a sign of weakness. Quite the contrary. I'm just saying that nurses and doctors shouldn't be so quick to take the easy way out. Work with your patients. Be an active participant. Engage. Remember all those things you went to nursing school for?
Lamaze
Women
Natural Childbirth

Hippocratic or Hypocritic?

As I told you before, my daughter is having her first baby. While it's always so exciting to await the arrival of your firstborne, it's also a very scary time. Let's face it...even thought there are hundreds of books out there not one of them can tell you if YOUR baby will be healthy, what YOUR labor will be like, exactly WHEN this blessed event will commence. My daughter has been very concientious about educating herself on the processes but she's naturally still a little apprehensive. So are you wondering why I'm telling you this? Because she has run into some of the most impolite, uncaring health professionals you can imagine!!! I bet if doctors heard how some of their staff treat patients they would send out pink slips by the dozens! And some doctors should be videotaped and tied to a chair while they are forced to watch re-runs of their bedside manner (or lack thereof!). Fortunately she found a wonderful OB/GYN whose office staff is considerate and compassionate. Likewise with a pediatrician. The point is, she "interviewed" many doctors and their staff before making her choices of providers. As an informed health consumer she was able to eliminate the services of those physicians who had rude office staff and who themselves were not empathetic enough to go a few extra steps to provide explanations for a first-time pregnancy. Sometimes I think we should change the oath to "hypocritic" from Hippocratic. Treat your patients as you would want to be treated. Nurses, doctors, let's treat our patients as if they were your favorite relative. A little kindness goes a long way. Not to mention...the word gets out......

health and wellness

On Top of the World!

Today was a great day! I have some friends visiting from New York and we decided to take a "little hike" to the top of Deer Creek Canyon in Golden, CO. The hike turned out to be an elevation increase of 1500 feet in 2.4 miles! Here's a somewhat blurry picture of us reaching the summit. It was a greuling hike for a couple of middle-aged, out-of-shape old ladies, but I'm so glad our other friend encouraged (prodded) us to go to the top. There's a 360 degree view from up there that's amazing! We could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the red rocks of Golden, Denver jutting up from the plains, and everything in between. I wonder why it's such a thrill to visit Mother Nature. We were so tired and yet we HAD to climb to the top of this tallest rock on the summit. And we couldn't stop oohing and ahhing at the sights. On the way up and the way down everyone was so friendly...I think being in the great outdoors in this wonderful country of ours brings out the best in people. God bless America!

hiking
Colorado
NurseNoggins

Ben Rothlisberger

Being a former OR nurse and seeing plenty of broken bodies, I can't help but put my two-cents-worth in on Ben Rothlisberger's mishap. I wonder why people ride motorcycles with no helmet. I'm sure it feels good to have the wind in your hair. I'm sure you think you look cool on a bike unprotected. I'm also sure that hospitals and cemetaries are full of people who looked cool and had the wind in their hair. I feel a lot of compassion for Ben and his family in this terrible time, but c'mon, he was tempting the fates. Like Pennsylvania, motorcycle laws in Colorado allow riders to go without a helmet. (There's a click it or ticket seatbelt law, however.) Today I took a drive into the mountains and observed the motorcycle riders- approximately 75% DID NOT wear a helmet. Is this some throwback to the adolescent "it can't happen to me" mentality? I sell my scrub caps to a few bike riders...I hope they are wearing them UNDER their helmets, that's all I can say!


Rothlisberger
operating room nurse
motorcycle laws

Photo courtesy wusatv9.com

Cars

I've never been a big fan of animated movies, but I can't wait to see the new Pixar "Cars". I've been watching the shows on how the movie was made and whoa!!!!!!there are so many stars! That Larry the Cable Guy is a hoot and Paul Newman, well, HE'S PAUL NEWMAN! Heck, I even went to McDonalds for a Happy Meal so I could get one of those cute little toys! (I got Sally.)I'm anxious to get to the fabric store and find some Cars fabric for my scrub caps! They'll be so smile-inducing! They won't just be for pediatric patients, they'll be great for anybody who has a sense of humor and is young at heart! I just love making scrub hats!

Did You Sign Up for the FREE Scrub Cap?

Not much to write today. Please read last weeks post about the free scrub cap contest and be sure you don't miss the deadline! It's a free scrub hat of your choice if your email is chosen from the list of entrants. Offer ends 6/30/2006. Click here to go to my website. Good luck!

Scrub Caps On Hold- Grandma's Making Diapers

Donald and Melania Trump probably aren't discussing cloth vs disposable diapers. And Adam Sandler was recently touted in a Reuters post- "In the four weeks since he became a dad, Adam Sandler has learned at least one lesson: how to avoid changing diapers." But here in the NurseNoggins workroom we are busy creating cloth diapers for our much-awaited arrival. Sewing our own diapers? Are we crazy? No! Just visit a few of the diaper websites and check out the prices! Are we fanatic tree-huggers? No! View some statistics on how disposables are clogging up our landfills. And it just makes sense that 100% cotton would be safer than all the chemical components it takes to make a synthetic garment, not to mention the incredible softness of flannel sewn with wooly nylon. So while we have a few minutes in between scrub cap construction, we're making the cutest diapers you've ever seen. Grandma's having fun!

cloth diapers

Scrub Hats and Yard Sales

A great Friday morning pastime of mine is driving around the city going to yard sales ( some people call them garage sales or tag sales, depends what part of the country you're in). It's not that I'm cheap, it's just that it's so much fun to find a bargain! I've seen everything from bottles of shampoo to entire bedroom sets. But you know what I've never, ever seen? Scrub caps! I've seen scrubs, nursing shoes, stethoscopes, nursing pins, even an old leather doctors bag, but I wonder why I've never seen scrub hats...could it be they're just too darn cute to get rid of?



photo by webtree.ca

Fun With Scrub Caps

There are so many free resources out there in cyberspace if you are trying to create fun additions to your website. I created this neat banner with Animation Online totally for free! It's easy to do and I think it adds a little more excitement to my NurseNoggins Scrub Caps by "d" advertising, don't you?


scrub caps

Grins and Giggles

A nice man at Nurstoon gave me permission to use this cute nurse on my website. I thought she was so funny that I just had to share her with all of you. You've GOT to visit his website for tons of medical grins and giggles. I am very grateful to people who can find humor in the otherwise mundane. He has some really funny stuff and the illustrations are awesome. There are enough heartbreaks in healthcare...let's make 'em laugh!

And speaking of grinning...a NurseNoggins scrub cap on your head is sure to make your patients smile!

Free Scrub Hat Contest

I keep forgetting to tell you...go to my website and enter your email address to be entered in my FREE SCRUB CAP CONTEST . At the end of the month we're having a drawing for a free men's or ladies' scrub hat of your choice! It's easy, it's free, what could be better?

Scrub Hats and Doodlebug

Scrub hats and my soon-to-be-born grandson are my main focus these days, so I wonder why it's so hard to start a conversation about them. I mean, I really want to stop traffic and say, "Would you like to see the ultrasound picture of the baby? Are you a nurse? Know anyone who needs a scrub cap?" But people look at you funny. So instead I'll just ask those of you with enough time on their hands to be reading this.....Wanna see a picture of our little "DoodleBug"?" (Look up.) And how about going to my website and checking out the latest NurseNoggins fabrics?

Do you want to link?

Not much to write today, still having palpitations over this Google ranking thing. I wonder why it has to be so involved....If anyone reading my blog has a website and you'd like to trade links (I can put you on my blog and my NurseNoggins Scrub Caps by "d" site) please email me at NURSENOGGINS@AOL.COM . Send me your information so I can check out your site to make sure it's not X-Rated. Thanks and have a great day!

(Image courtesy of UMaine.edu)

It's Amazing How Far Scrub Caps Reach

I met a young man yesterday at my friend's house. Her only computer is in her son's room so we sort of interrupted a visit he was having with some friends. Anyhow, I was showing her some stuff on my NurseNoggins website when this young man asked what we were looking at. We told him "scrub caps" and he replied that he had worn one recently when he assisted a doctor doing a vasectomy. (If it wasn't for my scrub hat wesite we probably wouldn't have even started this conversation.) Turns out this guy is 20 years old and in the US military.(I'm very ashamed to say I can't remeber his name, but I DO remember his face.) He said he's going to Iraq soon. I asked him if he's scared and he looked a little sheepish and said, "Yes, I am." I wonder why we quickly forget that these young soldiers are mere boys, youngsters who should be skiing and four-wheeling and seeing the latest Mission Impossible flick. What sheer terror his mom must feel sending him off to war. I applaud all our servicemen and women for their courage and dedication to our country. I thank you all for making my life better and safer and easier. I wish you all a safe return.

Scrub Caps and the American Dream

As we head into this holiday weekend I just had to share this picture I took last year just outside my NurseNoggins window. For me it symbolizes what I'm about. I am very proud to be a part of this great nation. Living here in the west (I moved from the southeast) truly gives one an appreciation for the vast and varied expanse that is this country. Here in Denver we can go from the desert to the tundra in a mere two hours. If you haven't been to Rocky Mountain National Park, you are missing snow in June, bighorn sheep, herds of elk and endless views. South of Denver is the Great Sand Dunes National Park, a miraculous Sahara Desert against the backdrop of the mountains. Then there's the Royal Gorge, the hot Springs at Pagosa, and miles and miles and miles of the Rocky Mountains. The storms can be fierce, the sunsets are breathtaking and 300 days of intense sunshine is the norm.

So here I am, smack dab in the middle of it all, trying to carve out the American Dream. I'm an OR nurse working hard to build my small business so that I can be independent of corporate America, hire a few like-minded women, and have the resources to continue to do what I love for a living. Money isn't everything...living a good life is.

(Now, if there was just a little pot of gold at the end of that rainbow!)

Barbaro

With all the media surrounding Barbaro this week, I just had to put in my 2 cents worth. Although I'm not sure it's valid to assign human emotions to a horse's psyche, I must admire the drive this animal has to keep going. I cheered as he broke through the gate toward his final run...Let's go...Let's do it..."Let's roll!" And as he was pulled to an abrupt stop by his rider, it's as if he was saying, "No, no, it's ok, I'm ok, I can do this! Don't make me stop!" As with other tragedies that showcase the American spirit, this horse's injury has bonded many of us somehow and has mobilized our unified encouragement to make him an ultimate survivor. Be triumphant, Barbaro!
(photo courtesy of SportsIllustrated.cnn.com)

Scrub Caps Aren't for Sissies!

I just read a great blog called The Underwear Drawer. It's written by a doctor who did a great piece on scrub caps! I wonder why everyone doesn't wear a "funky" cap. Those horrible paper blue ones the hospital issues are not only ugly, they smell like kerosene. All pediatric nurses should be required to wear a juvenile print just to help eliminate the stark clinical impression a kid gets when he visits the hospital. In my career as an OR nurse I've had so many patients comment about my caps...the conversation isn't about their illness or their anxiety, it's about "That's the cutest hat I've ever seen! Where did you get it?" (Yes, women think about shopping even on the way to surgery!)

Nursing School and the Internet

Nursing school was really tough. It was a long time ago, but the memory is so clear. I attended a Catholic college (I'm not Catholic) and boy, those nuns were ruthless! I'm not so sure that's the optimal way to learn, but nonetheless it was effective. Nursing Boards were a killer, but I passed. I can only hope the Internet experience is the same. I wonder why getting a website recognized by Google is so tough. It's been painful! For over a year I've researched and experimented and it seems like the more you learn, the more you find out there's a lot more to learn. I thought you just had to produce a morally decent website with a product that sells and POOF! your website was presented to millions of viewers. Not so! My NurseNoggins site appears on Yahoo when you type scrub caps in the search bar (they know a good thing when they see it) but only appears in Google as a sponsored (definition= paid for) site or when you type in the exact name. So I'm armed with friends who give me hints, endless net searches and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Growing Your Business with Google. If you have a pertinent site, let's link!!! Best offer you've had all day!!!

Nurses, Dr. Kildare, ER and House

I wonder why I watch medical tv shows. You would think a nurse would get tired of going from the drama in the hospital to the drama in the living room. When I was a young teenager it was because Richard Chamberlain (AKA Dr. Kildare) was such a "hunk". It didn't matter what the story line was. When I first became a nurse it was so exciting to actually understand the vocabulary in ER AND get to see George Clooney and Noah Wiley at the same time. And now I watch House because it's on right after American Idol and I'm usually too busy sewing scrub caps to change the channel! Actually, it's a really interesting show. The old thrill is gone that I can understand the lingo and Hugh Laurie is no George Clooney, but the show gets a few brain cells functioning.

If you didn't have bad luck.....

A relative of mine is living the "If you didn't have bad luck you'd have no luck at all" life. I wonder why these things happen to good people. Here's what's happened. His wife is 6 months pregnant with their first child. (That's the only good news here.) His grandfather died and he had to pay $500 for a plane ticket to go to the funeral. His computer got a virus the day after he ran his virus-check and it's totally dead, a fact that took $129 to find out. His step-father was visiting from the coast and suffered severe altitude sickness when they went camping in the mountains, so when my friend was trying to get him home he got a traffic ticket. He lost his job, which amounts to no paycheck and no insurance. April 15th rolled around and, you guessed it...he had to pay Uncle Sam and the state of Colorado $2000. Then his wife had to go to the hospital twice because of pregnancy related problems. Etc, etc, etc. So now this college-educated, hard-working young man is going to start a job doing construction because there just isn't anything else and he's not one of those bums who sits around waiting for a handout. He and his wife (who is working also) are plowing through their savings because every employer on earth wants 3-5 years of experience and he hasn't even been out of college that long! Just doesn't seem right does it?

What's the Deal with Stamps?

I wonder why postage stamps are in such odd amounts. I mean, here they go raising the price of stamps again...the new price will be 42 cents. Why not 45 cents? Why are there always pennies involved? It's not like the American public is going to picket the post office if they raise postage by 6 cents instead of 3 cents...c'mon! (Haven't seen any riots over increasing gas prices, have you?) That's still 2 letters you can mail for less than the price of a candy bar! OK, let's look on the bright side...if they only raise the price by 3 cents you can feed your piggy bank with the change you'll get back. And if your eyesight is good enough you can stand outside the post office and collect all the spare pennies on the ground. (My daughter once flew from Chattanooga, TN to Greenville, NC round trip with money she found in parking lots and in the community pool.) OR....you could save up the spare extra change and buy a really neat scrub cap from NurseNoggins.com. (By the way, the picture at the top is from my porch. Colorado is such a great place to live!)

What's this blog all about?

Ok, so you want to know what this title is all about? Well, I own and operate a scrub cap business. Just scrub caps, nothing else. It's a passion, a sort of productive prozac. The sewing is therapeutic. And I've found that as I spend hours at the sewing machine making scrub caps for NurseNoggins.com I do a lot of thinking. Things like...I wonder why the females on Grey's Anatomy don't have printed fabric scrub caps like the men do? And why didn't the network write back when I wrote to them and offered to send them some? I mean, I didn't dwell on it, I just wanted the gals to look like the tons of "real nurses" (RNs?) across the U.S. who wear my funky prints.

surgical scrub caps
scrub caps