The Emergency Room

*There are some sensitive issues talked about in this post, please don't read it if you don't wish to*

For clinicals the other day, I was in the Emergency Room.  It was very interesting to see what some people thought constituted an emergency.  The following are reasons why people came into the ER:

• A cold sore that was "tinglin" on the upper lip
• An anxiety attack (caused by stopping medication)
• Dropping a bookshelf on the great toe with only a pair of socks on
• Starring the windshield in a car accident because of not wearing a seat belt.  

Now while some of these actually do constitute coming in to the ER, the cold sore was my favorite.  It was fun to see the ER from the side of the nurses and doctors for an entire day, instead of being a patient there.  I had to go to the ER about a year ago for cracking my face open on another kids face while playing basketball (it helps you get in a little faster if you leave the blood running down the side of your face).

  I now understand what causes some of the long waiting in the ER.  I also understand that as a nurse in the ER, you have to keep a good sense of humor.  If you don't, you will get weighed down and not be able to do your job in some cases.  

I've talked to a lot of ER nurses, and most of them feel like when an 80 or 90 year old person dies, there really isn't an extreme amount of sadness/grief.  They feel like they have lived a good life, and been able to spend many, many wonderful years with those that they love.  There is another reason why this is though.  That's because they also have to see babies and little children brought in who, unfortunately in many cases, were horribly abused by their own parents.  In cases like these, the baby or child sometimes do not make it.  It's a whole different world when this happens.  The staff will sometimes have a meeting together and have to work through the immense grief of such cases together. 

It's so terribly sad when something like this happens, you really never know what or who is going to walk through those admitting doors next.  It could be a mass murderer or rapist from prison that you have to provide excellent care for or it could be someone who looks like or reminds you of your own parents or family member.  

It was a great experience learning from the excellent nurses in the ER.  I am so excited because I get to go back there again next week again for my last clinical of the semester!

If you want to read an interesting article from the Reader's Digest, click on the link below.  My dad told me about it, it is titled, "50 Secrets Your Nurse Won't Tell You."  I found most of them to be true, but some of them did not seem very accurate to me.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-secrets-your-nurse-wont-tell-you/

Thanks for reading!

An Evening on the Farm...

My wife and I took our baby girl to wheeler farm tonight!  It was really just an excuse for us to go, we loved it!  We went on a wagon ride pulled by a tractor, and saw lots of farm animals.  We love the fall!

Claire Beth

Hey everyone!  Sorry it's been awhile,  we've been a little busy having a baby!  Sweet little Claire Beth was born on October 13th.  She was 7 lbs 8 oz and 20".  She is so cute, and is my little princess.  More pics to come later!

Seinfeld...

I just have to make a post about my favorite show.  I don't know how anyone can not love watching Seinfeld.  It doesn't matter what episode is on, if it is playing, I will watch it.  I have never been able to decide who my favorite character is, because I love both Kramer and George so much.  I also love it whenever Kramer and Newman get together.  And you can't forget about Kramer's friend, good old Bob Sacamano.  In a perfect world, they would still be making Seinfeld episodes.  This show is the ultimate of classics!  What do you like most about Seinfeld?  

My Happy Place...

This past Wednesday night, my friend Nate and I went to watch the former BYU baskeball All-Star Jimmer Fredette All-Star game.  There were 20 newly drafted NBA players all having a scrimmage against each other.  It was probably the most talented group of players to ever play on the Marriot Center baskeball court.  It was full of lots of dunks, and very little defense being played.  It was awesome!  

Then, on Friday night, my wife and I went to watch the BYU football team play against Central Florida with my friend Clint.  They had just come off a tough loss to utah the week before, but they were able to beat Central Florida, and it was a great Friday night!

Awesome seeing "Jimmer" as one of the teams!

Jimmer's brother TJ rapping during half-time

Death, Code Red, and Getting Hit On...

Yesterday was my first day of clinicals for this semester. I gave lots of shots, prepared and hung a lot of medications, and was able to learn a lot from all the staff. I have to say that it was a very full day. We reported to the hospital at 6:30 am sharp and were there till about 7 pm. During that time the following events happened:

• A patient died right in front of me.
• A Code Red (Fire) was called.
• My patient started hitting on me and asked me for my phone number.

While it's true that most days are very busy and a little crazy at the hospital, this is not the norm. I am way excited for my clinical days coming up where I will be able to be in the operating room standing over the surgeon watching operations all day long. I will also be able to spend entire days in endoscopy and the ER. This is going to be an awesome clinical semester!

This is how i felt when i got home:

And The Winner is....

The Hungry Runner Girl! Congrats! Just email me an address you want your $30 Dick's Sporting Good's Gift Card sent to. devinvholt@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Welcome to Nursing School!

Sorry it's been a little while since my last post. I'm working on my Bachelor Degree in Nursing and school just started up again and I'm back at it. Thank you to everyone who has become a new follower. Tell your friends to follow quickly because I will be announcing the winner of the $30 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card on Tuesday, September 6.

For those of you who are new, you need to know that I love to blog about things that I learn in school, and random things that interest me. Some of it is about my life, and a lot of it is what I feel is very beneficial health information--current information, straight from the mouth of my professors and textbooks.

I love to share about unique experiences that I get to have at the hospital I work in or at the hospital that I do my clinical rotations in. I STRONGLY feel that by following this blog, you will:

• Be able to make better health decisions
• Be more informed about current healthcare recommendations and practices
• Be reminded of important topics that you never would have thought about otherwise
• And you'll definitely be entertained by the experiences that I have and share

It would mean the world to me if you would encourage other people to join this blog, because I really want my voice to go far, and i really make a big effort for this blog to be fun, and beneficial to all those who follow it. I'm confident that you will really benefit from reading both my past and future posts. Thanks!

For those of you who have been to nursing school, or who have wanted to go, or for those of you who just might be curious, I thought I would take you on a little tour of my school. It's called Westminster College and it's located in Salt Lake City:

This is on the outside of the Nursing building

This is the Nursing building

This is the entrance

This is one of my classrooms where I am being taught Medical-Surgical Nursing

So, what do you think of my school, and what do you think of the blog?

Free Giveaway!

To celebrate my new awesome blog, I am doing a free giveaway! It will be a $30 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods. To be eligible, simply follow my blog here on the right column! I will announce the winner soon!

Also, if you have any health related questions, I would love to make a post with an answer. Just click the "Ask Devin" tab and drop your question in. Thanks!

9 things you shouldn't say to your child (Part 3)

'Wait till daddy gets home!'
This familiar parenting cliché is not only another kind of threat, it's also diluted discipline. To be effective, you need to take care of a situation immediately yourself.

Discipline that's postponed doesn't connect the consequences with your child's actions. By the time the other parent gets home, it's likely that your child will actually have forgotten what she did wrong. Alternately, the agony of anticipating a punishment may be worse than what the original crime deserved.

Passing the buck to someone else also undermines your authority. "Why should I listen to Mom if she's not going to do anything anyway?" your child may reason. Not least, you're putting your partner in an undeserved bad-cop role.

'Hurry up!'

Who in this world of back-to-back appointments, overbooked schedules, sleep deficits, and traffic snarls hasn't uttered these immortal words?

Certainly every parent whose toddler can't find his shoes or blankie or who's blissfully oblivious of anything but putting on his socks "all by self!" has. Consider, though, your tone of voice when you implore a child to hurry, and how often you say it.

If you're starting to whine, screech, or sigh every day, with your hands on your hips and your toes tapping, beware. There's a tendency when we're rushed to make our kids feel guilty for making us rush. The guilt may make them feel bad, but it doesn't motivate them to move faster.

"It got so hectic at my house in the mornings, I hated that the last image my kids had of me was being angry," says family therapist Paul Coleman, author of "How to Say It to Your Kids." "So I made a pact with myself. No matter what, I wouldn't yell or roll my eyes even if someone spilled their Cheerios or asked me to find something just as we were heading out."

Rather than hectoring ("I told you to turn off that TV five minutes ago!"), he looks for calm ways to speed things along (he turns off the set himself).

'Great job!" or "Good girl!'

What could possibly be wrong with praise? Positive reinforcement, after all, is one of the most effective tools a parent has. The trouble comes in when the praise is vague and indiscriminate.

Tossing out "Great job!" for every little thing your child does -- from finishing his milk to drawing a picture -- becomes meaningless. Kids tune it out. They can also tell the difference between praise for doing something rote or simple and praise for a real effort.

9 things you shouldn't say to your child (Part 2)

#4. 'Why can't you be more like your sister?'

It might seem helpful to hold out a sibling or friend as a shining example. "Look how well Sam zips his coat," you might say. Or "Jenna's using the potty already, so why can't you do that too?" But comparisons almost always backfire. Your child is herself, not Sam or Jenna.

It's natural for parents to compare their kids, to look for a frame of reference about their milestones or their behavior, say experts.

But don't let your child hear you doing it. Kids develop at their own pace and have their own temperament and personality. Comparing your child to someone else implies that you wish yours were different.

Nor does making comparisons help change behavior. Being pressured to do something she's not ready for (or doesn't like to do) can be confusing to a little kid and can undermine her self-confidence. She's also likely to resent you and resolve not to do what you want, in a test of wills.

Instead, encourage her current achievements: "Wow, you put both arms in your coat all by yourself!" Or "Thanks for telling me your diaper needs changing."

#5. 'You know better than that!'

Like comparisons, quick gibes can sting in ways parents never imagine. For one thing, a child actually may not have known better. Learning is a process of trial and error. Did your child really understand that a heavy pitcher would be hard to pour from? Maybe it didn't seem that full, or it was different from the one he's successfully poured from by himself at preschool.

And even if he made the same mistake just yesterday, your comment is neither productive nor supportive. Give your child the benefit of the doubt, and be specific. Say "I like it better if you do it this way, thank you."

Similar jabs include "I can't believe you did that!" and "It's about time!" They may not seem awful, but you don't want to say them too much. They add up, and the underlying message kids hear is: "You're a pain in the neck, and you never do anything right."

#6. 'Stop or I'll give you something to cry about!'

Threats, usually the result of parental frustration, are rarely effective. We sputter warnings like "Do this or else!" or "If you do that one more time, I'll spank you!"

The problem is that sooner or later you have to make good on the threat or else it loses its power. Threats of hitting have been found to lead to more spanking -- which itself has been proven to be an ineffective way to change behavior.

The younger a child is, the longer it takes for a lesson to sink in. "Studies have shown that the odds of a two-year-old's repeating a misdeed later in the same day are eighty percent no matter what sort of discipline you use," says Murray Straus, Ph.D., a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire's Family Research Lab.

Even with older kids, no discipline strategy yields surefire results right off the bat every time. So it's more effective to develop a repertoire of constructive tactics, such as redirection, removing the child from the situation, or time-outs, than it is to rely on those with proven negative consequences, including verbal threats and spanking.

9 things you shouldn't say to your child

I came across a great article and I want to highlight it here for you. This is the first part of a series of 3 posts because I wanted to keep them short and to the point.

We all say the wrong thing sometimes, leaving our kids feeling hurt, angry, or confused. Read on for some of the most common verbal missteps moms and dads make, and kinder, gentler alternatives:

#1. 'Leave me alone!'

A parent who doesn't crave an occasional break is a saint, a martyr, or someone who's so overdue for some time alone she's forgotten the benefits of recharging.

Trouble is, when you routinely tell your kids, "Don't bother me" or "I'm busy," they internalize that message.

"They begin to think there's no point in talking to you because you're always brushing them off." If you set up that pattern when your children are small, then they may be less likely to tell you things as they get older.

From infancy, kids should get in the habit of seeing their parents take time for themselves. Use pressure-release valves -- whether signing up with a babysitting co-op, trading off childcare with your partner or a friend, or even parking your child in front of a video so that you can have half an hour to relax and regroup.

At those times when you're preoccupied, or over-stressed, set up some parameters in advance. I might have said, "Mom has to finish this one thing, so I need you to paint quietly for a few minutes. When I'm done, we'll go outside."

#2. 'You're so...'

Labels are shortcuts that shortchange kids: "Why are you so mean to Katie?" Or "How could you be such a klutz?" Sometimes kids overhear us talking to others: "She's my shy one."

Young children believe what they hear without question, even when it's about themselves. So negative labels can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Thomas gets the message that meanness is his nature. "Klutzy" Sarah begins to think of herself that way, undermining her confidence. Even labels that seem neutral or positive -- "shy" or "smart" -- pigeonhole a child and place unnecessary or inappropriate expectations on her.

The worst ones cut dangerously deep. Many a parent can still vividly, and bitterly, remember when her own parent said something like "You're so hopeless" (or "lazy" or "stupid").

A far better approach is to address the specific behavior and leave the adjectives about your child's personality out of it. For example, "Katie's feelings were hurt when you told everyone not to play with her. How can we make her feel better?"

#3. 'Don't cry'

Variations: "Don't be sad." "Don't be a baby." "Now, now -- there's no reason to be afraid." But kids do get upset enough to cry, especially toddlers, who can't always articulate their feelings with words. They do get sad. They do get frightened.

"It's natural to want to protect a child from such feelings, but saying 'Don't be' doesn't make a child feel better, and it also can send the message that his emotions aren't valid -- that it's not okay to be sad or scared."

Rather than deny that your child feels a particular way -- when he obviously does -- acknowledge the emotion up front.

"It must make you really sad when Jason says he doesn't want to be your friend anymore." "Yes, the waves sure can be scary when you're not used to them. But we'll just stand here together and let them tickle our feet. I promise I won't let go of your hand."

By naming the real feelings that your child has, you'll give him the words to express himself -- and you'll show him what it means to be empathetic. Ultimately, he'll cry less and describe his emotions instead.

Waiting at the Doctor's Office...

We live in a world where reserving a rental car doesn't mean your going to get a rental car exactly when you want it. Where having an airplane ticket doesn't mean your going to be on an airplane (or the intended flight) when you want to be. And we live in a world where having a doctor's appointment at 1:00 doesn't mean your going to have a doctor's appointment at 1:00.

The average wait time in a doctor's office in the nation is right around 24 minutes. That means that some people get right in, and some people end up waiting for an hour or more.

Many doctor's today are triple booking their appointments, so that appointment that you have at 1:00 could very likely be shared with 2 other people. Try getting to the doctor's 10 minutes earlier, and beat the other two. It could end up saving you a half hour or more.

It's kind of funny how it works at a doctor's office. When you first arrive, you spend the first part of waiting in waiting room #1. After a long period of time spent reading 4 year old parenting magazines, you are sent to waiting room #2 and left in a holding pattern.

This second room is the room with the roll of paper out on the exam table that never seems to be changed. In this second room, you get the illusion that you are close to meeting with the doctor. You can hear him walking by outside, talking with the nurse or other patients. The tension builds, but alas, you continue to wait. Should you pull out your phone and play around? "Would it be rude to the doctor if I was on my phone when he walks in?" you ask yourself... You continue to wait.

Finally at about 1:45, the doctor comes in and you put your phone away quickly. If many of you are waiting for very long periods of time like this at your doctor's office, you should consider shopping around and finding a doctor that doesn't triple book his appointments, because not all doctor's do. I understand why some of them triple book, some family doctor's are not making bank like we think they do. The specialists and surgeons are usually the one's taking on the burden of all that money. You may be limited by your insurance as to who you can go see, but it's much worse not having any insurance.

If it's really bad, write a letter to your doctor and tell them about your frustration. It's been done before, and it has caused doctor's to change the way they make appointments. Or you could be a smart scheduler, make your appointment the first one in the morning, or the first one after lunch.

So, next time your at the doctor's office, bring something to do in waiting room #1, and don't get your hopes up too much in waiting room #2.