How to Qualify to be a Nurse Practitioner

You love nursing and you want to know it all—from diagnosing and treating patients to keeping the ball rolling without the assistance of physicians. You know that becoming a nurse practitioner will demand all that you’ve got, physically as well as emotionally, but you are willing and able to go for it. Besides, it’s been your dream for years, you can’t hold back now.

Here’s how you qualify:

  1. Certify as an RN. Understand there will be skills and physical demands that will be required of you. You must have a strong immune system, and you will be required to work as a team member. You will end your RN study by taking the NCLEX-RN test.
  2. Receive your bachelor’s degree in nursing from online classes specializing in nursing. Take all of the online classes you need to get you to the next step.
  3. Receive your master’s degree with accredited NP track.
  4. Earn certification such as the AANP and the ANCC certifications.
  5. Decide on your area of specialization such as cardiology, pediatrics, or primary care. Make sure that your area of specialization reflects not only your talents and interests but a higher level of skill.

Qualifying to become a nurse practitioner is not an easy task, but it is definitely a rewarding one, as you care for the patients who need you. Start today on the career of your dreams by applying the steps above, and don’t forget to tackle your own research. Online classes abound for students wanting to make the leap to nurse practitioner

 

Filed Under: Health Care Facilities, Medicine Tagged With: , , ,

New Rules from FDA on Sunscreen

Sunscreen lotion 

Image via Wikipedia

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the U.S. has released new regulations for how sunscreen is labeled. These new labeling regulations will be required by major manufacturers by next year while small manufacturers will have two years in order to become compliant.

New Regulations

Manufacturers of sunscreen have new regulations that have to be followed. In the past, if the sunscreen was made to block UVA rays as well as UVB rays, the packaging would state “broad spectrum.” Now, in order for manufacturers to state “broad spectrum” on the label, the SPF must reflect the amount of protection to both types of UV rays instead of just UVB rays.

Another rule is that sunscreens must have an SPF of 15 or higher in order to claim that they protect against sunburns and reduce the chances of developing skin cancer and early signs of aging. In fact, products with a protection of SPF 14 and lower will have to carry a warning stating that the product hasn’t been shown to protect against these things. Also under consideration is limiting manufacturers to labeling their product as being at most 50 SPF. Currently, research has shown that more than that doesn’t add any more protection.

Be Smart

When it comes to being in the sun, be smart about how you protect your skin. Try to use sunscreen between 30 and 50 SPF and reapply every two hours that you’re in the sun. Wear sunscreen even when it’s cloudy and avoid the midday sun when the rays are the most harmful. And remember, dry clothing protects your skin, but wet clothes don’t.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: General, Health Care Facilities Tagged With: , ,

Genetic Link Made in Women with Pregnancy-Related Heart Failure

A pregnant woman

Image via Wikipedia

There is a rare condition in pregnant women called peripartum cardiomyopathy, which basically means pregnancy-related heart failure. Although only 1 in every 3,000 or 4,000 pregnant women will deal with this condition, it is the leading cause for deaths related to pregnancies. Finding a link is an important one.

Although this condition can often be treated with medication, some women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM, for short) end up needing a heart pump or a heart transplant to resolve the problem.

A team of researchers at University of Utah and the VA Hospital are investigating whether there is a genetic link, a mutation that increases the likelihood of PPCM. Well, as luck would have it, one was found — a mutation in chromosome 12.

This mutation was found in about 2/3 of the test sample, which included women who had experienced PPCM. The sooner that this condition is diagnosed, the less likely that drastic measures will be needed to handle the problem. This is one reason why it’s being studied. If a standard test can be given to women in the early stages of a pregnancy, it’s possible that women who have this mutation can be watched and helped if she has PPCM.

One reasons why researchers starting looking for a genetic link was it seemed as if the condition ran in families with daughters, sisters, and mothers all experiencing PPCM. Still there are other women who have no one in their family who experienced this problem, so it’s not always predictable. With a little more research, women in the future will less likely die from PPCM — at least that’s the hope.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Health Care Facilities, Illness/Treatment Tagged With: , ,