A critical care nurse (CCN) is a nurse with specialized training, knowledge, and skills to provide care to acutely ill patients. A CCN offers care to patients with healthcare demands that require close monitoring. A critical care nurse should take care of 1-3 critically ill patients at a time in an intensive care unit (ICU), but this is just an ideal number. The number of patients can increase beyond the three especially at places where staff shortage in rife. Someone who wants to offer critical care nursing should follow specific steps to attain the position.

Steps to Becoming a Critical Care Nurse

Enroll for a nursing program

The first step is for nurses to finish the nursing studies to become a registered nurse. It is a prerequisite requirement for critical care nurses to be registered nurses before they enter this specialized field of nursing. Most employers prefer critical care registered nurses (CCRNs) with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Some start by getting an Associate's degree level, but it is essential for nurses who want to be CCNs to consider academic qualifications before writing their applications.

Obtain licensing to become a registered nurse

Each state has it set of requirements for nurses to earn their registered nurse license. It is essential to visit the state board of nursing website at the state where you plan to practice and determine the eligibility requirements. Nurses obtain a license to practice after passing NCLEX-RN the (national council licensure exam for registered nurse).

Earn the relevant experience

Critical care nursing requires certification that nurses can only get if they have particular expertise in a critical care field. The period to gain experience in intensive care settings is also an opportunity for exploring desires to become a certified critical care nurse. Experience in critical care nursing is somewhat significant because it is a requirement that a nurse must fulfill before obtaining a CCRN certification.

Get a Critical Care Registered Nurse Certification

Nurses who pass the licensure exam to practice become eligible for CCRN certification. Certification is not a requirement to work in the critical care settings, but many nurses in working environments choose to get CCRN training and credentials that they get through professional associations such as American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) in the USA.

CCRN-E certification is available for registered nurses who work are roles where they monitor the critically ill patients through technologies from remote locations and cameras. CCRN certification is also available to those working in critical care environments and issues, but they do not provide direct patient care.

Nurses who take the AACN route provides training and certification test to RNs aspiring to become critical care nurses in the neonatal, pediatric or adult field. A nurse can fulfill the requirement by AACN for CCRN certification by choosing one of these options:

1.1,750 hours experience working as an APRN or RN offering direct care to acute/critical patients for the past two years. 875 of these hours should be from the most recent year before application.

2.Five years experience that includes a minimum 2,000 hours to work directly with the critically or acutely ill patients. I44 hours should be in the most recent year before the application.

After determining the eligibility, AACN informs the applicants about the fee they should pay to take a computer-based exam and get a CCRN certification that is valid for three years after passing the examination.

CCRN Recertification for a Critical Care Nurse

CCRN recertification takes place three years after getting the first certification. CCNs should apply for recertification to maintain their eligibility for the role. Those applying to for recertification should have these qualifications in place.

1.Experience of 432 hours or providing direct care to critical/acute patients during the three-year certification period. 144 of these hours should be in the past 12 months before the renewal date.

2.100 units of Continuing Education Recognition Points in three categories covering areas of caring practice, diversified care, collaboration, and clinical inquiry.

3.Recertification candidates can also use the option passing a renewal exam instead of obtaining the 100 units of CERPs above.

Critical care nursing is a specialty that healthcare professional regard as a valuable practice in caring for patients with acute illnesses. It is a hectic career that suits staff nurses with interest to specialize in a high charged nursing specialty.

Nursing is one of the most challenging jobs, but it is still right to choose a specialty that will challenge career growth and flexibility. If you enjoy the ongoing change and challenges, a risk management nurse job could be the right fit. You should begin by knowing the qualification and responsibilities of the position.

What are risk management nurse jobs?

A risk management nurse delivers safe and trusted healthcare. The nurse should build a relationship with the patients and families to guide them through their treatment plan. The expectation for nurse risk managers is to keep providing the patients and families updates about adverse outcomes of the medical choices as much as possible. They update the patients without compromising or jeopardizing the welfare of hospitals.

For instance, a patient might suddenly terminate a treatment plan, and it will become the duty of a risk management nurse to assess the situation of a patient and let the person know possible consequences of the decisions. The nurse works to control the physical and financial issues relating to the patient and hospital.

A nurse risk manager needs advanced knowledge of modern practices and procedures because it is essential to have a mastery of the issues to inform patients about the things they should expect. Learning about modern practices also helps a nurse to recognize problems and risks. The role of a risk management nurse does not stop at the service to patients. At times the responsibility can extend to scheduling the nursing staff. It involves mentoring and supervising the nursing staff as necessary.

In an overview, the place where a nurse risk management works gives a specific assignment. In most cases, risk management nursing jobs might also include these duties:

Management of human and psychological factors in a health care setting

The tasks that a nurse earns will depend on the educational background. Nurses who need to learn the necessary skills can acquire them by practice or through education.

How to Get Risk Management Nurse Jobs

Dozens of options are available for nurses searching for risk management jobs. It is a position that they can find at a wide range of organizations and settings. Besides clinics and hospitals, risk management nurse jobs are available in these settings:

A bachelor's degree in nursing is an essential requirement to apply for a risk management nurse job. Some employers require applicants at their institutions to have a master's degree. Particular course in nursing like psychology, pharmacology and behavioral science also count.

It is only a licensed nurse who can work in the risk management job. Licensure requirements vary at different states. it is essential to determine the conditions at the state where someone intends to work. Some places consider risk management nursing as an administrative job meaning that applicants should undergo further licensing procedures by the state.

Other Additional Skills for Risk Management Nurse Jobs

A risk management nurse job requires other skills besides nursing competence to enable those in the position to excel in the post. This job requires excellent planning and coordination skills. A risk management job is a role for someone who can work individually and a part of a team. Time management skills are also crucial as this is a role that takes plenty of time to evaluate programs, train employees and participate in staff meetings among many other things.

Do you need to advance your career? You might need to start taking additional continuing education. This education may include healthcare risk management programs or other interdisciplinary training that might cover relating areas like management and law. Continuing education is also necessary too for maintaining of a license.

Risk management nurse jobs are available at many institutions, but they require someone with more knowledge than nursing skills. It is a position for someone who can coordinate activities, train others and handle formal procedures relating to the job. It requires someone who can work in stressful situations and remain calm under the intense pressure.

A dog will become an emotional support animal (ESA) if it can take the basic obedience commands. A dog that cannot stay or sit properly after a command will have challenges in understanding instructions and will not provide the kind of emotional comfort that you expect it to provide. Start the training early and stick with the routine.

Taking commands is crucial and it might even require the help of a professional if you are not making progress in making the dog to learn obedience.

Steps To Train Your Dog to Be an Emotional Support Animal

1.Start with simple steps

Start easy by teaching your dog these four most common commands.

Say each of these words in a level and a calm voice when practicing these steps with the dog. Use release words like good or ok when you are ready to signal the dog to break the pose.

2.Follow the three Ds program.

Many dog training experts recommend training a pup should follow this three-step program on the first commands. It is a program that centers on these three D –words (Duration, Distance and Distractions) that come in handy during training of a therapy dog to be providing emotional support.

a.Duration

Start by positioning the dog in a pose that you want and hold for about three seconds before you use the release work such good, nice, ok to show your approval. Increase this time gradually by few seconds after each interval until the dog learns to hold the command successfully on its own.

b.Distance

Move away from the dog slowly for about one step at a time to build its independence. Return to the starting position before your utter the release word.

c.Distractions

Build a strong foundation in the first two steps before you start introducing distractions. When the dog masters them, it is time to add distractions like mimic real-life experiences or getting another person to talk or pass or do something that will distract. It is a vital step because an emotional support animal is likely to encounter different environment when living or going for a walk with you. It is essential for the dog to master your voice and the appropriate way of responding at any time. It is an integral part of building the bond.

You should teach a dog the emotional support on how to provide emotional support and care after it understands the standard commands.

3.Sofa and paws command

Some treats help to coax a dog to get onto a sofa if it has not been doing it. Show the dog a gift and move it to the back of a couch as you excitedly call its name and add paws up. A reluctant dog might need rewarding for an extended time of getting rewards after climbing onto the sofa. You should also teach the "paws off" command for the dog to climb down from the sofa. You can begin by rewarding it until it masters the control.

Practice

You should aim at getting the dog to place all four paws on a sofa if it is small in size and take a down position. A larger dog with a weight that you do not want to bare soul only put the head or front paws on the sofa after “paws up” command. Practice the "paws up" and off command until the dog understands the meaning and follows the instructions even without a treat or reward.

4.Laying on the sofa

A dog will provide you with emotional support if it learns to lie along your body vertically with the paws on your shoulder and places its neck next to yours. The posture suits a dog that is small to medium size. A large dog should learn to put its paws across your legs or place his head on your lap when you occupy a sitting position.

Use the paws up command and down command to train the dog about the position to occupy when it is lying on your lap or vertically to you. Give the dog a treat when it takes the correct place to offer emotional support until it masters the command before issuing the paws down command. Back and forth training will teach the dog on how to apply pressure (shoulder or lap depending on its size) without expecting a food reward.

5.Train the dog to identify signs of anxiety

Train the dog further after mastering the above techniques to determine when you are in a stressful situation by mimicking the symptoms that you experience at such moments. Practice it when you are calm and reward the dog after following the commands because it will learn the action to perform when you need it at times of anxiety.

Emotional support animals calm people in unique ways. Learning how to train your dog to be an emotional support animal is an essential step because it can provide affection and dedication during difficult times.

Scrubs are not just a work uniform, but they also represent a symbol of a profession. Another purpose of the scrubs is to ensure the safety of the patients through proper hygiene. The difficult task is to keep them clean without bacteria. It takes much effort especially for nurses who run a hectic shift.

Nurses have much responsibility to prevent compromise of patients’ health by ensuring that they wash their scrubs properly and disinfect them. Disinfection of scrubs cannot be on dirty linen, and it is essential to clean the scrubs thoroughly before disinfecting.

How to Wash and Disinfect Scrubs

1.Separate scrubs from other clothes

Scrubs are dirty because they gather man contaminants at work. It is essential to separate and wash them separately from regular clothes. The right way is to separate the scrubs soon after arriving home by placing them is different laundry bag or hamper. Make a habit of carrying a freezer bag and store your scrubs in it n the way home if you change to regular clothes at the workplace. It is efficient in sealing the dirty scrubs until the time to laundry.

You can wait to accumulate several dirty scrubs before washing to conserve water and energy. Separating a large heap before cleaning is necessary because a washing machine will clean well if there is adequate room from clothes to move around. It will not clean thoroughly if the scrubs are squeezing too much.

2.Check the scrubs for stains

Scrubs are likely to have stains, and it is essential to remove them before washing. Different stains require a particular thing to remove them. A small amount of vinegar or bleach on blood stains will help to clear. A mixture of vinegar (one part) and two parts of water will remove the coffee stains.

3.Washing the scrubs

You should wash the scrubs should be in cold water and detergent. Ensure that the setting is at normal. The first wash should clean the scrubs inside out to prevent abrading. Check them for stains after the first wash is complete because they can set during the second round of washing that needs hot water. You can proceed with a second wash after determining that there is no residual. It might be necessary to soak the scrubs for proper disinfection if the stains are still visible. The soaking should not be for too long because the bleach mixture has properties that might damage the fabric.

4.Use bleach for stains in the washer

Bleach helps to clear stains, and you can use it in a laundry machine with a bleach dispenser. It helps to dilute the bleach before adding it to the laundry load. Some washers do not have a dispenser, but you can still use bleach by filling the tub with hot water before adding ¾ cup of bleach. Remember to add it to the washer before the scrubs. It is essential to avoid using full strength bleach on the scrubs because it might weaken the fibers and completely remove the color.

The regular wash with warm or hot water and spinning in the dryer will eradicate most germs, but it is efficient as disinfecting. Taking an extra step of disinfection is essential. White cotton scrubs need disinfection by adding sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) to a wash cycle. Do not directly pour bleach on the clothing. Pour chlorine bleach into a washer bleach dispenser or dilute it with water before adding to a washer drum.

Oxygen-based bleaches do not provide any disinfectant qualities when you use them the for home laundry process.

Pine oil disinfectants are suitable for colored scrubs or those that are not cotton material. You should add them at the start of a wash cycle and are more effective in warm and hot water. The product should contain 80% pine oil for maximum efficiency. Phenolic disinfectant is another superb alternative for disinfecting colored scrubs

5.Tumble the scrubs dry in high heat

Wash the scrubs using the highest heat setting and tumble the dry for about 30 minutes to help in killing the bacteria. Cleaning scrubs in the regular laundry steps, adding disinfectant and machine drying kills any virus and bacteria on the fabric. By following regular laundry steps, adding a disinfectant, and machine drying, any virus in question, even the AIDS virus, will be killed.