What You Need to Know About the Stethoscope as a Nursing Student

The stethoscope is essential equipment for a nursing student. It is a tool that is used to assess a patient’s conditions and can also measure blood pressure when used with a sphygmomanometer. There are many options available, making it confusing to decide the type of stethoscope you need, or even how or where to purchase it.

If you are a nursing student pursuing top nursing program in Canada, spending a lot of money on a stethoscope isn’t necessary. A decent one will also serve your purposes. Here are the top makes and models of stethoscopes for nursing students:

• Littmann Lightweight
• Littmann Classic II S.E.
• Littmann Pediatric
• Littmann Master Classic II
• Littmann Cardiology III

Planning to buy a stethoscope? Here are other factors you should consider –

• Cost – This is one of the most important factors a nursing student needs to consider when purchasing a stethoscope. You can find many good and affordable options that will offer all of the necessary features that a nursing student may require.

• Quality – The quality of the stethoscope is another important consideration. Make sure that the stethoscope is sturdy for continuous heavy use, cleanable, and has good acoustics. Apart from this, the earpieces should be comfortable to wear and the tubing from the headset to the chest piece should be at least 15 inches long.

Benefits of Buying a Good Stethoscope   There are many benefits of buying a good-quality stethoscope. Some of them are –

• Acoustics –Clear, excellent acoustics are necessary to properly assess blood pressure, heart rate, and other digestive noises. A good stethoscope will help you get an accurate assessment for proper diagnosis and treatment.

• Comfort – There’s no need to put yourself in an uncomfortable  or painful situation when using a stethoscope. Before making your purchase, check the ear tips and ensure that it doesn’t hurt to use the stethoscope.
• Ease of use – Good stethoscopes are easy to use. However, make sure to avoid purchasing one that needs frequent adjustments or tuning of the diaphragms.

How to Take Good Care Of Your Stethoscope

After investing your money into a quality stethoscope, it’s important to maintain and take good care of it so the stethoscope works well for a long time.

Here are some tips that can help keep your stethoscope in a good condition.

• Do not sterilize it.
• Clean it frequently.
• Check the earpieces for dust or debris.
• Avoid exposing it to extreme hot or cold.

Based on the aforementioned information, choosing the best stethoscope while you are studying Nursing Courses in Canada for International Nurses should no longer be difficult. However, make sure you buy a good one, as it will be an invaluable investment for your future.

If you are a nurse graduate and want to specialize in your choice of specialty, INSCOL offers Specialized Nursing Programs in countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. To learn about the available programs, visit the website: INSCOL

5 Tips for Successful Travel Nurses!

Nowadays, health care centers are facing a shortage of staff. That’s why they look for travel nurses from different locations to satisfy their permanent staff needs. There are many travel nurse staffing providers which help clinics/hospitals find temporary nurses. Nurses who are looking to work at international destinations can consider this opportunity and get in touch with the agencies who offer programs to be a part of this fraternity.

Before planning a travel nurse assignment, there are a few things that you need to research. These include organizational culture, job description, and other job skills. Find some examples below:

1. Completing the Paperwork: Traveling is always exciting, but we cannot ignore the documentation process. This process is, of course, required by the nurse staffing agency and hospitals. Make sure you submit all of your documents and relevant information so there is no confusion later on. Make a habit of making a document checklist. For documentation, you need to submit application forms, license verification, and letters of recommendation from previous employers and skills checklists. Secondly, you may want to hire a lawyer if you are moving to another country to ensure clearance of laws. 
2.  Be Open to Learning and Adapting: As the newest nurse in the healthcare department you need to adapt to the new environment. Once you are comfortable with the staff, everything else falls into place. A positive attitude can be very helpful. At first, you might face a few problems with assignments. Talk to your fellow workers and other members so that they can help you out. 
3.  Pack all Necessary Things: Keep your luggage easy-to-carry and light. Leave copies of your important documents behind. But make sure to pack your uniform or scrubs for your assignment. You would be living in a new location, therefore, keep some extra money, financial documents or records, credit or debit cards and your ID. Ask your recruiter for a detailed list of all the important things you should bring. 
4.  Gather all the Information: Use your free time to learn things about your new location. Make sure to gather all the important points, manuals and study procedures. If you have any doubts, you know whom to ask. 
5.  Neighborly Gesture: Over the first few days in your new location, take the time to explore the area. Ask your neighbor for some suggestions like where to shop, where to buy groceries, the best place to eat and the nearby attractions. Ask your co-workers or your neighbor to join you for a walk; this will help to enrich your experience. 

Conclusion: The best thing about the travel nurse profession is that you can enjoy the dual combination of work and fun without ignoring your professional field. If you follow all of the above-mentioned considerations properly, you will prove to be quite a successful travel nurse.

To be a part of a profession that is rewarding and provides tremendous growth potential, all you need is to pursue a specialty nursing program and start working. To realize your dream of studying and working in countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, explore your options at INSCOL.

Cardiac Arrests and What Nurses Need to Know

As per Wikipedia, cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the sudden stop in effective blood circulation due to the failure of the heart to contract effectively, or at all.

It is generally different from a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a portion of the heart is blocked. On the other hand, sudden cardiac arrest results from an electrical disturbance in the heart that disrupts its pumping action, stopping blood flow to the rest of the body. It's also true that a heart attack can, at times, trigger an electrical disturbance that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Factually, as per WHO census statistics, mortality due to cardiac causes has overtaken mortality due to all cancers put together. Every year, approximately 4,280 out of every one-lakh people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in India alone.

It is estimated that by 2020, Coronary Heart Diseases will cause one-third of the deaths in India. There is an enormous need for nurses and other health care professionals, as well as the general public, to know and be aware of the identifying symptoms. Nurses, specifically, should know how to act in the case of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.

Clearly, sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it may cause sudden cardiac death. Moreover, it's equally important that cardiac arrest trolleys are fully-equipped with all of the necessary contents.

Logically enough, the cardiac arrest trolley contents should be standardized. A nurse should know when the equipment should, and when it should not be used. There should also be availability of the equipment that supports airway and breathing.

Nurses must be acquainted with, and also know how and when to use the contents of a cardiac arrest trolley. Nurses are often the first responder health care professional to act during the initial stages of a cardiac arrest. Therefore, they should know that-

• Equipment on the cardiac arrest trolley should be available, and be available in different sizes. Different patients need different sized equipment.
• The patient’s level of consciousness is the determinant of which instrument should be used and which should not.

INSCOL, being an International Training Center for the American Heart Association, trains health care providers and police personnel on Basic Life Support Skills & Advanced Cardiac Life Support Skills. The objective of such courses is to ensure that health care professionals and nurses (most often the first responders) are able to act more effectively in any crisis situation so they can save lives. For more information, please visit: http://www.inscol.com.