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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Online Associate Nursing Degree - Online Nursing Courses

By Ekta Jain Platinum Quality Author

Hospitals, large or small, hire maximum number of nurses and have diverse working titles for them. Depending on the nurse's qualification, he or she can choose to work in the field of her specialization or even manage the central responsibilities.

Various Nursing Courses Explained

There are a series of courses to become a nurse to a specialized nurse. The foremost course required to start a nursing career is the practical nurse course or the PN course. This course has duration of one year and it makes you a licensed practical nurse or LPN. Next comes the online associate nursing degree or ADN. This program has duration of two or three years, as the duration can vary from one institute to another.

To become a registered nurse or RN, you have to undertake the nursing degree like the Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) and a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) diploma, after doing online associate nursing degree. The duration of the BSN program is four years. The syllabus consists of nursing administration and management training in various environments. Advanced academic qualification and practical knowledge will give you improved chances to progress in your career. The more your qualifications, the better will be your position, and the better your position; the more will be your salary.

The topmost nursing course is the doctorate in nursing. During the course of these programs, the students can choose their field of specialization, such as hospital nurse, labor room nurse, surgery specialist, dialysis nurse or outpatient nurse. Besides hospitals, nurses with online nursing continuing education degree are also employed in business houses, insurance companies and community health divisions. With a growing population of old people, a large number of nurses are also employed at homes for care of old patients. This facilitates the use of complex medical machines, at home, for their care. Well-qualified nurses can also run their own nursing business.

In addition, here are some nursing facts. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for nurses is likely to rise by 36% in the next four years. Students possessing an online associate nursing degree constitute a majority of all medical students or students pursuing any health profession. Nurses are the main source of providing care to the patients in a hospital and the major sole element of hospital personnel.

Nursing degree info is an online information bank for people who wish to make successful career in nursing. Medicare Industry is growing day by day. With this growth there will be rise in requirement for qualified Medicare personnel's. For professional growth in nursing, go for Online Associate Nursing Degree. Choose from best Online Nursing Degree Schools.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ekta_Jain

Is Medical Tourism For You?

By Patrick Marsek

A look into the system of healthcare abroad

Medical tourism is a fascinating concept, gaining quick recognition in the United States. Although the practice of traveling abroad to receive medical procedures is decades old in Europe, and has been practiced for hundreds of years in Asia, it is still quite new to Americans. So, in an effort to help explain the benefits and pitfalls of this relatively new industry, please allow me to share some of my first hand experiences with you, a potential medical tourist.

There are four basic groups of North Americans who are most interested in medical tourism and the cost savings it provides:

· 45 Million Uninsured Americans

· 250 Million Insured Americans with restricted coverage due to pre-existing conditions, resulting in out-of-pocket expenses

· 32 Million Canadians receiving socialized medicine and enduring long wait lists for many popular surgeries

· Potentially, 332 Million North Americans seeking elective cosmetic and/or dental surgery

As you can see, the market potential is huge, but, unless a well organized, comprehensive, individualized program facilitating the healthcare needs and travel desires of North American consumers has been structured, medical tourism will only remain a vision and not a reality.

Quality and Safety of Healthcare Abroad

There is much to consider before experiencing a successful medical retreat. One of the first issues to investigate would be the quality and safety of healthcare abroad. You can perform a quick search on the internet and find a host of foreign hospitals, doctors, even government organizations marketing directly the worldwide consumer with hopes of attracting them to their country. CONSUMER BEWARE! Marketing rhetoric and posh photos can be very deceiving. I can personally vouch for this type of misperception. In my travels to 11 destinations within 7 countries around the world, I have seen these misrepresentations more often than not. This presents a very interesting question; how do you know who is telling the truth and who is fabricating information? The truth is, you don’t until you have either experienced it first hand or know of a trusting source that has had the experience.

In reality, it’s impossible for most people to know first hand, because they haven’t traveled to a foreign country to inspect the quality of healthcare. So, what’s the next step? Find someone you can trust who has had the experience and is willing provide an objective point of view. Good luck in your search! This may not be an easy task to accomplish. Hence the need for a bona fide, professional, medical tourism service agency in the U.S. to help consumers make these difficult choices. By utilizing the knowledge and expertise of an unbiased medical tourism specialist, you will better guarantee your safety and comfort while traveling abroad for your surgery.

To date, there is only one American owned company that offers a complete and thorough service to guide patients through the intricacies of this complex course of action. The organization is called MedRetreat, an American company facilitating the healthcare needs and travel desires of North Americans. You can visit http://www.medretreat.com for a very comprehensive education about the entire process. MedRetreat has inspected and verified the efficacy of their hospital affiliates. Most healthcare providers in the network are either JCI accredited, or, are in the process of accreditation. And, many of the doctors are board certified by the U.S, U.K. or Australia.

My personal advice - don’t go through the process alone. Utilize the experience of a company like MedRetreat who has performed their due-diligence on your behalf. It’s like trying to bake a cake for the very first time. Without the help of an experienced baker, like good old grandma, you’re sure to make some mistakes. Traveling abroad for surgery, without the necessary knowledge, is much too important to take the chance of making any mistakes.

Cost Savings

Once you feel comfortable about the quality of healthcare overseas, then it’s time to research another important factor in considering medical tourism as an option for your surgical procedure…the cost savings. Due to two main factors, the cost is as low as 1/10th of the price in the U.S. Here are two main reasons as sited by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger:

1. “Many workers in the health care industry are basically getting paid to shuffle paper around. The health insurance companies are paid to deny health claims and the government workers at Medicare and Medicaid offices are paid to find new ways to deny payments to doctors and hospitals for services rendered. Thus, doctors' offices and hospitals have to employ entire armies of people to sit around and reclassify procedures in ways that can get paid by insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. It's a massive waste of time, money and effort.”

”As a medical tourist in another country, you eliminate these paperwork shufflers. And right there, you can save as much as 80% right off the bat. Because now, your dollars are actually going to the surgeons, anesthesiologists and other hospital workers who are attending to you during your surgical procedure. Whereas in the United States, your money is going to the insurance company and then the insurance company money is being used to pay paper shufflers.”

2. “Another reason these surgical procedures are so much more affordable in Asia or other regions of the world is because of the liability issue. In the United States, doctors and hospitals must carry extremely expensive medical malpractice insurance policies. And patients seem to love to sue in the United States. In contrast, when you undergo a surgical procedure as a medical tourist in an offshore hospital, you sign paperwork that says you agree not to sue under certain conditions. Thus, you save a fortune by essentially not funding the legal fees, settlements and malpractice insurance costs normally found in a U.S.-based healthcare practice.”

Mr. Adams goes on to say; “when you combine these two savings - the paperwork shuffling reduction and the medical malpractice lawsuits - you get an incredible deal for your dollar.”

The Medical Tourism Experience

Now that we’ve covered the two most important aspects of medical tourism, quality and price, let’s briefly touch upon on the experience of traveling abroad.

Although choosing your destination is not the most important feature of your medical care objective, you should ultimately be pleased with your selection. After all, you’ll be spending anywhere between 2-4 weeks overseas and should be able to enjoy your recuperation process. There are many alternatives, but, you should definitely choose a destination that specializes in your required procedure. Of the many locations available, I’ve found that Malaysia, Thailand and Brazil are the most popular. Make sure your service agent representative educates you about the country and culture before you go. This will prove to be a valuable investment of your time. Education is the key to a successful medical tour.

Researching and planning your recuperation period can be an exciting and adventurous process. It helps to relieve your thoughts about your surgical procedure and focus on the enjoyment segment of your medical retreat. Please be advised, depending on your surgery, you may not be able to enjoy certain activities, so, my best advice would be to look into physically inactive forms of enjoyment.

Destination Program Management

With the exception of Penang, Malaysia, which is an English speaking destination, and very easy to navigate on your own, all other destinations should offer the assistance of a Destination Program Manager (DPM) to help navigate the terrain and explain the nuances of the culture. A DPM will be your friend away from home. They will take care of all your personal needs while visiting. Remember, you will be recuperating from surgery and in most cases, not in the best physical and emotional condition to take care of the necessary details of a new environment. Here are some of the services a DPM will offer to guaranty your comfort and enjoyment:

· Meet and greet arriving customer at the airport

· Private transportation to the hotel

· Pre-arrange hotel check-in

· Private transportation to-and-from doctor consultation

· Private transportation to-and-from medical procedure

· Interpretation assistance at hospital or clinic if needed

· Provide communication assistance, such as cell phone or 24 hour contact number

· Check on recuperating patient daily once procedure is performed

· Provide emotional support if necessary during visit

· Assist with local tour and excursion arrangements

· Provide information about local dining, shopping, and pampering facilities

· Provide information about local culture and customs of destination

· Assure that customer is comfortable and content at all times

· Deliver customer to airport for departure

· Assist customer with baggage check-in upon departure

· Arrange for Airport medical assistance upon departure if necessary

So much to do…so little time

Because a successful medical retreat requires between 35-40 hours of planning, all facets of medical tourism cannot be discussed in one article such as this.

There is much to learn. The question is; how much is your time worth? Don’t waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. It would be very time consuming and cumbersome to piece together all the available information about medical tourism on the internet. It can also be very confusing and overwhelming.

There are companies perfectly capable of helping you through the process. And, some will not even charge you for their services. They receive compensation from their overseas partners for their role in the process. In fact, in many cases, you will spend less by using a professional medical tourism service agency. If you find the right organization, they will have negotiated more favorable pricing on your behalf and pass along some of the savings to you. So, in essence, you will not be able to receive a better price - even by going direct to the hospital yourself. The choice is yours. Choose well.

So, the question remains; is medical tourism for you?

About The Author
Patrick Marsek has been one of the leading U.S. advocates for medical tourism. His company, MedRetreat, LLC., is the first medical tourism service agency in the U.S. facilitating the healthcare nedds and travel desires of Americans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Marsek

Monday, October 26, 2009

Dental Health Activities

By Seth Miller

Dental health activities are designed to encourage good dental health practices and to help avoid dental cavities, gum diseases and oral cancer. State dental health programs are the primary entities responsible for conducting the core activities with regard to oral health conditions within different states. Local health departments in association with the dental community and public/private schools also arrange various dental health activities. The promotion of dental sealants and monitoring of the fluoride content in drinking water are examples of disease prevention activities. The American Dental Association provides a great deal of resources for dental health activities.

Classroom dental health activities are an integral component in the development of a child. Dental health activities to provide valuable oral care education and to promote the importance of proper dental hygiene among children are conducted with the help of posters, interactive dental health games and contests, health fairs and classroom presentations. Health educators present programs on topics such as brushing and flossing, bad breath, good nutrition and how to overcome the fear of visiting the dentist. The organization and administration of school-based fluoride mouth rinse programs and the promotion of school dental screening are examples of additional dental health activities focused on children.

Organizations such as Oral Health America develop, implement, and facilitate educational and service programs designed to raise awareness of the importance of oral health. Nationwide activities and campaigns coordinate schools, governments, care providers, and corporate and community partners in the fight against tooth decay and oral disease prevention. Many state dental health programs are involved in epidemiologic surveys, applied research projects and community needs assessments. This information is important in developing an appropriate and responsive community programming. Many public health systems operate independent public health dental activities. These activities vary in scope and size across each state depending on population requirements. State grants are allotted to develop innovative dental activities and programs specific to individual states? needs, and improve access to oral health services.

Dental Health provides detailed information on Dental Health, Dental Health Plans, Dental Health Care, Child Dental Health and more. Dental Health is affiliated with Dental Plans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Miller

Dental Health Activities

By Seth Miller

Dental health activities are designed to encourage good dental health practices and to help avoid dental cavities, gum diseases and oral cancer. State dental health programs are the primary entities responsible for conducting the core activities with regard to oral health conditions within different states. Local health departments in association with the dental community and public/private schools also arrange various dental health activities. The promotion of dental sealants and monitoring of the fluoride content in drinking water are examples of disease prevention activities. The American Dental Association provides a great deal of resources for dental health activities.

Classroom dental health activities are an integral component in the development of a child. Dental health activities to provide valuable oral care education and to promote the importance of proper dental hygiene among children are conducted with the help of posters, interactive dental health games and contests, health fairs and classroom presentations. Health educators present programs on topics such as brushing and flossing, bad breath, good nutrition and how to overcome the fear of visiting the dentist. The organization and administration of school-based fluoride mouth rinse programs and the promotion of school dental screening are examples of additional dental health activities focused on children.

Organizations such as Oral Health America develop, implement, and facilitate educational and service programs designed to raise awareness of the importance of oral health. Nationwide activities and campaigns coordinate schools, governments, care providers, and corporate and community partners in the fight against tooth decay and oral disease prevention. Many state dental health programs are involved in epidemiologic surveys, applied research projects and community needs assessments. This information is important in developing an appropriate and responsive community programming. Many public health systems operate independent public health dental activities. These activities vary in scope and size across each state depending on population requirements. State grants are allotted to develop innovative dental activities and programs specific to individual states? needs, and improve access to oral health services.

Dental Health provides detailed information on Dental Health, Dental Health Plans, Dental Health Care, Child Dental Health and more. Dental Health is affiliated with Dental Plans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Miller

The Nursing Career

By Jenny Hagbong

Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families and communities to meet again, achieve and maintain optimal health and functioning. Modern definitions of nursing define it as a science and an art that focuses on promoting quality of life as defined by individuals and families, throughout their life experiences from birth to care at the end of life.

In pre-modern times, nuns and the military often nursing services. The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today. For example, in Britain, senior nurses are known as "Sisters". In recent times in the U.S. Canada and many nurses are flowing back to work in a "religious" on the ground across the "Parish Nursing." These nurses work within a church community to carry out health education, counseling, referrals to provide community support agencies, and connect volunteers from the Christian community with those in need of assistance.

Nurses recognize that the nursing profession is an essential part of society which has grown. The authority to practice nursing in basa is a social contract that defines the rights and professional responsibilities, as well as mechanisms for public accountability. The practice of nursing comprises an altruistic behavior, is guided by research and nursing is governed by a code of ethics.

Nursing continues to develop a broad range of knowledge and skills associated. There are a number of educational paths to become a professional nurse, but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and regulated by law and entry into the profession is regulated by national, state or territorial boards of nursing.

The American Nurses' Association (1980) has identified nursing as "the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems." Just as medical diagnoses help in the planning, implementation and evaluation of health care, nursing diagnoses help in the planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care.

Like other disciplines maturation, nursing has developed various theories that fit the differences and philosophical beliefs or paradigms of the world. Nursing theories nurses to help direct its activities to achieve specific goals with people. Nursing is a knowledge-based discipline committed to the betterment of mankind. Nursing has not only become a profession, but also an art.

Nursing is the most diverse of all health professions. It is a universal role that appears in some form in all cultures.

Nursing can be divided into different specialties or ratings. In the U.S., there are a large number of nursing specialties. Professional organizations or certification boards issue of voluntary certification in many of these areas.

These specialties include attention throughout human life based on the patient's needs. Many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, which means they possess expert knowledge of specialty. There are over 200 nursing specialties and sub-specialties. Certified nurses often earn a salary differential over their non-certified colleagues, and studies of the Institute of Medicine have shown that specialty certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction and lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.

Nurses in practice a wide range of environments from hospitals to people who visit in their homes and take care of them in schools for research in pharmaceutical companies. Nurses working in shaping health (also called industrial health), free standing clinics and medical offices, nurse management clinics, long-term care, and camps. Nurses working on cruise ships and in military service. They act as advisers and consultants to health care and insurance industries. Some nurses are working with lawyers and other lawyers as legal nurse consultants, reviewing patient records to ensure that adequate attention and gave testimony in court. In many cities, nurses can even enter their names on a "record" and work a variety of temporary jobs.

In the modern world, there are a large number of nursing specialties:
Ambulatory Care Nursing
Advanced nursing practice
Behavioral health nursing
Camp nurses
Cardiac nursing
Cardiac catheter laboratory nursing
The case management
Clinical nurse specialist
Clinical research nurse
Nursing in community health
Correctional nursing
Nursing critical care
Developmental disabilities nursing
District nursing
Emergency nursing
Environmental Health Nursing
Flight nursing
Forensic nursing
Gastroenterology Nursing
Genetics nursing
Geriatric Nursing
Health visit
Hematology oncology nursing
HIV / AIDS nursing
Home health nursing
Hospice nurses
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Nursing
Intavenous therapy nursing
Infectious diseases nursing
Legal nursing
Legal nurse researcher
Maternal-Child Nursing
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Military and uniformed nursing services, including Public Health Service
Neonatal Nursing
Neuro-surgical nursing
Nurse anesthetist
Nurse-midwife
Nurse professional
Nursing educator
Nursing Informatics
Nursing Management
Obstetrics, Gynecology nursing
From health nursing
Nursing oncological
Operating Theatre nursing
Orthopaedic nursing
Ostomy nursing
The pain management and palliative care nursing
Pediatric Nursing
Perianesthesia Nursing
Perioperative Nursing
Plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing
Private Nursing
Psychiatric nursing or mental health
Public health
Pulmonary nursing
Improving the quality
Radiology nursing
Rehabilitation nursing
Nursing kidney dialysis
Renal nursing
Research
School of Nursing
Sub-acute nursing
Substance abuse nursing
Tele-medicine nursing
Telemetry Nursing
Telephone triage nurses
Transplant nursing
Travel Nursing
Urology nursing
Utilization Management
The wound care
Professional organizations or certification boards issue of voluntary certification in many of these specialties.

Assistant Nursing skills are all learned tasks used to help residents or patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) and providing bedside care, including basic nursing procedures under the supervision of a registered nurse ( RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN).

At present, hospitals and extended care facillities an assistant nurse is an important part of a medical team that includes staff outside many of the nurses. In the quest to earn a profit of care many hospitals in the United States have reduced their nurse to patient ratios, which requires a nurse to care for as many as twelve or fourteen patients at once. To that good attention being given to patients that a nurse assistant is needed to provide routine care so that nurses can focus on tasks that only he / she can do, such as care plans, evaluations of nursing, administration of medications, and help surgery preparation room. The auxiliary nurse should not only be highly skilled in the current procedures being carried out, but must also be able to make quick observations of the patient's condition and information to report to the nurse. Since the nurse can not spend large amounts of time in a room with the patient, the nurse assistant is known as the nurse "eyes and ears".

A nurse assistant must have a solid understanding of emergency procedures and be able to stay calm in stressful situations. They should be able to introduce a Code Blue and be well drilled in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Jenny Hagbong writes for Finding the Best Online Associate Degree Nursing Program. Provides detailed information on Nursing Degree, Nursing News, Famous Nursing, Online Nursing and more. please visit http://www.nurseme.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenny_Hagbong

May 12 declaed National Nurses Day (Utusan Malaysia Online)

KUALA LUMPUR Oct.12 – The government has declared May 12 as the national Nurses Day, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

"This is to acknowledge the nurses” continuous contribution to the country”s healthcare sector,” he said at a news conference after opening the International Nursing Conference, near here.

He said that the move was approved by the Cabinet recently. - Bernama

H1N1:Obama isytihar darurat


WASHINGTON 25 Okt. – Presiden Barack Obama mengisytiharkan selesema babi sebagai ‘darurat negara’ sewaktu Amerika Syarikat menghadapi berjuta-juta kes jangkitan dan lebih 1,000 kematian.

Pengisytiharan darurat yang ditandatangani petang kelmarin itu, membolehkan para doktor dan jururawat melangkaui keperluan tertentu Persekutuan, supaya mereka boleh mengendalikan pesakit influenza A (H1N1) dengan lebih baik.

Ia dibuat hanya beberapa hari selepas Setiausaha Kesihatan, Kathleen Sebelius memberi amaran bahawa permintaan vaksin strain flu tersebut melebihi bekalan.

“Pandemik H1N1 2009 terus meningkat, kadarnya melonjak dengan cepat dalam banyak komuniti di seluruh negara dan terdapat kemungkinan pandemik tersebut membebani sumber-sumber penjagaan kesihatan di sesetengah tempat,” kata Obama.

Ketika rakyat AS menanti penghantaran vaksin, 46 daripada 50 negeri kini melaporkan penyebaran selesema babi, yang agak luar biasa awalnya, memandangkan kemuncak musim selesema yang biasa ialah pada bulan Januari atau Februari. – AFP


--- UTUSAN MALAYSIA

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The Pre-Nursing Experience

By Nancy Kimmel

What are the requirements to gain admission into nursing school? Actually, they differ from one school to the next but all have certain main pre-requisite classes that are required for students to take. These include courses in Anatomy & Physiology, Social Sciences, Biology, English I & II, Psychology, Life Span Psychology, a Pharmaceutical course and a Chemistry course. Most nursing schools require a grade of C or better for each of the above named courses.

If this isn't enough stress, the student must complete the Nursing Entrance Test prior to getting their name on the nursing school admission list. Consequently, for the associate degree nurse, the entire program can be expected to take up to three years to complete. The up side of this is that many four year degree granting institutions offer a one year curriculum to graduating Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) for completion of a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. It is quite likely, that when the ADN graduates and finds employment, that the hospital where he or she is employed will pay their tuition for their Bachelors Degree completion. All of this sounds very enticing to many who wish to pursue nursing careers.

The nurses pay is also an incentive to enroll in Nursing School, though it should not be the main reason. Hence, with the occurrence of the mass lay offs from many of the automotive industries, those without jobs are entertaining the thought of going into the field of nursing. There is a huge influx of people who are in the nursing program or who plan to enroll in the nursing program ranging in ages from 32 to 52. Many of these students bring with them a vast life experience base. Therefore it is not surprising to find nursing students that have one or two Bachelor Degrees, previous careers in engineering, science, secretarial fields, emergency medical technicians and teachers.

This type of cross section was not the norm twenty or thirty years ago, when most of the nursing students were in their early twenties. There are quite a few current nursing students that are holding full time jobs and juggling kids and spouses needs. The responsibilities that the new nursing students must bear become at most unbearable when actual nursing school begins. So, the nursing student is faced with a stressful road map right at the beginning.

Why are nursing classes so difficult? Time and time again nursing students have said the same thing, which is, "how do you study for these tests?" The frustration for the nursing student culminates when they get a poor score on their exam. Usually this low score is in the C range, which is a failing grade for most Nursing Schools. When a student gets a 79 on an exam, they know that they have to make up those points on the next test. Worst case scenario is that they go into the final with a grade of 79% or 80%. Final exams are always much harder than the exams throughout the semester. So, when a student goes into the final with a failing grade or on the cusp of failing they become unnerved. Most nursing instructors will tell their students not to take the final if they have below an 80% and just drop the class instead of chancing a failing grade.

With nursing courses ranging in the 5-10 credit hour brackets, one can imagine how much a grade point average could be affected by a failing grade. Yet, nursing students do it all the time. They sit for the final exam and throw caution to wind. The results are that some of them do indeed pass, while others fail. Those that pass the final start the next semester with renewed stress. The nursing tests are what put so much stress on the students.

Although clinical rotation can also be very grueling, most student nurses will agree that it is the nursing tests that they fear. Nursing students must be prepared to handle the stress ahead of time. Friends and family should be aware of how much stress that their loved ones have to endure while in nursing school. They can assist by helping with the children such as picking the kids up from school, or bringing over dinner a few times a week. Just being there to listen to their concerns and offering a shoulder to lean on can help a great deal.

The nursing entrance test study guide provides nurses the assistance they need with the nursing entrance test. The nursing study guide helps nurses. Visit http://www.nurseslearningcenter.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Kimmel

Are You Considering a Job in Nursing?

By Julie Harvard

Healthcare careers are booming and nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations projected in next 5 years. Qualified nurses are highly in demand, thus if you are considering a job in nursing, you definitely are in the right career path.

One thing to take note is nursing jobs are a time-honored profession and a nurse must be dedicated and diligent. You must be a kind of person who can give an extra ounce of energy in order to be successfully in your nursing career path.

There are many nursing career options for you to participate in and you can select a working environment that suits your tastes and preferences. Among the common nursing jobs are:

Hospital Nurse

Most of nurses are generally working at hospital but this is not the only option in nursing job field. We will explain other type of nurse jobs in next paragraph. A hospital nurse takes care of hospital patients. If you work as a hospital nurse, your daily care and interaction with the patient has a major impact on how fast the patient recuperates and on the patient's attitude.

Private Duty Nurse

Private Duty Nurse is assigned to care a dedicated patient at hospital or at home. You will need to coordinate care between physician and family according to individual situations.

You will need to follow physician's orders for medications, treatment and keeps accurate record of patient's condition and reports to physician periodically. Beside the patient, a private duty nurse will also have the responsibility to educate the patient and the patient's family on importance of maintaining proper diet and health habits.

Hospice Nurse

A Hospice Nurse assesses patient health problems and needs and works to develop and implement nursing care plans with the goal of patient comfort. A hospice nurse typically administers care to patients in a hospice, home or long term care facility.

Operating Room Nurse

An Operating Room Nurse must understand the use of modern operating room equipment, the type of procedure the doctor is doing and the kinds of tools the doctor will need. The nurse must be ready to assist the surgeon and the surgical team in their tasks. Other then that, an operating room nurse will also need to oversee the work organization within the operating theatre, and mediate between the various hospital departments, the surgeons, and the management.

Home Care Nurse

Other than the above nursing job, home care nursing is one of the major booming sectors in health care industry. Today, home health care nurses work in rural, suburban and urban areas, traveling from patient to patient to care for and monitor the patient's needs and communicate with doctors and other medical staff. With the enhance of medical technology, home care nurses can now use mobile monitoring equipment to monitor everything from heart rate and blood pressure to blood sugar for diabetics and more, so the nurse can treat one patient and check on another one in the car on the way to visiting a third patient.

Earn Your Nursing Degree

In order to start your nursing career, you must be qualified in this field. Although you can start you nursing career as LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) or RN (Registered Nurse), a higher degree you are more employable, you will earn a higher salary, and you will have much more freedom to chart your own career path. Beside the traditional classroom-based nursing degree, now you can earn your nursing degree online. The major benefit of pursuing the nursing degree online is that you can attend the online class at any location and at your own schedule. And the best part is you can continue with you current job while getting your nursing degree online.

In Summary

If you think nursing is for you, look into local nursing schools or online universities that offer the related nursing courses and get started on the career path to nursing.

Jullie Harvard is the author of http://www.studykiosk.com. This site featured over 1,000 online degrees and you can get more information on Online Nursing Degree at this site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Harvard

Julie Harvard - EzineArticles Expert Author

Nursing Career - A Smart Choice

By Linda Raye

If you have been considering entering into the healthcare industry as a professional nurse, here are some points to consider….

Nursing careers encompass a wide range of activities related to the field of delivering healthcare. As pure healthcare professionals employed in hospitals and similar other healthcare units, people in nursing careers cater to treatment, safety and recovery of acutely or chronically ill or injured people, health maintenance of the healthy, and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health care settings.

Additionally, nursing careers also span many non-clinical functions, such as medical and nursing research, forensic research, nursing education, medical insurance, serving medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and so on.

In the United States, it is estimated that nursing careers of about 50 percent of nurses start at hospitals of all hues. Indeed, hospitals remain the largest employers of registered nurses. But there are other avenues for promising nursing careers, some of which are enumerated below:

• Working in specialized healthcare units and long-term care facilities (hospice nursing, standalone nursing homes, patient rehabilitation, etc.).

• Assisting medical specialists like surgeons, ophthalmologists, obstetricians and others.

• Nursing-on-call on private duty for home patients (home health agencies).

• Serving in outdoor community health clinics.

• Educating aspiring nurses as teachers.

• Engaging in medical, nursing and forensic research, either self or as assistants.

• Independent nursing careers like legal nurse consultants, medical writers, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and so on.

• Serving international organizations, like United Nations, Red Cross, etc.

• Serving insurance companies and managed care centers.

• Serving in statutory bodies responsible for hospital regulations.

• Serving companies engaged in healthcare and medical business.

Job consultants have long noted an increasing uptrend for nursing careers. By all accounts, the employment opportunity for registered nurses is expected to grow at a much faster pace through 2014 compared to all other occupations. Since the occupation is very large and in view of rising median age of registered nurse population, the requirement of registered nurses is likely to create the second largest of new jobs among all occupations.

Even though nursing careers are on an upswing, there are not enough facilities, competent to meet the growing demand. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that the shortage of faculty in nursing schools has reached an alarming proportion. This is happening because on one hand the present faculty workforce is fast approaching retirement, and on the other, the pool of younger replacement faculty is decreasing.

This has thrown a unique opportunity for experienced registered nurses to pursue nursing careers of teaching and counseling new students. Among other considerations in favor of teaching profession, higher emolument is surely a big motivating factor. Since teaching requires higher education in nursing (masters degree or higher), experienced nurses who already have bachelor degrees, may consider enrolling for higher education in order to enhance their nursing careers. At the same time, as the nursing institutes re-organize their teaching facilities, school-level graduates may find nursing careers lucrative to pursue and excel.

Many institutes of repute offering nursing courses, for example University of Northern Colorado, Duke University School of Nursing in Durham and SDSU College of Nursing to name a few, are offering accelerated BSN programs (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) as a direct response to shortage in nursing. These programs allow students, who already have a degree in another discipline, to earn a BSN degree in only 16 to 20 months instead of traditional 4-year program.

Often people in mid professional career feel that nursing careers are more suitable for them. Accelerated BSN programs aim to hasten their journey back to their heart’s desire. In order to sweeten the things for them, many hospitals in fact sponsor students for these programs to assist their nursing careers. They pay tuition fees in lieu of their working for them after graduation. Hospital authorities are effusive in their praise for second-career nursing students. They say that students, who opt for nursing careers after having spent early life in other fields, often make terrific nurses. They come as matured persons, broadly educated and knowing how to conduct themselves in the workplace.

Nursing careers have several tales. The ability to serve mankind is certainly one of them. Bravo to that.

Copyright 2006 Linda Raye

Linda Raye is an accomplished author specializing in healthcare. Nursing is just one of her passions. You can contact her at LRaye@cinci.rr.com or visit the website at http://www.nursingchoice.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Raye

Setting Up Your Office For "Health"

By Loretta Lanphier

If you work and are spending one third to one half of your day in an office setting then your surroundings there are as important as those in your home. Although we usually have little control over the buildings we work in, being aware of problems that can affect us will enable us to take counter-measures and may encourage the creation of stimulating and nurturing environments. Below are 10 steps that will help to provide an office that is balanced and conducive to good health and well-being, which will ultimately benefit your health and the health your company.

1) Ergonomically Correct Chair: Make sure that your chair is comfortable and has adjustable height and arms. When you are sitting straight with feet flat on the floor your arms should be at a 90-degree angle when typing on the computer. If you are having to strain or stretch to reach your computer then you are putting stress on the back and shoulder area. Chairs can certainly be expensive but in the long run it will cost much less than spending time at the chiropractor.

2) Green Plants: Plants do more than just enhance the beauty of your surroundings, many actually clean pollutants out of the air as they add oxygen and humidity to the indoor environment. New findings suggest, however, that they may add more than just color and interest. They also filter the air, and can fight against the common high-tech ill, sick building disease. Recent research undertaken by the NASA Space Administration in America has yielded some very interesting results. In a test lasting two years conducted by Dr. B.C. Wolverton at the Stennis Space Centre in Mississippi it was discovered that common houseplants are capable of converting chemical air pollutants into harmless substances. Ivy, one of the smallest of houseplants, does an excellent job of cleaning the air of toxins, especially benzene and TCE. The humble potted Chrysanthemum is another goodie. You can place a number of plants around your office or make up a high scoring clean-air cocktail by adding such plants as Peace Lilies and Parlour Palms. Better still are various forms of Dracaena, Dracaena Warnecki and Dracaena Janet Craig are real pollutant sucking types. Chinese Evergreen and the humble Philoderdron are also two to watch out for.

3) Lighting: Studies suggest that natural light increases human productivity and reduces fatigue and stress. By simply replacing your antiquated fluorescent tubes with full-spectrum tubes, you can instantly enhance your environment and your well-being! Full spectrum lighting emits a natural, balanced spectrum of light that is the closest you can get to sunlight indoors. Based on years of study not only do they bring out true, vibrant colors but they can also ease eye fatigue, improve your mood, reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels, slow aging of the retina and reduce glare.

4) Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. Not only does the aroma of the natural essential oil stimulate the brain to trigger a reaction, but the natural constituents (naturally occurring chemicals) of the essential oil are drawn into the lungs and can also supply physical benefit. Aromatherapy can help with a physical condition, can help with symptoms, can affect your mood, or help alleviate or temporarily eliminate stress or other psychological factors. Scenting your office with Lavender essential oil is said to reduce computer errors at least 25%. The following is a good blend to use in the office (must have an aromatherapy diffuser): 2 drops of lemon, orange or bergamot; 2 drops of grapefruit; 1 drop ylang ylang, rose or neroli. Multiply your blend by 4 to obtain a total of 20 drops of your chosen blend. Add your oils to a dark colored glass bottle and mix well by rolling the bottle in between your hands. Add the appropriate number of drops from your created blend to your diffuser by following the manufacturer’s instructions. There are also many “recipes” on the Internet to use during the cold and flu season when “office-air” can be extremely contagious.

5) Air Quality: The EPA informs us that 6 out of 10 buildings are "sick" and that indoor air quality is the United States' number one environmental health problem. A recent study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that ionizing a room led to 52% less dust in the air, and 95% less bacteria in the air (since many of the pollutants found in the air reside on floating dust particles). The U.S.D.A. also performed another study to test the effectiveness of negative ionization at removing airborne Salmonella Enteritidis. The negative ions drastically reduced the airborne salmonella particles, prompting the following statement from the USDA. I recommend a negative ion air purifier for the office setting. These units are small enough to fit on a credenza or desk and are very modestly priced.

6) EMF Protection: Detrimental energies from electromagnetic fields emitted from high tension wires, industrial radar, microwave beams, electric current, computers, cell phones, televisions, fluorescent lights and other electrical appliances have been found to be dangerous to mental and physical health. When an individual sleeps or works for extensive periods within electromagnetic frequency zones, these energies create a constant source of stress (altering body polarity) which can lead to fatigue, frustration, tension and illness. Signs of exposure may include drowsiness, chronic aches and pains, sleep disorders, irritability, low energy and general malaise and may lead to more serious health situations such as cancer. These highly disruptive energy fields actually numb or dull our sense perceptions and adversely impacts brain wave activity. Studies have also shown electromagnetic fields (EMF) to induce mild depression in many subjects with the disruption of melatonin, dopamine, and serotonin levels. There are many devices that can be used in the office or put on the computer that will give EMF protection. I recommend the Safe Space II. It is designed to neutralize harmful electromagnetic fields, geopathic disturbances, as well as other detrimental vibrational energies in environments. It is a framed holographic grid (encased behind glass) 2” x 2” and can be attached to any surface…especially the computer monitor. The Safe Space II device clears a spherical area with a 9’ radius. You can read more about it at www.ghchealth.com.

7) Colors: Color therapy has its roots in ancient Egypt. Scientific studies recognize that colors bring about emotional reactions to individuals. Our reactions and attitudes to colors differ from person to person. That color affects us all is an undoubted fact. Its significance has been investigated and the results utilized in merchandizing, selling, home decorating, the workplace environment, industry, plant growth, nutrition, physics, physiology, psychology, ecclesiasticism and art. In fact, color is so much a part of our lives that we tend to take it for granted. Colors that are useful in the office are: orange – stimulates creativity; yellow – intensifies the intellect and heightens motivation; red – energizes; blue – calming, fights physical and mental tension; green – fights irritability and has a healing effect on the body. For the office, use colors that you are drawn to as these are the colors that will benefit your health.

8) Music: Just about all offices have some type of music playing in the background. Music can affect emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills. Music in the workplace, either from piped-in music or from a radio, is sometimes used to mask sounds. Music can provide mental stimulation while performing monotonous tasks, which can help to reduce stress levels in the office. Some people, however, find music in the office intensely annoying, especially if it is too loud or inappropriate. I have found that soft, up-lifting music is very essential to the office “atmosphere”. There is literally a mirage of good background music available on CD’s. Search out the Internet on what is right for your office.

9) Breaks: Even the most focused person needs a break at least twice a day. Change of scenery also helps with emotions. One of the best ways to eliminate stress and recharge the body is to go outside for a ten-minute walk. Focus on your surroundings and take deep breaths. This will give you a renewal of energy and will also aid in Vitamin D production. Walk by yourself and focus on clearing your mind. Walking will also get the blood and the lymphatic system flowing.

10) Organization: It is an excellent idea to look into Feng Shui for the office. Feng Shui is basically an environmental science and gives advice on how to create environments in which we feel comfortable and supported. For example, water energy plays a significant role in Feng Shui. Having a small fountain in your office can give a sense of calmness and peacefulness. Keep your office clean and organized. There is no excuse for clutter. Make sure that your desk is clean and that everything is put away before you leave each day. A well-organized, uncluttered desk leads to clear thinking and reduces stress. Make a habit of putting items back in their original place after you are finished using them.

Putting in the extra time, effort and money in getting your office environment “healthy” will pay-off with a multitude of health benefits. Of course, it is assumed that when you are out of the office, you are also taking care of yourself by eating a healthy diet, exercising the body and mind, taking good supplementation and getting adequate rest. All of this goes hand-in-hand in getting and keeping the body healthy. Remember to address your attitude as you travel the path to good health, as negative attitudes are self-destructive. Good health requires desire, determination and discipline in every aspect of your life.

About The Author

Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CCN, HHP is a Doctor of Naturopath, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Holistic Health Practitioner in the Houston, TX area and Vice President of Global Healing Center, Inc. A teacher and educator, she counsels Global Healing Center clients on the aspects of getting the body healthy and keeping the body healthy. As a cancer survivor, she is able to relate extensively, both as a patient and a practitioner, to clients suffering from disease. She is also involved in researching new alternative disease treatments and products. Dr. Lanphier is Assistant Editor and contributor to the worldwide newsletter Alternative Health & Healing.

Visit us on the web at: http://www.ghchealth.com

Perlis, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu Advance To Semi-finals (BERNAMA)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Perlis, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu advanced to the Malaysia Cup semi-finals after beating their respective opponents in their second leg quarter-final matches Saturday night.

In KANGAR, Perlis beat Johor FC on a 4-1 aggregate at the Stadium Utama tonight.

In the match tonight, Perlis beat the visitors 2-0, with the goals coming from Amar Rohidan with a header in the eighth minute and Nizaruddin Yusof provided the second goal in the 48th minute.

The match was marred by a fight in the field between two Johor players and a Perlis player in the 59th minute.

Mohd Saiful Sabtu and Sivakumar Munusamy of Johor and Perlis's Azi Shahril Azmi were sent off the pitch by referee R.Krishnan.



In ALOR SETAR, visitors Negeri Sembilan trounced Kuala Muda 3-0 at the Stadium Darul Aman to qualify for the semi-final.

The goals were contributed by Mohd Shukor Adan (12th minute), Mohd Zakuan Adha (28th minute penalty) and Shahurain Abu Samah (36th minute).

At the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Baharu, Kelantan thrashed KL Plus 3-0 in front of their 20,000 die-hard supporters.

The 'Red Warriors' three goals were scored by Indra Putra Mahyuddin (13th) and two goals by Mohd Norfarhan Mohamad (75th and 78th).

With the home win, Kelantan advanced to the semi final with a 4-1 aggregate after a 1-1 draw in their first-leg match.



Meanwhile, Terengganu edged Selangor 5-4 in a penalty shootout after they were tied on a 2-2 aggregate in their second leg quarter-final match.

Terengganu's Abdul Manaf Mamat opened scoring in the 12th minute but in the 62nd minute, Selangor drew level through defender D.Surendran.

The 1-1 draw (2-2 aggregate) remained till the end of regular time and the 30-minute extra time which forced the match into a penalty shootout.

Terengganu won the penalty shootout 5-4.

-- BERNAMA

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Suicide bomber kills eight in Pakistan

* Target was key airforce maintainance site
* Military denies facility linked to nuclear programme
* Stock market still jittery on security worries
* Fears mount for more urban attacks

ISLAMABAD (Oct 23, 2009): A Taliban suicide bomber killed eight people outside a key Pakistani airforce facility on Friday, with officials quick to deny suggestions the target was linked to the country's nuclear program.

The bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body at a checkpoint outside the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, some 75 kms (45 miles) northwest of the capital, Islamabad.

There were also police and hospital reports of a blast in the northwest city of Peshawar that wounded seven people, but further details were not immediately available.

The attacks come as the army continues a major offensive against Pakistani Taliban militant strongholds in South Waziristan, near the Afgfhan border.

The offensive has raised fears the insurgents will step up a suicide bombing campaign on urban targets. Over 150 people have been killed in a series of brazen attacks in the past few weeks.

"Eight people were killed and 13 were wounded, three of them seriously," said Shaukat Sultan, head of the main government hospital in Kamra, scene of Friday's airbase attack.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the country's nuclear infrastructure was safe and faced no threat from Taliban militants, and an airforce official was quick to dispel suggestions on Friday that the Kamra facility was linked to the weapons program.

"It's nonsense. It's rubbish," the airforce official told Reuters.

Friday's attack came a day after an army brigadier and his driver were killed in a drive-by shooting in Islamabad, while at least six people, including two suicide bombers, died in twin attacks at an Islamic University in the capital on Tuesday.

MORE ATTACKS

Analysts have warned of the possibility of more attacks as the militants come under pressure in Soputh Waziristan, with the Taliban hoping bloodshed and disruption will cause the government and ordinary people to lose their appetite for the offensive.

The offensive is a test of the government's determination to tackle Islamic fundamentalists, and the campaign is being closely followed by the U.S. and other powers embroiled in Afghanistan.

It is also affecting the financial markets, with the benchmark KSE index falling around six percent this week.

"There is still concern regarding the security situation," said Asif Qureshi, director at brokers Invisor Securities, who said sentiment would remain tentative until a successful offensive seemed more clear cut.

At lunch (0700 GMT), the index was up 0.28 percent on the day to 9,179.96 points.

Remote and rugged South Waziristan, with its rocky mountains and patchy forests cut through by dry creeks and ravines, is a global hub for militants who flit between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

About 28,000 soldiers are battling an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban, including about 1,000 tough Uzbek fighters and some Arab al Qaeda members.

The army said 24 militants and two soldiers were killed in the fighting on Thursday.

Foreign journalists are not allowed anywhere near the battle zone and it is dangerous even for Pakistani reporters to visit. Independent confirmation of casualty figures has not been possible.

More than 100,000 civilians have fled the area, with about 32,000 leaving since Oct. 13, the United Nations said.

The army has launched brief offensives in South Waziristan before, the first in 2004 when it suffered heavy casualties before striking a peace pact. -- Reuters


--- The Sun Daily

Tomato protection


Scientists have found that the dehydrated form of this fruit may help quash prostate cancer tumours
Amy Norton

A compound found in dehydrated tomatoes may help quash prostate cancer tumours, new animal research suggests.

Past studies have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether tomatoes or lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, might offer prostate cancer protection, with one recent study finding no correlation between men’s blood levels of lycopene and their risk of prostate cancer.

However, the new findings, reported in the journal Cancer Research, suggest that the processing of the tomato may be a key factor.

Researchers found that a form of carbohydrate called FruHis, found in dehydrated tomatoes, appeared to protect rats from developing prostate tumours. The greatest protection came from dehydrated tomatoes that had been rehydrated into tomato paste and supplemented with additional FruHis.

The findings could aid in developing new, less toxic cancer therapies, said lead researcher Dr Valeri V. Mossine, of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Mossine and his colleagues divided rats into four groups: one group was fed a diet of normal chow, while the other three groups were given chow supplemented with tomato powder, tomato paste, or tomato paste with added FruHis. All of the animals were treated with chemicals designed to induce prostate tumours.

Rats on the high-FruHis diet lived longer than the other three groups. What’s more, the researchers found prostate tumours in only 18% of these animals after death, compared with 63% of rats given normal chow, and 43% and 39% of animals given tomato powder and standard tomato paste, respectively.

Looking at FruHis activity in the lab dish, the researchers found that it might work in two ways.

First, the compound seemed to act like an antioxidant, protecting cells’ DNA from oxidative damage that can lead to cancer. Then, when combined with lycopene, FruHis was able to kill off prostate cancer cells.

So in theory, Mossine explained, FruHis may inhibit the initial development of prostate tumours and, in concert with lycopene, hinder the growth and spread of such tumours.

It’s too soon, however, for men to start eating tomato paste in the hopes of thwarting prostate cancer. "The most important next step would be conducting trials on humans," Mossine said.

Further lab work, he added, could also shed light on whether there are other compounds in dried vegetables or fruits that "work along" with FruHis.

"In my opinion, this study will make the cancer research community aware of a novel type of potential antioxidant and chemopreventive agent that may arise as a result of food processing," Mossine said.

"Hopefully, it will help to attract more attention and support to the prostate cancer prevention research area." – Reuters


--- The Sun Daily

War against dengue


Anansa Jacob


The threat of dengue has been with us for many years, yet despite this, an average of 400 people get infected with dengue fever every week, according to statistics from the Disease Control Division of the Department of Public Health.

Recently, however, there has been a sudden upsurge in new dengue cases, leading to a renewed awareness of the problem. While the number of cases has since dropped, the threat is ever-present and Malaysians should not be complacent and assume that the outbreak will not occur again.

The main symptom of dengue fever is a sudden and continuous high fever, which is a certain indicator of the disease.

Other symptoms include headache, red rashes on the skin, as well as acute pain in the bones, muscles, joints and eyeballs. Patients will also have no appetite and suffer from vomiting and stomach pain.

Severe cases might cause them to bleed internally as well as from the nose and mouth.

According to Disease Control Division assistant director Dr Mohamad Ikhsan Selamat, many victims often delay going to the doctor when they fall sick, mistaking the symptoms as a sign of ordinary fever.

"While not all the symptoms may present themselves at once, the common sign is the sudden high fever," said Ikhsan. "This fever will not break, even with medication."

Most of the people who died from dengue fever either took traditional medication or visited many different doctors, getting new medication when the previous prescription failed to bring down the fever. This prevented the new doctor from diagnosing dengue.

Ikhsan also said that many dengue deaths occurred four to five days after infection. "What happens is that around that time, the fever will actually go down, so people assume they are getting better and stop taking whatever fever medication they are prescribed.

"Actually, this is a sign of danger, because when the fever goes down, that means the blood vessels have started leaking and internal bleeding has started. By the time the victims realise what is happening, it is often too late."

For children, the danger is especially apparent. "When a child is feverish and complains of a stomach ache, that is a sign of internal bleeding."

Because there is no medicine or vaccine for dengue fever, the best course of action for people who are infected is to seek out proper medical treatment as soon as possible.

No Aedes, no dengue!

The most recent statistics indicate that the number of reported dengue cases has dropped to 510 as of March 19, down 153 cases from the previous week.

Despite this positive development, the public must not be complacent and cease current preventive measures to stop the spread of dengue fever, says Dr Mohamad Ikhsan Selamat (pix), assistant director of the Disease Control Division (DCD).

"Controlling the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes that spread dengue fever is not solely the responsibility of the local health authorities. It falls on everyone to work together and prevent further infections and deaths."

He added that the Ministry of Health needed the cooperation of everyone if they were to continue to try and control the rising number of cases.

"As for the current situation," he said, "we have to thank everyone for all that they have done so far in curbing the spread of the disease. We also want to thank the media for continuously promoting awareness of the disease and also the preventive measures."

DCD director Dr Ramlee Rahmat had previously reminded the public to keep their surrounding environment clean, to dispose of all containers containing clear stagnant water that could be used as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and to also give their cooperation to the authorities when they come to check for the Aedes mosquito larvae.

Ikhsan also said: "If the public notices or suspects a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito larvae, they can call the ministry at 03-8883 6252 from 8am to 4.30pm to report it."

So, remember this: no Aedes, no dengue.


--- The Sun Daily

Symptoms Of Swine Flu



Tips for stronger teeth




THE quality of your teeth is often used as a measurement of your general health. Keeping your teeth strong and healthy not only gives you a pearly white smile, it protects your mouth and other parts of your body.

Cavities and infections in the mouth can cause a range of other ailments such as ear infections and mouth pain.

Here are some steps to follow for strong, healthy teeth:

» Brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush at least twice a day (after you wake up and before you go to bed).

» Floss at least once every day to ensure that food doesn’t deteriorate between your teeth and end up creating cavities that can weaken your teeth. Flossing also helps circulate the blood into your gums, which support your teeth.

» Rinse with a mouthwash that contains fluoride at least once a day. Fluoride strengthens your enamel and prevents soft spots, which have the potential to turn into cavities.

» Consume foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D, which promote bone health.

» Eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables and protein.

--- The Sun Daily

Friday, October 23, 2009

ROONEY DOUBTFUL FOR ANFIELD CLASH

Wayne Rooney - doubt for Anfield clash.
Posted 23/10/09 10:07
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Man. Utd 6/4, Liverpool 15/8, Draw 9/4

Wayne Rooney remains a doubt for Manchester United's Barclays Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

The United striker has been out with a calf injury since England's World Cup qualifier in Ukraine a fortnight ago.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful the former Everton star will be fit to feature on Merseyside but admits it is far from certain.

Veteran Ryan Giggs is poised to return after suffering a knock in last week's defeat of Bolton and Patrice Evra has overcome a heel problem.

Darren Fletcher (groin) is another doubt while Park Ji-Sung (knee) is set for a couple of weeks on the sidelines.

The news could present Michael Owen with the chance to start against his former club while Ferguson may opt to deploy Dimitar Berbatov as a lone striker should Rooney miss out.


link: http://www.football365.co.uk/story/0,17033,8668_5645872,00.html

TH”s medical team equipped to handle Influenza H1N1


MEDINA Oct.19 — The Pilgrims Fund”s (Tabung Haji (TH)) medical team in the Holy Land is fully equipped to handle Influenza H1N1, said its Health Operations director, Dr. Wan Mansor Wan Hamzah.

“We are ready in terms of equipment and personnel should any of our pilgrims be infected by the disease from pilgrims of other countries,” he told the Malaysian media team covering the Haj pilgrimage this year, here today. - Bernama


--- UTUSAN MALAYSIA

Kelantan to give incentives to premises not selling cigarettes


KOTA BHARU Oct.21 — The Kelantan Government is willing to consider giving incentives to any business premises which does not offer cigarettes for sale.

State Women, Family and Health Development Comittee chairman, Wan Ubaidah Wan Omar said the incentives were in line with the state government”s aspiration to ensure the people did not inculcate the smoking habit.

She was replying to Dr. Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (PAS-Gaal) at the State Assembly sitting here today. - Bernama


--- UTUSAN MALAYSIA

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Jijik kuku berkulat (Kosmo Online)


Jangkitannya boleh tersebar melalui medium air misalnya di kolam renang.


KULAT kuku yang lazimnya bermula di kuku kaki boleh berjangkit ke kuku tangan.



PARA atlet yang mengalami kurap kaki (tinea pedis) cenderung untuk mendapat jangkitan yang lebih buruk iaitu kulat pada kuku.


SESEORANG selalunya tidak sedar jika masalah kulat atau fungus mula menjangkiti satu atau lebih kukunya. Daripada titik kecil berwarna kekuningan di hujung kuku tangan atau kaki, ia boleh memburuk hingga menyebabkan warna kuku berubah menjadi gelap, mengeras, hilang lapisan berkilat dan teksturnya menggerutu.

Keadaan itu memalukan si empunya diri kerana rupa kuku yang mengundang perasaan geli, walaupun hanya dengan melihatnya. Sebelum ia semakin merebak dan membuatkan seseorang berasa tidak selesa, kawalan dan rawatannya perlu disegerakan.

Peratusan jangkitan kulat kuku atau onikomikosis lebih tinggi di negara yang beriklim panas dan lembap seperti Malaysia.

Jika kaki sering bersarung kasut dalam iklim begitu, perpeluhan akan berlaku dan ia mengundang bukan sahaja pembiakan bakteria, malah pembentukan kulat.

Lebih membimbangkan, jangkitan kulat ini bukan sahaja boleh berlaku dari kuku kaki ke kuku tangan seseorang, bahkan boleh disebar pula oleh agen air. Maka, tempat-tempat seperti kolam renang awam dan bilik air juga lokasi ideal untuk kulat ini menjangkiti orang lain.

Jangkitan kulat ini boleh menyebabkan seseorang berasa gatal dan perit selain mampu meninggalkan kerosakan kekal kepada kuku. Ia juga membuka risiko jangkitan yang lebih teruk dan ini berbahaya untuk penghidap diabetes atau mereka yang lemah sistem imunisasi seperti penghidap leukemia, AIDS atau yang sedang menjalani pemindahan organ.

"Apabila kulat mula 'menghuni' kuku, ia sukar dilenyapkan dengan cepat. Namun, ia boleh dibasmi jika seseorang berdisiplin dalam menjalankan rutin rawatannya.

"Ia tidak hilang dengan sendiri, maka seseorang yang mengalaminya tidak boleh memandang ringan masalah ini. Penggunaan minyak sapu adalah pilihan paling mudah," kata pakar bedah tangan di Marin General Hospital California, Amerika Syarikat (AS), Dr. David Nelson.

Ubat sapu

Menurut Nelson dalam portal kesihatannya, pesakit di AS yang dijangkiti kulat kuku lazimnya diberikan pil griseofulvin untuk tempoh antara enam bulan sehingga setahun.

"Tetapi, ia meninggalkan kesan sampingan seperti sakit kepala, loya, gangguan fungsi darah dan kerosakan hati. Sebab itulah ramai doktor menyarankan ubat sapu termasuk minyak homeopati.

Bagaimanapun, membuang terus kuku yang dijangkiti itu tidak akan membebaskan seseorang daripada onikomikosis.

"Apabila lapisan kuku baru mula terbentuk, jangkitan akan bermula semula," kata Nelson.

Jika tidak berkesempatan bertemu doktor, terdapat beberapa jenis dan jenama ubat sapuan yang boleh didapatkan di kaunter farmasi.

Pesakit diingatkan untuk membaca keterangan pada label produk terlebih dahulu untuk memahami lebih lanjut cara, proses, dan kesan penggunaan ubat-ubatan tersebut.

Sebelum menyapu ubat, pesakit perlu selalu membersihkan kuku tangan dan kaki, baik yang dijangkiti mahupun yang tidak dijangkiti.

Ubat perlu disapu di bahagian hujung dan di bawah lapisan kuku serta di unjuran pangkal kulit dengan sekata. Ia penting kerana bahagian kulit yang terjejas dengan jangkitan kulat di sekeliling kuku (paronisia) boleh dijangka kerana bakteria dan kulat merebak apabila fungsi ketahanan tubuh terjejas.

"Apabila menyapu krim pembasmi kulat itu, bahagian kutikel tidak perlu ditolak atau dikorek. Manakala bagi wanita, pemakaian kuku palsu aalah lebih baik dielakkan. Pembersihan kuku dengan pembersih pengilat kuku juga tidak digalakkan bagi menghindar masalah yang berkaitan," terang Nelson.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Penyelidikan menghalang wabak virus nipah


KAJIAN yang dijalankan oleh Dr. Chan Li-Yen menggunakan analisis bioinformatik dapat mengesan sehingga tujuh jenis protein yang terlibat dalam replikasi virus.


WABAK virus Nipah mula dikesan pada 1999 selepas ia menyebabkan penyakit pernafasan dan neurologi di ladang ternakan babi di Negeri Sembilan, Semenanjung Malaysia.

Wabak berkenaan telah menyebabkan 105 kematian manusia dan pelupusan lebih sejuta ekor ternakan babi.

Bukan saja di negara ini, malah wabak berkenaan merebak ke Singapura dengan 11 kes termasuk satu kematian berlaku di kalangan pekerja sembelihan yang terdedah kepada babi yang diimport dari ladang di Malaysia.

Simptom jangkitan dari wabak virus Nipah di negara ini adalah ensefalitis atau radang otak pada manusia dan pernafasan bagi babi.

Wabak berikutnya telah menyebabkan penyakit pernafasan pada manusia, meningkatkan kemungkinan jangkitan dari manusia ke manusia dan menunjukkan kewujudan jenis virus yang lebih merbahaya.

Berasaskan data seroprevalence dan pengasingan virus, simpanan utama virus Nipah telah dikenal pasti sebagai kelawar buah atau Pteropid fruit bats termasuk Pteropus vampyrus (Keluang) dan Pteropus hypomelanus (Keluang Kecil) yang terdapat di negara ini.

Virus Nipah bukan saja dikesan di negara ini tetapi wabak berkenaan dikesan di Bangladesh dengan kadar kematian mencecah 80 peratus.

Kadar berkenaan hampir menyamai dengan wabak Ebola, sementara Sindrom Pernafasan Akut Teruk (SARS) hanya mencatatkan kadar kematian sekitar sembilan peratus.

Bagaimanapun, tidak dapat dipastikan punca kematian yang lebih tinggi sama ada disebabkan jenis virus di Bangladesh lebih berbahaya berbanding jenis di sini atau disebabkan faktor perkhidmatan kesihatan dan sanitasi yang kurang baik.

Bagi menghalang wabak Nipah, negara kini mengambil langkah drastik dengan menyaring contoh darah babi bagi mengesan virus Nipah.

Penyebaran virus Nipah dari kelawar kepada babi dipercayai berlaku akibat peningkatan pertindanan antara kawasan habitat kelawar dengan kawasan pemeliharaan babi di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Kajian mendapati di ladang tempat bermulanya wabak terdapat kebun buah yang berada berdekatan dengan ladang babi di mana sisa air kencing, najis dan buah-buahan yang digigit keluang dimakan pula oleh babi.

Kajian retrospespektif menunjukkan bahawa limpahan virus kepada babi mungkin telah berlaku di Malaysia semenjak 1996 tanpa dikesan.

Pada 1998, penyebaran virus banyak dibantu oleh pemindahan babi yang dijangkiti ke ladang lain dan memulakan wabak yang baru.

Justeru sekumpulan penyelidik dari Universiti Malaya (UM) telah menjalankan kajian mengenai wabak yang disebabkan oleh virus Nipah bermula tahun 2000.

Kajian yang dijalankan adalah mengenai tindakbalas sel neural atau saraf otak pada manusia.

Salah seorang penyelidik yang juga pensyarah di Jabatan Perubatan Mikrobiologi, Fakulti Perubatan UM, Dr. Chan Li-Yen berkata, kajian yang dijalankan menjurus kepada ekspresi protein.

"Kajian dijalankan banyak mengenai protein yang diekspresikan pada sel saraf pada manusia," katanya semasa ditemui di pejabatnya di Petaling Jaya, Selangor baru-baru ini.

Beliau merupakan pemenang Anugerah Saintis Muda Merck 2008.

Dr. Chan berkata, hasil penyelidikan yang dijalankan mendapati virus Nipah boleh dihalang dengan dua cara.

"Kaedah pertama adalah dengan menghalang proses replikasi dan kedua dengan memusnahkan sel yang dijangkiti," katanya.

Beliau menjelaskan kajian terdahulu hanya mensasarkan untuk membunuh virus yang menjangkiti perumah atau hos.

"Bagaimanapun hasil penyelidikan yang dijalankan mendapati terdapat protein di dalam perumah yang diperlukan dalam proses replikasi virus.

"Buat masa ini kami sedang mensasarkan protein hos yang dapat membantu dalam proses replikasi virus.

"Jika proses replikasi virus Nipah dapat dihalang, ini dapat membantutkan bukan saja perkembangan tetapi juga jangkitan virus pada mangsa," katanya.

Hasil kajian in-vitro di dalam makmal mendapati perkembangan virus Nipah dapat dihalang dengan menyekat perkembangan protein berkenaan.

Kajian menggunakan analisis bioinformatik pula dapat mengesan sehingga tujuh jenis protein yang terlibat dalam replikasi virus.

Protein-protein berkenaan akan dikaji peranan dalam perkembangan virus Nipah dalam membantu menghalang virus.

"Oleh itu kajian yang dijalankan akan diteruskan bagi mencari bahan yang boleh menghalang atau membantutkan replikasi virus daripada berlaku," katanya.

Dr. Chan berkata, walaupun pihaknya telah berjaya menemui protein yang dapat menghalang perkembangan virus Nipah, masih banyak yang perlu dikaji.

"Pihak kami juga akan terus menjalankan kajian mengenai virus Nipah memandangkan ia masih baru di rantau ini dan kemungkinan virus ini menjadi wabak jika tidak ditangani dengan betul.

"Kami berharap virus Nipah akan dapat dikawal dari peringkat awal dan hasil kajian dapat digunakan dan diiktiraf di peringkat global," katanya.


--- UTUSAN MAALYSIA

Friday, October 2, 2009

Swine Flu - A9 H1N1 - Why it is Mild - Youtube

Main Court At National Squash Center Named After Nicol ( BERNAMA)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- The main court at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil will be named the Datuk Nicol David Court, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said this was the government's recognition for the excellent performance by the national squash queen in winning the World Open Championship for the fourth time in Amsterdam, last week.

He said the Cabinet yesterday accepted the ministry's proposal that the main court at the National Squash Centre be named after the national athlete who had brought glory to the country at the international level.

"The ministry believes that the move will provide inspiration and encouragement to other national athletes to continue to bring glory to Malaysia in the international arena," he said in a statement, here on Thursday.

-- BERNAMA

1Malaysia F1 Team Need Not Register With SCO




KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- The 1Malaysia F1 Team (1MF1T), slated to join the Formula One (F1) race next year, need not register with the Sports Commissioner's Office (SCO).

Sports Commissioner Datuk Nik Mahmud Nik Yusof said this was because 1MF1T was an F1 racing team and not a sports body or organiser of motoring sports in the country.

"As such, it need not register with SCO. However, I am not sure of its status. We will study the status of 1Malaysia F1 Team and decide whether to classify it as a team or an F1 sports body," he told Bernama here Thursday.

Nik Mahmud said that if 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, the company behind 1MF1T was sports body responsible for organising F1 motoring programmes, then it should register with SCO.

"However, if it is classified as a team, then it must be supported by the Motoring Association of Malaysia (MAM) so that it gets a racing licence at Sepang International Circuit (SIC)," he said.

When contacted, MAM said the racing licence in Malaysia had been issued by the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) which had been given the right by FIA, motorsports world governing body.

Its chief executive Mia Sharizman Ismail said 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd was established as a company for racing and only had to register with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM).

She said MAM only helped in development programmes in terms of manpower or organising races at low level.

"The F1 team is not only about its hundreds of staff but is also involved in organising local races, developing drivers and technical aspects of the motoring industry."

Mia Sharizman said MAM's role was to find and polish drivers with the potential of making it as F1 drivers via go-kart and single seater races.

-- BERNAMA

Make Ops Sikap no mere rhetoric

ARKIB : 01/10/2009

“This SEPTEMBER, the whole Malaysians will unite to reduce road accidents.” That was an advertisement line by a radio station aired since last August, when Muslims were ushering the holy month of Ramadan.

Infact, seven days before Muslims celebrated idilfitri, Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) launched its 20th series annual road safety campaign “Ops Sikap 20” with a commitment to reduce deaths by five percent compared with the same safety campaign launched during the same season last year.

But unfortunately a total of 261 lives perished from various road accidents during the campaign period.

It seemed that September as the month for motorists to change their attitude while driving, continued to leave a black mark on our road safety record. Some even blame the police “for failure to bring down the death rate.”

Suggestions are aplenty. There are those who want the formula to reduce road accidents be reviewed. There are cacophony of voices and feelings at the road accident figures. Some were upset as to suggest that “road users will still flout the laws, even with death as a penalty.”

Such are the reactions from the current Ops Sikap 20. The issue will die down and will come up again in the next road safety operations.

Ops Sikap was launched since 2000 to replace the same campaign but on a different name Ops Pacak and Ops Statik, since 1996.

But the flower of road safety campaigns by any other names still smell as bad. And the last September campaign is no different with more people were carried to the graves due to road accidents. They include seven deaths in Gurun, Kedah and Sabak Benam, Selangor, two days before Aidilfitri.

For this writer, it’s the attitude of the motorists that should be changed, not the name of the road safety campaign. For as long as there are ill-mannered road users, there will continue to be fatalities on the road.

Ask our friends or relatives, they will have a lot of stories to tell about the characters and attitude of our motorists.

The question is, what are the best action be meted out against them?

The suggestion to place more police personnel on the road to book offenders doesn’t sound effective enough. Probably there are other approaches. One of them is that all road users be allowed to make police report through short messaging system (SMS) should they come across the traffic law-breakers.

For the police, they must be prepared to identify the plate numbers of the reported cars so that they can wait for them midway to issue them the summonses.

No person wants to see members or their family be victims of road accidents.

As such, something must be done to stop the road tragedy – that is through attitudinal change.

We shouldn’t turn this Ops Sikap statistic just into another rhetoric.


--- UTUSAN MALAYSIA

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