tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68064847493558218942024-03-14T02:25:09.437-07:00Nursing Staff Development: Behind the FirewallWelcome to Nursing Staff Development: Behind the Firewall! This site is for sharing my experiences, discussing basics, creative ideas, and practical solutions for building online web-based education from behind a hospital firewall...that mystical barrier that's meant to protect us! There's also plenty of space to talk about anything related to nursing, staff development and nursing education!Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-49745515635703020912013-04-26T20:38:00.002-07:002013-05-03T13:42:27.036-07:00Product Review: Dickie's Scrub Top A few months back I was contacted by a marketing analyst for <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.uniformedscrubs.com/Womens-Scrubs_c_1.html">Uniform Scrubs</a></span> to see if I was interested in reviewing a new <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.uniformedscrubs.com/Dickies-Scrubs_c_17.html">Dickie’s</a> </span>top that is part of their spring and summer collection. Although I never wrote about clothing before, I decided to do this review because I thought it would be fun!
Several weeks later, after much anticipation, I received the top in the mail. The top is a junior-style, V-neck white scrub with dark grey trim from the "Hip Flip" line (Picture 1). <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUfrLmQq1PI/UXtDSwRiM6I/AAAAAAAACKM/xaH4cU7V5Zg/s1600/Dickie%27s+scrub+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUfrLmQq1PI/UXtDSwRiM6I/AAAAAAAACKM/xaH4cU7V5Zg/s1600/Dickie's+scrub+top.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dickie's Junior Scrub Top (Picture 1)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I thought the best way to approach this review was to gather feedback from staff by using a focus group minus the post-evaluation forms! One day, during break, I presented the top to a group of nurse educators and asked them to scrutinize the top and provide their honest opinions on the following:<br />
appearance, durability, positive features and potential drawbacks.
Overall, the top received high marks on its overall appearance that is simple, sporty, and yet attractive. Many described the top as “nice looking.” The top is well made and the contrasting trim is reinforced with a zigzag stitch. The pockets are also reinforced. Additional stitching is found at stress points on the fabric. There were two features that everyone in the group agreed upon as impressive:<br />
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<li>The neckline has an added piece of soft material that is sewn between the V-neck (Picture 2). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_286632609"></span><span id="goog_286632610"></span>This<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RagrLJryQqg/UXtEf9j6_oI/AAAAAAAACKY/yn5aMftbVOg/s1600/Neckline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RagrLJryQqg/UXtEf9j6_oI/AAAAAAAACKY/yn5aMftbVOg/s1600/Neckline.jpg" height="200" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">V-neck (Picture 2)</td></tr>
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added feature provides a better fit and support around the V-neck especially when bending forward. This helps avoid potential unintended exposure! </li>
<li>On the right side there is a double pocket (Figure 3) and a large pocket on the left side. These are good for holding and separating a variety of items that may be needed during the day </li>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BH5_l6xUxR0/UXtFdQlnY6I/AAAAAAAACKo/TRm7TyjgeP4/s1600/Pocket.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BH5_l6xUxR0/UXtFdQlnY6I/AAAAAAAACKo/TRm7TyjgeP4/s1600/Pocket.png" height="192" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pocket (Picture 3)</td></tr>
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One potential drawback depends upon your institution’s dress code. If the institution has a solid color dress code, for example: nurses wear white, the contrasting trim and black material on the V-neck may not meet with the policy guidelines. However, the colored trim could represent different levels of staffing within a discipline of an institution. One staff member wondered if the top could be bleached due to the colored trim and black material piece found at the V-neck. In such cases, I would use color-safe bleach.
In general, the top was well received!<br />
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I did have the opportunity to look at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.uniformedscrubs.com/Womens-Scrubs_c_1.html">Uniform Scrubs</a></span> site and found they have a large selection of scrub tops, lab jackets, and uniform pants at competitive prices.Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-6349391151642943282012-09-13T08:39:00.000-07:002012-09-19T15:17:18.264-07:00Patient-Family Support Websites: A wonderful Idea!<style>
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<span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><img alt="CaringBridge horizontal logo version thumbnail" src="http://amplifierhub.caringbridge.org/resources/nb-caringbridge-horizontal.jpg" /> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I recently learned about patient-family support websites such as
<a href="http://caringbridge.com/">CaringBridge.com</a> following the unexpected and heartbreaking hospitalization of
a family friend that has become protracted. I have witnessed as a nurse and
with friends how prolonged hospitalizations can cripple a family financially.
Communicating information to anyone connected to the patient adds additional
stress to family members closest to the situation. Patient-family support
websites make an excellent alternative for the endeavor </span><span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">of informing family and loved ones of the patient's condition.</span></span> In popular social media sites,</span><span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> </span>posted
announcements about the patient can be easily lost in the rapid stream of information. Privacy may also be a concern.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">On “caring sites,” Patient stories can be shared by the family
in a private setting. <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/about">Caring Bridge</a> offers, a personal,
protected online space where one can post health updates and keep friends and
family informed. On my friend’s account, journal
entries made by the family keep me informed of his current status. Friends and family can also enter messages in
the “Guest Book” that is also found on the personal site. In general, messages are a source of support, encouragement, prayers, and hope.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Imagine a head of a household or a self-supporting individual
who is unexpectedly hospitalized. Consider if the hospital is not nearby or the
family members are from out of state. Commuting, childcare, meals, and lodging
expenses add up quickly, while household bills must still be paid on time.
Raising money helps in this situation but there are very few people I know who
are experienced in fund-raising or setting up a web site to accomplish this task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patient-family support
websites can also serve as central area that can link to donation accounts
specifically set up for the patient.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #424347; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The Caring Bridge is a</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The individual sites are made possible at no cost through
<a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/waystogive">donations.</a> See the video below for more information on CaringBridge.</span></div>
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Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-21993394330506731712012-09-06T07:40:00.003-07:002012-09-19T15:16:59.096-07:00Twitter 2012 Basics for NursesHave you ever thought of joining Twitter? Below are three videos on getting started in Twitter from setting up an account to engaging in a chat.<br />
<br />
<b>Setting up an Account:</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zYdlOBEZjeI" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<b>Overview of Twitter Terminology</b>:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GbvtACVIAQc" width="560"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<b>Chatting on Twitter:</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oqWSrhuB2v8" width="560"></iframe>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-31510764118856692602012-08-21T05:44:00.000-07:002012-09-23T17:37:12.791-07:00Big Marker Video Conferencing for Nursing Education<br />
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Last June I searched web-conferencing sites for my
STTI Region Coordinator and I came upon the <a href="http://bigmarker.com/">BigMarker.com</a> site. BigMarker.com
is a videoconferencing site where the user can collaborate with others and
provide community hosting. The application is cloud-based so users do not have
to download software or install updates. What intrigued me was what the site
offered for <b><span style="color: red;">FREE</span></b> and/or low cost.
A free membership
offers unlimited public video conferencing with up to 50 person Conference Rooms | 3 Hosts to start + 1 for every
50 members, unlimited members in your community, 8GB file storage, discussion
boards, and a community calendar. <a href="http://www.bigmarker.com/pricing">Click
Here</a> to see the other
pricing options that range from $9-$99 for their “Pro Communities.” The major
difference between Pro Community from the Free Community membership is that one
can offer both public and private conferences in addition to other amenities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For those of you
familiar with BigMarker.com on 6/22/12 the site revealed new <a href="http://www.bigmarker.com/blog/bigupdates-6-19-12">updates</a> to the site including a conference room with
the following features: easier navigation in the conference room, an optimized
audio system, microphone optional, able to listen in via android mobile
devices, and more. <o:p></o:p></div>
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View the "How to Use BigMarker.com" YouTube video below to see how their conference room works:<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I decided the
best way to try the site was to host a webinar by creating a free community
membership. I found <a href="http://youtu.be/whzjI_v8mRU">setting up a conference</a> easy to accomplish.<br />
The feedback I received from
participants related to the platform was positive. One participant reported some feedback with the
audio on her end. I was using a headset to deliver the presentation. I did
report this issue to Big Marker Support. I was informed that the conference
room was meant to work without a headset. I am planning to give another short
webinar on the Big Marker site, September 26, at 7:00 PM ET on <a href="https://www.bigmarker.com/marker119650/room3">Success Tips for Nurses
Considering Online College</a>. This time I will not use a headset and
hopefully the audio reception will be improved! <o:p></o:p>
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While experimenting with the site I found that I was able to open and use
this application in the hospital setting which I found to be a pleasant
surprise considering the firewall and video blockers. The low price for private
video conferencing makes this an attractive offer and application for hospital
and system-wide group projects.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-71740155593733743702012-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:002012-02-01T08:41:32.658-08:00Online Binders in the Hospital Setting<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-q8sAdwtlc/TyMTIkUpzJI/AAAAAAAAAcI/cAsTn_T9dIk/s1600/Livebinder+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-q8sAdwtlc/TyMTIkUpzJI/AAAAAAAAAcI/cAsTn_T9dIk/s1600/Livebinder+logo.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Last weekend as the snow fell in New
York, I had the good fortune of stumbling upon a presentation on <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/"><span style="color: blue;">“LiveBinders”</span></a>
that was streaming live from the “TeachMeetGA 2012” conference.<a href="http://blog.web20classroom.org/p/about-me.html"><span style="color: blue;"> Steven W. Anderson</span></a> also known as </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/web20classroom"><span style="color: blue;">@web20classroom</span></a> gave a presentation that provided excellent information on this application. If you have an opportunity visit his <a href="http://blog.web20classroom.org/" style="color: blue;">blog</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>for good information and tips!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The website describes “LiveBinders” as a “three ring
binder for the web.” By creating a "Live Binder", one can collect and organize
resources found on the web including PDFs and videos. This is a terrific site
to use for compiling information on any topic into a small neat online binder.
According to the site and individual can upload any file up to 5 MB with a
total storage of 100 MB. Current subscriptions are free! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">LiveBinders offers video tutorials that
clearly explain how to use the site.<a href="http://www.livebinders.com/welcome/video_window?video=%2Fswf%2Fwhat.swf"><span style="color: blue;"> Click here </span></a>for a brief video overview of </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">LiveBinders.
I found this application easy use and fairly intuitive. Some considerations for
using this site in the hospital setting:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Use websites that the hospital has
already approved for a bypass proxy. This will simplify access to pages by
staff who may or may not have internet access</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Request a bypass proxy in writing for
hospital-blocked sites and provide the rationale for access (Example:
Educational YouTube videos)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Use the embedding codes to have the
binder appear on the website</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Organize binders for almost any topic
including patient education, hospital safety, new initiatives, staff education,
practice updates, and more!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Use the Edit button to access the different page layouts </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Binders can be easily updated by adding/changing URLs to existing or new tabs</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Below is a LiveBinder that I quickly put
together on Patient Safety Information. </span><br />
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<div style="background-image: url(http://www.livebinders.com/images/binder_icon.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; height: 78px; margin-top: 4px; width: 75px;">
<a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=292260"> <img src="http://open.thumbshots.org/image.pxf?url=http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/npsgs.aspx" style="border: 0px; height: 60px; margin: 11px 0px 0px 13px; padding: 0px; width: 60px;" /> </a> </div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=292260"><span style="color: blue;">2012 Patient Safety Information</span></a></div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-7546113232826551332011-07-25T17:59:00.000-07:002011-07-25T18:22:32.956-07:00Presentations Without Internet Access<div class="MsoNormal">Imagine that your abstract is accepted for a four-hour workshop at a national convention, demonstrating basic web skills for building nursing educational websites only to learn that there would be no Internet access. I recently had this experience but was still able to offer the program by using video screen captures that nicely complemented my presentation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I tend to be a bit paranoid when relying on technology during a presentation. A single technical glitch can eat up precious time meant for the program in trying to troubleshoot the issue. Over the years I have experienced no Internet access related to facility limitations, poor Wi-Fi reception, excessively slow downloads of YouTube videos, air card connection problems, inability to download certain software on a host laptop, audio limitations, and more. For demonstrations that rely on an Internet connection, backup is essential in the event a solid connection fails.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCTJPhCvCg8/Ti4PNktP0HI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Yqc4cleT5-8/s1600/snag_it+capture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCTJPhCvCg8/Ti4PNktP0HI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Yqc4cleT5-8/s200/snag_it+capture.png" width="200" /></a>In January 2010, I gave a presentation for my<a href="http://wagner.edu/departments/epsilonmu/"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Epsilon Mu</span> </a>chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. Part of this presentation included demonstrating the use of Skype as a means of virtually bringing a live guest speaker to the program. In preparation, I requested Internet access well in advance to facilitate this portion of my program. I also spoke directly to the IT specialist who was setting up the room for the program. I had the assurance that Wi-Fi access would not be a problem. However, because Skype was not installed on the school’s laptop I could not deliver the live interview. My laptop was also unusable because I did not have an account on the school’s server. Attempts of downloading Skype onto the school’s laptop also failed as none of the organizers had “Admin rights.” The program was on a Saturday so IT assistance was unavailable. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, I could deliver this portion of the demonstration because I did have backup. I made a video capture of the interview earlier in the week “just in case” I could not access Skype. The pre-recorded capture captivated the audience by what appeared to be a live interview. After that experience I have found that video screen capture back up is the next best thing when Internet access is not an option for your presentation. For a capture with audio:</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4x7iaplfe0/Ti4PgB6Ur_I/AAAAAAAAAGs/7QvIhZL1OFU/s1600/Jing+pro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4x7iaplfe0/Ti4PgB6Ur_I/AAAAAAAAAGs/7QvIhZL1OFU/s1600/Jing+pro.png" /></a>
<li>Use screen capture software (such as<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit/default.asp"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Snagit</span></a>,</span> <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jing</span></a>, <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing/pro/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">JingPro</span></a>,</span> etc)</li>
<li>Check that the volume is at a good level</li>
<li>Check that the audio settings are on</li>
<li>Fit/size the region of the screen to record</li>
<li>Select “Record Screen Video.”</li>
<li>Click on “Capture”</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.05pt;">The above actions only take about a minute. I strongly recommend checking the volume and audio settings. Should the volume setting be at a low-level otherwise the production will be barely audible. When using a video as a backdrop for demonstration purposes while speaking to a live audience, remember to mute the audio settings prior to recording the capture. An example for this might be a demonstration on how to resize a picture on a webpage. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.05pt;"><br />
</div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-61643098980552148982011-06-08T19:15:00.000-07:002011-06-11T07:06:53.965-07:00Laser Pointers No More<div class="MsoNormal">Laser pointers have been traditionally used in conjunction with electronic slideshow presentations as a means of emphasizing a specific part of a slide. Despite the usefulness of this tool, sometimes the red beam of light can serve as a distraction depending on the ability of the presenter. I have attended PowerPoint presentations where the bright red beam has erratically jumped all over the screen. Over the years I have owned several laser pointers and I found them useful when working with a much larger screen projection. In the past few years, I stopped using the laser pointer by replacing it with the insertion of non-filled shapes with brightly colored borders along with custom animations directly on my slideshow presentation. By using this method, I find that I have more control and I do not have to worry about holding the beam of light steady or circling a region continuously. The added bonus is that I don’t need batteries!</div><br />
<center><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2iUgepa2bRc?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2iUgepa2bRc?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Procedure:</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ol><li><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Click on the “Insert” tab</li>
<li>Click on “shapes”</li>
<ul><li>Choose the shape (I generally take a square or circle)</li>
</ul><li>Size the shape over the first region to emphasize by holding down the left side of the mouse while gliding the “+” symbol on the field until the desired size has been achieved</li>
<li>Click on the "Shape fill"</li>
<ul><li>Select no fill</li>
</ul><li>Click on "Shape outline"”</li>
<ul><li>Select “color” in the drop-down box (bright red)</li>
</ul><li>Click on “Weight”</li>
<ul><li>Select: 2 1/4-3 pt</li>
</ul><li>Click on the "Animations" tab</li>
<li>Click on "Custom animation"</li>
<li>Click on drop-down menu on the "Add effect" button</li>
<ul><li>Click on "Entrance"</li>
<li>Click on "Faded zoom"</li>
</ul><li>Click on drop-down box for first animation</li>
<ul><li>Click on “Effect”</li>
<li>Click on drop-down box for “Don't dim"</li>
<li>Select “Hide on next mouse click"</li>
</ul><li>For highligthing multiple areas; copy the shape and re-size it over the next region (all animations will be duplicated)</li>
<li>Recopy the shape as needed</li>
</ol>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-75912387343133915802011-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:002011-07-21T07:36:16.637-07:00Cell Phones, Hospitals, and Social Media<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-it6MpJWnDBI/Td6xyojnJPI/AAAAAAAAAGk/RUn8APlGQXE/s1600/phlebitis+upright.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-it6MpJWnDBI/Td6xyojnJPI/AAAAAAAAAGk/RUn8APlGQXE/s320/phlebitis+upright.png" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infusion phlebitis<br />
Picture: Copyright 2011 Teresa Heithaus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Over a year ago my son was admitted to a local hospital for emergency surgery. The hospital was known for its excellent reputation and for its ANCC Magnet status. He developed some complications following surgery that extended his stay longer than expected. During the hospitalization he developed a Grade 3- 4 infusion phlebitis. I uncovered the phlebitis by examining his right arm after he complained about pain at the IV site. I pulled up the sleeve on the hospital gown and saw a long red streak that extended from his antecubital region up to his shoulder. Immediately, I called his nurse who examined his arm and discontinued the IV. After the nurse left the room, I dug through my purse and pulled out my cell phone. I wasted no time in taking a photograph of his affected arm. I was not thinking of litigation but rather, I believed this would make a good photo for the IV course that I teach at my institution. An added plus was that I could easily obtain permission for use of the picture. His nurse soon returned to tend to his arm.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Uploading pictures or videos onto a social media site from a smart phone takes only seconds. In general, any individual with a smart phone can simply click on a social media app such as Facebook, followed by clicking on the "<b>+</b>" symbol and choose either a picture on file or “Take a photo/video.” In moments, a person can post the picture or video along with a “comment” on a social media site for every "friend" or "follower" to see. From my perspective, most of the pictures or videos posted by my family or friends have been positive, fun, or just plain silly. However, this does not limit individuals from posting negative, malicious, compromising, and hurtful comments, pictures, or videos on social media sites.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A nursing colleague had once told me of a patient's family member who insisted on using his cell phone to videotape discharge education his mother was receiving in the hospital. She asked the family member not to videotape the session as she felt it was “distracting and made her uncomfortable.” I suggested that the development of “scripted,” educational, video tutorials become available on the hospital Internet site for the purpose of patient education. This way, patients and their families can be directed to the website for viewing the information while providing their full attention to the live educational session. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Disgruntled consumers have been known to write negative feedback on websites or even post disparaging videos on YouTube. Some institutions have resorted to creating policies to combat the taking or posting of pictures and videos (on the Internet) by imposing a ban on such activities while on the hospital premises. However, do such policy statements stop anyone from taking pictures or videos with his or her cell/smart phone when such actions can be done quickly and covertly? The discovery of such posts generally occurs well after the fact.</div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-71919908848110797712011-05-18T16:29:00.000-07:002011-05-25T05:31:47.897-07:00Online Newsletters for Staff Development Updates<div class="MsoNormal">In November 2010 I went to the AAN pre-conference kicked-off where I attended a terrific presentation given by <a href="http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cnr/ourteam/barbara.html"><span style="color: blue;">Barbara Rickabaugh RN, MSN</span></a> from<a href="http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> UC Davis Medical Center</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">.</span></span> Her presentation was on developing online hospital newsletters. What I enjoyed about this particular short program was that the information was practical and resourceful. Barbara Rickabaugh discussed a useful way of organizing hospital-wide departmental information (generally found in e-mail distributions) by creating a monthly newsletter for the hospital’s intranet site. As I listened, I thought how this concept was a great way of consolidating important announcements in one monthly document! </div><div class="MsoNormal">Following monthly department meetings, staff development (SD) instructors at my institution perform a variety of on-unit in-service updates. These updates include new or revised policies, procedures, products or initiatives. Based on Barbara Rickabaugh’s idea, I developed an online monthly SD newsletter that incorporated these in-service updates in an online staff development monthly newsletter complete with links and pictures. I also added an<a href="http://nsdbehindthefirewall.blogspot.com/2011/05/making-online-attestations.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> attestation link</span></a> that staff can use to document that he or she reviewed the information in the newsletter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oCpl9rtmCb8/TdRT6E5bHsI/AAAAAAAAAGg/tCkeaefpNEM/s1600/Newsletter+template.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oCpl9rtmCb8/TdRT6E5bHsI/AAAAAAAAAGg/tCkeaefpNEM/s200/Newsletter+template.png" width="155" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I limit the newsletter to two sides. The links connect to “Fast Facts,” tutorials, new product information, in addition to policy and procedure documents. If a link connects to an Internet site, I request IT to “bypass the proxy” to allow access by staff who do not have Internet privileges. Attractive <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104328.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Newsletter templates</span></a> are available on the Microsoft Office site in Word, Publisher, and Outlook. I am fortunate to have several of my SD colleagues review and edit content. Review and editing are necessary to ensure accuracy and readability. The newsletter has been well received and serves as a good resource, especially for those who missed the on-unit in-service.</div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-37134825745455978422011-05-10T14:43:00.000-07:002011-05-10T14:53:17.380-07:00Survival Tips for the Prospective Online Nursing Student<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9MkedQwe_c/TcmzLZxPMII/AAAAAAAAAGc/CYConT1EZx0/s1600/distance+learning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9MkedQwe_c/TcmzLZxPMII/AAAAAAAAAGc/CYConT1EZx0/s200/distance+learning.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Distance learning or online education is an excellent option to consider if you are thinking of going back to school to further your degree. Some healthcare systems are now requiring a higher degree as a condition of employment. I received my MSN degree from one of the well-known distance learning programs. After graduating I participated in two online certificate programs, and I have recently begun teaching in this venue. From these experiences, I garnered valuable skills such as networking, online collaboration, computer literacy, and leadership. I recently wrote an article for BestNursingDegree.com offering some tips and advice to consider for the individual who is seriously thinking about pursuing this route. Read my recommendations and survival tips in <b><a href="http://www.bestnursingdegree.com/expert-advice/online-nursing-guide-to-success"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Online nursing degrees: Guide to success."</span></a> </b>When selecting a school, check the accreditation of the program, requirements, and do your homework to determine if the program is a good fit for your busy lifestyle. BestNursingDegree.com offers information on its<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b> <a href="http://www.bestnursingdegree.com/online-nursing-degrees/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Online Nursing Degrees"</span></a></b></span> including an extensive listing of online programs.</div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-52086332627418161312011-05-05T16:03:00.000-07:002011-05-21T10:18:33.435-07:00Making Online Attestations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6q36lYGZI48/TcMrEwWGGYI/AAAAAAAAAGM/5HiAyqWDgTk/s1600/Attestation+D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6q36lYGZI48/TcMrEwWGGYI/AAAAAAAAAGM/5HiAyqWDgTk/s200/Attestation+D.png" width="200" /></a></div>I use attestations to affirm that an individual has read an online posting or activity. This is similar to using a clip board with a sign in sheet for on-unit updates or a “read and sign,” except this is done electronically. Attestations can be easily made by using an online quiz maker or manager. I use the test template in my account with <a href="http://www.quia.com/web"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">QUIA</span></a> but I've also experimented with the quiz maker on<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">ProProfs</span></a></span> and Blackboard. By using an online quiz maker I can track who participated in the online activity and what unit they came from. The basic templates for most quiz makers are similar in structure. To create an online attestation by using a quiz maker, I do the following:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Click on “Create a quiz” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LXxtheMJBtk/TcMrkH71F6I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/uXTK9f5AJ2Q/s1600/Attestation+A.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LXxtheMJBtk/TcMrkH71F6I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/uXTK9f5AJ2Q/s320/Attestation+A.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Name the quiz: For attestations I generally use the following "Attestation Form<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">: Name of the online activity </i>"*</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span> “Description”: Provide a brief instruction such as the following:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto;"> Please indicate "True" or "False," attesting that you have completed reading the online activity. Enter your first and last name in the boxes provided below.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Add one “True-False" question</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Enter the value for the one-question quiz at 100%</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Enter the following statement in the question box:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">a.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>I attest that I have fully reviewed the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Name of the Online activity”*</i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">7.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Select “True” as the answer </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">8.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>“Settings”</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">a.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Uncheck the options for” Question number” and “Point values”</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">9.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>"Access"</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">a.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Logon required: with this option your student rosters should already be set up</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">b.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>No logon required: no rosters required; however you will not be able to filter your participants by unit</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">10.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>“Global settings”</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">a.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Enable the quiz</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">b.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Show all questions</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">c.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Anonymity: Require student names</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">d.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Feedback: Select no feedback</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">e.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Attempts permitted: Select “1”</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">f.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Security: Disable copy, paste, and printing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">11.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Click “Done”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8UkbPKJJF4/TcMsPhJRkaI/AAAAAAAAAGU/xcBXOKfZUwc/s1600/Attestation+C.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8UkbPKJJF4/TcMsPhJRkaI/AAAAAAAAAGU/xcBXOKfZUwc/s320/Attestation+C.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>12.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>The Attestation page will have a specific URL located in the address bar </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">a.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Copy the link </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 73.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>b.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Make the link available on the web page where the activity exists. I generally hyperlink an interactive button.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 19.5pt; mso-add-space: auto;">* In place of the words, “Name of the online activity,” add the actual name of the activity.<br />
If your staff does not have access to the internet request by-passing the proxy from your IT department for the URL. By requesting the bypass, staff can directly access the attestation. </div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-42464187733340942352011-04-30T20:37:00.000-07:002011-05-03T05:06:18.840-07:00When Real Life Collides with Social Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhuAzVcslA0/TbzU6DGD61I/AAAAAAAAAGI/zPQVlQcnqOE/s1600/MH900363478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhuAzVcslA0/TbzU6DGD61I/AAAAAAAAAGI/zPQVlQcnqOE/s200/MH900363478.JPG" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have always considered myself to be good at multi-tasking. Through the years I've managed my home, raised a family while being a working mom, made time to see friends, prepared home-cooked meals, and even fast-tracked my MSN degree. I also found time to go to go on dates with my husband, work on hobbies, and even volunteer for professional organizations. Over the years I dabbled in various chat rooms and online forums. About two years ago I decided to take the plunge and engage in social media in a meaningful way. I signed up for an account on Twitter and decided that I would micro blog about anything related to nursing staff development. Within this venue I began to meet other nurses, educators, people in public relations, information technologist, managers, editors, and writers. I had to admit that this was an amazing way to share knowledge, events, and experiences that I found relevant to my practice and incredibly easy to do. In short, I was engaging in a cacophony of information from all parts of the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the next two years I found myself taking on more responsibilities. At work I was busily building online educational modules and managing both the nursing intranet and Internet educational websites for my institution. I had even experimented with different platforms for online Journal club including Facebook. I also took on the task of being the webmaster for my local Sigma Theta Tau International chapter while serving on the educational committee for another professional organization. For the first time in my career, I began submitting abstracts for national conferences, and they were even being accepted. Finally I decided that it was time to work on my own blog site. This is something that I had been putting off for quite some time because I knew that this was a responsibility and a commitment. During this time I had also received a full scholarship for an online distance learning program. This online program was time-consuming but I believed the endeavor added value to my experiences as a nurse educator as one of my professional goals was becoming a distance learning mentor for a nursing college.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Work was ramping up as my hospital began the process of converting to electronic health records. I became involved in this project while maintaining my online and other staff development job responsibilities. It was not my imagination that my real-life responsibilities were mounting. I was also as a TA in a distance learning informatics course. If that was not enough I had started a fiction book a year earlier and I was 340 pages in and with a chapter and a half left to complete it. Thank goodness my children are grown up otherwise I do not know where I would have found the time to do any of these things. In the social media realm, I continued networking with some amazing nurses and trying to work on a number of projects while continuing to blog and tweet. Despite juggling so many obligations I found that I was still able to deliver the goods until life recently threw me several unsettling curveballs in short order.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I underestimated the effects of overstretching myself that left little room for grieving or coping. I found that I was in overload and could not do another thing. I know that I am not the only person who has gotten herself into this situation. High achieving, high energy, type A personalities with a penchant for perfection, find themselves running the risk of hitting the tipping point that ultimately leads to overload and burnout. The problem with this type behavior is that it does not leave any reserve for dealing with lifes inevitable tremors. I needed some downtime. I stopped blogging for a while and sporadically tweeted. This was not planned, it just happened. I knew I had to regain my footing. I stepped back for a while and decided to:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Set my priorities while maintaining boundaries to restore a healthy balance in my life.</li>
<li>Know my limitations</li>
<li>Engage in the endeavors I enjoy</li>
<li>Stop volunteering for things that I do not have time to do or want to do</li>
<li>Finish the projects that were started a while ago</li>
<li>Carefully consider new requests that will impact on my time </li>
<li>Set time aside to re-energize myself </li>
<li>Reengage and and connect with others</li>
<li>Recognize that I am human </li>
</ul></div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-7302618800038968422011-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:002011-01-28T11:50:08.300-08:00Making Crossword Puzzles for Nursing Education Using Excel 2007<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/TTrhRcAVt4I/AAAAAAAAAGA/EyoNgtYGkBI/s200/nurse+educator+crossword+puzzle+pix.jpg" width="178" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I enjoy solving word games. Not too long ago, I used to create crossword puzzles by using graph paper. Excel offers a perfect platform for staging crossword puzzles because of the grids that are in place on each spreadsheet. Each box in the grid is adjustable in size in addition to other formatting features. Click here to try the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0Bx_4EYyN7mEZZTUyNjYyODQtMGE0OC00NTIyLWIxMmMtZmNhMjk1OGNjMTQ5&hl=en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Nurse Educator Crossword Puzzle."</span></a></span><br />
To make a crossword puzzle:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Make a list of words and their clues that you want to include in the puzzle </li>
<li>Consider the number of boxes across and down based on the length of the longest words on the list</li>
<li>Highlight the area of the puzzle on the grids of the Excel sheet </li>
<li>Format the size of the grid boxes by adjusting the headings on both the width and height to a size of 40 pixels</li>
<li>Start the puzzle in grid box B-2. Leave the “A” column and the horizontal “1” line blank </li>
<li>Begin placing one letter for each word in an individual grid box </li>
<li>Fill any blank boxes by clicking the “Fill color” icon and click on black or your color preference</li>
<li>Optional: Add numbers by inserting a text box to the appropriate grid box </li>
<li>Add the clues by clicking on the box with the first letter of a word.</li>
<ul><li>Right click and select "Insert Comment" from the drop down menu. (This idea I got from <a href="http://www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_puzzle.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Internet 4 Classrooms site</span></a>)</li>
<li>Keyboard your clues in the comment box</li>
</ul><li>Add a title and instructions</li>
<li>Remove the gridlines, headings, and formula bar by clicking on "View" and uncheck those three options.</li>
<li> Save as an "Excel 97-2003 Template" for compatibility</li>
<li>Highlight the puzzle and delete the letters </li>
<li> By saving the puzzle as a template, the puzzle shape and clues can not be changed but the user can fill in the blank boxes</li>
</ol> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/47507293/Nurse-Educator-Puzzle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Click Here</span></a> for the printable version of the "Nurse Educator Crossword Puzzle."<br />
The <a href="http://www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_puzzle.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Internet 4 Classrooms site</span></a> explains how to make an interactive Excel crossword puzzle. There are many free software offerings available on the web for making crosswords but I'll discuss them in another article!<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bZa596NmGk?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bZa596NmGk?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><center><br />
</center><center>References</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Brooks, S. & Byles, B. (n.d.). <i>Making an interactive crossword puzzle with Excel.</i></center><center style="text-align: left;"><i> </i>Retrieved from http://www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_puzzle.htm</center>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-2282432046676605282010-11-09T18:22:00.000-08:002011-08-07T05:19:07.461-07:00Jumping through hoops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/TNn5vCPJ-iI/AAAAAAAAAF4/60MkuZg0W4k/s1600/hoops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/TNn5vCPJ-iI/AAAAAAAAAF4/60MkuZg0W4k/s1600/hoops.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Research and publishing are two initiatives that staff development instructors are being asked to engage in. When does the educator find time in a busy day to sit down and consider a research project or an article for publication? Does the instructor know how to conceptualize, carry out a research project or know where to look for guidance in his or her institution?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had the opportunity to participate in a formal performance improvement (PI) project where a colleague and I went through the procedure of preparing a proposal for the hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB). I was very fortunate to be directly working with a nurse who was quite familiar with the formal research process. Although this nurse and I are work colleagues and friends, in this arena I viewed her as a role model and a consultant. Prior to submitting the application, I had to register, and successfully pass the online course, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">“</span><a href="http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Protecting Human Research Participants</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">.”</span> This course is an offering by the National Institute of Health. I additionally had to take another test required by my health care system. The application had to delineate the purpose of the project, how it would be done, benefits, time frame, what we were measuring, in addition to our data collection tool. The application process gave me the opportunity to think about the project in clear and objective terms as well as organizational issues. Once we received the approval from the IRB, we carried out the project over many months. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upon conclusion of the project that had successful outcomes, we went to the next step that was to write a white paper. We reviewed several peer reviewed nursing journals and chose one that we believed was a good match for the project. We scoured through three pages of single-spaced author guidelines. Because we were submitting a paper based on a quality improvement project, we additionally had to adhere to the <a href="http://www.squire-statement.org/guidelines"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">“The Squire Methodology.” </span></a> At the time, we had no idea what that was! After many hours of toiling on the paper, reviewing the Squire methodology, carefully following the instructions, and correctly formatting several photographs, diagrams, and graphs; we were ready to submit our paper. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We received a response from the journal after three months of waiting. Our paper was accompanied by five different reviewer ratings in addition to 25 comments for areas of revision. By this point we were happy that we did not receive a rejection notice but exhausted over the prospect of addressing each revision! We decided to take a breather for the summer. By the end of September, re-energized by the break, we finally resubmitted the revised paper. At this time we are anxiously awaiting the outcome!</span></div><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For staff development instructors who possess little to no experience with research or publishing, find what supportive measures the institution is offering. This would include basic courses, programs or seminars on performing nursing research, consultation and advisement by an in-house research nurse, the medical librarian, writing for publication classes, and editorial support. Local colleges and universities may also offer such courses. Another way to gain experience is to consider </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">working as part of a team on a project with other nurses/doctors experienced with the research process. These endeavors are time consuming. I feel fortunate as my health care system has made a sincere effort to provide support, training and time for the staff development instructor who wishes to engage in these activities. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Follow-up: I am happy to announce that the article was accepted for publication! I now awaiting the actual publication.</span><br />
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</div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-83441805426489907842010-10-24T14:05:00.000-07:002010-10-24T14:35:10.345-07:00American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification in Nursing Professional Development<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On October 22, 2010 I was sitting in a computer station at a testing center not far from my home. I was wearing a pair of yellow silencing headphones that I reluctantly put on my head to drown out the rapid keyboarding strikes made by the person in the adjacent compartment. I had just completed answering 175 questions on the <a href="http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Certification.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">ANCC certification</span></a> examination on <a href="http://www.nursecredentialing.org/NurseSpecialties/NursingProfessionalDevelopment.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Nursing Professional Development.</span> </a> What followed was the arduous task of reviewing those questions that I wasn’t 100% sure of my answers. The numbers on the digital countdown clock appeared to be elapsing more rapidly than I wanted. I could easily pick out two wrong distracters but there was always one choice in each set of questions that seemed sort of correct. I had to focus and just answer the questions. With 30 seconds to spare, I completed my final answer and lingered a moment before I clicked the submit button. I gathered up my driver’s license, locker key, two pencils and a paper booklet provided by the test center and checked out. The nice part about taking a computerized test is discovering the score almost immediately. With the paper and pencil tests, waiting for a confirmation of test scores used to take up to six-weeks. I approached the attendant who had to take three digital images each of my index fingers. My heart was pounding as I anxiously awaited my outcome. With little emotion, the man behind a large gray desk recited a set of instructions then printed out a piece of paper. He quickly embossed the document, signed it then unceremoniously handed it over to me. I glanced down at the paper and read the words, “Congratulations, You have passed…..” I felt relief, excitement and joy as I happily squealed, “I passed!”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ANCC board certification ensures that the nurse has “met strong professional standards”, measures professional competency (ANCC, 2010) and validates knowledge in the specialty. The <a href="http://test.nursecredentialing.org/NursingProfDev-Test.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">National Nursing Staff Development Organization</span></a> (NNSDO) also encourages credentialing. ANCC offers certification exams in approximately 42 nursing specialties. My institution encourages and promotes certification in addition to reimbursing for the exam fee (after successful passing) and providing a pay differential. I previously held a certification in Nutrition Support. I decided that taking the exam in Nursing Professional Development was long overdue. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To sit for the exam, the candidate must meet with ANCC <a href="http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Eligibility/NPDEligibility.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">eligibility requirements</span></a>. To prepare for the exam, I purchased a copy of the<a href="http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Certification/ExamResources/ReviewManuals.aspx"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">ANCC Nursing Review and Resource Manual for Nursing Professional Development</span></a>. I also attended a review course offered by my health care system to every nurse educator. The ANCC site also offers <a href="http://test.nursecredentialing.org/NursingProfDev-Test.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">sample test questions.</span> </a> I found studying for the exam and attending the review course enriching to my professional practice. In particular, studying the various roles in nursing professional development that include; educator, leader, facilitator, change agent, consultant, and researcher gave me new perspective for my practice. I strongly recommend attaining certification.</span></div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-77395067153574583962010-09-30T17:49:00.000-07:002010-10-27T16:32:42.907-07:00Creating Music Videos for Nursing Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/TKUmdnn0t9I/AAAAAAAAAFw/MSUKAI2mv3A/s1600/animoto_logo_a_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/TKUmdnn0t9I/AAAAAAAAAFw/MSUKAI2mv3A/s200/animoto_logo_a_sm.jpg" width="174" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">The first time I ever heard of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://animoto.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Animoto</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>was after reading a publication,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> “</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://issuu.com/richardbyrne/docs/twelve_essentials_for_technology_integration/1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Twelve Essentials for Technology Integration</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">”</span> written by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/rmbyrne"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Richard Byrne</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>that can be found on his blog site: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Free Technology 4 Teachers</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">.</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://animoto.com/" title=""><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Animoto</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> is an online service that offers a way for the average person to create stunning music videos! I am happy to report that Animoto is fun and amazing. I signed up for a free account that allows me to make 30-second videos. I also took advantage of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">“</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://animoto.com/education"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Animoto for Education</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">”</span> that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">is available for teachers and students. Unlike many other sites I have visited, this one lives up to their promise of being "fast, free, and shockingly easy."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">The first video I created, <a href="http://animoto.com/play/SR8offPGEFQFiPAKHn4C0w"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">“Nurses”</span></a> took 30-minutes while sitting comfortably in my easy chair. I used clip art of nurses and interspersed words in between them. My jaw dropped when the project was complete. I was watching a music video that had a slick, professional appearance to it.</span></span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Animoto can be used to create infomercials for both staff and patient education. I recently made one entitled, </span><a href="http://animoto.com/play/KSxxmagdBnyExXZuW9w2oQ"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Friction Scrub the Hub”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> emphasizing the importance of cleansing an injection cap for 15-seconds using friction. Music videos make a nice alternative to hand-made posters. In a certification course for distance learning that I took earlier this year, one participant discussed how creating a poster was one of the course requirements and this could not be done online. I suggested that an updated version to the traditional oak-tag poster would be to have the students create an informative music video that can be seen online. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Some considerations for using Animoto in the hospital setting include</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><ul><li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Obtain departmental approval</span></span></li>
<li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Contact Information Services (IS). This site has streaming videos. Blocking the site is a high probability because of bandwidth and the potential strain on the local hospital server.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Request permission to access the site from IS</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Explain the purpose of using the site in addition to how it is of benefit to the institution</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Put the request and explanation down in writing. Send a “cc” to all interested parties, including management</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider a “downloadable file” in a MP4 format (Available with the All Access Account) that can be used as a vodcast.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Hope for the best!</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">To begin making videos:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">1. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.animoto.com/" title=""><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Open an account</span></span></a></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">2. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Plan the music video (I like to make an outline)</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">3. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Organize pictures/or videos</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">4. </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Upload pictures or videos to the Animoto site</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">5. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Arrange them in the order</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">6. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Create some text (optional, but I highly recommend)</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">7. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Choose music from a broad array of licensed offerings </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">8. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Finalize the project by clicking publish</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">9. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Sit back and enjoy viewing the video</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">10. </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">The toolbox allows </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">reediting and remixing </span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 33pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://nsdbehindthefirewall.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to view "The Basics for Creating Videos on Animoto</span></span></span></div></div>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-16264459813337161322010-09-20T05:54:00.000-07:002010-09-20T14:06:12.906-07:00Social Media and Nursing Staff Development Instructors<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I was a speaker at a Nurse Educators Conference recently with close to 200 participants. Everyone in the audience had the opportunity to participate in live polling by using audience response cards. My presentation topic was on the creative use of technology in nursing education. I used a poll slide that simply asked, “What is your favorite social media site?” The options I listed included: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, and SecondLife (I believed this would be a nice way to start this segment of my talk). Once the poll closed only 60 participants had responded. I remarked to the audience, “Only 60 of you responded.” I then asked, “Did I give you enough time to answer?” One educator remarked, “You didn’t list, <i><b>none</b></i>.” I looked at the list and said with mild embarrassment, “You’re absolutely right, my error.” For verification, I then asked the audience, “For those who didn’t respond, would you have answered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">none?” </i>Before me I could see a large portion of the audience nodding their heads in agreement. It appeared as though more than 2/3 of my audience do not engage in social media of any kind. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Many months ago I pitched <a href="http://www.rnchat.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">RNchat</span></a> to a number of nurse educators when<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/RWJF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:</span></a> The Future of Nursing was going to submit questions to the weekly nursing discussion group developed by <a href="http://twitter.com/philbaumann"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Phil Baumann</span></a>. I was enthusiastic about the prospect of more educators I personally knew becoming involved in social media and networking. My invitation was met with a less than tepid response. Many expressed that they were too busy. One educator vehemently responded, “I have a big problem with that Twitter.” I was speechless about the strong sentiment yet this particular individual could not articulate what her specific issue was with the site.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the initial statistics from the <a href="http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey/initialfindings2008.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses</span></a> (HRSA, 2010), the average age of registered nurses in the workface is 47; 16.2% are between the ages of 50-54; hospitals employ 63%; 3.7% are in nursing instruction and 0.3% in informatics. According to the <a href="http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/FacultyShortageFS.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet </span></a> by The American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the age of the” doctorally prepared” associate professor is 56.1 whereas the “masters prepared” age is 55.2. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics#!/press/info.php?statistics"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a> reports more than 500 million active users. <a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/07/06/facebooks-june-2010-us-traffic-by-age-and-sex-users-aged-18-44-take-a-break-2/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Inside Network</span></a> detailed that as of July 1, 2010, 80% of all users of Facebook were between the ages of 13-44 and 20% of users were 45-65<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+. The 45-54 category recorded only </i><i>13</i><i>% as active users and <b>55-65+ at 7%</b></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Based on these numbers, one can surmise why the use of social media as an educational tool in the hospital setting has been slow. Sadly, misconceptions fueled by headlines that detail firings, and suspensions hamper the adoption of social media. Additionally, in-house restrictions/access to the Internet, filter blocking, and a general lack of time to learn the basics of social networking sites further impacts the ability to launch educational endeavors in this venue easily.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">From my perspective: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Administrative and managerial support are vital in promoting and launching the use of social media and web-based education in the hospital environment. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Demonstrate how the concept is of benefit to the institution and in alignment with the strategic plan. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Peer support and buy-in is very important in sending out the message to the rest of the staff. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Align with those who see the value of social media as an educational tool and platform.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Dispel misconceptions </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">Plan to provide training and support for those unfamiliar with its use. </span></li>
</ul>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-25483454676314409502010-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:002010-09-16T07:12:16.580-07:00Know Your Audience and Venue<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in 6.5in 7.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Earlier this year I learned about an online polling application that involved cell phones. The live polling service requires an Internet connection and is free of charge for up to 30 people. The graphs are visually appealing and the polls are easy to set up. I tested the service by mocking up a survey then experimenting with it myself. I also invited some of my coworkers to give it a try. On the trial run, I was happy to see the live polling worked exactly as advertised. I was asked to speak on a nutrition topic for an upcoming in-house continuing education program and decided to use the polling service as a "clever" way to break during portions of the presentation. I thoughtfully considered my polling questions and successfully imported special slides to embed them in my presentation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The day of the program arrived and I was very eager to use the new method of polling. I had set up three questions and retested each poll for functionality and responsiveness before the program began. I was confident that I had considered every angle and that the application would be a big success. However, my biggest error in judgment was that my expectations exceeded the ability of my audience in addition to the reliability of the Internet connectivity. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in 6.5in 7.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After my introduction, I reviewed the objectives for my presentation then told the audience about the live cell phone polling that used texting. I provided a visual tutorial in my presentation and also performed a brief demonstration. I knew I was in trouble when I looked at the faces in the audience and realized the majority were “seasoned” registered nurses and undoubtedly baby boomers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to reassure myself by saying, "I'm a boomer and I know how to text." I knew I had stepped in it when I made the announcement of the in-program polling would be done by texting. Immediately I heard whispered remarks that included, "Texting? I don't know how to text." The next thing that happened was the scramble to don reading glasses by more than 50% of the participants. One member of the audience announced, "Can you turn on the lights, I can't see the numbers on my phone." The final blow was the Internet connection in the room where the program was being held went down. Because the application required Internet connectivity, I resorted to polling the old fashioned way by asking for a show of hands! </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in 6.5in 7.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even though the experience didn’t work out as I had hoped, I decided to give the text-message polling another try. This time I used it with an orientation group which was predominantly made up of new graduates ranging in age between 22-32 years. I briefly explained the process then went straight to the poll slide. Instantly, each person pulled out his or her cell phones and started effortlessly tapping away on the small keyboards. The Internet connection was excellent and the bars on the graph began to rise in response to the texting. The class enjoyed the live polling and I was happy to see that this time round, I had a successful outcome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in 6.5in 7.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A good "lessons learned" is:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in 6.5in 7.0in;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Always consider (ASSESS) the technical ability of the audience</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pre-check the equipment and venue for Internet connectivity</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Allow time for loading files (Pre-load internet files if possible)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider a backup plan if all else fails. In regard to polling, a “show of hands” still works!</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806484749355821894.post-70090332864455111252010-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:002010-09-08T17:52:57.368-07:00Screen Captures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/THryQJHEF3I/AAAAAAAAADw/hEQbaHB2RN4/s1600/insert+prt+sc+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nj3amtY3CRg/THryQJHEF3I/AAAAAAAAADw/hEQbaHB2RN4/s200/insert+prt+sc+button.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>Many years ago, I learned about the screen capture button on my PC. I was delighted to discover that I could click the button and simply capture a picture of almost anything that I was looking at on my computer screen (This is very similar to taking a snap-shot).<br />
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Screen capturing has become more versatile than the simple "Print Screen" button. Many web-based and software screen capture offerings are available; ranging in price from "free" to approximately $80. The differences between them are the types of captures one can do, the degree of editing capability, in addition to the ability to download for private use or share globally. This is a MUST have tool for the nurse educator because of the wide-range of applications that it can be used for.<br />
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I use screen capturing software (SCS) to enhance pictures, words, and to make videos that I use in slide-show presentations and learning modules. I like using SCS to create video tutorials that are "voiced-over" such as explaining a new form that needs to be in-serviced to everyone in the hospital. Backup video screen captures have also come in handy when Internet access was unavailable in rooms where I was giving a presentation. What I like about this tool is that it is relatively simple to use, inexpensive, and the results are quite impressive. <br />
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Types of screen captures:<br />
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■ Full screen: Only what appears on the screen <br />
■ Full window: Only what appears on the screen minus the tool bars and ribbons <br />
■ Region: A selected portion of the page<br />
■ Scrolling region: Everything that appears on a page including sections where it is necessary to scroll to view all content<br />
■ Screen video with recording: Capture or create videos with audio <br />
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I use <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp">Snagit</a> by TechSmith, which is a commercially sold SCS. Captures are simple to accomplish. The Snagit editing tray is easy to use and offers a broad range of functions including resizing, coloring, adding words, and even more options to enhance the screen capture. Snagit version 10 is affordable and at the time of this writing, retails at $49.95. An education price is available at $37.95. I am still able to use my print screen key and it automatically defaults to Snagit!<br />
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For nursing education departments that currently do not use SCS, I strongly recommend trying one of the free versions or download a free trial for commercially sold SCS to determine which one best meets the needs of the department (See comparison chart). Note: Many SCS are available on the web, I am listing those that I have used.<br />
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<p></p><center> <a title="View Screen Capture Comparison Chart on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/37130284/Screen-Capture-Comparison-Chart" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Screen Capture Comparison Chart </a> <object id="doc_77221260531729" name="doc_77221260531729" height="600" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" > <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=37130284&access_key=key-2e1dutz2p3it5mspca6d&page=1&viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_77221260531729" name="doc_77221260531729" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=37130284&access_key=key-2e1dutz2p3it5mspca6d&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="600" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object> </center>Teresa Heithaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660098625070891200noreply@blogger.com2