March 9: All Things Midwives
I had the honor of meeting Sally Pezaro online and found her to be an exciting and interesting young leader of registered midwives in Great Britain. Dr. Sally Pezaro is an academic midwife, and an editorial board member of the British Journal of midwifery and the international Journal of childbirth. She is also a member of the Mary seacoal awards steering group funded by health education England, a panelist on the nursing and midwifery council’s fitness to practice investigating committee and ‘The Academic Midwife’ on Facebook. Sally has experience working as a midwife clinically in the United Kingdom, the Gambia and Ethiopia. We will talk about everything from the “International Year Of The Nurses and Midwife” to respect for midwives, care for the birthing transgender community, problematic substance use among registered midwives and domestic violence. Join us for a fascinating look at issues all OB nurses and midwives may encounter.
March 16: COVID-16: In light of current rapidly changing and deteriorating events, I decided I needed to make an appeal and a message of hope to healthcare providers around the globe. If you don’t have time to listen to the podcast, I thought I would put my basic points here. It was in the first few minutes of the March 16th Episode: “Increasing Suicide Rates for Returning Vets AFTER Treatment”
COVID-19 is officially a Pandemic. I’m starting on a serious note because This is an international nursing program listened to by 110,000 healthcare providers in 70+ countries. Never has the knowledge, skills, innovation, compassion and optimism of nurses been needed on such a scale. Many people are in panic. What stops panic? A sense of CONTROL. I want all providers listening to this show to think deeply about what you—personally—can SAFELY do now. If you are currently working in your field, DO that to the best of your ability! If you are not currently working: Students, providers seeking jobs, retired, on leave, etc. If you are also healthy, could you possibly help in some way? The Main thing is to DO NO HARM!:
• Find out the COVID-19 emergency number for your area, state, province, country.
o Ask THEM if there is something they could use your help for
o Contact your local hospitals and ask the same thing
• Contact your friends and neighbors:
o Who is OK?
o Who needs help?
o Is it something you can do? Who could help?
• No phone numbers/emails?
o Are you healthy? Can you check in neighborhood?
o Apartments? DON’T go in, use intercoms
o Homes? DON’T go in
▪ Give emergency numbers, Official information sites, CDC
▪ Buddy phone number?
▪ Current, accurate information (Don’t guess)
▪ Encourage staying busy, laugh, get to know family more, deepen relationships.
▪ Do all the things they’ve been wishing they had time for
• Mental Health suggestions:
o Spread positivity:
▪ Nature Walks
▪ Games
▪ Smile/Laughter
▪ Sincere conversations
▪ Tell people you LOVE that you do
▪ Ask what others are doing with their time
▪ Use your imagination!
o Remember that feeling nervous and out of control in a crisis is NORMAL
▪ What are coping mechanisms you have used in the past
▪ Remember that you have been successful in dealing with all kinds of stress and crises in your life. You can DO this too
▪ Do NOT go to drugs or alcohol. Try not to OVER listen to news.
• Talk to a good friend
• Journal
• Make music, since dance
• Read encouraging books.
• Maintain the FIVE:
Do the five:
1HANDS Wash them often
2ELBOW Cough into it
3FACE Don't touch it
4FEET Stay more than 3ft apart
5FEEL sick? Stay home
General public health information
March 16: “Increasing Suicide Rates for Returning Vets AFTER Treatment”: This episode is one that I have been waiting a long time to air. My guests, Angela Peacock, MSW, former US Army Sergeant, and Dr. Mary Feeten, Board Certified Clinical Psychologist and navy commander, are in high demand and took a while to find a workable day. This show is especially important to me. As someone who has experienced clinical depression and suicidal thoughts, I know what was helpful to me. Walks in nature, comforting and respectful conversations with friends, relatives and trusted MH providers, therapy that helped me address the foundational factors causing my Depression/and OFTEN grief and, YES, sometimes medication. When I visit friends and relatives in Mental Health Facilities, I am finding BEAUTIFUL surroundings… and what FEELS to me like the old movies of MAD houses. People wandering in circles, sitting and rocking, crying out or in a FOG not able to carry on a conversation. ALL apparently deeply medicated. Certainly, these issues include NOT only the Military, but my guests today will talk about a COMPLETELY different way of dealing humanely and effectively with, particularly, Veterans returning with PTSD and other Mental Health diagnoses. I am very proud of this show and the powerful witnessing my guests did on behalf of military, police and firemen. Please listen deeply and take action if you can. https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/122482/covid-19-treatment-what-do-we-already-have