By: Jovenia Salazar Lindsay, BSN, RN, MSN, MBA Introduction: Reflections on Mealtime Habits One evening, during a visit with a friend, she shared a candid reminder: her loving husband gently encouraged her to skip the sticky-sweet rice she had prepared as a precaution for her health and weight. I encouraged her to take his advice to heart—not out of judgment, but from personal experience.  Once weight gain spirals beyond a certain point, regaining control becomes a long and

Introduction As innovative therapies become increasingly complex and expensive, health systems face growing pressure to spend wisely. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) provides a structured way to answer a fundamental question: “Are we paying the right price for the health benefits this treatment delivers?” By comparing both costs and clinical outcomes, CEA helps governments, insurers, and hospital systems allocate limited healthcare resources more efficiently. The Logic Behi

Image of different textures based on the IDDSI standard via Blossom Foods Introduction My name is Sanjana, and I am currently a dietary aide at a local nursing home in my community. Before starting this job, I had no idea how drastically your diet can change as you get older. This experience has taught me about the different diets that residents require, and what I can do to ensure that every resident receives a meal that they can safely consume and enjoy. In this article,

When we think of hospice care, we often imagine gentle nurses and comforting hands helping patients through their final stages of life. Hospice is meant to be a place of peace and comfort, but for many patients, it becomes something else: a place of quiet loneliness . As the body slows down, the world around it seems to move faster. Family visits become less frequent, friends drift away, and even though the hallways are filled with the sounds of footsteps and machines, many h

Most people think of heartbreak as an emotional ache — something that hurts but eventually fades away. Yet for some, intense stress or grief can literally break the heart. Known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, or "broken heart syndrome," this rare condition causes the heart muscle to suddenly weaken after a shock, like losing a loved one or experiencing extreme fear. Though it often looks like a heart attack, the cause isn't a blocked artery but the body's own stress respo

a photo of colorful autumn leaves falling from a tree; photo courtesy of Unsplash The article The Choreography of Balance, part 1 explored the complex mechanisms which the body uses to maintain physical balance. This article, The Choreography of Balance, part 2 , will examine the incidence of falls in the U.S., risk factors for falls, ways to address risk factors and also explore fall prevention for everyone, regardless of age. Incidence of falls in the U.S. According to the

Time Makes the Difference How often do you find yourself overwhelmed by a school or work assignment that requires high levels of concentration and a fair amount of effort? Perhaps this only happens to you once in awhile, but some individuals experience this on a regular if not daily basis. Frequently experiencing overwhelm related to work or school can lead to many negative outcomes, including a lack of motivation, fatigue, decreased productivity, poor performance, impaired w

A lot has been said about artificial intelligence (AI) and pharmacovigilance (PV), but for seasoned professionals we should have seen this coming a long time ago. The traditional way PV activities have been conducted relied heavily on manual, resource‑intensive processes. Case processing involved receiving and validating adverse event reports, entering them into databases, and ensuring regulatory submissions were complete. Narrative writing required medical reviewers to craft

by David Cox RN BSN. nursedavidwrites.com I’m in the process of completing an excellent review on AI, AI for Work and Life, an eight-part webinar series put on by my alma mater, the University of North Florida. Each session is at least an hour long, and is led by one or more subject matter experts in different aspects of the use and, yes, misuse of this world-changing technology. We’re getting the latest and best understanding of who can or should use AI, what some of the man

Food is the primary source of nutrition. The type of food you eat can make or break your body. This is not about eating unhealthy food once in a while, but making a poor diet an everyday choice is harmful to your health. Daily consumption of unhealthy foods leads to inflammation within the body. Inflammation occurs when your body tries to fight off any perceived danger. Developing a fever in a case of the flu is inflammation; having an upset stomach or diarrhea after eating b

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) affect many of the everyday tasks we don't generally give much thought to, including using the restroom, comfortably holding urine, or completely emptying the bladder. As the name suggests, LUTS include a broad variety of urination-related issues, such as difficulties initiating the stream, frequent urination, leaking urine, waking up during the night to urinate, or feeling unable to completely empty the bladder. It is estimated that more t

Generally, when you visit your doctor for consultation, it is common to expect a brief discussion and check-up followed by a suggested treatment plan. Although this holds true, a physician with a good eye for detail can figure out internal illnesses just by looking at the visible signs in the body. Not all diseases are completely manifested internally; some conditions may manifest with external signs in the physical body that can come across as a telltale sign to your doctor.

What Does it Mean to Evaluate the Everyday Pros and Cons of Smartphone Use? Approximately 50.4% of teenagers ages 12-17 have four hours or more of screen time. Of that 50.4%, 27.1% were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety, and 25.9% were more likely to have symptoms of depression. For teenagers with less than four hours of screen time, the results show 12.3% and 9.5%, respectively. So, what does this data mean? Are all teenagers doomed for the future because of "doom scro

Introduction Plantar warts are noncancerous growths that develop on the bottoms of the feet. They are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), most commonly types 1, 2, 4, 10, 27, and 57. These warts are usually circular and flat and often have a rough, cauliflower-like surface. Small black dots may be seen on the wart—these represent tiny blood vessels. Plantar warts are common and typically not serious, though they may become painful if located on weight-bearing areas of t

If you peered into the brain of someone living with depression, what would you see?    In a depressive state, someone may feel hopeless or worthless. Daily tasks become burdensome, and thoughts of death may cloud their headspace. Depression is a serious mood disorder, and impacts 280 million people globally.   To unearth the mental cogs that keep depression turning, scientists have studied how the condition drives physical changes in the brain that disturb its normal function

Photo courtesy of Unsplash Is it time to give yourself a break from technology? Our lives are inundated with social media and screen time. From doom scrolling to binge-watching, it seems we are constantly glued to a screen. Have you been wondering if it’s time to put your screens down? Could you imagine what your life would be like if you weren’t buried in your phone, tablet or laptop? Is it time for a digital detox? Studies have shown that endless screen time is detrimental

Frozen shoulder is a condition characterized by shoulder pain and limited movement, often affecting women during perimenopause. The condition is linked to hormonal changes, particularly the decrease in estrogen, which plays a crucial role in musculoskeletal health. While frozen shoulder typically resolves within 3-4 years, treatments like physical therapy, pain medication, and surgery can help manage symptoms and improve mobility.

Have you ever had smallpox? It’s a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that killed an estimated 300 to 500 million people in the 20th century. If you were born in 1980 or later, you most likely haven’t had it. This is because, in 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox eradicated. But how? Population immunization is a public health strategy that protects communities from infectious diseases by using vaccines. The more people who are vaccinated, the

Antibiotics  Antibiotics are groups of powerful, lifesaving medications used to treat bacterial infections. It is important to note that they do not work against viral infections like colds or flu. Antibiotics work by either killing the bacteria or preventing the multiplication of bacteria.   Bacteria are tiny, single-celled living organisms. There are millions of different types of bacteria. Bacteria can be found in and on your body and are beneficial to you.  Other bacteria

Medications are delivered using various devices. Medications must sometimes be administered through an intravenous (IV) route. There are both peripheral and central IV routes. Differentiating between these IV routes and devices might seem confusing. However, there are mainly three common categories: peripheral IVs, peripherally inserted central catheters, and ports. PIVs Peripheral IVs (PIVs) are the most common and recognizable type of IV device. When a person is admitted to