Wednesday, July 13, 2011

All Girl Power Wiped Prizes in Inaugural Google Science Fair

It all starts small. But for the three young girls who won the first ever Google Science Fair, it’s not at all small. Lauren Hodge, Naomi Shah, and Shree Bose all started making name in the world of medicine with a great wave of notable intellect. We have at hand another group of great minds that would proudly wear nursing scrubs and lab coats to make great discoveries in the future.


Lauren Hodge won with her study on the effects of different marinades based on levels of potentially harmful carcinogens in grilled chickens. Naomi Shah proved that asthma patients can become less dependent on medications by achieving an improved indoor air quality. Grand prize winner Shree Bose treaded a much complicated issue, in which she laid her discovery of how to improve ovarian cancer treatment for patients resistant to certain chemotherapy drugs.

Another thing that was amazing about the discoveries of Hodge, Shah and Bose was that they’ve all shown simple solutions to the health problems plaguing the society today. They’ve proved that ways as simple as changing the cooking habits and removing toxins from home can make a lot of difference. And as for Shree Bose’s discovery, it can actually make immense implications on how doctors and researchers deal with cancer.

Aside from the prestige they are enjoying now, all three received great prizes. “The winners took home prizes furnished by Google and our partners CERN, LEGO and National Geographic. Shree received a $50,000 scholarship, a trip to the Galápagos Islands with a National Geographic Explorer and aninternship at CERN. Naomi and Lauren each received $25,000 scholarships and internships at Google and LEGO. All three were awarded lifetime digital subscriptions to Scientific American.” – google blog

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Quiet Time is Elusive to Bullied Nurses

We surely treasure valuable times with our loved ones, but we also cherish those times that we have spent alone. As for nurses, though, besides charting and routine rounds, non-compliant patients, and bullies could also be making them busy even during their day off. Perhaps, even before sleeping, such issues suddenly pop in the mind and continuously linger there for several hours, disrupting your precious resting time.


“It came to me before that even on bath time, bullying scenes would start on me just like that. And it takes a lot of effort to really set the mind in a calm and quiet mood once more. In such a time, I would wish for a travel to the suburb and get my self some quiet time for meditation, enjoyment of the beautiful sceneries, maybe a plunge a soothing hot spring, or simply be able to relax with nature. But I cannot simply own a quite time.

Because a quiet time seems to be too elusive, I try not to chase or look for it at all. When something or someone makes me all too bothered, annoyed, or down, I try to turn that time into something more constructive and valuable by seeking for the light behind their dark auras. It gives me that relieving feeling that I know there is always a way around to any issue. It helps me develop patience and empathy better. And when I succeed in luring away literal noise and psychological echoes, I try to focus on every little and big thing that I think would improve my personality and career. They seldom work, though.”

What can you do?

Aside from reporting the incidents of bullying and trying to handle the bullies by yourself, seeking support of a trusted friend is also important. Although, most of the time, our old friends and loved ones are the ones who give the greatest support, it would be best to also get it from somebody who works with you. Immediately reaching their shoulders and hearing their kind words will do enormous relief.

Making a journal of the bullying incidents and how were you able to handle the situation without stooping down to their level can also make great difference. While you read through your notes, you could still find some effective and rational ways on how you can better deal bullying, how you can avoid bullying, and how you can defend yourself from bullies.

What hospitals can do?


Treat these bullies like burglars or even terrorists by setting up CCTV cameras. These would not just provide proofs to the claims of nurses who are being bullied and protect them from getting bullies, but prevent the bullies from becoming all too comfortable with what they do as well. I personally feel that it's an obligation of hospital administrations to not just provide quality health care for patients, but also safe and happy working environment for employees.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Eat Blueberries, Fight Weight Gain

If you badly want to get back in those 2XL nurse scrubs of yours, you probably have considered enrolling in a gym and a diet plan already. But because you can’t simply squeeze in your schedule the gym thing, you first try to make your diet as healthy as possible. Perhaps, you have listed the healthiest of all veggies and fruits, calculated the amount of calories that you should consume, and cherry picked meat and dairy products that would complete your nutrition needs.

Before you head to the grocery, though, here’s one discovery that will surely interest dieters. Blueberries may help fight obesity, a recent study finds. Shiwani Moghe, a researcher from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, found polyphenol levels may affect fat cell development among humans. The dose that would effect on people will still have to be figured out, though. But lab mice responded quite positively, and that’s promising enough.

Well, I guess you should’ve gone to the grocery already. You would have probably been able to wear your slim-fit nurse scrubs by the time the study confirms blueberries benefit on fighting obesity.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Wis. Doc Notes on Investigation

An article in the opinion section of Texas Insider by George Scaggs bashed teachers and doctors with disgust, questioning their honorable profession. It is just one of many reactions against the protesters rallying against a Republican-backed state bill that would eliminate collective bargaining rights for most state workers and doctor’s handling notes in that Wisconsin protest, most of which angry and profane.

Dressed in lab coats, alleged doctors handed out doc notes to protesters. The scene is pretty much like there’s a scrubs sale, free mens scrubs, womens scrubs and lab coats, actually. Physicians stood on a street corner, offering excuse notes to absentees, thousands of teachers who skipped work days to join the protest. They carry placards saying “I’m a doctor. Need Note?” And they hand these medical notes to whoever asks without any questions. And just like when there are mens scrubs and women’s scrub being given out many take advantage, so as teachers on doc notes that could save them.

The motive of the alleged doctors seemed legitimate when Lou Sanne, 59, practicing family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, one of the doctors who handed doctor notes, told AP that "Some people think it's a nod-and-a-wink thing but it's not. One of the biggest stresses in life is the threat of loss of income, loss of job, loss of health insurance. People have actually been getting ill from this, or they can't sleep." Obviously, though, those teachers weren’t sick, but marching to the Wisconsin Capitol.

What seemed to be a genuine move of extending help has put these doctors in much criticism, and with their act put under investigation. Wisconsin officials are conducting investigation on the matter as well as organizations with physicians allegedly involved in the issue, like the UW.