What is the Metaverse?

What is the Metaverse?

What is the Metaverse?

What is the Metaverse? The term “metaverse” is the latest buzzword to capture the tech industry’s imagination. Think of it as the internet brought to life in a virtual environment you can go inside by looking at a screen. It is a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities. It is a world where people can work, meet, or play. And these make use of virtual reality headsets, AG glasses, phone apps, and others.

The Facebook Update 

2021 –The parent company of the social network Facebook was renamed from “Facebook, Inc.” to “Meta Platforms”. Its chairman Mark Zuckerberg. Declared a company committed to developing a metaverse ecosystem.

 
Many augmented and virtual reality concepts are presented through the underlying technology. But it remains in or has yet to enter development. FB is currently investing 10 billion into the development of Meta. 
 
What is the thesis for the Metaverse based on Mr. Zuckerberg? To be the next frontier in social connection, the same way that social media connected people in 2004?

What will you be able to do in the Metaverse?

Things like going to a virtual concert, online trips, and buying and trying on digital clothing. The metaverse is also a game-changer for the work-from-home shift amid the pandemic. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call grid, employees could see them, with the Horizon Workrooms.
 
“A lot of the metaverse experience is going to be around being able to teleport from one experience to another,” Zuckerberg says. Video game companies also are taking a leading role. Epic Games, is the company behind the popular Fortnite video game. It has raised $1 billion from investors to help with its long-term plans for building the metaverse.

Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality 

The distinctions between VR and AR come down to the devices they need and the experience itself. AR uses a real-world setting while VR is completely virtual. VR requires a headset device, but AR is accessed with a smartphone. AR enhances both the virtual and real world. Meanwhile, VR only enhances a fictional reality.
 
A good example of Augmented Reality on our phones was Pokemon GO.  These new, evolving technologies produce endless opportunities for businesses and employment. By 2022, the AR and VR market is projected to grow to $209.2 billion.

Will this be another way to get more data from me? 

It seems clear that Facebook wants to carry its business model. And that is based on using personal data to sell targeted advertising, into the metaverse. “Ads are going to continue being an important part of the strategy across the social media parts of what we do, and it will be a meaningful part of the metaverse, too,” Zuckerberg said in the company’s most recent earnings call. Is there more potential abuse for disinformation?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

We are on the brink of a technological revolution that will alter the way we live, work and relate to one another:

  • The first was the industrial revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production.
  • Then the second one is using electric power to create mass production. 
  • The third used electronics and information technology to automate production. 
Now the Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring. It is characterized by a fusion of technologies. These technologies blur lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.
 
Billions of people connect by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, are unlimited.
 
Growth of the fourth industrial revolution is happening versus, linear growth as in the other revolution. These possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as:
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Robotics
  • The Internet of Things
  • Autonomous vehicles
  • 3-D printing, nanotechnology
  • Biotechnology
  • Materials science
  • Energy storage
  • Quantum computing

Transhumanism

The Journal of International Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation released an article titled “Transhumanism: the big fraud-towards digital slavery.” 

Transhumanism is promoted according to the World Transhumanist Association as a philosophy that advocates for the use of technology to overcome our biological limitations and transform the human condition [1].

The transhumanists state that adding technological implants and inserting DNA into human beings will improve their condition. Man would leave biological evolution and would begin an expansion based on technology, and the post-human species would be born. 

Essence of Transhumanism

The essence of Transhumanism is applying the so-called four emerging technologies that include:

  • Nanotechnology
  • Biotechnology 
  • Information technologies
  • Knowledge sciences in the human being (NBIC)

The transhumanists consider the body a deficient and obsolete object like “scrap” or “excess luggage.” It is to be replaced with a “better container.” The transhumanists hide two subjects:

  • Use of technological implants as a weapon against the citizen
  • And the method they are developing their dangerous projects, which are suspected to be illicit human experiments in the world.

Technological implants like brain nanobots might cause losing mind control and thus, the carriers can be controlled by others and lose their autonomy. They can be spied on permanently with the cerebral internet and can lose their privacy their memory can be deleted and can lose their identity. 

Thus, the humans who carry technological implants can be permanently spied on, and mentally controlled and they lose their identity. They can become human slaves at the service of transnational companies and economic powers.

Transhumanism Objective

The goal analysis reveals that transhumanism is only an intellectual swindle that leads to digital fascism. It is a society where the rich elites govern citizens with technological implants. They believe these people will be the digital slaves at the service of oligarchy.
 
The transhumanist symbol is the cyborg. It represents the man whose body abandons nature. For transhumanism, nature is an adversary. The goal is to have your body “as little carbon as possible”. It will be indifferent to the laws that rule the carbon as the transhumanist promotion summarizes it in Latin America:
 
“We are going to reinvent our biological constitutions and introduce silicon, steel, and microchips within us.” The transhumanist cyborgization according to its promoters will allow:
 
“Eliminating the death, improving the senses, having an infallible memory, increasing the intellectual capacity, having a greater physical performance and controlling the emotional responses.” 

A Different Aspect

Another aspect of transhumanism is the transformation produced by the technological implants in the body. It will make their sexuality unrecognizable. The transhuman will be an asexual being. The main icon of transhumanism in the media is Ray Kurzweil.

He worked on the Army Science Board in 2006. Kurzweil was always known as “the successor and legitimate heir of Thomas Edison” and was also cited by Forbes magazine as “the supreme thinking machine.”

In 1999, President Bill Clinton, at a ceremony in the White House, gave him the National Medal of technology. Transhumanism uses a series of advertising cliches, being the main ones: “innovation”, “evolution”, “excellence,” and “digital citizen,” and different advertising campaigns in which the most promoted intellectuals and businessmen like Elon Musk.

Larry Page and Nobel Prizes like Mario Vargas Llosa, who promote human robotization, participate. Most amazing is that despite the unrealistic and almost delirious affirmations of transhumanists. Their theories are advanced and supported at the highest official level globally and are promoted daily by the press. And most remarkable is that they do not have more opposition from scientists or intellectuals who even spread their unrealistic postulates.

Thus, prestigious institutions like the United Nations, US and European universities, and governments adopt transhumanism as a part of their government plan. In Latin America, one of the prominent companies suspected of developing transhumanism is the Peruvian health insurance company ESSALUD. Based on evidence from recent investigations.

When It All Begun

Transhumanist experimentation would have begun in 2009. It was during the administration of US President Barack Obama. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton coordinated organized crime with President Alan García Pérez and this, in turn, with the President of ESSALUD Fernando Barrios Ipenza. 

Barrios developed it secretly with the research units of Peruvian hospitals. He also involved the National Health Institute, the Peruvian state institution that gives the official certification for biomedical research in Peru, and the APRA, the party that governed Peru in that period. 

The research units of Latin American hospitals would be camouflaging the development of their million-dollar transhumanist projects. It also involved swindling patients, such as the research unit at the Sabogal Hospital. It is where neuroscience research projects funded by Bill Gates are developed. It aims to camouflage experiments on transhumanists of mental control and cerebral internet in this hospital.

The Alberto Sabogal Hospital is located near the only military base of the US Armed Forces in Latin America, the brain net: violating the privacy of university students [2].

Want to know more about Transhumanism? Check out the full Episode 78 here 👇

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
1:58 Episode Introduction
4:15 Facebook is Now Meta
6:11 What will you be able to do in Metaverse?
15:17 Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality
17:00 Will this be another way to get more data from me?
21:15 The First to Third International Revolution
25:10 The Fourth International Revolution

EP 141: 4 Problems in Nursing

EP 141: 4 Problems in Nursing

EP 141: 4 Problems in Nursing

Problems in nursing have been there since the beginning, but not a lot has been changed or resolved.

Nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession, with over 4 million registered nurses nationwide. Yet it feels like nurses have no voice, no say in what goes on in healthcare.

The struggles nurses face seem to be a nationwide occurrence.

Nurses are plagued with the same revolving problems nationwide. Management in nursing seems to be driven by politics.

The idea of healthcare is centered around patient care. It looks more like hospitals are centered around money.

Top 4 Issues in Nursing We Are Facing

Slowly nursing and healthcare are becoming more of a business. Patient ratios, nurse retention and recruitment, burnout, and patient satisfaction are the current nationwide issues that nurse managers are facing.

Here are some of the problems in nursing we face:

Patient ratios are among the problems in nursing

Currently, California is leading with the best and most complete nursing union. The whole state is union-based, meaning that every hospital in the state is required to have a nursing union.

Some people are anti-union, and it is understandable why but as nurses who have worked in both union and non-union hospitals, we see some major differences.  The main difference is patient ratios.

California has the best nurse-to-patient ratios because its nursing union sets strict guidelines on how many patients a nurse has.

It also states that based on a certain level of acuity, a patient might need closer monitoring. These guidelines are clear-cut and strictly adhered to. 

When there are good patient ratios, this increases nurse satisfaction. It is hard to understand that nurse managers don’t seem to address this issue.

If you were to ask nurses what would make their job less stressful and empowering, they would all say better staffing ratios. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it is a common problem in nursing.

With appropriate nurse ratios, care would be more personal to the patient and patient-centered.

Let’s face the facts, nurses are overworked, and the amount of tasks they have to do decreases the nurse-patient experience.

This means nurses have less time to get to know the patient, and the concept of holistic care fades because we only have time to treat the body, leaving out the mind and the soul. 

Nurse Retention and Recruitment

Another problem in nursing that we face is nurse retention and recruitment. Retention and recruitment are something managers struggle with all the time.

Especially during a pandemic with increased demand for nurses finding and keeping them is tough. If your hospital was already short prior to the pandemic, it is most likely in an even worse state.

Trying to keep a nurse is always a struggle because there is endless opportunity for the nurse.

They don’t have to be tied down long-term to one area because almost every staff position has openings, meaning nurses can almost come and go as they please. 

The struggle with nurse retention is related to job satisfaction. Nurses don’t just leave because they feel like it. There is a reason for them wanting to work somewhere else.

Job satisfaction seems to be the biggest motivator for a change in employment. This means that nurses are unhappy. It can be due to many things, such as unit politics, working conditions, stress, workload, and pay.

There shouldn’t be a surprise that nurses are leaving a unit to pursue travel jobs. They pay more, allow you to travel, and explore different units.

If you can’t pay your nurses fairly, don’t expect them to pass up opportunities. 

Tough on Managers

Recruitment is also tough on managers. Finding nurses to hire in your unit is a mission in itself. New grad nurses are easier to hire but usually more expensive and use up more resources upfront because they are fresh out of school and need a lot of training.

New nurses are an investment. Nurses from other positions need to be sold on the new job because they don’t want to leave their current job and get stuck with a worse one.

Higher pay and a better working environment are the best way to maintain nurse retention and increase recruitment.

It may seem impossible to provide those, but as we’ve seen during the pandemic, there is money for nurses in healthcare.

Burnout is one of the most common problems in nursing

Another problem in nursing that plagues nurse managers is the burnout of their nurses. Being burnt out leads to less productivity and a weaker work environment.

There are two culprits to nurse burnout, one is related to the work environment, and the second is related to overtime,

Stressful work environment

Nurses get burnt out because of poor work environments. This means an environment where the nurse is overworked mentally or physically.

Unit politics plays a big part in this because no one wants to work at a job where there is constant negativity.

Nurses talk about other nurses, day shift vs. night shift mentality, and a lack of teamwork deafly to a unit. It is important to foster cohesiveness in the unit to promote a better work experience.

A lot of this also has to do with ratios and proper staffing. It is hard to be happy in a career where the expectation is to always do more because there is a lack of support. 

Too much overtime

Some nurses work a ton of overtime. For whatever reason, a lot of nurses pick up too much overtime.

This leads straight into burnout because, many times, the reason why nurses pick up is to help their coworkers due to staffing issues.

It’s great to help out your peers, but there comes the point where you start to forget to help yourself. You lose touch with yourself and your emotions, get stuck in a fog, and slowly fade from your true self.

You start feeling tired every day, and in a slump you cannot get out of; that’s how burnout feels.

Nurses also pick up overtime for financial benefit because they can earn more. This can be due to college debt that many nurses suffer through.

Making more money is always good, but money isn’t always the root of happiness.

Many nurses that pick up overtime to make more money don’t even enjoy that money because they don’t even put aside the time to spend it on themselves and take care of themselves.

It’s just more numbers in the bank. And it’s a growing problem in nursing that we all face. 

Patient Satisfaction

We hear about patient satisfaction scores during our huddles and monthly meetings. Are we hitting the quota for the month?

The medical industry puts continuous emphasis and patient satisfaction and positive care experience.  Nurses have proven essential for driving patient satisfaction.

It’s ironic because if you’d like to increase patient experience, we would need more time to deliver holistic care, which does not happen in our current healthcare system.

Making time for patients, listening, and having empathy take time; our time is only so finite in work. Nurses are currently busy charting on the cash registers instead of giving empathy to patients. 

Topics covered in HCAHPS Survey:

  • Nurse Communication
  • Doctor Communication 
  • Responsiveness of Hospital Staff 
  • Pain Management
  • Communication About Medicines 
  • Discharge Information 
  • Cleanliness of Hospital Environment
  • The Quietness of the Hospital Environment

What are these nursing issues we face? How can we solve the problems in nursing? Watch the full episode here 👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
0:49 Sponsor Ads
2:34 Episode Introduction
2:58 Issues in Nursing We are Facing
6:48 Patient Ratios
11:17 Nurse Retention and Recruitment
20:00 Burnout
20:24 Stressful Work Environment
23:16 Too Much Overtime
27:24 Patient Satisfaction
28:02 Topics covered in HCAHPS Survey

6 Qualities of a Good Nursing Student

6 Qualities of a Good Nursing Student

6 Qualities of a Good Nursing Student

To become a successful nurse in the real world, the qualities of a good nursing student must begin early. These qualities must be second nature to you as well as these can help determine your success in your career as a nurse. So what are these qualities? Read on for more. 

 

Must-have Nursing Student Qualities

 

1. Must be Goal-Oriented

As a nursing student, you must have goals in mind and drive to meet those goals. Successful nursing students must set goals for themselves.

Your goals could be anything; it could be your desire to find a career in the nursing world that suits your skills or simply wanting to make a positive impact in the lives of your patients.

As a nursing student, you must understand that setting goals will determine how you reach them. 

2. Must be Organized

During your time in nursing school, you will face all kinds of activities and things to do. Managing time is a must-have skill for nursing students.

Being able to manage time is a must-have skill for any nursing student. This way, burnout is avoided, and you have time to relax and study. Keeping a handy planner with you will help you organize the activities on your end and stay in tune with the load of schoolwork. 

3. Must Have a Caring Nature

As a nursing student, you must be someone who is caring by nature. You did decide to become a nurse, so it is a given that you have a caring and empathetic personality.

Being compassionate and sensitive are two crucial requirements nursing students need when caring for people dealing with medical issues. You should know how to comfort others, especially when you are dealing with upset or scared patients.

This quality will also help you handle patients’ families and make it easier for you to lead a long-term career in the future. 

4. Must be Emotionally Stable

Living the nursing student life is stressful. You will be facing challenges every day, not to mention the exams, hospital duties, and many others.

That said, nursing students must be able to handle their emotions when under extreme stress.

Keep in mind that you will also deal with patients who are coping with fatal conditions. Being emotionally stable can get you through all that [1].

5. Must be Able to Communicate Well

Your communication skills matter even if you are only a nursing student [2]. As a nurse, you will talk to many people, and communication is key to successful patient care.

Effective communication makes it possible to give proper care and help patients get back on their feet again. 

6. Must be familiar with the Nursing Code of Ethics

As a nursing student, you must have a good understanding of the nursing code of ethics. You have to respect the dignity of the patient and must be honest at all times.

It is also your duty as a nurse to improve the conditions of the healthcare environment so all patients receive the best care possible. And so, while you are still in nursing school, it is crucial that you understand the nursing code of ethics for you to provide proper care for all of your patients in the future.

Owning this quality is just important as having the others. 

To complete your nursing degree, you must possess the qualities of a good nursing student. Owning these characteristics will make nursing student life more manageable, help you choose the nursing specialty you like, and turn you into an excellent professional nurse in the future!

Looking for more student resources? Check out these helpful links!

Importance of Sunlight and How Light Affects the Eyes

Importance of Sunlight and How Light Affects the Eyes

Importance of Sunlight and the Negative Effects of Artificial Light

The importance of sunlight plays a crucial part in human health and well-being. Among the benefits associated with sunlight are Vitamin D production, promoting sleep, and bone formation. It also helps with depression and anxiety.
 
Artificial light is something that has become a growing concern. Light from our phones, lamps, and TVs also has an impact on us. Some research has been showing blue light in particular has a harmful effect on the eyes and brain.

 

Benefits and Importance of Sunlight

There are many benefits of sunlight that your body can use. The main ones are vitamin D production which promotes sleep, helps with bone formation, and treats anxiety, and depression.

We can all say getting your skin hit by the sun is a simple pleasure we’ve all experienced. It’s interesting to note that almost all animals on this planet need sunlight. 

Vitamin D production

Vitamin D is a little different than the rest of the fat-soluble vitamins. Unlike the other four vitamins, Vitamin D is actually produced in the body. It is also available in small amounts in egg yolks and fish. But for it to be useful, it is first converted by the body. Sunlight’s ultraviolet B energy converts the precursor to Vitamin D3 in the body [1]

How the body converts vitamin D precursor to useable vitamin D:

  • Sun gives off UVB radiation that hits the skin and converts cutaneous 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3.
  • It is converted in the liver and kidneys to vitamin D3.
  • The type of vitamin D3 that is able to be used by the body is 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3. 

Fun fact: Vitamin D is one of the oldest hormones. It was the earliest life form for over 750 million years. Plants and animals that are often exposed to sunlight have the capacity to produce vitamin D.

It is why this is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton from birth until death. The major function of vitamin D is to maintain calcium homeostasis [2]. 

It accomplishes this by increasing the efficiency of the intestine to absorb dietary calcium. 1,25(OH)2D receptors (VDR) are present not only in the intestine and bone.

However, it is also found in a wide variety of other tissues, including the brain, heart, stomach, pancreas, activated T and B lymphocytes, skin, gonads, etc. 1,25(OH)2D is one of the most potent substances to inhibit the proliferation of both normal and hyperproliferative cells and induce them to mature.

Sleep Promotion

Once light enters the eye, it is then sensed by a particular group of cells on the retina. It is then carried to the brain and interpreted as information about the time of the day.
 
The brain will then send signals throughout the body. This is to control organs and systems according to that time of day.
 
Natural sunlight affects your circadian rhythm. Sunlight regulates the circadian rhythm. It helps the body know when to decrease or increase melatonin levels.
 
During the day, daylight lessens your melatonin. At night when there is no sunlight, melatonin is higher. It also prepares your body for sleep. It is also why you feel tired once the sun goes down.
 

Bone formation

Another importance of sunlight is bone formation. Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium. Calcium is necessary for building strong, healthy bones.

Without these, bones cannot form in childhood. It can also lose mass, becomes weak, and break during adulthood. Even if you get enough calcium in your diet, your body will not absorb that calcium if you don’t get enough vitamin D:

  • Osteoclast: large multinucleated cell responsible for the dissolution and absorption of bone.
    • Take calcium out of the bone and release it into the bloodstream.
    • If there is not enough calcium in the blood, there will be a problem with:
      • Nerve function
      • Muscle contraction
      • Blood clotting
      • Cardiac function
  • Osteoblasts: large cells responsible for the synthesis and mineralization of bone during both initial bone formation and later bone remodeling.

One study looked at the importance of sunlight in the production of Vitamin D on bone, muscle, and cartilage health.

The study looked at all the receptors that are associated with vitamin D and the connection to certain vitamin D-deficient diseases. It concluded

“Understanding the relative contributions of direct and indirect actions of vitamin D on bone is complex. The cells in bone and cartilage contributing to skeletal formation and maintenance have both VDR and CYP27B1 and respond directly to both circulating 25OHD and 1,25(OH)2D (circulating and endogenously produced).”

Dietary Calcium and Phosphate

However, these cells are also responsive to blood levels of calcium and phosphate, elements required for bone formation.

Dietary calcium and phosphate can, to some extent, compensate for deficient vitamin D signaling, and vitamin D can compensate to some extent for deficiencies in calcium and phosphate. But all are involved.

Defining the optimal level of vitamin D to maintain bone health remains under debate. But achieving a level of 25OHD around 30 ng/mL is both safe and effective. Additional research will be necessary to determine whether this is the optimal level” [3].

The second study said, Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone essential for calcium absorption and bone mineralization, which is positively associated with bone mineral density [BMD].

It is well-established that prolonged and severe vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.” [4].

Anxiety and Depression

The importance of sunlight and darkness triggers the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused.

When sunlight enters your eyes, it stimulates the parts of your retina that then cue your brain to produce serotonin. Serotonin appears to play a role in regulating mood, emotions, appetite, and digestion.

The body uses serotonin to send messages between nerve cells, but it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, which means that the brain has to produce any serotonin it needs to use [5].

Scientists don’t know exactly what causes depression, but one theory is that it’s due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters, like serotonin, in the body. 

Evidence Supports a Causal Role for Vitamin D Status in COVID-19 Outcomes

Analyzed global daily reports of fatalities and recoveries from 239 locations from 22nd Jan 2020 to 9th April 2020. This is a previous study we mentioned from Cup of News EP 10.

We present historical evidence that vitamin D supplementation prevented past respiratory virus pandemics. There is a discussion on how molecular mechanisms of vitamin D action can prevent respiratory viral infections and protect against ARDS.

In the study, they highlight vitamin D’s direct effect on the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS), which in concert with additional effects, can modify host responses, thus preventing a cytokine storm and SARS-CoV-2-induced pathological changes.

Unfortunately, about 42% of the US population is vitamin D deficient, with some populations having even higher levels of deficiency, including premenopausal women, those with poor nutrition habits, people over age 65, and Caucasians who avoid even minimal sun exposure, and those who take prescription medication long term.

*Note that screening for Vitamin D deficiency is not part of the standard protocol in the US

Study on Sunlight

The present study examined the influence of simulated sunlight and relative humidity on the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols generated from viruses suspended in either simulated saliva or a culture medium at 20°C (68F).

Simulated sunlight rapidly inactivated the virus in aerosols in either suspension matrix, with half-lives of less than 6 minutes, and 90% of the virus inactivated in less than 20 minutes for all simulated sunlight levels tested. 

Harmful effects of artificial light

Our bodies are evolved to the rhythms of the natural light-dark cycle day and night. The spread of artificial lighting means most people never experience truly dark nights anymore, which can cause problems with sleep patterns as humans’ circadian rhythm regulates core functions such as sleeping or waking up on an internal clock that depends upon darkness for validating information received through our eyes—such us noticing whether it’s daytime by judging how much brighter things appear than during “nighttime”.

Research suggests that artificial light at night can negatively affect human health, increasing risks for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, breast cancer, and more.

Exposure to blue light at night is particularly harmful. Unfortunately, most LEDs used for outdoor lighting — as well as computer screens, TVs, and other electronic displays — create abundant blue light.

Blue Light

Nighttime exposure to blue light is particularly harmful [6]. LEDs used for outdoor lighting, computer screens, and TVs all emit a lot of that troublesome color which makes it hard for your body’s sight receptors to adjust accordingly- this causes insomnia as well as issues with hormonal regulation!

Maintaining an indoor ambiance during daylight hours can help you get better sleep at night time by giving those tired eyes something else other than bright displays or harsh florescent lights nearby so they don’t have any choice but close themselves off from the world due to lack of fatigue.

Experts think digital eye strain, or computer vision syndrome, affects about 50% of computer users. Symptoms include dry, irritated eyes and blurred vision.

Blue light may also damage your retinas. That’s called phototoxicity. The amount of damage depends on the wavelength and exposure time.

Animal studies show even short exposure (a few minutes to several hours) may be harmful. A filter that cuts 94% of blue light has been shown to lessen the damage.

There’s evidence blue light could lead to permanent vision changes. Almost all blue light passes straight through to the back of your retina. Some research has shown blue light may increase the risk of macular degeneration, a disease of the retina.

Research shows blue light exposure may lead to age-related macular degeneration or AMD. One study found blue light triggered the release of toxic molecules in photoreceptor cells. This causes damage that may lead to AMD.

Blue Light and Sleep

Screen time, especially at night, is linked to poor sleep. The blue light from electronic devices messes with your circadian rhythm or sleep cycle. It signals your brain to wake up when it should be winding down.

In one study, as little as 2 hours of exposure to blue light at night slowed or stopped the release of the sleep hormone melatonin [7]. Powering down your digital devices at least 3 hours before bedtime can help.

Blue Light and Cancer

Blue light exposure might raise your risk for certain cancers. One study found that people who work the night shift are at greater risk for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

  • Study participants subjected to higher levels of blue light (lights on during sleep cycles) had a 1.5 times higher risk for developing breast cancer and a two-fold higher risk of developing prostate cancer compared to people who had less exposure to artificial light, the study researchers say [8].

Blue Light and Mental Health

Nighttime exposure to blue light was linked to depressive symptoms in animal studies [9]. But exposure to blue light during the day may have the opposite effect.

It’s been used to treat seasonal affective disorder or SAD. That’s a form of depression related to the changing of the seasons. Research shows 20 minutes of blue light exposure in the morning helps ease SAD symptoms. 

  • One study found that blue light deprivation (BLD) induced depression-like behavior in gerbils. Melatonin lost its rhythm, and corticosterone (CORT) levels decreased in the morning in the BLD group [10]

Learn more about the importance of sunlight by watching the full Episode 77 here 👇

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Cup of Nurses Introduction
2:22 Episode Introduction
7:32 Benefits of Sunlight
7:59 Vitamin D Production
13:20 Sleep Promotion
13:45 Bone Formation
19:20 Anxiety and Depression
​​22:16 Evidence Supports a Causal Role for Vitamin D Status in COVID-19 Outcomes
26:55 Harmful Effects of Artificial Light
27:50 Blue Light
35:00 Blue Light and Mental Health

 

Becoming a Travel Nurse: Get to Know Your Dream Job

Becoming a Travel Nurse: Get to Know Your Dream Job

Becoming a Travel Nurse: Get to Know Your Dream Job

Imagine yourself as a nurse, traveling to places and doing what you love. Sound like a dream come true, right? But what if I told you that you could do all of these and more? Becoming a travel nurse is the answer to your question.

And anyone with a license to practice nursing can be one. So what does it take to become a travel nurse? And what is a travel nurse anyway? Here’s what you need to know. 

 

What is a Travel Nurse? 

A travel nurse is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree holder (BSN) and registered nurse (RN) with a clinical background that works in a temporary nursing role. Since they do a lot of traveling, these nurses get hired by independent companies or agencies rather than a single facility [1]. 

Those who are not RNs but completed a diploma program like Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) can also qualify to become a travel nurse.

Generally, travel nurses are registered nurses, but LPN and ADN nurses can work in this field, too, depending on the agency that hired them and the staffing needs. 

A typical job for travel nurses can last as long as 26 weeks or a minimum of 8-13 weeks. These may vary depending on where they are going for work or how long their contract is.

Once a travel nurse signs a contract, it is considered a legal document. If you are unsure if you would like to stay in an area with long-term contracts, look for companies that offer short-term jobs if you plan to travel more often. 

Besides being an RN, you must also have certificates in Basic Life Support and Advance Life Support to qualify as a travel nurse. Although this is not a general requirement, having these certificates could help you land the position. 

To be a travel nurse, you must have at least one or two years of clinical work experience in specialty areas like:

  • Neonatal
  • Intensive Care Unit
  • Medical-Surgical
  • Pediatrics
  • Trauma
  • Emergency Room
  • Operating Room
  • Telemetry

Generally, your clinical experience will determine the position you will be qualified for as a travel nurse. Just make sure that you have enough experience to meet the requirements of agencies. 

You can also apply for a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) [2]. The NLC is a valid license that allows nurses like you to work in compact states. It means you can work as a travel nurse in states where NLC is valid.

So besides being a registered nurse in your state, the NLC gives you the freedom to work in other states as well. Think of it as a multilicense that you can use while traveling for work. 

The only downside of NLC is that it does not cover all states in America. The Council of States Board in Nursing keeps track of the places where you can use NLC because not all states are under NLC.

Be sure to check the licensing requirements of the state you wish to work in the future.

 

Qualities of a Travel Nurse

Besides earning a degree in nursing and a license, you must also possess these qualities that qualify you for the job. You must have the following:

  • Loves traveling – of course, your job description speaks for itself. You must enjoy going to places and living temporarily in different states or countries. Since your contract requires you to be in various areas for weeks, bear in mind that you will always be on the go. If traveling isn’t your thing, then this is not the job for you.
  • Loves learning new things – as a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to work with different people, be exposed to various facilities, practices, and technologies. And if you are planning to work abroad, exposure to different cultures and their health practices is a bonus too!
  • Enjoys the flexibility of work – as I have mentioned, travel nurses don’t work permanently in one place. You can choose where to work, at what hours, and schedule. You can even pick an agency that pays well.
  • Enjoys the freedom of working in a different setting – travel nurses have the advantage of choosing where to work and how long their employment lasts. Those who love to combine work and leisure will enjoy working as travel nurses. 

The love for traveling, plus these qualities, make you an excellent candidate to become a travel nurse.

 

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Travel Nurse?

There’s an attraction to the job when you say, “I’m a travel nurse,” and don’t get me wrong, it is an excellent choice. But before you decide to become one, know what the roles and responsibilities of a travel nurse are first. 

The role of a travel nurse is the same as nurses in a hospital setting. Among the most common duties you will perform includes: 

  • Administering medications and fluids, vaccines, and blood tests
  • Assessing patients and writing reports
  • Traveling to locations, visiting families, and addressing patient concerns
  • Preparing meals for patients, monitoring patient’s progress and overall well-being
  • Working with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to develop care plans for patients
  • Ensures all equipment and medical supplies are organized and sterile at all times
  • Teaching patients and their families about overall wellness and disease prevention
  • Research, health teaching, and patient education

The only difference with travel nurses is that they don’t stay in areas for a long time. They will take on a temporary assignment and will travel again to a different location for work. Therefore, they will also take on different roles depending on the work setup. 

 

How much does a travel nurse earn?

It’s a known fact that nurses are one of the highest-paid professions in the world. But is your income as a travel nurse the same as nurses who work in one facility? 

According to nurse.org, travel nurses can earn as much as $100k per year. It means that a travel nurse gets paid as much as $50 per hour, depending on the agreement they had with their agency.

Not only that, but they also get to stay in company-paid housing accommodation and receive bonuses. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average income of nurses in 2020 is $38.47 per hour. However, since travel nurses move around often, their average pay varies too.

If you wish to earn more, working abroad does offer better salaries to travel nurses. However, the licensing requirements may vary as well.  We recommend that you do your research first if this is the job that you want to do in the future. 

Travel nurses who want to work abroad have the opportunity to choose the country they would like to work. European countries like Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands are among the countries that pay the highest to travel nurses. 

Expanding your clinical experience as a nurse also helps you get better pay as a travel nurse. Nurses currently working in specialty areas (e.g., OR, ER), who have advanced training and certification, and are more likely to earn better pay in this kind of job.

We do recommend that you keep your skills and training updated to qualify better as a travel nurse. 

 

Travel Nurses and the Covid-19 Pandemic

As the pandemic continues, more and more nurses are needed to help people. Healthcare facilities and agencies are working together to waive the state licensure requirements so more nurses can work in states where Covid-19 hit the most.

If you meet the requirements needed, it’s best to contact a travel nurse recruiter to help you get going. 

 

Is Travel Nursing for You?

Being a travel nurse sounds like an ideal job and is an attractive position for younger, eager, and new nurses. While this is indeed a good opportunity, things are also to consider before embarking on the journey ahead. 

As a travel nurse, you will be in a different setting all the time. You will meet new faces each time you work in a new facility. And because you are working in various facilities, you will be exposed to new health practices each time. 

There’s no sense of permanence when you are a travel nurse. Once your contract ends, you will be off to a new location again. But, if these things don’t bother you at all, being a travel nurse is the perfect job opportunity. 

 

Evaluate Yourself First

Before you take a leap and accept this job, know your priorities first. Know your strengths and weaknesses as a nurse. If the thought of traveling wears you out already, this isn’t for you.

For nurses with families, homes to maintain, or even pets to consider, make sure to weigh the pros and cons of being a travel nurse first. 

A travel nurse is a rewarding profession, not because it pays well. You get to help people and travel. What better job is there?

Of course, there are always risks when traveling, but it’s all part of the job; it’s what you’ve signed up for in the first place. Just think of the sites, people, and experiences you can gather and learn from – these are all worth it!

 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!