by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 23, 2023 | Podcast
How AI will affect nursing and Healthcare
Have you wondered how far can AI go? Or how useful can AI bots like ChatGPT be? Chatgbt has been on the rise, it surpassed 1 million users within 5 days of launch setting the record for quickest user growth. It surpassed online services like Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, Spotify, and Twitter it blew them out of the water as Instagram took second place with 2.5 months.
Currently, ChatGPT has over 100 million users and about 1 billion visits a day with 15% of its users being Americans. This isn’t just a national occurrence, but a global phenomenon. It’s only a matter of time before ChatGPT and other AI systems will start to have a big impact on healthcare.
If you haven’t tried out ChatGPT I highly recommend you try it. ChatGPT is a Google search engine on steroids where you can ask the AI any question. You can have it write you a Haiku, proofread your paper, have a conversation, or even just look something up.
ChatGPT and Healthcare
What impact can this have on healthcare? Have you ever used doctor google? Chatbots have been shown they can generally answer medical questions and can generally pass medical exams most of the time. But people feel put of by putting their trust in software. One of the world’s most popular doctors with a random success rate. The redness on your skin can be either an irritation or straight-up cancer, doctor google is easy and convenient but most of the time it just doesn’t give you what you’re looking for when it comes to getting a quick idea of what your medical issue is.
- Every minute 70,000 inquiries get answered by dr google
- 89% of people google their symptoms before asking their doctor
- Google gets about 1 billion health questions a day
- 40% of people use Google instead of a doctor
Often when you go see your doctor or go to the ED you get asked to explain what exactly happened and how you feel. What the medical professionals are trying to do is to get as much information as possible to make as best prediction about what is going on. The more you put in the search bar the better the results are going to be.
Why ChatGPT is going to surpass Google
We live in a high pace society we thrive on speed. Whatever gets us what we want the quickest wins 99% of the time, we don’t like to wait. Let’s take a look at the history of the search.
- Before the telephone, if you wanted to find something out you’d have to look through an encyclopedia or newspaper, or have to know someone.
- Once telephones became more common you were able to call specialists or people that may be able to answer your question from home.
- We went from having to go to places to being able to ask from home.
- Then came cellphones and internet search, meaning you can call anyone whenever and physically search the web for answers.
- Now we have cellular internet and search engines meaning you can look up anything, anytime, and anywhere.
ChatGPT takes search to a whole new level. Instead of having to look through multiple Google recommendations to find what you are looking for, you are presented with the answer in the same window. If you want more information all you have to do is ask more expanding questions. It uses fewer clicks as it searches for you and gives you the best answer. It is the fastest way to get an answer to your question.
Impact on nursing students
ChatGPT can be used as a resource for nursing students. It can answer questions, multiple choice, and regular responses. Multiple choice works better as there are options to choose from whereas asking general questions gives you multiple options and their rationale. Take it with a grain of salt because it does answer some basic questions wrong. It would be a better idea to use it more for rationale and explanations.
ChatGPT’s Impact on Healthcare
Why do most people not like going to the doctor? The 2 main reasons are fear and embarrassment. People just do not like talking about their personal medical/health life.
- The fear associated with the doctor’s office, hospitals, or medical procedures is one of the reasons people don’t go to the doctor. They may be reluctant to seek medical care or even routine procedures. They also fear that they might get hit with “bad news”.
- Embarrassment is another reason people do not like to visit their doctor. People do not like to get asked direct questions about their bowel habits, sexual activity, or lifestyles. Some feel embarrassed about the physical and other exams. Some people have a history of trauma and it is hard for them to feel vulnerable.
Fear and embarrassment are hard things to conquer. That is exactly why people would rather google what they are going through instead of seeking help from a doctor.
There was a john hopkins study that compared the chatGPT medical responses to that of doctors. The results were very interesting. The questions that were asked were “Will the toothpick I swallowed kill me? How big a deal is the lump I got on my head after running into a metal bar?”
- 80% of the participants preferred the ChatGPS response over the doctors. The responses were accurate and of higher quality.
- They viewed ChatGPT as more empathetic and had a longer explanation.
AI and diagnostics
AI algorithms are currently being used to help lead diagnosis and treatment. AI algorithms can analyze medical images like xrays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs and help identify and diagnose diseases more accurately and quickly.
You have an algorithm and software that can almost instantaneously compare what is going on in an image to all the different possibilities. Instead of having to rely on multiple physicians, using AI speeds up the process. You have all the ideas to cross reference to what is seen in the image compared to a handful of brains in the room. Something to consider is the accuracy of these AI systems. Remember people have off days, they miss certain thinkings, fatigue is a factor, and all other flaws that make us human. These are computing machines. They are more consistent than humans.
There is a downfall of it “looking outside the box” but for standard diagnoses that are easier to spot AI can be very helpful. Even when it comes to more rare types of issues the Power of AI can help with the results
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Cl5IAd65NAI
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 22, 2023 | Podcast
Benefits of Sauna and Cold Showers
There has been a phenomenal amount of research that came out over the last few years on the benefits of saunas and cold showers. Most of the benefits come from the physiological changes and adaptations that occur but there are more than physiological positives. There are many hidden mental benefits that most people don’t take into consideration. Besides physically feeling better there are many psychological benefits to the sauna and cold showers.
Hidden Benefits of the Sauna
Most people know about the basic benefits of the sauna such as the ones that come from sweating. Sweating opens up your pours and rids the body of certain toxins. Did you know that beyond sweating the sauna extends your workout, increases stress tolerance, and makes you more open-minded?
Extends your workout
- Sauna keeps your workout going by continuing that vasodilation. Our body dilates with heat and constricts with cold, by going to the sauna you’re prolonging the increase of blood going into your muscles and tissues.
- If you had a cardio day, the sauna maintains a higher heart rate and you can get a little bit more squeeze out of your workout. If you’re someone that’s 5ft 8in 165lbs you can lose around 100 calories just by sitting in the sauna for 20/30 min more if you hop in right after a workout. Doesnt sound like a lot but it’s more than you’ll lose if you just go home.
Increases stress tolerance
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- This is the ability to take on pressure without feeling negative or letting it consume you.
- The sauna builds stress tolerance because you are putting yourself in an uncomfortable place. It’s hot, you’re sweating, and you want to get out of there. By forcing yourself to be there all while your brain and mind are telling you that you can just simply step out and be more comfortable.
- You forcing yourself to stay in the uncomfortable translates to life outside of the sauna. It makes doing the uncomfortable things a little easier because you are subconsciously showing that you can get through tough challenges by focusing on what you want to do and not so much on your body.
Makes you more open-minded
- I’ve had some of the best conversations in the sauna. There’s something about suffering and suffering in a group makes people more open. I noticed that some of the most intellectual or groundbreaking conversations I’ve had were in the sauna. Everyone is miserable and that allows some people to put their guard down.
- By having a conversation with people of all races, backgrounds, and ages it gives you a broader perspective of the world. People have been through different circumstances and offer a lot of knowledge on how they got out or how they felt. Some people have been in the exact same situation as you but in turn, did all the right things and some did the exact opposite.
Cold Showers
I’ve been doing cold showers on and off for the last 5 years. I used to do ice baths regularly when I lived in San Diego and had access to them, but overall I have been doing cold showers for a long time and can speak to its effects.
The research behind cold showers
Do cold showers really do anything? At the surface taking a cold shower might seem like it would have some benefits because you are going from warm temperatures to cold temperatures but remember that the average shower doesn’t take a long time. So the question is do cold showers have any benefit when taken for the average time and at what temperature?
We know the colder the better and the longer the better.
Most research studies use temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius which is about 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Illinois shower water. Overall studies show that ice baths are superior to a cold showers but that doesn’t mean cold showers don’t have any benefits.
Basic Physiologic Affects
When the body comes into contact with cold water, the initial cold sensation stimulates the skin’s surface vessels, causing them to narrow and redirect blood flow to preserve heat.
- The brain and vital organs receive a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood.
- Unlike warm receptors, cold receptors are abundant on the skin surface, ranging from 3 to 30 times more numerous. This abundance explains why the body feels invigorated by the sudden contact with cold water, as it promotes vasoconstriction and applies pressure to these receptors, resulting in heightened brain activity.
Physical benefits
Cold exposure offers numerous benefits for human health, encompassing both physical and psychological aspects. Regarding physical well-being, cold exposure can potentially aid in body
Fat reduction:
- Cold temperatures stimulate increased energy expenditure and metabolism. Additionally, exposure to cold prompts the activation of brown adipose tissue (brown fat), which utilizes stored body fat as fuel. Consequently, cold exposure holds promise as a means to facilitate body fat loss.
- Nonetheless, further research is necessary to establish conclusive evidence. Realistically you won’t lose fat from cold showers this was seen to be more effective with ice baths and really cold temperatures. A shower won’t stress your body enough for you to start using your fat as fuel.
Improved cardiovascular health.
- Initially, cold exposure raises heart rate and blood pressure, leading to enhanced circulation. Blood is redirected from the skin towards vital organs, necessitating increased effort from the heart to pump blood effectively to these organs.
- Regular brief cold exposure over time can enhance heart efficiency and improve blood flow. Enhanced circulation yields various health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved cognitive function, and enhanced metabolism.
Immune system:
- Contrary to common misconceptions (e.g., the belief that exposure to cold weather causes illness). Brief cold exposure actually increases the number of white blood cells and natural killer cells in the body, effectively bolstering the immune system.
- However, it is crucial to note that brief cold exposure is beneficial, whereas prolonged cold showers or extended periods in cold weather may not yield the same effects and could even be detrimental.
Alleviate pain and reduce inflammation:
- The reduced blood flow during cold exposure helps minimize swelling and other inflammation-related factors.
- Additionally, the release of endorphins during cold exposure activates opiate receptors in the brain, diminishing sensations of pain. This aligns with the common practice of using ice packs or cold therapies to alleviate inflammation, injuries, or pain in specific body areas. Similarly, cold showers can reduce systemic inflammation, soreness, and overall pain, making them an efficient and potent pain-relieving strategy.
Cold shower as an analgesic
One interesting theory about cold showers and cold therapy, in general, is its potential to act as an analgesic. There is a basis for how cold showers and cold therapy can improve mental function. There are 2 interesting theories, cold showers and therapy as a battle against depression and psychosis.
- Cold showers and psychosis
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- With respect to cold stress, an adapted cold shower could work as a mild form of electroshock applied bilaterally to the sensory cortex, and cold showers appear to have an anti-depressive rather than a sedative effect. Since electroshock therapy is known to have beneficial effects on psychotic symptoms of patients with schizophrenia, it is possible that adapted cold showers might have a similar antipsychotic effect. In addition, cold hydrotherapy is known to cause analgesia, suggesting that it may act through the mechanism of stress-induced analgesia involving the mesolimbic pathway and thus could have the effect of “crowding out” psychosis in that region of the brain similar.
- This idea is referred to as hormesis, our body’s response to a low amount of stress or toxin which causes a beneficial response. Over time the threshold increases and the effect of the toxic or stressor is decreased.
- Cold showers and depression
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- Exposure to cold temperatures leads to greater blood flow toward the brain, resulting in the simultaneous increase of endorphin production. These endorphins activate opiate receptors, which can contribute to an improved mood.
- Additionally, cold exposure enhances the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain and potentially raises dopamine levels. The combined effect of increased blood flow, endorphins, dopamine, and enhanced electrical activity can have potent anti-depressive effects. Notably, the boosted electrical activity resembles the mechanism employed in electroconvulsive therapy for depression, but without the associated potential side effects.
- Therefore, incorporating cold showers into one’s routine can serve as a simple approach to alleviate depression or low moods, while acknowledging that depression encompasses more severe symptoms beyond a mere transient low or bad mood.
Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8eOkLijbl4
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 9, 2023 | Podcast
The Current State of Travel Nursing
Amidst the widespread infection, healthcare providers such as hospitals, private practices, and clinics faced significant challenges in acquiring essential resources beyond just personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks. The surge in demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals during this time led to an increased necessity for travel nurses. This unprecedented demand further resulted in remarkably high salaries for travel nurses.
Travel Nurse Salary Temporary increase
According to data from Vivian Health, travel nursing salaries reached nearly $3,500 per week by December 2020. However, the peak occurred approximately a year later, with rates soaring to nearly $4,000 per week. Between January 2020 and December 2021, the average pay for travel nurses experienced remarkable growth of over 99%. From December 2022 onwards, travel nursing salaries began to stabilize at approximately $3,100 per week.
Where did the increase in nurse pay come from?
The higher pay for nurses didn’t come out of nowhere. It didn’t magically occur out of thin air. Keep in mind that most hospitals are for-profit so they like to keep their labor costs low and maximize their revenue. Most hospitals wouldn’t have raised their pay nearly as much is they weren’t getting funding from somewhere.
- Federal funding: one-way hospitals had money was through the Allocation of Provider Relief Fund.
- The fund gave $178 Billion dollars to hospitals and medical facilities.
- PPP Loans: Federal Government loans that didn’t need to be paid back.
- Hospitals received about $68 Billion from the initial PPP loans and then another $29 Billion for the second distribution.
- Extra State funding: Besides Federal money being given to healthcare facilities States also increased their budgets and gave hospitals more funding.
- Illinois: The overall healthcare budget for Illinois was increased by about $250 Million for hospitals
- Safety Net Hospitals (24): Funding increased $81.4 million
- Critical Access Hospitals (51): Funding increased $14 million
- High Medicaid Hospitals (30): Funding increased $86 million
- General Acute Hospitals (69): Funding increased $62.1 million
- Psych Hospital (10): Funding increased $2.4 million
- Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (6): Funding increased $1.2 million
- Rehab Hospitals (4): Funding increased $2.3 million
- https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.21790.html
Decrease in Travel Nurse Pay
There has been an overall decrease in travel nursing pay and even an overall decrease in travel nursing contracts. What is driving this change and what is pushing the cost for nurses down?
- Less Government funding
- The main factor for the decrease in travel nurse pay is a decrease in government money. Hospitals aren’t going to hire more nurses if they don’t need to even though the employees do. That’s exactly why there are no nationwide ratios.
- In 2023 according to Macrotrends hospitals are having some of the lowest profit margins since 2016 but are overall up from 2022.
- https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/HCSG/healthcare-services/net-profit-margin
- Are there fewer jobs?
- According to government projections (US Bureau of Labor and Statistics), an estimated annual increase of over 203,000 registered nurse positions is expected to be generated between the years 2021 and 2031.
- According to Indeed, states like California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania each have over 150,000 – 320,000 new RN positions opening each year.
- There are 290,000 Registered positions posted on Indeed. According to Vivian, there are 83,000 travel nurse positions available.
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-many-jobs-are-available-for-registered-nurse
- There are no fewer jobs. People are always getting sick. Go to your local Walmart and you can see all the comorbidities. Nurses are needed everywhere.
- Seasonal changes
- Always keep in mind that nursing has multiple specialties and each specialty peaks at different parts of the year. For example in the warmer months as the season changes pediatrics gets hit harder because children start to get respiratory issues and the OR trends up because people tend to get more surgeries in the warmer months.
- During the winter months, there is a peak in older people getting sick so specialties like ED and ICU tend to get busier.
- Staff incentives
- There has also been an increase in incentives for staff nurses. Incentives such as higher sign-on bonuses if you stay an X amount of years. There are also nits that offer pick-up bonuses of a couple of hundred dollars extra per shift.
Overall State of the Travel Nursing Market
This happens every year. I’ve been travel nursing for the last 3 years and a year before the pandemic and this was always the talk of the summer. Travel nursing is always going to give you higher pay than your staff job done in the right way. Same way you can get screwed as a staff nurse you can get skewed as a traveler if you don’t do your homework. Travel nursing is not going anywhere prices are just stabilizing from the all-time highs seen in the last few years. There is also another trend rising which is PRN nursing.
If you want to learn more about travel nursing check out this link: https://cupofnurses.com/becoming-a-travel-nurse-get-to-know-your-dream-job/
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/uWS0r2d1Qsk
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 2, 2023 | Podcast
Is Healthcare Moving in the Right Direction?
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Raj Sundar. Raj Sundar is a full-spectrum family physician and community organizer. He hosts Healthcare for Humans, a podcast dedicated to educating others on how to care for culturally diverse communities so they can be better healers.
Questions and Topics
- Can you give us a little background about yourself?
- Why did you decide to start Healthcare for Humans?
- Why doesn’t healthcare translate over to culture?
- Often times we trim down treatment and approaches to patients into set protocols, once size fits all approach. When does that approach fail?
- It almost seems like the bigger the healthcare system, the less culturally sensitive it is.
- As a medical director, how can you help push healthcare in the right direction?
- What does a medical director do?
Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/7U5vRIopXMY
GUEST SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofnursespod/
- Cup of Nurses: https://fanlink.to/CONsite
- Cup of Nurses Store: https://fanlink.to/CONshop
- Free Travel Nursing Guide: https://fanlink.to/Travelnursingchecklist
- Nclex Guide: https://fanlink.to/NCLEXguide
- Interested in Travel Nursing? https://fanlink.to/TravelNurseNow
- Cup of Nurses FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupofnurses
- YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CUPOFNURSES
by Cup Of Nurses | May 26, 2023 | Podcast
Blood Transfusion and Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Carly Newton & Lori Harada, who are both registered nurses working as managers at Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies. Carly uses that experience to educate Health Care Professionals on the most effective ways to prescribe Red Blood Cell Exchange. Lori leads a team of 12 Specialists who train and support their customers on the company’s medical devices. Lori is also a leader in the industry with more than 35 years of apheresis experience. We discuss blood transfusions, donations, the blood shortage, and current technology.
Questions and Topics
- Can you give us a background about yourselves and how you got involved with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
- What is Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
- What do they do?
- What is the company goal?
- Does Terumo do any R&D? What are they currently working on?
- What is RBC and Plasma exchange?
- Where does the blood go?
- What is the full scope of components you can donate?
- What patients or illnesses do the blood and its components help with?
- What are some common misconceptions about donating blood, or where is the lack of education regarding donations or treatment?
- Why do you think medical sales and pharmaceutical sales get a bad rep?
- During the pandemic, how did things change for you?
- Was there a greater influx of donations?
- What do you enjoy doing on your off time?
Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/uWS0r2d1Qsk
GUEST SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.terumobct.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-newton-a98286144/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-harada-6221a815/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terumobct/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/terumobct
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofnursespod/
- Cup of Nurses: https://fanlink.to/CONsite
- Cup of Nurses Store: https://fanlink.to/CONshop
- Free Travel Nursing Guide: https://fanlink.to/Travelnursingchecklist
- Nclex Guide: https://fanlink.to/NCLEXguide
- Interested in Travel Nursing? https://fanlink.to/TravelNurseNow
- Cup of Nurses FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupofnurses
- YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CUPOFNURSES
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