Nursing in Barrow

I began training on Monday morning regarding counseling and treatment of STI’s (sexually transmitted diseases) when a phone call came from the jail relaying that an inmate wanted to be tested, believing that he might have chlamydia or gonorrhea.  In reviewing his health summary, I could see that he was overdue for Tdap and flu immunizations, so packed them in the cooler to bring along with doses of Ceftriaxone, Lidocaine and Azithromycin.  The Ceftriaxone is a powerful antibiotic that can be painful when received, so is diluted with Lidocaine before injecting.  The Azithromycin is given in pill form.  It is effective against chlamydia and together with the Ceftriaxone and Lidocaine, is effective against gonorrhea.  The thought of anyone making choices that leads to incarceration always saddens me.  After being admitted to the jail, Liliana, the CNA who is the lead in testing for STI’s, and I were led to a common area and could see several inmates behind thick glass, most likely c

I haven’t written on the blog recently, feeling a deep sense of being overwhelmed with all there is to learn, retain and do in the public health nursing role.  Many nights have found me still at work beyond 7 pm, even several recently until 9:30 and 10:00 pm, attempting to be caught up with the day’s work and documentation while also preparing for the well child class held in Juneau last week.  I have fallen asleep or not = ) most nights with well child checks, TB follow-ups, eligibility for State supplied vaccines, pertussis investigations and all that I’m learning about STI treatment and investigations vividly running through my mind.  I long for a clear mind and deep sleep.  Maybe it will come tonight after journaling/blogging again. One can sign up to participate in a study about the effect of cold on one's hands (first photo).  Shortly after arriving in Barrow, my hands became cracked, dry and very painful because of the extremely dry climate here.  Being a nurse, I also w