Nursing in Barrow

Have you ever had one of those slippery slope sort of days when you get up earlier than usual to accomplish more, strip the bed with plans to wash the sheets when you arrive home from work, end up running late, forget to take your vitamins, lose one of your very favorite earrings, have an assignment at work just about wrapped up when a new dynamic, like another child with a suspected case of Pertussis and a large family to contact and do multiple documentations on, extends it to what feels like is going to be after Christmas?   Your immediate supervisor flies out for a family emergency, her supervisor has left for a month’s vacation, no one else has had experience with this sort of investigation meaning that you either guess about a procedure or call the Mayor-appointed department head who has a reputation for intimidating the strongest (I'm not saying that this is true...it's just what I've heard), stay an extra five hours working on said documentation, finally arrive ho...

I’m writing with quite a bit of detail in regards to nursing because an instructor from the University of Washington, Bothell, asked if she could share the link to the blog with some of their Community Health students.   I’m usually much, much briefer, aren’t I?  = ) These past three days have been very rewarding and interesting.   My initiation as a public health nurse is providing many opportunities to learn, this week very on-the-spot.   The State of Alaska Epidemiology Office in Anchorage faxed our office on Monday morning with lab results showing that a young boy who had been tested for Pertussis (whooping cough) by our nurse practitioner last week was positive.   Because one of our public health nurses is on leave, another one was out sick, the visiting one had a full case load of appointments and the Coordinator was busy, I was asked to follow up with an investigation and do the necessary reporting and documentation.      I fou...

I’m keeping my eye out for a good cardboard box that might transform into a good sled.   I discovered this weekend that it’s cost effective to order things online from here with relatively low shipping costs, so placed orders for cod liver oil (mmm…just can’t get enough), flax energy bars, vitamin supplements, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.   With being able to order many things online and not having a vehicle, I’ll need a sled to put the boxes in, maybe strapping them on with bungee cords and pulling my load with a rope.   None of the boxes containing my things looks like very good candidates so far, but the Post Office assured me that another pallet had arrived late last week.   A sled will be in the making very soon.   Any ideas out there would be greatly appreciated.   I know I could break down and buy one, but I’m asking myself why I would need to do that when resources at hand probably abound?   Am still waiting for the two boxes Sandi sent and fo...

Alaska Day was a perfect day for resting, reflecting on my first week here and reconnecting via the internet…a long and lovely day.   On Friday morning, the temperature had dropped to 14 degrees, but it felt warmer walking to work than it had when it was 20 degrees with the strong winds blowing.   I’m loving the feel of the cold and usually it doesn’t penetrate the layers I’m wearing, only giving me rosy cheeks, illusive for me in Washington, a perpetual smile and a sense of adventure.   I find myself feeling like I did growing up…that snug and happy feeling, walking along drinking in the cold and dark, somehow made to feel festive by the street lights along the road.   I loved growing up in Fairbanks and it is the most wonderful feeling to be reliving many of the memories from that time.   I’m being told that we’re having an unusually warm fall so I imagine, as much as I’m enjoying being here, that I’ll love my breaks, leaving the cold for at least 10 days at...

I feel my best when I’ve had a lot of exercise, so am determined to walk to and from work for as long as possible. Because the temperature was 20 degrees and the wind was blowing steadily between 20 and 30 mph, I was mentally prepared for a more difficult than normal trek this morning and wore the heated vest Sandi sent. Fortunately, the winds were blowing my way and it was very fun watching the snow dancing in waves in front of me, apparently on their way to the Wellness Center too. The road along the beach was closed, so I took the road that is further inland and arrived at the Wellness Center in my normal 20 minutes. I was glad I had walked and felt ready to take on the day.   It began with a nursing meeting, going over many topics and then a more concentrated time talking about testing and follow up of Pertussis cases. There is a concern that many people aren’t going in for testing, so the disease is being passed to others. There may be an epidemic outbreak with in...

There is a second lab-confirmed case of Pertussis (whooping cough) in Barrow and it is suspected that there are more cases and danger of a break out.   Pertussis is a concern especially when diagnosed in infants and elderly who are at risk for complications and death if not treated soon enough.   This case concerned a young woman who was taken to the hospital last week with cold symptoms and uncontrolled coughing.   A nasal pharynx culture was taken and sent to a lab in Anchorage.   The Health Department, where I work, got a call on late Monday from the State Epidemiology Office in Anchorage saying that the lab result showed that it was an active case of Pertussis.   Because Pertussis is a contagious disease, the Health Department is charged with contacting the infected person, triaging for current symptoms, beginning a five day Z-pack treatment of azithromycin or confirming that they have begun treatment through their primary health provider.    ...

I’m feeling very healthy living here and am surprised because my diet is much less varied.   My standard daily fare is two tablespoons of cod liver oil, a few ounces of sprouted flax and chia seeds, a handful of pumpkin seeds and a glass of watered down orange juice for breakfast; a kale, lettuce, flax, chia, and hemp seed salad for lunch; ½ apple and 12 oz of carrot, apple, ginger juice in the afternoon; another salad and some salmon or a scrambled egg for dinner; 8 oz of carrot, apple, ginger juice before going to sleep and lots of hot and cold water and tea throughout the day.   I couldn’t have imagined life without a wide variety of fruit and vegetables before coming to Barrow, but am surviving nicely and am grateful to feel healthier.         My new apartment-mate, Joanne, is very good company.   She is nearing 70 and has been a public health nurse for many years.   We have our bathroom schedule and night time thermostat setting agree...

In re-reading my notes from the polar bear lecture put on by the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, there were several more things that I thought would be interesting to share:   ·          There are currently approximately 25,000 polar bears in the Arctic regions.   ·          They den beginning in April or November. ·          Their dens have between one and three chambers.   ·         Snow insulates, creating a temperature difference of approximately positive 30 degrees, so the dens are quite a bit warmer than the outside temperature.   This same characteristic of snow kept Eskimo people warm when they lived in igloos made of ice blocks.   ·         A survey of bear dens must be done every year before an ice road can be built between Nuiqsuk and Prudhoe Bay. ...

I just got in from shoveling the front ramp and steps.   It occurred to me that not keeping up with this might net a drift worthy of polar bear denning.   A public health nurse who used to work here in Barrow flies up from Fairbanks from time to time.   She’ll be staying with me here at the itinerant apartment for the next month, so I thought it would be good if she was able to find the door.   It’s 19 degrees out, but doesn’t feel cold at all.   The sky is beautiful with a small amount of the red sun glowing through the clouds in the distance. The morning found me walking in clean white snow down roads lined with colorful houses, feeling completely filled with awe at the otherwise stark landscape.   I could see from horizon to horizon, the sun not far above one and a contrasting dark sky above the other.   I found myself thinking that if everyone knew that they could feel and experience this here, they would be on the first plane up.   I ...

I went to sleep last night at 10:30 pm to the sound of strong winds blowing outside my window. I might not shovel again for a while; it just piles up in deeper drifts the next time I open the door. On second thought, I should continue shoveling. Like every night so far, the sounds of young people’s voices talking and laughing could be heard outside. I woke in the middle of the night remembering that I had managed to hand carry a plant with me all the way from Seattle. It was to be my little living companion in my new life in Barrow. It survived every step of the way including being pushed under the seat in front of me on the plane. I did have a contingency plan in case I wasn’t allowed to take it on the airplane. A woman who sold me a bottle of water at an airport shop at Sea Tac said, “nice plant…are you taking it with you?” She agreed that she’d love to take it home if the airlines turned it away at the gate but was genuinely happy for me when I walked back to tell her ...