I was asked about this twice in the last week- As a nurse, do you see many procedures and types of treatments that question “ethics”- with elders? You know that whole quantity or quality? The thing is there is so much technology and advances in medications that we can keep a very sick heart going for a very long time. Is that to say that very same heart is effectively working without discomfort, compromising one’s lifestyle, hospitalizations and every day worries? No, not at all.
Researchers found that 16 percent of these patients reported refusing one or more medical or surgical …read more

How many of you out there have attended a heart rehabilitation physical therapy program post heart attack or catheterization? I know that each and every program is different although they offer a similar guidelines. I have personally experienced, while working as a cardiac nurse, some great, and I mean great, rehab programs. They were very involved and intense.
Each patient was hooked up to a heart monitor while they rode the bike, elliptical or walked the treadmill. Most patient’s participated in lifting low amounts of weight. And every single rehab patient took a mandatory diet and nutrition class taught by a …read more