Tag: 2024 Nurse Essay Contest
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Don’t stop me now: The positive effects of music in post-stroke rehabilitation
Silvia MasciTerni, Italy Stroke is a clinical syndrome characterized by sudden onset of neurological deficit that persists for more than 24 hours or leads to death. Based on etiology, a distinction is made between ischemic stroke (65–90%) and hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral hemorrhages 10–25%, subarachnoid hemorrhages 0.5–5%).1,2 According to 2019 World Stroke Organization (WSO) statistics, stroke…
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Witch trials: The intersection of midwifery and gendered persecution
Lara SheehanCork, Ireland Oppressionist behavior towards women was seen during the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, where the illogical execution of thousands of innocent women occurred.1 Midwives were among these executed women for the role they played in being with and caring for women. In the 16th and 17th centuries the subjugation…
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Alice Fisher: A Nightingale in Philadelphia
Karen EgenesCentennial, Colorado, United States In 1883, the board of the Guardians of the Poor, the administrators of the Philadelphia almshouse, faced a dilemma. The institution, founded in 1732 and often referred to as “Old Blockley,” was a combination of an almshouse for paupers, workhouse for vagrants, jail for criminals, asylum for the insane, and…
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Omugwo: A celebration of motherhood
Rita Oghenero OmueroChicago, Illinois, United States In the days leading up to her due date, I called my sister, Chioma.“Sister, how far?” I greeted her in our usual way.“I dey o!” she responded. I could hear the fatigue in her voice.“When did the doctor say the baby was coming?” I asked.“Some days, or a week…
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Fibromuscular dysplasia
Victoria TillerGlenview, Illinois, United States Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a disorder of the arteries, most often affecting the carotid, vertebral, and renal arteries. The interior arterial lining grows abnormally to create intermittent narrowing within the vessel, resulting in “arterial beading” or a “string of beads” on imaging studies. Historically, the condition has often been overlooked…
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Can a nurse ensure a legacy?
Karen EgenesCentennial, Colorado, United States The value of nurses is recognized most often during times of crisis, such as a pandemic or natural disaster. At other times, the work of nurses is unknown to the general public. Nurses who served in World War II describe their work in battle zones, then add the comment that…
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Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender: A transformational nurse leader
LaTonya JonesChicago, Illinois, United States One of the most coveted military awards is the Army Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB). It is awarded to soldiers who demonstrate excellent performance of common military tasks while simultaneously exhibiting an expert level of proficiency in applying basic medical care in the field.1 All branches of the military medical…
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Agatha Christie, nurse
Linda CarterCarpinteria, California, United States It is not well known that Agatha Christie (1890–1976), the most published author of all time,1 served as a Red Cross nurse volunteer in World War I. Beginning in 1914, she logged 3,400 hours of supportive care in a temporary hometown hospital. That same year, twenty-four-year-old Agatha Miller married first…