Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Replying to Anonymous.

I'm not losing it, really, I'm not! Just responding to a comment from a previous post.

Anonymous said...

I've heard the phrase, "you don't know what you don't know." ICU nurses know a lot... Can you give an example of the big jump in learning with anesthesia education?

As a critical care nurse, or nurse in general, I knew basics of pharmacology. Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside....and it improved contractility, lowered heart rate, ect. Now I know exactly what goes on inside the cells of the heart and WHY contractility is improved and why the heart rate is decreased. I felt I knew enough and practiced safely, but anesthesia education digs deeper into the physiology aspect of the how's and why's of the body. This new knowledge also lights up some bulbs and creates a few "a-ha" moments. It is mind boggling, truly is. It's a good brain scrambling, though. Believe me, it is!

Hope that helps clear things up....

Jennie

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