Synthesis Post

by: Puxuan zhang, Nickolas Androvett, Rachel Harvey, Tyler Frasher

When going into the medical field, it should be known that there will undoubtedly be interaction with others in order to successfully complete the job. In order to provide a service and allow for that service to be fulfilled to the highest standard, communication is going to be needed. Communication proves to be successful whether it be with interacting with patients, reporting new research information, or even interacting with others in your field. This is a skill that needs to be developed and learned in order to apply to whatever medical field you go through.

As discussed throughout this blog, four majors are at the forefront. They are nursing, nutritional science, kinesiology, and veterinary medicine. These majors open you up to many different potential job outlooks. Each job has a different job description as well as even a different salary. This is something to consider when choosing what to do with your major and finding the right job for you. No matter what specific job or field that you are in throughout the medical field, communication with others will be of utmost importance.

Nutritional science

The basis of nutritional science is to provide the proper nutritional guidance for humans. Whether that be through direct contact or through something indirectly as creating food with correct and healthy guidelines. With the knowledge of nutritional science you are able to provide critical information needed in order for others to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This will ultimately require you to come in contact with and communicate with patients, companies, and work alongside other nutritional scientists.

Nursing

With the job of nursing, it can seem quite obvious that communication is very important. The entire basis of nursing is to be in contact with others providing care for them. Communication skills is very vital in order to provide the best care possible. Not only will nurses have to communicate with patients, they will also have to have superior skills to communicate with doctors. They will need to be able to understand all medical terms in order to relay the needed care. Nurses will also need to be able to communicate with other nurses as this for sure is not a one person job.

Samples of future career of each major:

Nutritional Science	Nursing	Veterinary Medicine	Kinesiology
Public health nutrition: Congregate meals program Nutritionists working in public health earn a median salary of $52,000	Aids care nurse: AIDS care nurses care for patients suffering from all different stages of HIV and AIDS. The average salary of AIDS care nurse is $63,000	Companion Animal Veterinarians treat pets and generally work in private clinics and hospitals. The average salary is $124,000	Physical Therapist: Helps patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility. The average salary of a physical therapist is $84,020.
Food and Nutrition Management: Jobs like work in hospitals, long-term care; Work with chef or at spas Registered Dietitian Nutritionists working in food and nutrition management earn a median salary of $67,995	Ambulatory Care Nurse: An ambulatory care nurse is a nursing professional that treats patients that seek routine medical care for acute and chronic illnesses as well as injuries, usually outside of a hospital setting. The average salary for Ambulatory care nurse is $71,111	Food animal Veterinarians: work with farm animals such as pigs, cattle, and sheep, which are raised to be food sources. The average salary is $98,000	Athletic Trainer: highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.The average salary for an athletic trainer is $44,670.
Education and Research: Work in college, university and health professional school. Advanced degrees are usually required for research-based and university-based jobs. Earned a median salary of $65,000	Charge Nurse: These nurses are often supervisors in specific areas of a healthcare facility. They are often in charge of specific shifts, and they might also be referred to as shift supervisors. The average salary of charge nurse is usually with a range between $76,254-$91,257	Food safety and Inspection Veterinarians:  inspect and test livestock and animal products for major animal diseases, provide vaccines to treat animals, enhance animal welfare, conduct research to improve animal health, and enforce government food safety regulations The salary ranges from about $130,000 - $140,000	Speech Therapist: the study and treatment of speech and language problems.The average salary of a speech therapist is $73,410.

Kinesiology

With kinesiology being the study of the human body, this knowledge will have to go to use on improving human health. For example, if  you obtain an occupation in physical therapy, then you will be working directly with patients who need treatment. Communication is key in order to give out useful information and perform your job properly. You will also need the skill of communication if you were to ever need to report new findings and connect with others in your profession. Communication is always key in today’s world and in the medicine field it is the most important task at hand. If there is no communication then they won’t be able to tell what the patient needs. Also if there was no communication then they would not be able to tell what needs to go into the medicine or what type of medicine they need. Each field under Kinesiology must include communication. If you don't strive in the communication skill you will not succeed in this major. Therefore, communication is not only a major factor in kinesiology but it also requires special talent and dedication to strive in this field.

Veterinary Medicine

While it may seem like that with veterinary medicine that you are taking care of animals and will have no human interaction, this is most definitely not the case. As animals cannot communicate themselves, you must be their voice. You most definitely have to come in contact with the animal’s owners to give out important information needed for their health. Even if you go into the research aspect of the job, you will still need to communicate with other veterinarians as well as have a way to publish and display your new findings.

While it may not always seem as obvious it is important to know that communication is key in order to perform many jobs in the medical field. It is key to work on your communication skills whether it be verbal or even written. It is all needed in order to be successful and be the best in your chosen profession.

Sources:

"Nutritional+scientist - Google Search." Nutritional+scientist - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web.

10 Apr. 2017.

"Veterinary+medicine+communication - Google Search."Veterinary+medicine+communication -

Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

"Kinesiology+communication - Google Search." Kinesiology+communication - Google Search.

N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

"Nursing - Google Search." Nursing - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

“career opportunities with a nutritional science degree” pennstate, college of health and human department, http://nutrition.hhd.psu.edu/undergraduate/careers.

“Online Nursing Careers Directory”  http://everynurse.org/nursing-careers/

“Nurse journay” http://nursejournal.org/ambulatory-care-nursing/ambulatory-care-nurse-careers-salary-outlook/

“Veterinarians Career, Salary and Education Information”

https://collegegrad.com/careers/veterinarians

https://upshealthcare.com/great-careers-in-the-medical-field/

Nurses vs. Doctors

by: Tyler Frasher

Obviously both nurses and doctors are important to the medical industry, however, one provides opinions and diagnosis while the other offers aid and physical treatment. Basically, they are complementary to each other in order to run a smooth, successful medical facility.

Each profession has multiple fields in which the main occupation can be differentiated into. For nurses, some of these positions include licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, administrative nurses, head nurses and advanced practice nurses. For doctors, they include positions such as  primary care doctors, dentists, surgeons, and specialists of a variety of departments in healthcare.

Doctors are limited to their specialized field whereas nurses are able to work across several wards or units depending on their job descriptions. In order to fully asses the roots of a problem, a doctor needs to be specialized where as the work of a nurse is different. Nurses' work is more task or patient oriented.

The education required between the two occupations are clearly different. Doctors need to read a lot, therefore, taking a longer time to acquire new and accurate knowledge and skills whereas nurses rely more on experience with some study to provide the best treatment possible. That being said, this does not mean that the education behind nursing is much more simple than that of being a doctor. In fact, nurses can go as far as a Doctorate degree in nursing.

One of the largest differences is the wage. Nurses have one of the most diverse salary ranges because of the many different levels within the profession. The average salary ranges from $39,000 for staff nurses to $57000 for RNs while a nurse anesthetist can make up to $157,000 yearly. The pay for doctors is much higher. These range from $160,000 for general doctors to $240,000 for physicians and specialized doctors.

Sources:
http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/articles/general/the_differences_between_a_nurse_and_a_doctor/

What Is Nursing and What Does a Nurse Do?

by: Tyler Frasher

Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations (American Nurse Association).

Within the field of nursing, there are many different branches with different responsibilities for each:

Registered nurses are responsible for performing physical exams and health histories, administering medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions, interpreting patient information and making critical decisions about needed actions, and coordinating care, in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals.
    
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) is an umbrella term given to a registered nurse who has at least a Master’s education and clinical practice requirements beyond the basic nursing education. There are a few different types that fall under this umbrella such as a Nurse Practitioner who provides a wide range of primary and preventive health care services, prescribes medication, and diagnoses and treats common minor illnesses and injuries, a Certified Nurse Midwife which provides gynecological and low-risk obstetrical care in hospitals and homes, a Clinical Nurse Specialist who handles a wide range of physical and mental health problems and also works in consultation, research, education, and administration, and a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist who administers the anesthetics given to patients.

Licensed Practical Nurses complement the healthcare team by providing basic and routine care consistent with their education under the direction of an RN, APRN, or MD/DO in a variety of settings.


Sources:
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing/Tools-You-Need/RNsAPNs.html

Alzheimer's: Four New Discoveries of 2016

by: Tyler Frasher

1. Aducanumab

Aducanumab is an antibody that has shown promise in attacking the amyloid plaques. These plaques form between the nerve cells of those who are affected by the disease. A double-blind, four-year trial was conducted on patients with moderate disease indicators where they were infused with the antibody. This infusion showed marked improvement in the symptoms of the disease.

2. Indicative Gene Signatures
Younger people with a particular gene signature can show a risk for Alzheimer’s early in life according to a group of researchers. This signature makes the brain more susceptible to the proteins that form in the condition that cause the damaging plaque buildup.

3. Fast Tracking BACE Inhibitors

AZD3293, a drug, has also shown promise in treating mild to moderate cases of the condition. This is done so by reducing the amount of amyloid buildup around the neurons. However, this drug has been fast-tracked and is nowhere near ready for use as a successful treatment.

4. Intensive Research
A group of researchers at Sutter Neuroscience Institute have been working with five methods to combat the disease as opposed to just one. The use of the intravenous immunoglobulin antibodies, the effects of vitamin D on memory, and the ethnic implications of Alzheimer’s are all under investigation as methods to combat the disease.


Sources:
http://dailynurse.com/four-new-alzheimers-discoveries-2016/

Wage Gaps based on Gender

by: Tyler Frasher

According to a UCSF led study, on average, male registered nurses make more than $5000 more than females amongst most settings, specialty areas, and positions. The research also showed that this earnings gap has not improved throughout the past three decades.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 has narrowed the male-female salary gap in many occupations. However, it is still present in nursing which happens to be the largest healthcare occupation. In fact, approximately 2.5 million women are affected by this wage gap. Researchers used data from the last six quadrennial National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) from 1988-2008. The American Community Survey was also used to provide data to support the claim. It also helped establish that gender-based unadjusted salary differences were not limited to just the national sample.
Both surveys showed that the unadjusted salaries of males were greater than that of the females by an average of $10,000 and their adjusted salaries were on average $5,148 more.

This salary gap affects most specialties and positions. Orthopedics is the only specialty that is unaffected, however, the gap is $7,678 for ambulatory care, $3,873 for hospital settings, $3,792 for chronic care and $6,034 for cardiology. This difference in wages is also dependent upon the position held. The difference ranges from $3,956 for middle management to $17,290 for nurse anesthetists. Ulrike Muench, the lead author, says that over the course of a 30-year career, female RN's will have earned about $155,000 less than male RNs using the adjusted earnings gap and $300,000 less using the unadjusted gap.


Sources:
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2015/03/124266/male-registered-nurses-make-thousands-more-salary-female-counterparts

Prompt #5- Kin Fraternity

By: Nick Androvett


Phi Epsilon Kappa is a national professional fraternity serving men and women in the fields of physical education, health, recreation, dance, human performance, exercise science, sports medicine, and sports management. This is the kinesiology fraternity on campus. They help members reach their goals of what jobs they are looking at and help them interact with people within their field. This fraternity not only helps their members but they also go for fostering scientific research, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges of information, service to the profession, publication of periodicals for the membership and general public, recognition of outstanding work, and fostering a spirit of loyalty and fraternity and bonds of fellowship and mutual assistance.
   
The community service work they put in helps not only our own community here in East Lansing but also helps out other towns around us. The fraternity consists of multiple members who are looking to partake in some sort of kinesiology major after they leave college. This helps them connect with other members who also have the same interests. I have multiple friends who have joined this fraternity and all have said it has helped them connect with people who are giving them great advice for their future. One of my friends who is a members explains that "Not only does this fraternity connect us all as brothers but it also open up ideas and opens doors for us to not only have conversations with people who have similar interests as us, but it also helps open up doors for possible future jobs that other people wouldn't be able to get"(Bryce Gimmarro). As shown in this quote not only does this organization/Fraternity give back to the community but it also helps it's members by opening up doors for new opportunities. The way they represent themselves to the public is as a helpful fraternity and a giving back fraternity. Therefore, by interviewing my friend who is in the fraternity it has made me realize that this fraternity is a very helpful and professional in the way it handles its stuff.

 https://msu.edu/~peacor/

Sports Medicine in our Generation

By: Nick Androvett

The concept sports medicine originated in the 1920s, making it a relatively new division of the health care sector. The focus is on caring for physical fitness and injuries relating to sports and exercise. The medical professionals provide treatments for musculoskeletal issues. Professionals in the sports medicine field include medical doctors, physical therapists, physical therapists’ assistants, athletic trainers, and massage therapists. The objective of the treatments is to bring the patient back to one’s usual activities and in their best health. Sports medicine services include biomechanics, conditioning, injury prevention, injury management, and rehabilitation.

Contrary to popular belief, sports medicine is not restricted to athletes exclusively. The division encompasses the treatment of all injuries that result from physical activity. Non-athletic injuries could result from overuse, collision, exertion, or over-extension of the muscles surrounding the joints. Sports medicine integrates the expertise of doctors, therapist, surgeons, and homeopathic experts to personalize a treatment strategy for the individual, instead of using a generalized approach. Therefore, sports medicine is useful for preserving athletic careers, returning patients to ideal health, and for injury prevention.

http://www.msuspartans.com/genrel/082415aaa.html