Spring, The Season of Renewing and Rejuvenation!

Spring Essay Writing Contest response on Medium.com.

Springtime is here. I love the smell of flowers blooming, and the trees are beginning to show new buds and leaves. It’s a time for renewing and rejuvenation. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word renew as a transitive verb meaning to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection: to make new spiritually: REGENERATE: to restore to existence: REVIVE.

Nature isn’t the only thing springing into the renewal process, this is the time when we should be evaluating our relationships with others. Reflecting on hurtful relationships can be very painful however, it can also be the perfect way to express those hidden feelings. I’ve found that when I can’t speak to an individual, writing down my thoughts, in turn, aids my soul in breaking free from the pain.

One way I like to free my feelings is through journaling.

Why Should You Keep a Journal?

Using a daily journal is good for one’s mental health. Jeremy Sutton Ph.D. points out some great reasons to journal in his article titled; 5 Benefits of Journaling for Mental Health. Which includes reducing anxiety, encouraging awareness, regulating emotions, and decreasing blood pressure.

A research study performed by Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005, p. 339 Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005, p. 339 showed that by capturing our thoughts and feelings on paper, the “participants often reveal a considerable range and depth of emotional trauma”.

It was reported that a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits come from expressive writing. A few examples the study found were that writing down our thoughts:

* Lowers blood pressure

* Enhances a happier mood

* Reduces stress and anxiety

* Decreased loss wages

* Improved Psychological Well Being

These are just a few. I encourage you to read the articles to gain more insight into this topic.

The Journal I Recommend

One of my favorite tools to use is the Self-Care Journal just $13.95, this will take the user on a self-guided way to journal. It’s filled with guided prompts and simple activity logs for the night and daytime to assist you in a 90-day journey of self-awareness.

Music is Good For the Soul

Another way we can improve our mental health and increase the rejuvenating process is through music.

Music plays a huge part in soothing and healing the mind, body, and spirit. The frequency of music has multiple benefits.

During my research, I ran across this interesting article; Healing Frequencies of The Human Body; Full List and Benefits.

Sound frequency has been used to treat many ailments of the body. Such as insomnia, anxiety, stress, depression, and diseases of the nervous system.

Frequencies start at 40Hz and run up to 963Hz. Each sound affects a different part of the body.

What is Sound Frequency Healing?

Sound healing, alternatively known as Sound Therapy or Vibrational Medicine, is the practice of using sound and frequency for relaxation, healing, and personal development.

Frequency, as it relates to sound, is the rate at which something vibrates or repeats. In the context of frequency healing, these vibrations are the waves that are emitted when sound is produced by instruments such as the human voice, drums, tuning forks, and gongs among many others!

Source

https://www.donovanhealth.com/blog/healing-the-body-with-frequencies-the-basics-explained

Spring is a time for a change. A time for all things to become new.

I live in Colorado and one of the most irritating facts about Springtime in Colorado is changing the clocks for Daylight Savings Time. In the spring we move the clocks forward an hour, and in the fall they get changed back an hour. Gain an hour or lose an hour of sleep. Either way, it makes no sense to me since the reasons it was acted into law are no longer valid.

I won’t get on a rant about that!

Watch For Motorcycles

It’s also a time for drivers to become more aware of motorcyclists out in traffic. The warmer and longer day means it’s perfect for riding.

Some riders are on a single bike, while others are riding in groups.

Please be aware and look twice in your side mirrors because it could mean saving a life.

Wait, Stop, Hold the Presses!

While writing this essay, I had to stop due to a health emergency. My husband had to rush me to the emergency room on Sunday, March 19, 2023, with severe right-sided stomach pain and nausea.

I’d been having some stomach issues for a few weeks and thought it was the stomach flu or that it was just uncomfortable due to something I’d been eating over the past few weeks.

After what seemed to be three very long hours, I was diagnosed with appendicitis. They had me in the operating room by 10:30 pm and in the recovery room around 11:30 am. I was in a room by 2:00 am. After spending the night in the hospital, I was discharged and sent home.

Of course, recovering from surgery isn’t easy for me. I’m always busy doing something. From cleaning the house, watching my youngest grandchildren, working, writing, and whatever else comes my way.

So now, I’m trying to relax and recover. I keep telling myself to slow down, stress less, worry less, relax more, sit back, and smell the newly bloomed flowers. However, my brain is not cooperating with the idea.

While I’m recovering it’s the perfect time to practice frequency healing. One of my favorite after-surgery healing videos is Post Surgery Healing Music. Sometimes I just lay down and listen to it even without anything medical going on. You should give it a try.

In conclusion, spring will always arrive, and time will move forward leaving each one of us to figure out how, where, and when to begin our rejuvenating process.

My special thanks go out to Ravyne Hawke on Medium for doing her Promptly Written Challenges on Medium.com.

I am looking forward to participating in more of these writing prompts and challenges.

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

Is It Over, Yet?

It’s been over eight months now since the COVID-19 VIRUS hit the United States of America.

When President Trumps Coronavirus Task Force first informed us about the virus, we were told it would take 15 Days To Slow the spread of the virus.

It’s been eight months since (almost) everyone has been masking, washing hands, social distancing and it’s still here and still spreading!

Still, Americans are resilient people. We’ve faced complete “lockdowns” by governing entities, which forced businesses to either change the way they provided their services or completely close their doors.

After the election of 2020, I thought the damn thing would go away. Okay, I’m probably being facetious right now but can you blame me?

I know we are all frustrated and tired of this whole fiasco. Especially those on the front lines and in the healthcare settings. It seems like the more they tell us to wear a mask, the worse it gets.

(NO I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE THIS A PERSONAL or POLITICAL STATEMENT)!

Now in some states the public health departments and the Governors along with some mayors, are mandating “stay at home”‘ orders again.

Some”conspiracy theories” believe that COVID-19 is being used as a cover-up for a certain military operation to take down the deep state swamp. Others believe that it was manufactured in Wuhan, China, and intentionally unleashed upon the world and The United States of America to try and end Donald J. Trumps Presidency.

Either way, what I want to know is..

What happened to only fifteen days?

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

Self Care Sunday’s Series; Keeping Your Lungs Healthy

I hope you all had a happy and healthy Easter Sunday last week.

Healthy Lungs

Since I am a Respiratory Therapist; I decided to write today’s article about keeping your lungs healthy. Especially due to the COVID 19 Coronavirus and the complications that can arise from this nasty respiratory virus.

As you know, breathing is a necessary function of life. What you may not be aware of are the differences between having healthy lungs and lung diseases.

A Healthy Lung vs A Diseased Lung

Your lungs provide the oxygen that your body needs for survival. Pushing oxygen through the blood stream and assisting with filtering out carbon dioxide from your body. Damage to the lungs can occur from genetics, the environment and smoking. All these things can cause damage to your lungs.

By now you should already be  aware that smoking causes lung diseases like Emphysema and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease); which cause irreversible damage to the lungs.

Keeping Your Lungs Healthy

1. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants.

2. Exercising frequently increases your lung function.

3. Improve indoor air quality with changing your furnance filter every thirty days, using an air purifier to help filter out pollutants, molds and dust.

4. If you smoke, stop smoking. Talk with your physician or call your local Quitline.

5. Get vaccinations like the flu vaccine and pneumonia vaccines to help prevent lung infections and promote lung health.

The Mechanics of Breathing

Take a deep breath and inhale, hold it for ten seconds and then exhale letting all the air out of your lungs.

Could you feel the air moving in and out of your lungs? This motion is known as The Mechanics of Breathing. As you breathe in and out the lungs exchange air flow throughout your lungs.

I’m not going to spend too much time talking about COVID 19 because it is my observation that we are inundatted with news updates every day.

Know the signs of COVID19 – Coronavirus

Watch for symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell
CT Scan of Lungs infected with COVID 19 – Coronavirus

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: Notify the operator that you have, or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a cloth face covering before medical help arrives.

My wish for you is to be happy and healthy. I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post and that you will leave a comment.

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera, CRT, LRT

Self Care Sunday Series; Laughter Can Be Healing

It may not seem like it, but laughter is one of the best medications we can self prescribe. 

It’s true that laughter is the best medicine and making jokes actually has a physical effect on the body. 

Laughter boosts your mood, raises metabolism, strengthens the immunity system, diminishes pain and helps decrease the effects of stress.

Boosting your mood, there was a scientific study done by the Mayo Clinic about Stress Management and laughter.

  • Stimulate many organs.  Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
  • Activate and relieve your stress response.  A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
  • Soothe tension.  Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Norwegian scientists found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much.

Social benefits of laughing

The world could use a little more laughter right now. I’m not saying that what’s going on around the world should be laughed about, what I am trying to make people realize making jokes, seeing someone 😊 changes our mood. Changing our moods for a positive instead of a negative makes the day flow better.

I wish you all health and happiness. Please work together so we as a society can come out and play again soon.

Gain The Advantage.

Alicia Osmera

Self Care Sunday’s Series; Mental Health During Times Of A Crisis

In today’s Self Care Sundays series I want to address mental health for everyone. During this time across the world, mental health care should be addressed not just for those already with behavioral and mental health issues, but our first responders, healthcare professionals, grocery store workers, truck drivers and so many more.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. My biggest concern is for my fellow colleagues and what’s going to happen to their mental health when our hospitals are overrun with patients.

I found a great article by the CDC on stress and coping during this pandemic outbreak.  As healthcare workers, we are constantly tending to the needs of others; while we tend to forget our own mental and physical health needs.

If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call

  • 911
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1-800-846-8517)

Healthcare Workers

For healthcare workers, it’s quite natural to feel stress. Many relieve their stress with the form of dark humor. What most people may see as incentive, mean or despicable others find relief with humor.

Take care of your basic needs. Food, shelter, clothing and family. It’s important to remember that if you go down with illness it will affect more than just the people you work with.

Coping With Stress

It’s normal to feel sad, angry, confused or even scared during a crisis.

I wish anyone reading this health, safety and wellness. Please try not to panic over this war we have raging in the world. If we all do our part and work together we will get through this together.

Leave a comment and as always,

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

Coronaviruis And What We All Need To Know

Today I read this article posted by Tom Mower President of Sisel International

As a heathcare worker I feel that it is my duty to share information with others about the threat of COVID-19 otherwise known as the Coronaviruis.

As you read the next part please know that this is not a product sales pitch in anyway, shape or form!

After reading this article my jaw dropped open. Communists want to control those around them. I have often asked others if this “outbreak” is all about just that?

Please leave your comments below.

From Tom Mower, President of Sisel International

“Frankly Folks, this report I obtained today Scares “THE LIVING HELL” out of me and I think it will you too… 

NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGIN … of the nCorona Virus COVID-19

US Center for Disease Control (CDC) says there are 100,000 new cases yesterday… not 15,000 as China reports.

BEIJING ADMITS: Changes counting methods…so the 15,152 NEW VIRUS CASES OVERNIGHT is probably more like 100,000 new cases…in just one day.

Wuhan Communist Party chiefs removed… because they hid the outbreak and very likely are responsible for its release….Read on and see…

The reported militarization of Wuhan’s P4 Lab by the Chinese Army has raised new questions about the origin of the COVID-19 virus and the apparent cover-up that has occurred since it was first made public.

Following the removal of the most senior health officials in Wuhan yesterday, Chinese State Media has just reported that Chen Wei, China’s chief biochemical weapon defense expert, is now to be stationed in Wuhan to lead the efforts to overcome the deadly, pneumonia-like pathogen.

Beijing has had for known “accidental leaks” of the SAR S virus in recent years, so there’s absolutely no reason to assume that the strain of Coronavirus from the BSL-4 Virology Lab in Wuhan  didn’t accidentally leak out as well.

Given that this outbreak was said to begin in late December (when most bat species in the region are hibernating) and the Chinese bats habitat covers an enormous swath of the region containing 6 scores of cities and hundreds of millions of people to begin with, “the fact that this Wuhan strain of Coronavirus emerged in close proximity to the only BSL – 4 Virology lab in China”. 

The BSL – 4 Virology Lab was staffed with at least 2 Chinese scientists, Zhengli Shi & Xing-Yi GE, both Virologists who had previously worked at an American lab, “which has already bioengineered an incredible virulent strain of bat Coronavirus”. The accidental release of a bioengineered virus meant for defensive (military or civil) immunotherapy research from Wuhan Virology Lab cannot be automatically discounted….especially when the Wuhan strains “unnatural” genomic structures are considered.

Zhengli Shi notably, co-authored a controversial paper in 2015, which describes the creation of a new virus by combining Coronavirus found in the Chinese horseshoe bats with another virus that causes human-like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), in which clusters of circulating bat Coronavirus close are an extremely dangerous threat for human emergence! This research sparked a huge debate at the time over whether engineering lab variance of viruses with possible pandemic potential is worth the risks!

Other Virologists question whether the information gleaned from the experiment justifies the potential risk!!! Although the extent of any risk is difficult to assess, Simon Wain-Hobson, a Virologist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, points out that the researchers have created a novel virus that “grows remarkably well” in human cells.

“Scientific review panels of Virologists may deem similar studies building chimeric viruses based on circulating strains too risky to pursue,” they write; adding that discussion is needed as to “whether these types of chimeric (artificially unnatural) virus studies warrant further warning that much of the chain of events is just to unstable for  investigation. versus the inherent dangerous risks involved”.

Previously, scientists had believed, on the basis of molecular modeling and other studies, that it should not be able to infect human cells. The latest work shows that “the virus has already overcome critical barriers”, such as being able to latch onto human receptors and efficiently infect human airway lung cells, he says. I don’t think you can ignore that.

WHICH BRINGS US TO PERHAPS THE MOST NOTABLE FINDING.

A genetic analysis of the spike-protein genes – in the exact region that was bio-engineered by the UNC lab in 2015, where Zhengli Shi and Xing-Yi Ge previously isolated a batty coronavirus that targets the ACE2 receptor just like this 2019-nCoV strain of the coronavirus does – “indicates an artificial and unnatural origins of the Wuhan Corona Virus Strain’s spike-protein genes when they are compared to the genomes of natural wild relatives.

Instead of appearing similar and homologous to its wild relatives, an important section of the Wuhan Strain’s spike-protein region shares the most “genetic similarity with a bio-engineered commercially” available gene sequence that’s designed to help with immunotherapy research. It is remotely mathematically possible for this to happen in nature – but only in a ten-thousand bats chained to ten-thousand Petri dishes and given until a infinity of time.

And so, as the report goes on, a scientist who’s been prolifically involved with studying the molecular interaction of Coronaviruses and humanity, spending decades and millions of dollars, and having even helped build a hyper-virulent coronavirus from scratch at UNC – just so happens to be working at the only BSL-4 virology lab in China, that also just so happens to be at the epicenter of an outbreak involved a Coronavirus that’s escaping zoological classification and whose novel spike-protein region shares more in common with a “commercial genetic vector” than any of its wild relatives!!!

However, most recently, as an increasing number of global experts questioned China’s initial official story that this came from the food market in Wuhan, Zhengli Shi hurriedly wrote a new report, claiming instead of the initial findings that the novel virus came from a bat in Wuhan i.e. the Chinese chrysanthemum bat. She said that this was a new discovery that she had worked hard for several years, and coincidentally wrote a paper after the outbreak and published it in the famous international academic journal Nature.

THIS IS WHY THE CHINESE HID THE OUTBREAK FOR 4 MONTHS:

The reason why the Chines Communist Party (CCP) held on releasing info about the nCoronavirus Outbreak …. is that they were waiting for Dr. Shi Zhengli’s paper to be published at Nature so that they could claim bat is the origin. #COVID2019 (BUT it was in fact an artificially unnatural bioengineered genome) (a BIG LIE)

CORONAVIRUS: Professor Neil Ferguson states on the COVID-19 Outbreak “We’re at the early stages of a global pandemic” (BBC News) #covid19 #coronavirus #coronavirus outbreak

Let’s hope not and he is wrong…. But after reading this report I question its (Corona Virus) origins and if it is natural or a unnatural synthesized fraction of the bioengineered virus. It definitely is a gigantic global Pandemic Health Emergency threat with the potentially dangerous possibilities it has for the entire human race”

As always,

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

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Respiratory Round Up

Welcome to my first in a series called “Respiratory Round Up.

Twenty seven years ago I became a Respiratory Therapist. When I was a child I can remember my own hospital stays with asthma. The ones who seemed to take the most time with me were the respiratory therapist.

I thought it would be unique to ask a group of Respiratory Therapist some questions and publish a round up.

Your probably scratching your head wondering, “What does a Respiratory Therapist do?” The best way for me to describe what an RT does is by an article I found at Respiratory Therapist License. com titled “What Is A Respiratory Therapist”?

Respiratory therapy is best described as the assessment and treatment of patients with both acute and chronic dysfunction of the cardiopulmonary system. Today’s respiratory therapists have demanding responsibilities related to patient care and serve as vital members of the healthcare team.

Everyone who participated were asked the same three questions.

1. What made you decide to become a Respiratory Therapist?

2. How has your experience as an RT helped you in your personal and professional life?

3. What advice would you offer to someone looking at Respiratory Therapy as a career path?

First Up

Scott Dykes RRT

1. I saw that I could make a difference, using my personal experience. I wanted to pay it forward….

2. Helped me by day to day care of patients, and saving lives. Personally, I was my sister’s medical advocate when she was comatose after an MI, with anoxic brain injury.

3. See picture

Second Up

Hayfa Perez, BS, RRT-NPS, SDS

1. The Respiratory field caught my attention when I witnessed a friend on life support. Initially intubated, then trached and unable to be weaned off life support. It was a struggle for all involved in his care- Family, friends, Clinicians and the RRT’s. They struggled with him step by step and always initiated trials with positive reinforcement. At that time, I was not in the medical field and found it overwhelming, yet fascinating. I had the opportunity to speak with some of the RTs there and realized instantly that I wanted to help people live and breathe. I wanted to be able to make a difference. Respiratory Care is a growing field that is blossoming. Many avenues to venture and I ventured happily. Years later, I still love the field and feel passionately about what I do.

2. My experience as an RT has helped me grow as a person- professionally and personally. It’s made me appreciate life and to always remember there are those who have far more struggles than I do. The simple things taken for granted such as breathing, talking, and eating can be the unobtainable dreams for others. I think about that and remind myself how harsh life can be to have such simple pleasures taken away. After so many years the field still amazes me. I still encounter cases that humble me. There is always a case that presents unlike another and reminds me that I have so much more to learn. It also reminds me to have compassion and empathy in my heart.

3. The advice I would give someone looking at Respiratory therapy as a career path is to review first what Respiratory Care is and make sure the field attracts attention. Choosing this career path, one must be focused, study and understand that the decisions made will affect lives. It is not a field to be taken lightly. It is intense, but rewarding. Always be ready, ask questions, follow instructions and directions. Be respectful to patients, preceptors and colleagues. A strong Therapist is built on values and always remember that patient care is priority.

Thirdly

Sheila Hensler, RRT, BS

1. I wanted the excitement of medicine without the nursing responsibility. But I wanted to work directly with patients. Being an RT has given me that.

2. I have had many experiences as an RT, some good, and some not so good. But the one thing that has changed is that I am more confident in both my professional and personal life. A lot of times as an RT, the information I give and the decisions made for a patient require some risk. Being willing to take those risks has created my confidence.

3. There are so many more options now than when I became an RT. It used to be that RT’s worked in hospitals, LTAC’s, PFT’s or home care. Now, there are APRT options, RT’s work with ECMO, and can even be found in physician offices. Aim high. Don’t settle for “just an RT”.

Next

Karrie Mitchell, CRT (No picture was given given to include)

1. Right out of high school in 1995 I was making $10 an hour working for an alarm company, and back then that was good money. I felt like I wasn’t ready for college at that point. I was making more money than a lot of my friends and just didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. After a couple of years, I switched to banking and then I became a Phlebotomist. My mom is a nurse and was always trying to talk me into becoming one and I just didn’t want to. After seven years as a phlebotomist I was told I had topped out my pay scale and wouldn’t make any more money. I was making $12.75 an hour. I went to see my mom at work and she was stressing about not having enough nurses for the weekend. I looked at it and said, screw it I will go to nursing school. I considered several schools and after finding out there was a minimum 2 years wait to get in I got discouraged. I was sitting in the ICU talking to one of the pulmonologists about wanting to go to school and being discouraged and he told me that I should be an RT and not a nurse, because as he put it I wouldn’t have to wipe grown up butts. I still chuckle about that. This conversation took place in May and I started RT school in August, I was 29 at the time. When I graduated and went home to Wyoming I started working at a small mom and pop DME and realized I liked the consistent patient interaction. I moved to a national company with more opportunities about a year later. 10 years later I am a General Manager of a branch and I am the RT.

2. When I was in school everyone would say don’t go into home care you won’t ever gain any skills. I’ve been in home care 10 years and I have gained many skills that I wouldn’t have working in a hospital. I was incredibly lucky to have had a manager for 6 years that let me run the RT department (ok I was the only RT) my way. She let me push for better therapies for my patients and encouraged me to push my own boundaries and learn every aspect of the business. She taught me how to manage a budget and staff and supported me when I didn’t think I was smart enough to do things that were new. When an office within our company needed a manager, she pushed senior management to choose me for the position. Along with the management and RT component of my job I am also the sales person, and because I speak from a clinical background I have found it easy to get doctors to talk to me and work with me and sales was not something I ever thought I would be good at it. But my tiny branch in a tiny town is doing amazing things. I took over a branch that was in the hole and they were talking about closing it and I made it better. I think the thing that I have learned is to never take no for an answer and keep pushing for more.

3. I think the one thing I would say to someone in RT school or considering it is to never discount homecare and think that home care RT’s aren’t real RT’s. Also consider what is important to you, do you want to just treat patients and often not know what happens once they leave the hospital, or do you want to work with them for a long time? I get updates from families about their family member I have taken care of, I get pictures of babies I took care of. It’s a different animal, but it’s not less in any way.

Lastly

Michael W. Hess, BS, RRT, RPFT

1. I had been fascinated by medicine for a while, but didn’t really feel that medical school would be practical at that point in my life (almost 30 with 2 kids). My wife was a nurse, and I thought that might be a good way to go, and then I discovered the waiting list in our area was about 2 years long. I wanted a career a little more urgently than that, so I looked into respiratory care. The director of our local program was willing to bring me in even though I was missing one pre-req at the time, and I was very grateful for that. I had a vague sense of what RTs did, because one of my kids was a preemie and I had worked at DME office for a year or so doing customer service, but I didn’t really “get” much of it. However, after only a few weeks of the program, I fell in love with the profession, and I never looked back.

2. The journey has been incredibly fulfilling in so many ways. I’ve been fortunate to have various opportunities to see how the healthcare system works from several angles, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I’ve been able to touch lives and share experiences with people from an incredibly broad cross-section of life, and I’ve learned something from every interaction. In my current role, I’ve seen that every person has a story, and the assumptions we can be quick to make as clinicians are wrong more often than we’d care to admit. Learning to look past preconceptions has, in turn, made me a better parent, a better spouse, and a better advocate for both my profession and the people we care for. Being a respiratory therapist has empowered me to increase both my knowledge (through academics) and wisdom (through experience).

3. What advice would you offer to someone looking at Respiratory Therapy as a career path?
You will get out of this profession almost exactly what you put into it. If you go in with the belief that there are certain limits to our skills or practice, you will never learn to exceed those limits. But the truth is, our field is virtually limitless. More and more RTs are breaking out of the traditional bedside mold, and becoming entrepreneurs, consultants, clinical educators, even CEOs. We are poised to take on an even bigger role in healthcare, but we must be ready to accept the responsibilities that go with that larger profile. That means being ready to take on more education, and to be creative in demonstrating our value. Be ready to probe your own limits, and you’ll learn that they aren’t barriers, but rather mileposts on your journey.

Lastly ME

Alicia Osmera, CRT, RTL

1. As a kid with childhood asthma I watched many RT’s take their time administering my breathing treatments. Also my mother was in and out of the hospital with lung issues when I was younger. One therapist was very rude and in a hurry. He made my mother feel like crap. Like she didn’t even matter. I decided I could make a difference to those in need.

2. Respiratory therapy has given me many experiences. Taught me to be empathetic, courteous, and caring towards others. Professionally I have done many things from trauma, flight transports, pediatrics and more.

3. To those whom maybe considering a career change, I will just say follow your heart, fund a program where you can shadow someone to make sure this homeless profession is for you.

I’d like to thank all of my fellow Respiratory Therapists for participating in my round up.

I hope you enjoyed this and as always……

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

Empathy vs Sympathy In Healthcare

Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve learned how to separate empathy for patients and having sympathy for their situations.   Exactly what are the two and how are they different?

Wikipedia defines Empathy as the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other being’s frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another’s position.

Sympathy is the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form.

As a professional respiratory therapist I’ve learned over the years how to separate the two feelings.

As a new graduate working in the hospital, I was overwhelmed by these two emotions.  Seeing patients who are suffering daily is exhausting.  You want to wave a magic wand and make their pain and sickness go away.  Seeing their families every day and watching their facial expressions makes sympathy easy.  It’s learning to separate the two that becomes difficult. 

In an article by Carla Delgado, a freelance reporter for Insider magazine explains, “Why the world needs you to be more empathetic and stop sympathizing”.

She does a fantastic job of comparing the two emotions, and why they should be separate.

It’s important to understand the differences between empathy and sympathy, which include:

As healthcare workers, we must determine which one is better during certain situations. Trying to understand the situation, and how a person is feeling at that very moment will provide you with the insight needed right now.

Be kind to each other even on crappy days. Applying sympathy and empathy is not just for patient care. It’s something we should be using in everyday life.

Please leave a comment for me. I will answer back .

Gain the Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

I Wrote A Book

image

The journey that led me to write comes from a deep passion for reading and writing.

I started writing this book in 2011 after getting laid off from my job with a DME (Durable Medical Equipment ) company after twenty-something years in the medical field as a licensed respiratory therapist.

What does a respiratory therapist do?

Respiratory Therapists are important to patients that have trouble breathing. Lung diseases like Asthma, Emphysema, and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) just to name a few. The main responsibilities are to keep patients breathing. They perform anything from a nebulizer treatment to administering a Bipap or CPAP therapy, as a major part of a person’s care in the intensive care unit.

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Now, where was I? Oh, that’s right I was telling you about my journey to writing my first book, Terror In The North Tower. One day I sat down and just started typing on the computer. Words just seemed to flow onto the page. Then after about six months, they stopped. All in all, it took me a year to write this work of art. The writing wasn’t that hard, it was finding a publisher I could afford.

Publishers cost money!

Zondervan and Xulon Press are just a few that I checked into. They both said; “Oh yes, we can help you publish your book but it’s going to cost $$$ dollars”. I didn’t have that kind of money? Finally, after four years I had the opportunity to meet Monna Ellithorpe. She’s a member and co-founder of the Power Affiliate Club PAC and a published author herself.

What an amazing experience it has been working with the  Kindle platform.

What’s the book about?

It’s science fiction, murder mystery, and love story with a twist that the readers won’t see coming. This story’s main theme is about a respiratory therapist in a hospital setting. Many books like this one are written by a doctor or nurse, never by a respiratory therapist.

Now I want to make something very clear. This fictional thriller is just that. Fiction!!!

I love my profession as well as my peers. And the men and women that have a passion for it also.

***Terror In The North Tower was released on Saturday, May 28, 2016. Purchase the book here.

I hope that the person reading this blog post will order the book, read it, share this article, and spread the word.

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

https://a.co/d/3UvpQBUhe North Tower https:/https:///a.co/d/1Pl5gx4