Annie Fulton | Up My Nursing Game!

What is Ketamine and How It Works as an Analgesic, Anesthetic and Antidepressant? with Tori Arsenault, PharmD

Ketamine seems to be the new “it” drug. Pharmacist Victoria Arsenault returns to the podcast to discuss how Ketamine’s dissociative properties can be used as an analgesic, anesthetic, and antidepressant.

Up My Nursing Game is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for registered nurses. Click here to obtain nursing credit (1.00) or here for detailed instructions.

What All Nurses Need to Know About Rural Hospitals with Dr. Kent Herbert

Emergency departments in rural areas work in austere conditions that often require critically ill patients to transfer to larger hospitals that can provide a higher level of care. Kent Herbert, emergency physician, discusses what resources are available at rural hospitals and the process for transferring patients to higher levels of care.

Stop Starving Your Patients! How Nurses Can Promote Nutrition with Janice Powers, PhD, RN

A patient’s nutrition status is often an afterthought for nurses. Clinical nurse specialist, Janice Powers, PhD, RN explains how nutrition improves patient outcomes and reviews evidence based enteral feeding practices in hopes that nurses will play a more central role in facilitating adequate nutrition for our patients.

Marijuana 101 for Nurses with Dr. James Thomas

Healthcare has a complex and convoluted relationship with marijuana. Marijuana is a “schedule 1” substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, yet a synthetic version of it is FDA approved as an appetite stimulant. Dr. Thomas, hospitalist, discusses the relevant historical and political context of the drug, as well as its pharmacology, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, and some communication techniques for discussing drug use with patients.

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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Pathophysiology and Evidence-Based Practice with Kathleen Vollman, MSN, RN

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a stubbornly high mortality rate with current estimates at about 40%. Critical care veteran Kathleen Vollman, MSN, RN, CCNS lays the foundation of ARDS starting with pathophysiology followed by the “8 Ps” of evidence-based supportive care and summary of long-term prognosis.

Why Seizures are a Neurologic Emergency with Mary Kay Bader, MSN, RN

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurologic emergency much like an MI is a cardiac emergency and should be treated as such.⁠ From EEGs to medications, Mary Kay Bader, RN CCNS, talks us through both convulsive and non-convulsive SE.⁠

Early Detection of Clinical Deterioration with Nurse Alice

Signs of clinical deterioration often start appearing hours before an adverse event or arrest. As nurses, we are in the unique position to be able to identify and act on early warning signs. Nurse Alice, from the Ask Nurse Alice podcast, talks about early signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration and how the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) can be implemented.

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The Opioid Crisis with Ben & Tom from Just Some Podcast for Advanced Practitioners

Oxycontin, drug-seeking behavior, co-addiction. Who better to talk us through the current opioid crisis with two former law enforcement officers and emergency nurses turned nurse practitioners? Join us for this memorable discussion with Ben and Tom from Just Some Podcast for Advanced Practitioners.

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A Glimpse Inside the Emergency Department with Kevin McFarlane

So what is it *really* like in the ED and why do emergency nurses often feel like they are at odds with the rest of the hospital? Kevin McFarlane from The Art of Emergency Nursing paints a picture of the ED while addressing important topics like frequent flyers, hand-off reports, and admit holds.

Beyond the Algorithms: Cardiac Arrest with Al Gook

We all know BLS and even ACLS like the back of our hands so now it’s time to understand *why*. Why are VF and VT under the arrest algorithms? Why epi? Why are survival rates so low, even in the hospital?

Former paramedic and current BLS and ACLS instructor, Al Gook, answers some basic yet honest questions we all have about cardiac arrest and what we can do to improve our stubbornly low survival rates.