Starting September 1, 2010, I'm attempting to highlight one performance art video from Youtube or other video services, gleaning from lesser-known yet talented people. In my quest to help artists get the notice they deserve, each video will bring you a little something special to brighten your day.
Here's a cultural mashup dance I found in Seattle. There was little other information provided other the than the title, Dance This Seattle 5 (please contact for more thorough credits):
Know a performance artist that deserves a little more airplay? Please forward video clip links or tips to info@HipsForHire.com.
Showing posts with label Video Nurse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video Nurse. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Relationship Talk on Ustream.tv
Love stinks. Yeah yeah [love stinks]. Love stinks! Yeah yeah [love stinks].
Well actually, I'm no executioner of love. In fact, I am probably more in line with the belief, "All We Need Is Love" (and maybe a really good prenuptial agreement, in some cases, lol). Today I decided to let loose with an hour of talk about relationships for my one-hour segment of "Video Nurse", which aired June 21, 2010 at 4 PM PST. It was one hour earlier than usual, due to a scheduling snafu that Chris Pirillo takes full responsibility for, as he had not alerted me that I was attending a Tweetup at 5:30 pm in which he needed my n00b presence to help balance out the number of Social Media savvy and n00bs in the room.
I recorded just a couple of segments from the hour, with one shorter one up on Youtube, and this one here on my post from "Shaw" (I had his spoken permission to use his question for discussion).
http://www.ustream.tv/myvideos/1/7814582
I think you'll find some valuable questions and exercises to do (pen and paper, or iPad!) that could help you or someone you know how to move on from a relationship that you feel "stuck" on thinking about longer than what seems to be helpful.
It certainly isn't all that I would tell a person who is grieving from the end of a relationship. But it is a start. The transition from being in a relationship to being without that person can take many forms, and there is no designated timeline on how long that takes. However, this person sounded like he is struggling with the other person bringing up the relationship again after a long period of time.
My private practice at Seattle Direct Counseling encounters these kind of relationship questions (and more) on a regular basis. Video Nurse is simply an avenue where community can build and gather to talk about what interests us most about health, mental health, and relationship issues. Join us next time at our regularly scheduled time Mondays at 5 pm PST. Join in the dialogue.
I'd like to thank Chris Pirillo for use of his office, lighting, and Comcast High Speed Internet connection for this segment of Video Nurse.
Well actually, I'm no executioner of love. In fact, I am probably more in line with the belief, "All We Need Is Love" (and maybe a really good prenuptial agreement, in some cases, lol). Today I decided to let loose with an hour of talk about relationships for my one-hour segment of "Video Nurse", which aired June 21, 2010 at 4 PM PST. It was one hour earlier than usual, due to a scheduling snafu that Chris Pirillo takes full responsibility for, as he had not alerted me that I was attending a Tweetup at 5:30 pm in which he needed my n00b presence to help balance out the number of Social Media savvy and n00bs in the room.
I recorded just a couple of segments from the hour, with one shorter one up on Youtube, and this one here on my post from "Shaw" (I had his spoken permission to use his question for discussion).
http://www.ustream.tv/myvideos/1/7814582
I think you'll find some valuable questions and exercises to do (pen and paper, or iPad!) that could help you or someone you know how to move on from a relationship that you feel "stuck" on thinking about longer than what seems to be helpful.
It certainly isn't all that I would tell a person who is grieving from the end of a relationship. But it is a start. The transition from being in a relationship to being without that person can take many forms, and there is no designated timeline on how long that takes. However, this person sounded like he is struggling with the other person bringing up the relationship again after a long period of time.
My private practice at Seattle Direct Counseling encounters these kind of relationship questions (and more) on a regular basis. Video Nurse is simply an avenue where community can build and gather to talk about what interests us most about health, mental health, and relationship issues. Join us next time at our regularly scheduled time Mondays at 5 pm PST. Join in the dialogue.
I'd like to thank Chris Pirillo for use of his office, lighting, and Comcast High Speed Internet connection for this segment of Video Nurse.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Video Nurse: Are Tanning Beds Safe?
This is segment from a series of answers given during Video Nurse, which aired on June 7, 2010 at 5 pm on ustream.tv. Video Nurse talked about "Five things people do that could kill them". Rather than take the top five things, Video Nurse took five random things, from the common to the not so common, and did some research on each subject to give people a glimpse into their options.
Some of you know last year I placed a status update on my Facebook page about getting a package of tanning sessions in preparation for my photo shoot with Sarah Lyons. Immediately, several concerned friends cautioned me, stating the dangers of indoor tanning. Since then, my bigger question has been not just about overall safety, but also the way tanning beds work, and at what levels should we consider them to be "overused" and a health risk. You'll be happy to hear that I have no skin cancer, and my skin remains healthy.
Here's a few things I learned:
1. What is considered "overuse" of tanning beds? A number of medically-based articles stated that 100 hours per year is considered overuse in the UVA/UVB enhanced beds. However, your risk factors of skin cancer are based not only on use, but also your genetics. If you are pale skinned and sensitive to the sun, you have a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have more melanin in your skin, you have more protection built into your skin against the damaging rays of the sun.
2. It doesn't matter at what age you start tanning. What does matter is the number of years you've been using tanning beds or staying outdoors without protection for your skin. It's a little bit more like smoking: the more years you smoke, the more damage.
3. Tanning beds in general can't be used to increase Vitamin D absorption. The ones that could be useful are those that have adjustable settings where you can decrease the UVA rays and increase UVB rays, as it is the latter that assist Vitamin D absorption, and it's the UVA rays that cause the skin to turn brown. You could also limit the sessions to seven minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the winter months when sunlight exposure is the shortest, and this might be helpful in lifting some of the depression associated with Vitamin D deficiencies.
4. Although not mentioned in the video, there are some medications that make the skin subject to burns from sun exposure. If you are on these medications, a tanning bed is no place for you, and the risk for burns and skin cancer is increased significantly if you choose to ignore the warnings clearly labeled on these prescription medications.
At the very least, Video Nurse found answers to the unspoken question, "If tanning beds are so unsafe, why are they allowed to be in operation?" There may be some limited use for tanning beds with adjustable settings in the near future, but for the most part, tanning salons know that they aren't holding a gun to anyone's head and saying, "Get tanned or else!" There is no addictive element, and both operators and clients are counseled about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning beds. I don't believe we're going to see tanning salons banned in the U.S. any sooner than we're going to see cigarette smoking outlawed. If anything, I predict tanning bed makers are going to simply create a lower powered one for domestic use and sell them to high-end real estate owners and community clubs.
This is not to say that Video Nurse believes indoor tanning beds are completely safe. It appears that safety depends on the machinery, the amount of use, and the genetics of the user. Just don't be ignorant and believe everything the indoor tanning industry tells you. It's a conflict of interest for studies to be conduct by the insiders in the industry, as this tends to skew the outcome of the studies. Instead, look for independent studies, or go outside the industry and read medical journal articles on the subject.
Some of you know last year I placed a status update on my Facebook page about getting a package of tanning sessions in preparation for my photo shoot with Sarah Lyons. Immediately, several concerned friends cautioned me, stating the dangers of indoor tanning. Since then, my bigger question has been not just about overall safety, but also the way tanning beds work, and at what levels should we consider them to be "overused" and a health risk. You'll be happy to hear that I have no skin cancer, and my skin remains healthy.
Here's a few things I learned:
1. What is considered "overuse" of tanning beds? A number of medically-based articles stated that 100 hours per year is considered overuse in the UVA/UVB enhanced beds. However, your risk factors of skin cancer are based not only on use, but also your genetics. If you are pale skinned and sensitive to the sun, you have a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have more melanin in your skin, you have more protection built into your skin against the damaging rays of the sun.
2. It doesn't matter at what age you start tanning. What does matter is the number of years you've been using tanning beds or staying outdoors without protection for your skin. It's a little bit more like smoking: the more years you smoke, the more damage.
3. Tanning beds in general can't be used to increase Vitamin D absorption. The ones that could be useful are those that have adjustable settings where you can decrease the UVA rays and increase UVB rays, as it is the latter that assist Vitamin D absorption, and it's the UVA rays that cause the skin to turn brown. You could also limit the sessions to seven minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the winter months when sunlight exposure is the shortest, and this might be helpful in lifting some of the depression associated with Vitamin D deficiencies.
4. Although not mentioned in the video, there are some medications that make the skin subject to burns from sun exposure. If you are on these medications, a tanning bed is no place for you, and the risk for burns and skin cancer is increased significantly if you choose to ignore the warnings clearly labeled on these prescription medications.
At the very least, Video Nurse found answers to the unspoken question, "If tanning beds are so unsafe, why are they allowed to be in operation?" There may be some limited use for tanning beds with adjustable settings in the near future, but for the most part, tanning salons know that they aren't holding a gun to anyone's head and saying, "Get tanned or else!" There is no addictive element, and both operators and clients are counseled about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning beds. I don't believe we're going to see tanning salons banned in the U.S. any sooner than we're going to see cigarette smoking outlawed. If anything, I predict tanning bed makers are going to simply create a lower powered one for domestic use and sell them to high-end real estate owners and community clubs.
This is not to say that Video Nurse believes indoor tanning beds are completely safe. It appears that safety depends on the machinery, the amount of use, and the genetics of the user. Just don't be ignorant and believe everything the indoor tanning industry tells you. It's a conflict of interest for studies to be conduct by the insiders in the industry, as this tends to skew the outcome of the studies. Instead, look for independent studies, or go outside the industry and read medical journal articles on the subject.
Video Nurse Says, "Read the Labels"
Not that I totally like to live life on the dramatic side, but after doing my research, there are certainly enough things that can kill us to take in account. There are so many things, in fact, that sometimes I am reminded as to why life is such a miracle when so many things could go horribly wrong. By the way, if you're neurotic, you might want to skip this blog and move onto some of my more entertainment-friendly pieces.
From edited segments from Video Nurse on June 7, 2010, talking about "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them", the first segment is something that people do NOT do that could harm them: they don't read the ingredients list on packaging, and they don't read the labels, dosing, and side effects and contraindications the accompany prescription medications.
How can not reading ingredients lists be harmful? In some cases, all you're going to get is some junk in your mouth. In other cases, you might have a food sensitivity and not notice that it's in the food you're about to eat. In other cases, you might mix a medication with something you shouldn't (such as a NSAID or Tylenol), and get an adverse reaction. If you don't know the side effects of medications, you might not know whether these are expected side effects, or you should discontinue the medication and call your doctor.
The rest of the segments can be viewed on my Video Nurse channel , where you'll hear the other three things that could kill you (and the last one I'm saving up for its own segment). Video Nurse airs every Monday at 5 pm PST (unless otherwise indicated).
Not reading ingredients lists over the long haul leads to the problems we're facing as a nation with the obesity crisis, Type II Adult Onset Diabetes, and the problem of corn in almost all our foods. Corn is a filler used to beef up animals for slaughter, but most of us are either allergic to it, or we don't digest it well at the quantities that are showing up in our food. Author Michael Pollan reminds us to not eat from the same place we fuel our cars (biodiesel); we need to know what's in our foods so we can eliminate the stuff that's killing us off or at least harming our quality of life.
Video Nurse wants to encourage you to take back your taste buds and your control over what goes into your body by helping you get informed about your food choices. Why should you allow food producers to groom your taste buds away from natural foods, and towards foods that are high in bad fats, sodium, cholesterol, and excess sugar? Whatever has been done can be undone, but it's going to take some knowledge and discipline. You might not stop craving chocolate cake (and I'm not saying you should!), but you can make choices about what kind of chocolate cake, ingredients, frequency, and in what portion size you want to eat that piece of decadence.
Follow me on Twitter at @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse, or on my Facebook page ImeiYogaDance.
From edited segments from Video Nurse on June 7, 2010, talking about "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them", the first segment is something that people do NOT do that could harm them: they don't read the ingredients list on packaging, and they don't read the labels, dosing, and side effects and contraindications the accompany prescription medications.
How can not reading ingredients lists be harmful? In some cases, all you're going to get is some junk in your mouth. In other cases, you might have a food sensitivity and not notice that it's in the food you're about to eat. In other cases, you might mix a medication with something you shouldn't (such as a NSAID or Tylenol), and get an adverse reaction. If you don't know the side effects of medications, you might not know whether these are expected side effects, or you should discontinue the medication and call your doctor.
The rest of the segments can be viewed on my Video Nurse channel , where you'll hear the other three things that could kill you (and the last one I'm saving up for its own segment). Video Nurse airs every Monday at 5 pm PST (unless otherwise indicated).
Not reading ingredients lists over the long haul leads to the problems we're facing as a nation with the obesity crisis, Type II Adult Onset Diabetes, and the problem of corn in almost all our foods. Corn is a filler used to beef up animals for slaughter, but most of us are either allergic to it, or we don't digest it well at the quantities that are showing up in our food. Author Michael Pollan reminds us to not eat from the same place we fuel our cars (biodiesel); we need to know what's in our foods so we can eliminate the stuff that's killing us off or at least harming our quality of life.
Video Nurse wants to encourage you to take back your taste buds and your control over what goes into your body by helping you get informed about your food choices. Why should you allow food producers to groom your taste buds away from natural foods, and towards foods that are high in bad fats, sodium, cholesterol, and excess sugar? Whatever has been done can be undone, but it's going to take some knowledge and discipline. You might not stop craving chocolate cake (and I'm not saying you should!), but you can make choices about what kind of chocolate cake, ingredients, frequency, and in what portion size you want to eat that piece of decadence.
Follow me on Twitter at @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse, or on my Facebook page ImeiYogaDance.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
Just another friendly reminder: Video Nurse will be talking about, "Five Things That People Do That Could Kill Them". Yeah, yeah, we know that we're all going to die someday, and that death is an inevitability. But Video Nurse is going to talk about some uncommon thoughts about people's every day choices that can lead to dramatic (and sometimes devastating) results in regards to their health.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
It happens all the time. In fact, it happened yesterday evening.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Video Nurse Moves to HipsForHire on Blogger!
Video Nurse on Youtube made its debut earlier this year (2010) with the encouragement of web entrepreneur Chris Pirillo and the support of various friends both inside and outside the medical world. They know my passion for health care and particularly Community Health, which is my emphasis as a B.S.N./RN and psychotherapist.
Now I am temporarily moving Video Nurse segments to my new Hips For Hire Blogger site (its current home is HipsForHire.ning.com, but we'll be wrapping up that community this month). I am launching a Ustream.tv show, "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5pm PST, fielding questions about health care and mental health care, and preparing interesting subjects in a "Dr. Phil" type of format, without formally diagnosing or treating anyone (for liability issues). Please check out my show starting June 7, 2010 on ustream.tv (search for Video Nurse).
For those of you joining my web community or reading this post, here's a post I wrote in March 2010 explaining the idea and environment in which Video Nurse evolved:
Why Video Nurse Makes Sense
by Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC
SeattleDirectCounseling
March 5, 2010
We already know that the Internet has changed the way we do life in general. In a survey of Americans taken by Yahoo! as shown on the Today Show on March 5, 2010, people have indicated that the Internet is something they can't do without, and even more importantly, email has replaced snail mail as the quintessential form of communication of letters and notes. And with movies like "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland", 3-D movies are changing the way we literally see life. What next?
If video killed the radio star, can video "kill" or change the way we deliver medicine?
Though we will never replace the need for a set of eyes, hands, ears, nose and a brain to physically observe a person showing a set of symptoms, video and digital reproduction are being used in innovative ways to keep us healthy. The ways we can use new technologies are endless.
At the SMC Seattle's Tweetup at Swedish Medical Center last week, I sat at a machine that allowed me to get the feel of conducting a lap-band procedure. Grasping handles that were so much more comfortable than Joy-stick style game controllers, I plucked, lifted, stretched, and lassoed a number of gelatinous objects in my viewer, whilst others looked at the real objects and cheered me on in my imaginary world of lap band placement. I walked away feeling like a pro, though I assure you, it would be many hours of training before the average medical student will be performing his or her first procedure.
If only bariatric training could have been so cool. Back in the day, nurses and doctors studied books and watched videos of surgeries and procedures. Then we scheduled "cut and sew alongs" (my phrase), practicing on real people with an supervising physician. Every medical newbie remembers the first time s/he cauterized a bleeder, or placed stitches on an ear hanging precariously off the side of a patient's head. With real-time video, streaming, and digital reproduction, learning is faster, realistic, and vivid. Just like my philosophy instructor said, "Like the Matrix, the virtual is now more real than the Real."
If these technologies, documentation, and videos are available for people to access, why do we need something like "Video Nurse", a new concept I am testing on Youtube to provide questions and answers from the Internet about health, mental health, and relationships? One of my Youtube subscribers said it succinctly: because there isn't anything else like it on Youtube, and because people are lazy. The info is there. Yet we still like to talk to a warm body and be pointed in a direction that makes sense to us.
If curiosity killed the cat, I wonder how many of my cat lives are dead. I love finding good questions, and then I literally want to do a combo "pee-pee dance/O face" of excitement whilst I research answers off the Internet, compare statistics and sources, and decide what is essential to share.
Got an interesting question for Video Nurse? Send it in, and let me at it. Chances are, someone out there has been asking the same question, and together, we can do a world of good. If there are enough questions for a full-life show, I'll stream my answers in a 30 minute or 60 minute event on Ustream.tv. Grab your popcorn - or, oh wait! Find out what Video Nurse has to say about digestion and corn, and then make your own decision about what to grab for a snack.
Now I am temporarily moving Video Nurse segments to my new Hips For Hire Blogger site (its current home is HipsForHire.ning.com, but we'll be wrapping up that community this month). I am launching a Ustream.tv show, "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5pm PST, fielding questions about health care and mental health care, and preparing interesting subjects in a "Dr. Phil" type of format, without formally diagnosing or treating anyone (for liability issues). Please check out my show starting June 7, 2010 on ustream.tv (search for Video Nurse).
For those of you joining my web community or reading this post, here's a post I wrote in March 2010 explaining the idea and environment in which Video Nurse evolved:
Why Video Nurse Makes Sense
by Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC
SeattleDirectCounseling
March 5, 2010
We already know that the Internet has changed the way we do life in general. In a survey of Americans taken by Yahoo! as shown on the Today Show on March 5, 2010, people have indicated that the Internet is something they can't do without, and even more importantly, email has replaced snail mail as the quintessential form of communication of letters and notes. And with movies like "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland", 3-D movies are changing the way we literally see life. What next?
If video killed the radio star, can video "kill" or change the way we deliver medicine?
Though we will never replace the need for a set of eyes, hands, ears, nose and a brain to physically observe a person showing a set of symptoms, video and digital reproduction are being used in innovative ways to keep us healthy. The ways we can use new technologies are endless.
At the SMC Seattle's Tweetup at Swedish Medical Center last week, I sat at a machine that allowed me to get the feel of conducting a lap-band procedure. Grasping handles that were so much more comfortable than Joy-stick style game controllers, I plucked, lifted, stretched, and lassoed a number of gelatinous objects in my viewer, whilst others looked at the real objects and cheered me on in my imaginary world of lap band placement. I walked away feeling like a pro, though I assure you, it would be many hours of training before the average medical student will be performing his or her first procedure.
If only bariatric training could have been so cool. Back in the day, nurses and doctors studied books and watched videos of surgeries and procedures. Then we scheduled "cut and sew alongs" (my phrase), practicing on real people with an supervising physician. Every medical newbie remembers the first time s/he cauterized a bleeder, or placed stitches on an ear hanging precariously off the side of a patient's head. With real-time video, streaming, and digital reproduction, learning is faster, realistic, and vivid. Just like my philosophy instructor said, "Like the Matrix, the virtual is now more real than the Real."
If these technologies, documentation, and videos are available for people to access, why do we need something like "Video Nurse", a new concept I am testing on Youtube to provide questions and answers from the Internet about health, mental health, and relationships? One of my Youtube subscribers said it succinctly: because there isn't anything else like it on Youtube, and because people are lazy. The info is there. Yet we still like to talk to a warm body and be pointed in a direction that makes sense to us.
If curiosity killed the cat, I wonder how many of my cat lives are dead. I love finding good questions, and then I literally want to do a combo "pee-pee dance/O face" of excitement whilst I research answers off the Internet, compare statistics and sources, and decide what is essential to share.
Got an interesting question for Video Nurse? Send it in, and let me at it. Chances are, someone out there has been asking the same question, and together, we can do a world of good. If there are enough questions for a full-life show, I'll stream my answers in a 30 minute or 60 minute event on Ustream.tv. Grab your popcorn - or, oh wait! Find out what Video Nurse has to say about digestion and corn, and then make your own decision about what to grab for a snack.
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