Monday | May 1, 2023

Healthcare starts with you. This is your beat.

Happy Monday, Readers!

You might have noticed our newsletter has gone a little “Lavender.” Well, it is with great pleasure that we are amplifying Mental Health Week in collaboration with Lavender Health. This nurse-founded organization was created to provide a modern mental healthcare experience. They are owned and operated by a team of passionate nurses who care deeply for their communities. To learn more about their journey, join us tomorrow at 1 PM PST/4 PM EST with Lavender’s founders, Pritma Dhillon Chattha, DNP, MHA, RN, and Brighid Gannon, DNP, PMHNP-BC on Instagram Live with host Sarah Warren, RN to discuss the path forward to rethinking mental health. 

With much love and gratitude, 

Tamara AL-Yassin (aka Nurse T)

CEO | The Nursing Beat

TODAY ON TNB'S BLOG 💬

MORNING BRIEF 🍳 ☕️

2021 Saw the Large Suicide Rate Increase in 20 Years

After two years in decline, suicide rates in the US rose 4% in 2021—the largest one-year increase from 2001 to 2021, according to National Center for Health Statistics. More deaths among men in all age groups drove this increase, with a rate of 22.8 deaths per 100,000, amounting to four times the rate for women. Check out the CDC’s report to see the raw numbers. 

Though women report more suicidal thoughts and make more non-fatal suicide attempts than men, men die by suicide more often, according to The Wall Street Journal. Since record-keeping began in the early 20th century, more men died by suicide in 2021 than in any other year. Suicide rates are highest for older people, but the most significant increase — 8%— occurred among males ages 15 to 24. Race-wise, the highest suicide rate occurred among indigenous men (42.6 deaths per 100,000), followed by white men (28 per 100,000). 

The Stimulant Drug Shortage Is Hurting Patients

Due to Adderall manufacturing delays and rising demand, patients with ADHD and other conditions find it difficult to get the stimulant medications they need for their daily lives. Six pharmaceutical companies that manufacture Adderall and its genetics reported recently that some immediate-release formulations were unavailable or in shortage. Without the drugs, some patients struggle to work, sleep, and even shop for groceries or perform other daily tasks.

One ADHD patient told The Wall Street Journal that rationing her Adderall supply has left her fatigued, causing her to oversleep and slip up at work. Another ADHD patient experienced physical symptoms of withdrawal and onset that made it difficult to find a job (interviewers told him he was rambling). In addition, providers have been prescribing other stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta, and Vyvanse, causing patients who need those drugs—such as those with narcolepsy—to go without. 

The Ryan Haight Act of 2008 Needs Updating

The Ryan Haight Act is an important law you might not have heard of. The act details requirements for in-person evaluations before a provider can prescribe a controlled substance. However, in some cases, such as public health emergencies, that requirement can be waived, allowing for telemedicine prescribing of the drugs. With the current Covid-19 PHE set to end May 11th, many providers and health organizations are rightfully concerned that the 2008 act will cause many patients to be left without care. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration is currently developing a Special Registration process for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances under the Ryan Haight Act. The American Hospital Association has urged the DEA to expedite this potential prescribing pathway. And a whopping 72 organizations — including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Telemedicine Association — asked the DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services in a letter to waive the in-person requirement permanently.

LAVENDER HEALTH'S PICKS 🌼 

The Loftie clock is a must have for anyone seeking to improve their sleep hygiene and mental wellness. Fall asleep listening to white noise, sleep stories, or even your own playlist! One of its best features is the gentle alarm that wakes you instead of the usual alarm clock buzz.

🧑‍💻 THAT REMOTE LIFE powered by

Remote Nurse Job Spotlight - Health Coaching

A nurse health coach works with patients to help them achieve their health goals. When working with clients, they might:

• Use motivational interviewing skills to help patients identify personal health goals

• Apply behavior-change strategies to help patients adopt new habits

• Provide expert health information so patients can make actionable and realistic health goals

• Communicate with other providers about a plan of care

• Share resources and referrals for additional support

In many ways, this job is similar to case management in that nurse health coaches work individually with people to ensure they have the tools, resources, and information to improve their health and wellness. 

However, nurse health coaching is more patient-driven compared to traditional case management. Additionally, most nurse coaches are trained to provide holistic support that might employ various resources from conventional and alternative medicine.

Read the complete career guide to remote nurse health coaching here.

Ready to find your remote nursing role? Nurse Fern caters to remote job postings to nurses leaving the bedside. Check out our daily remote nurse job postings on Nurse Fern.

🧭 MAP OF THE MODERN NURSE powered by

Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) is a term and theory that describes positive psychological changes that occur as you face, process, and work through trauma. 

PTG looks like:

• Increased personal strength 

• Increased empathy and understanding 

• Ability to ask for help 

• Authentic friendships

• Spiritual connections

Although PTG often happens naturally over time, it can be fostered in five ways, all of which are integral parts of Debriefing the Front Lines programs:

1. Education 

2. Emotional Regulation 

3. Peer Support 

4. Narrative Development 

5. Service 

It makes sense why many of us who have experienced personal trauma have also chosen nursing. PTG occurs over time due to an attempt at making sense of unfathomable event(s). It is ever-evolving as you move through the complex layers of the human experience. If you aren’t feeling the PTG yet, that’s okay; you are exactly where you are supposed to be on the journey. 

Are you looking to learn more about PTG? Join DTFL on May 10th at 7:30 PM EST for the virtual 1.5 CNE workshop, Fostering Post Traumatic Growth.

DAILY DIVERSION 💊

Therapy and medications aren’t the only way to boost your mental health — there are many things you can do on your own. Mental Health America has a handy list of activities that could help you. These include journaling on your gratitudes and achievements, going “off the grid,” relaxing in a warm bath, walking in nature, and coloring, among many others. 

🤯 ONE BIG NUMBER

Today's Mantra: You will flourish today!