Blog #11

We are almost done with school! I am getting so anxious to finish with my classes so that I can just go to the beach every day. The worst thing is going to school when the sun is shining bright with no clouds! I have enjoyed reading everyone's blogs, and being able to relate to you guys with the assignments and troubles. This class was definitely a challenge for me because I am the biggest procrastinator, but I think I made it through with a good grade. :)


QOTW #11
I liked our topic this week because it was about my Did You Know. It is easy to say that you would agree to take the pills every day for the next month, but I think it would be hard to remember to take them. Also, the side effects would interfere with my school and work. I would do just about anything to prevent myself if I knew I was pricked by a needle. When there is a possible prevention I do not understand why someone would want to risk getting the disease. Even though it is not 100% going to work, there is still a chance that the medications could help you.

Did You Know?!?
Did you know that your chance of being infected by HIV positive blood from a needle prick is only .3% ("Seriously," 2006) . The blood has to be fresh in order to transmit the disease to another person. I was always taught never to push the trash down in a public trash can because there could be needles in there. If the chances are only .3% than people really shouldn't be scared.

Seriously. (2006, August 30). Retrieved from http://chirucola.blogspot.com/2006/08/hiv-aids-myths-and-facts_30.html

Blog #10

I am actually going to have a very stress free weekend!! I am going to the beach tomorrow, universal on Friday, and a wedding on Saturday. My friends and I all call it the 3 R's.. rest, relaxation, and RUM! I am really just wishing classes would hurry up and finish because I am taking the entire summer off to travel. I am hoping to go on a cruise and fly to Seattle. The countdown continues!

QOTW #10
I had mixed feelings about whether or not a students HIV status should be revealed because I could not understand how the school could prove that they were having unprotected sex. Colleges should not fear talking about sex, but instead have functions that pass out condoms. We are not children any more, and we need to understand that with every bad decision follows a consequence. If two people choose to have sex without strapping up, than they know that there is a risk of catching diseases.

Men's Panel
So I took today off so that I could attend the men's panel, and completely slept through the entire day. I was looking forward to going because I heard how different it was from the women's. Can you fill me in on how it went today?

Did You Know?!?
I always assumed that the blood found in syringes would be able to get tested after an accidental needle prick. According to the Public Health Fact Sheet, "testing of blood found in syringes is not conducted due to the inability to accurately determine the presence of viruses and due to environmental conditions such as sunlight and heat, which degrade the viruses" ("Needle stick," 2003) . I would hate the not knowing especially if the needle was in the trash can. You would have to see a doctor immediately, and make follow up tests.


Needle stick. (2003, February). Retrieved from http://www.adventist.org.au/spd/rms/ohsman.nsf/1e21ea9b120a0851ca256dc60003f404/519987092f668995ca25721f00002f51/$FILE/Needle%20Stick%20Public%20Places.pdf

Blog #9

QOTW #9
I had to actually talk to my friend Becky before I wrote my response because I wanted to make sure she would be there for me if I told her I was HIV positive. She laughed at me, and reassured me that she would never let me go through anything alone. It is so important to have someone you can run to when times get tough, and I have been lucky enough to find an entire group of girls at UCF. If something drastic happened to me I know I would not have to do it alone. I think it would be hard for me to tell my mom because she would immediately think that I was having sex with random guys. I would not be able to tell my mom until months after I found out.

M&M Assignment I found it extremely difficult to remember to take the pills faithfully. I even set my alarm on my cell phone and still forgot several times. I think I would be doing more harm to myself if I started taking medications because I would never take them at the correct time. I learned a lot from this assignment, and I hope if I was really in the position that I could focus on taking the pills correctly.

Did You Know?!?! A London nurse died 7 years after she accidentally pricked herself with an HIV infected needle. Tests showed that she had an African strain of HIV resulting from the HIV positive patient. Juliet Young died of pneumonia at the age of 42. This article had a posting section for readers to write their input, and I saw that one person wrote that they accidentally prick themselves all the time!! If it is constantly happening, then I would only assume that I was doing something wrong. Who wants to keep getting pricked by used needles and not find a different way of doing it? I just found that post crazy and wanted your opinion.. :)

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message504536/pg1

Blog #8

Another week has passed by so fast! I did not get sick at all during the winter, and now I have had strep throat for two weeks straight. I have been stressed out with a new promotion at work, and trying to finish with my head above water in school that I think I forgot to take care of myself. School and work is important, but we all need to stop and remember to eat and hydrate ourselves. With only weeks left until the summer, the stress has never been piled up so high in my life. I hope you all are staying healthy!!

QOTW #8
I absolutely loved the topic this week. We forget about the seniors in our community, and they are the ones that need our help the most. It would take a lot for my granfather to admit to me that he is HIV positive, so I would do everything I could to help him. If he doesn't want me to tell anyone I won't, but I would remind him that it would be easier for him if he had a large support group. He needs to be able to talk to his family when he is having health problems, and there is only so much I can do with school and work.

Quiz #1
I am really nervous about our quiz this week. I want to try to study as much as I can for it, but at the same time I do not want to burn myself out. I will probably need until the very last day to take it because it scares me that we only have one chance to take it. My grade is not terrible in this class, and I am going to do what I can to get a good grade on this quiz.

Did You Know?!
According to the NY Times, 800,000 medical professionals are accidently pricked with used needles each year (Accidental Needle Prick, 2010). "According to the Johns Hoopkins study, medical schools discourage students from reporting incidents of accidental pricks, which increases the risk of silent malpractice through infection" (Accidental Needle Prick, 2010). I think it is crazy for schools to tell students not to report needle pricks because then students would fear getting on immediate medications. What would the schools do if they did report the inceidents? Would they punish the students? I do not understand the thinking of these schools because this could be a major reason why HIV is spreading in hospitals.

Blog #7

Hello group!! I can not believe how fast spring break went by. I kind of get an extra spring break because Monday I came down with strep throat. I let it get so bad that I can not even swallow :(. I at least was able to take a road trip to Auburn, Alabama with my friend Becky last week, and I went to the beach several times. I hope everyone was safe and enjoyed the relaxation!





Movie Assignment I found that the movie assignment summed up everything that we have been learning the last several weeks. I also liked how each movie looked at HIV from a different angle. What I did not like was that they kept saying people had AIDS; therefore, it messed up my written assignment because I just wrote what they were saying. My favorite one was Common Threads due to that fact that it allowed us to see how many people have died during that time. I do not understand why the government let it get so bad, and how the United States could be completely ignorant of what was occurring around them.

Did You Know?! Did you know that in 2008 a man sued the Beijing's Ditan Hospital because an HIV contaminated needle dropped on his foot (Mu, 2008). While he was visiting a friend in the hospital, a nurse had dropped the needle that was used to draw blood from an HIV positive patient. The victim bled upon contact. The hospital offered three months worth of anti-viral treatment that caused him to be dizzy and have hair loss. I find it to be ridiculous that this could possibly happen. I showed you guys pictures of different needles that could help eliminate this problem, and I think hospitals everywhere need to spend the necessary money to protect themselves and their patients. The hospital refused to pay for emotional distress.


Mu, E. (2008, December 26). Man sues hospital. Retrieved from http://www.danwei.org/front_page_of_the_day/man_pricked_by_hiv_contaminate.php

Blog #5

Hello Group,

I can officially say that I am burned out and exhausted. I had a Calculus and Chemistry II test on today back to back, and the amount of information that I had to cram put my mind into overload. I spent an entire week studying for these tests, and I feel as if I failed both of them. It is sad to say that I get excited to go to work because that means I do not have to do any school work. I am counting down the days to spring break!!!

Question of the week

I did this assignment last minute because I was unsure about what I would do. I wanted to share with you the REAL thoughts that were streaming through my head when I first read the QOTW. First, I was debating whether or not I would actually pull over. I have heard so many bad stories about the “Good Samaritan” getting sued by the victim or their family because of improper first aid. I do not want to be responsible for anyone’s life, let alone have the guilt on my shoulders if that person did not make it. The death of that person would haunt me for the rest of my life because I would constantly be thinking about what else I could have done. Also, the fact of possibly being infected by HIV from a complete stranger scares me. I am an extremely cautious person, but under stress and panic I am sure to make mistakes because I am not thinking straight. Seeing as my career is in healthcare, I am sure if this situation were to happen I would put all thinking aside and help this victim. I always drive myself crazy thinking about the “what if’s” in life, and I think that if I just kept driving I would always wonder if help ever came to the accident scene.

Did You Know?

If a healthcare is accidently pricked by a needle, the first step is to press the wound under running water for a minimum of 5 minutes and clean with chlorhexidine ("Needle prick injury," 2009). Next, the patient history needs to be looked up to see if they are HIV positive ("Needle prick injury," 2009). If they are, a prophylaxis treatment will be applied to the healthcare worker ("Needle prick injury," 2009). According to wisegeek.com, prophylaxis is a term used to describe measures taken to prevent symptoms of the disease (Grosvenort, 2010). The healthcare worker needs to also take note of the exact day, time, location, and description of the incident.

Needle prick injury. (2009, July 7). Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/17273646/Needle-Prick-Injury

Grosvenort, C. (2010). What is Prophylaxis?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-prophylaxis.htm

Blog #4

Question of the Week
This week I asked my Daddy, Grandfather, and boyfriend five questions that allowed conversation on a topic that we would not usually talk about. I was amazed by their answers, and the lack of real knowledge that they have on HIV. I have never had serious conversations with my Dad unless it had to do with the government; therefore, his answers were the most surprising to me. I could not believe that if he was to become infected with HIV he would not tell his own family. He also stated that he would feel less of a man if he had HIV. I look forward to having these types of conversations with my Dad in the future in hope of understanding his true feelings.

Module #2
This module went a little better for me than the first one. I started working on this the day I finished Module #1, so I took my time and focused on the small details. I am still having problems with citing, but I think I should have it down by the next assignment.. hopefully. I loved studying the immune system and how it relates to HIV. I found that HIV is a lot more complex than I originally thought. It is important to understand how it is formed before we can find a way to stop HIV from spreading.


Did You Know?!
There are several types of needles that can help prevent needle stick injuries from occurring?

The "Self Re-sheathing Needle" allows a guard to be placed around the needle after use ("Needlestick/sharps injuries," ).


The "Syringe with Retractable Needles" allows the the needle to go back into the syringe after use ("Needlestick/sharps injuries," ).


The "Add on Safety Feature" lowers over the needle once the user is finished ("Needlestick/sharps injuries," ).



Needlestick/sharps injuries. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/sharps/sharps.html

Blog #3

Module #1
I am pretty upset with my first module. I worked on the assignment for a total of nine hours and I had to keep saving it to my email so I could open it at work, home, and my boyfriends house. I had twelve of the questions answered before I went over to my boyfriends house to finish it. The six questions that I did at his house completely disappeared when I posted it for my grade. I kept pushing save after every question that I answered, but for some reason it did not save to his computer. So after all that hard work that I put into the assignment I ended up with a 45% because I did not realize the questions did not save until it was graded :(. I learned a very important lesson.... always open your assignment when you are posting your grade to make sure everything is the way you want it.

HIV Test
Last week I got tested for HIV. It was a little nerve racking because I hate needles, and I have not had my blood checked since the end of 2008. The doctor found it a little strange that this was for a class at UCF and I had the feeling she thought I was lying. They called me today to let me know that everything looks great! Even though I was sure that nothing would come up on the test, I still found myself waiting anxiously for them to call me. I spoke to my friends the day I had the test done, and they had told me that they have never been tested before!! It opened up a good conversation about how important it is for women to have their yearly and blood checked at least once a year. They have all been sexually active before, and never felt comfortable going to get tested. So today I took them both to Planned Parenthood!! I plan on doing that for my sister too because she is 17 years old, and has been with her boyfriend for two years. I do not ask questions about what she is doing, but I am still going to make sure that she knows how important it is to go to the doctor.

Did You Know?!
Did you know that only about 2% of needle stick injuries a year involve a needle that contains blood with HIV?

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that of the some 800,000 injuries each year, only about 2 percent (approximately 16,000) involve needles that are likely to be contaminated with HIV. Of those 2 percent of needlestick injuries where HIV-infected blood is known to be present, the chance of HIV transmission is estimated to be between 0.3 and 0.45 percent. The risk of transmission may be increased, however, if the needle is visibly bloody, if the procedure involved placing the needle in one of the patient's veins or arteries, or if there was a deep injury. Obviously, since 98 percent of needle-stick injuries do not involve HIV-infected blood, your chance of getting HIV from a random needle stick is significantly lower than the above figures" ("HIV from a Needle Stick," 2001) .

Hiv from a needle stick?. (2001, April 20). Retrieved from http://www.goaskalice.com/1887.html

Blog #2

*PCP Assignment*

This simulation was yet another learning experience for me. I chose to have my boyfriend hold a pillow over my face because it was a good indication of the trust I had in him. Throughout the assignment crazy thoughts came streaming into my mind... Was he going to obey the panic sign when I gave it to him? Do I have control of whether or not I am able to breath? As the minutes past it became harder and harder for me to suck in air. Some symptoms that I experienced were a headache, fast heart rate, anxiety, dizziness, chest pains, and tingly extremities. I think if I worked out more and took more vitamins, this assignment would have been easier for me to finish. It allowed me to see why people who have weak immune systems are more prone to PCP. During my research I found out that "PCP is the most common serious infection in people who have advanced HIV disease in the United States" (Pneumocystis Pneumonia 2007).


*Blogging Add On*
GHESKIO Relief in Haiti

With the death toll in the thousands due to the recent earthquake, I thought it would only be necessary to research an organization in Haiti. According to the GHESKIO official website, the GHESKIO Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti was the first institution in the world dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS ("In the heart," 2007). GHESKIO began its mission in Haiti in 1982, and have done everything in their power to keep their doors always open. Due to the catastrophe, the GHESKIO center was heavily damaged. They are asking for people to donate what they can to ensure that they are up and running as soon as possible. This organization is one of the reasons why Haiti's HIV prevention has become better in the past twenty years.

Their mission is to

"provide integrated primary care services, including HIV counseling, AIDS care, prenatal care, and management of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections. Through the conduct of research, GHESKIO defines HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention models for Haiti. Through training, GHESKIO expands these models to the national level" ("In the heart," 2007).

There was one aspect of the organization that really caught my eye and that was the counseling that they provide to patients:

"All patients tested for HIV receive pre and post-test counseling. Counseling includes an assessment of the patient’s knowledge of HIV transmission and the development of a personalized HIV risk-reduction strategy for each patient. All patients are encouraged to visit the family planning clinic, where condoms and other family planning options are offered. Individualized counseling is provided for each HIV-positive patient" ("In the heart," 2007).

In the heart of port-au-prince: gheskio relief in haiti. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.gheskio.org/


*Did You Know?!*

Did you know that ten percent of all hospital personnel are injured a year due to needle stick injuries? This percentage is still high considering all of the regulations that have been put forth to eliminate this problem. The number one thing on every Healthcare workers mind should be their own safety, but this could in fact stress them out to the point where they mess up. I recently just left a job because the managers took up so much time explaining the mistakes that could cost you your job. Every time I went to work all I thought about was trying not to mess up. This put so much anxiety on me in everything that I did; therefore, I was consistently messing up.

Did you know that "One of the most common and dangerous injuries sustained by Healthcare workers is an accidental needle prick from contaminated needles? According to one study, at least 20 pathogens including the AIDS virus and Hepatitis B virus are transmitted by accidental needle stick injuries" ("Health concerns," 2009-2010).

Health concerns. (2009-2010). Retrieved from http://www.desertinc.com/HealthConcerns.html

My first impressions of HIV class

Hello group,
My name is Courtney and I am 22 years old. I am a hard worker with two jobs, and I am currently a full time student. This semester I am taking Calculus and Chemistry II at Valencia along with our online class. I live in a two bedroom two bath condo by myself; therefore, money is really tight for me right now. My overall goal for my career is to finish medical school and continue on to become a Radiologist. I am in love with the medical field, so I am sure I will succeed in my goal.

Besides working and school, I love to go to the beach and hang out with my friends. I have been with my boyfriend for seven years, but I told him I did not want to get married until after medical school. I also have a white American bulldog that has literally become my first child. I speak to him like a baby, and he even throws tantrums if he does not get his way!!

I am a very open and honest person, so I hope to gain as much information from my group as I am willing to offer to you.

This is the first class I have ever taken at UCF, and so far it has not been an easy transition for me. First of all, I am extremely nervous about taking an online class. A problem that I have come across thus far is that I have not taken an English class in three years. It is difficult for me to remember how to write properly, and I even had to pull out an old English book!! I enjoy the discussions and learning about everyone in the class. In order to be prepared for this class, I had to print out everything that was on the website and highlight important facts. We were provided so much information on the first day that I almost dropped the course. HIV is a very important topic that everyone should take the time to learn about. This semester I hope to learn from those that have HIV, and my goal is to spread the knowledge to my friends and family.

The thrush assignment was a huge eye opener for me. I feel bad that people have to go through that because of the medications that they are on. I was not even able to stick the first cotton ball in my mouth without gagging, so I can only image how it would be to go through that every time i ate. I am looking forward to learning through our assignments, and reading everyone's opinions on how they were able to get through the thrush and PCP.

Did You Know?!

Before I enrolled in this class, I thought that there was still a serious concern of HIV spreading because of hospital flaws. Did you know that the risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion is very small. How often do hospital workers prick themselves with an HIV infected needle? To my surprise, the answer is not often. Even if an employee was to get pricked, there are medications that can be taken immediately after the incident that prevent the HIV from reaching the bloodstream. According to the Better Health Channel, there are several hospital policies that protect you from HIV such as

• Syringes and needles are used once only.
• Instruments are cleaned and sterilized after every use.
• Many items are disposed of after single use.
• Health care workers wear protective gowns, gloves and eye-wear when carrying out procedures involving blood and body fluids.
• Spilt blood and body fluids are cleaned up according to strict procedures.
• Laundry is cleaned according to strict infection control procedures.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/HIV_and_AIDS_infection_control_in_hospitals?OpenDocument

I am still not convinced that every employee in every hospital follows these rules. After visiting my grandfather in the hospital, I noticed that the nurse left his bloody gauze out on the counter. When she came back hours later she threw it away without cleaning the counter. If she did not notice to throw the used gauze away immediately, it just makes me think of what other careless mistakes are made on a daily basis.

This semester I am going to research the careless mistakes that have been made by hospitals in the past that caused HIV to spread to patients. My goal is to convince you to take the hospital setting seriously when you start your career.