HOME OFFICE (UK) grant Overseas Nurses with sponsors Tier2 Visa & take CBT Later

The Current restriction on Overseas trained nurses prevents them from getting a Tier 2 visa irrespective of the fact that they have obtained the IELTS test score of band 7  in each category ( either combined or as a whole) and have a sponsor. The  IELTS and CBT are the barriers/criteria placed to inhibit nurses from the overseas work in the UK. The immigration rule stipulates that one must either have the NMC pin, have Passed the IELTS and CBT or Passed IELTS and CBT and have a Sponsor. Why is there no room for sponsors who want to support overseas nurses pass the CBT  and OSCE under their employment within a structured period of time.

Most of these nurses have either completed a Top up degree in nursing in the UK, but they are yet viewed as 'international nurses' not worthy to work in the UK as nurses, hence the barriers. During Open days and visits made by these universities to African countries, we are told that the degree will enable us work in the UK as nurses, improve our nursing skills and keep us abreast of the laws in the UK; yet Overseas/ International nurses in UK Universities are grossly neglected in clinical areas as they are not considered worthy of using the simulation rooms along with the home students. I quote "They can Only Watch Them Undergo Practicals but cannot partake or use the equipment'' . The question  is why make them pay so much only to get so little?.

It is really disheartening and painful when you expect so much from a Government and you are only considered a lesser equal and thus should  be segregated and conditioned under very strict and inflexible laws. It is believe that  internationally trained nurses come to the UK to get a degree in nursing, become further  equipped in the nursing field, contribute immensely to the society without being an unnecessary burden and above all perform our duties as nurses in love, respect for self and others and upholding the dignity of others.

In Light of these facts we hereby petition that 

1. Corrections should begin from the universities; if overseas nurses will remain 'overseas nurses'then there is no point having a top-degree program because it is clearly considered a waste of money, time and resources for those in question as they remain not competent enough to join the NMC.
2. if the course should remain in universities; there should be collaboration between universities offering this program and the NMC to ensure that overseas trained nurses can take the NMC exams and other relevant exams (IELTS) to get registered with the NMC in conjunction with the degree program itself, allowing the universities support and thus prepare them adequately rather than ignore the lots and let them perish.
3. Intenationally trained nurses in various UK universities must also undergo practical sessions in the simulation rooms as the saying goes ''practice makes perfect''. It is not academically advised for a student nurse to be under training and be without clinical exposure or experience. 
4. Placements should be in appropriate NHS hospitals and not just anywhere as the case is where adult nurses undergo placement in mental health hospitals

This I believe will encourage overseas nurses to actually undergo the course because they will see light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you; Please kindly sign this petition and join in encouraging a fair and equal form of learning in our UK Universities... 

click link to sign petition 

https://www.change.org/p/home-office-uk-and-nmc-uk-home-office-uk-grant-overseas-nurses-with-sponsors-tier2-visa-take-cbt-later?recruiter=747629614&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition

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STAY ON THE MOVE; Occupational Stress

The world at large is filled with people who work. It is jam-packed of people who work for themselves, for others, in Government sectors, private sectors, civil and social sectors and so on. In other words occupation has become an integral part of our lives. Neither can we live without it nor can we lead a fulfilling life without it.

Every occupation brings some free perks and gifts for us in the form of occupational stress, work conflicts, team mismanagement, communication issues and so on. No matter how big or how small an organization is, and no matter how organized or amazing an organization is, these issues are bound to creep in either in tremendous forms or in latent subtle forms.

Organizational Stress can develop due to a wide array of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are:

• Strict organizational policies and protocols
• Less scope for self-growth
• Intra (Within) and Inter (Between) group conflicts
• Workforce mismanagement
• Human resource mismanagement
• Lack of proper communication
• Personal and situational issues
• Bullying
• Groupism
• Time and work mismanagement

Whatever may be the cause of occupational stress it leads to a great deal of downfall of overall work output. It degrades your motivation to work, hampers your professional life and thrusts a jolt on your personal life, emotions, goodwill, belief system, health and so on.

You can experience occupational stress in manifold ways. It can be both overt ( seen in your observable behavior) or covert ( may be suffering from stress within and it cannot be easily seen). Here are some of the common symptoms that you may experience if you fall a prey to occupational stress:

• Generalized stress (feeling stressed out in almost everything)
• Lack of motivation to work
• Inability to meet deadlines
• Chaos and confusion
• Feeling of inferiority and anxiousness
• Changes in diet, sleeplessness, irritability
• Feelings of depression, hopelessness and helplessness, dejection and failure
• Excessive sweating, palpitations, nightmares in some cases
• Lack of confidence in presentations, communication and overall performance
• Burnout
• Turnover

If you are a suffering from occupational stress don’t fall a silent prey to it. There are numerous ways in which you can effectively deal with it:

• The first and foremost way to keep occupational stress at bay starts from the day you join an organization. Genuineness, professional attitude, keen interest and keeping your personal attributes out of your professional world are the key factors to be kept in mind.
• Do your work diligently and maintain a proper pace in your work. Do not resort to procrastination. Because it will keep a lot of back-log of work behind. And ultimately the unfinished accumulated work will attract unnecessary stress.
• Do not share your personal insecurities and issues with others at work. You never know when you will be back-stabbed.
• Punctuality, regularity, time management, honesty, diligence, discipline, and maintaining healthy professional attitude form some of the effective ways of dealing with occupational stress.
• Do not involve in bullying others. Do not indulge in groupism too. Because by doing that you are digging a pit for your own downfall.
• Try to finish all your work at your office itself so that you can return home and relax.

• Keep your work environment neat and tidy. That will keep your mood fresh for the day’s work.
• Healthy competition with others is OK. However, learn to compete with yourself. As in, where you are now and where you have to reach. This will be the benchmark of your success.
• Keep some handy stress management techniques with you. Use them when you feel over-stressed: deep breathing, meditation, walking out of the work area, getting some fresh air, listening to your favorite musical number…these are some of the easy ways to tackle stress.
• If the occupational stress becomes too overwhelming for you to handle then do not hesitate to contact a professional therapist. We all need some or the other support in our lives. Some times we can tackle our own issues all by ourselves and sometimes it requires team work.

Work is only a part and parcel of your life. What defines you is not your work but how you do it. So, love you work and even if you don’t then try to search for a work you love or try to make peace with our existing job. No work is big or small. Every work has its own significance. It’s our perspective and mindsets towards that work that matters. The way we work and with the way we make our work enterprising will define and determine its height and worthwhile nature. Always remember:

“When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.”

........I WON'T EAT.......

It's only human to wish you looked different or could fix something about yourself. But when a preoccupation with being thin takes over your eating habits, thoughts, and life, it's a sign of an eating disorder.

When you have anorexia, the desire to lose weight becomes more important than anything else. You may even lose the ability to see yourself as you truly are.

Anorexia is a serious eating disorder that affects women and men of all ages. It can damage your health and even threaten your life. But you're not alone. Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder with three key features:

• refusal to maintain a healthy body weight
• an intense fear of gaining weight
• a distorted body image

Because of your dread of becoming fat or disgusted with how your body looks, eating and mealtimes may be very stressful. And yet, what you can and can’t eat is practically all you can think about.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

In a normal pregnancy, your ovary releases an egg into your Fallopian tube. If the egg meets with a sperm, the fertilized egg moves into your uterus to attach to its lining and continues to grow for the next 9 months.

But in up to 1 of every 50 pregnancies, the fertilized egg stays in your Fallopian tube. In that case, it's called an ectopic pregnancy or a tubal pregnancy. In rare cases, the fertilized egg attaches to one of your ovaries, another organ in your abdomen, the cornua (or horn) of the uterus or even the cervix. In any case, instead of celebrating your pregnancy, you find your life is in danger. Ectopic pregnancies require emergency treatment.

Most often, ectopic pregnancy happens within the first few weeks of pregnancy. You might not even know you're pregnant yet, so it can be a big shock. Doctors usually discover it by the 8th week of pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancies can be scary and sad. The baby probably can't survive -- though in extremely rare cases he or she might. (This is not possible in a tubal pregnancy, cornual or cervical ) .

Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy

• Light vaginal bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting with pain
• Lower abdominal pain
• Sharp abdominal cramps
• Pain on one side of your body
• Dizziness or weakness
• Pain in your shoulder, neck, or rectum
• If the Fallopian tube ruptures, the pain and bleeding could be severe enough to cause fainting.

If you are experiencing the symptoms listed above, contact your health care provider immediately and go to the emergency room.

Causes of an Ectopic Pregnancy

One cause of an ectopic pregnancy is a damaged Fallopian tube that doesn't let a fertilized egg into your uterus, so it implants in the Fallopian tube or somewhere else.

Causes of an Ectopic Pregnancy continued...

You might not ever know what caused an ectopic pregnancy. But you are higher risk if you have:

• Current use of an intrauterine device (IUD), a form of birth control.
• History of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Sexually-transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea
• Congenital abnormality (problem present at birth) of the fallopian tube
• History of pelvic surgery (because scarring may block the fertilized egg from leaving the fallopian tube)
• History of ectopic pregnancy
• Unsuccessful tubal ligation (surgical sterilization) or tubal ligation reversal
• Use of fertility drugs
• Infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Diagnosing an Ectopic Pregnancy

Once you arrive at the hospital, a pregnancy test, a pelvic exam, and an ultrasound test may be performed to view the uterus’ condition and fallopian tubes.

If an ectopic pregnancy has been confirmed, the health care provider will decide on the best treatment based on your medical condition and your future plans for pregnancy.

OFFICE HEALTH PROBLEMS......

You can eat right and exercise everyday, but if you work in an office, those things can only go so far.

HEPATITIS.......INCIDENCE,CAUSES,SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation*increase in size* of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ.
Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membrane, and conjunctiva *eye*), poor appetite, and malaise*weakness* Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer.

Viral hepatitis is the most common cause of liver inflammation worldwide. Other causes include autoimmune diseases and ingestion of toxic substances (notably alcohol), certain medications (such as paracetamol), some industrial organic solvents, and plants.

Acute : 

Initial symptoms are non-specific and flu-like, common to almost all acute viral infections, and may include.

• joint aches, nausea, 
• muscle, fever,vomiting, diarrhea, headache

More specific symptoms, which can be present in acute hepatitis from any cause, are profound loss of appetite, aversion to smoking among smokers, choluria (dark urine), jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), and abdominal discomfort. Before patients develop jaundice, physical findings are uncommon. However, 5-10% of people with hepatitis develop tender enlargement of the liver, enlarged lymph nodes, and enlargement of the spleen.

Chronic

Chronic hepatitis may cause nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, tiredness, and weakness, and often leads to no symptoms at all. It is commonly identified on blood tests performed either for screening or to evaluate nonspecific symptoms. The presence of jaundice indicates advanced liver damage. On physical examination there may be enlargement of the liver.

CAUSES
Viral hepatitis is the most common cause of hepatitis worldwide. Other common causes of non-viral hepatitis include toxic and drug-induced, alcoholic, autoimmune, fatty liver, and metabolic disorders. Less commonly some bacterial, parasitic, fungal, mycobacterial and protozoal infections can cause hepatitis. 

Additionally, certain complications of pregnancy and decreased blood flow to the liver can induce hepatitis. Cholestasis (obstruction of bile flow) due to liver dysfunction, bile flow obstruction, or shortage of blood supply to the bile tract can result in liver damage and hepatitis.
Five Major Viruses cause Hepatitis. !
Hepatitis A, B, C,D.E
Hep A: transmitted via communicated through contaminated food substances
Hep B & E : Blood contact  with an open body surface or mucous membrane , body fluids, mother to child during delivery *more common form of hepatitis*

Alcoholic hepatitis

Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant cause of hepatitis and liver damage (cirrhosis). Alcoholic hepatitis usually develops over years-long exposure to alcohol. Alcohol intake in excess of 80 grams of alcohol a day in men and 40 grams a day in women is associated with development of alcoholic hepatitis over time.A large number of medications and other chemical agents can cause hepatitis. In the United States acetaminophen, antibiotics, and central nervous system medications are among the most common causes of drug-induced hepatitis. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States.

MODE OF ACTION

The specific mechanism varies and depends on the underlying cause for the condition. In viral hepatitis, the presence of the virus in the liver cells causes the immune system to attack the liver, resulting in inflammation and impaired function. In autoimmune hepatitis, the immune system attacks the liver due to the autoimmune disease. Some hepatitis, often including hepatitis caused by alcoholism, fat deposits accumulate in the liver, resulting in fatty liver disease, also called steatohepatitis .