The ‘Meds’ Nurses Wants to Keep For Themselves
Nurses give a lot of medications. The sheer amount of medication that we administer becomes even more apparent in pediatrics. Most pediatric patients cannot swallow pills and need suspensions instead. It feels a lot more cumbersome to carry and administer 5–10+ syringes of liquid than the med-cup that can hold 10+ pills to be thrown back with a swig of juice. A nurses’ brain is a pharmacologic encyclopedia. We put a great deal of time and effort into educating both ourselves and patients and families about medications. Interestinhly, patients don’t often question the heavy hitting prescribed medications: the immunosuppressants, anti-epileptics, antibiotics, and pain medications. They inquire most about the over-the-counter meds: the vitamins, electrolytes, herbs, minerals, and supplements.
This got me thinking. What was I doing or taking for my own health?
A multi-vitamin.
From a Kirkland 500 tablet bottle (that actually expired the year before).
I couldn’t help but feel a bit hypocritical and like my own health was taking a backseat.
So it felt serendipitous when Care/of caught my eye on Instagram. Beyond the bright colors, cute dogs, and mouth watering food, the nurse in me was so attracted to the vitamins. The ‘pills’ felt so relevant. Upon further investigation, I was drawn to nearly everything else about the brand — the personalization, transparency, wit, creativity, care, personality, science, quality, price, and approach.
I headed to the Care/of site and answered a series of fun and thought provoking questions to determine how my health could be supplemented. The lifestyle questions explore everything from your sleep and exercise habits to your diet and goals. It can take a few minutes but it’s so interactively fun that you’ll really enjoy it.
These were my recommendations:
I know a lot about medications. Like I said, a nurses’ brain can double as a Lexicomp. I also have taken an extreme interest in supplements, herbs, vitamins, nootropics, etc. over the past few years. But even Care/of’s ‘library’ really impressed me and was chock full of information that I had never stumbled upon myself.
The Care/of website is loaded with all the information you need to make informed decisions about your health needs. You can find information about every single vitamin, mineral, herb, and specialty pill that they carry from its pill type and dosage to place of source and manufacture, ingredients, natural forms, benefits, extensive research information, and an honest Care/of assessment of that research. They are 100% transparent about the entire process.
Honesty and transparency with quality is an easy win in our book.
So it’s safe to say I was impressed before my package even arrived. When it did, I was so stoked. I tore it open and within minutes, my husband was peering over my shoulder with intrigue that quickly turned to jealousy.
Who knew I could get excited over taking pills? Something my patients dread doing was something I couldn’t wait to do!
Care/of gets an A+ in making me feel special. It had my name all over it. Literally.
As a nurse, I administer most meds from ‘rings’ comprised of little packets of patient medications labeled with names, birth dates, and medical record numbers.
Care/of is my own nurse. It makes me feel taken care of. Seriously. It’s cute, convenient, and makes me feel good about what I’m doing for my own health.
Last week at work, while tearing open packets of magnesium and calcium for my patient, his mother inquired about my personal opinion. This is actually a quite common scenario. Patients and family members pose questions to nurses or inquire their personal opinions, expecting more frank and detailed answers. My response? “I myself take both every day.” She was intrigued.
Now if only I could translate my Care/of experience into how I administer pills to my patients.
Care/of applies behavioral science to help people feel their best. It makes taking vitamins and supplements an experience.
I look forward to opening up my little personalized packet of vitamins everyday. I’ve actually developed a ritual around the experience.
I have my coffee, breakfast, and Care/of, whether I’m at the hospital, at home, a cafe, or traveling. I had gotten into a bad habit of mindlessly and quickly consuming breakfast.
Now, Care/of slows me down.
Before diving into my breakfast or sipping my coffee while scrolling social media and catching up on email, I read my daily Care/of question. The questions posed on the packets are nothing novel, but they make me stop and think and that alone is enough to make me more aware and mindful.
The only side effects I’ve experienced nearly 3 weeks into my month of Care/of are happiness, convenience, mindfulness, and never wanting to take vitamins and supplements any other way ever again.
We’re so excited to partner with Care/of to share this experience with our Trusted nurses. The winner of our Modern Nurse Giveaway will get 1 month of personalized Care/of.
