DC Next Proudly Presents:

THE NEW TITANS

In Shadow of Kestrel
Issue Nine: War Dove
Written by AdamantAce, GemlinTheGremlin & PatrollinTheMojave
Edited by Deadislandman1 and Voidkiller826
 
Next Issue > Coming Next Month
 
 
“Raven!”
Slade’s gruff voice pierced through the deafening, wave-like roars in Raven’s head, but the rage was too much to bear. Her hands sizzled as hellfire danced in her palms, her body readying for another attack. She locked eyes with a reptilian soldier, dismounting his simian steed and charging on foot, but as she lunged forwards to strike him, she watched a man fly into her path. Slade Wilson caught the young Titan’s hand and pushed, throwing Raven backwards.
“Come on, kid, snap out of it!” But as Slade’s words fell on deaf ears, he felt the familiar sting of a fist to his jaw, a crack echoing in his ears. He recoiled from the attack but powered through his injury and stood his ground. Sinking his heels into the ground, he locked eyes with the girl before him. Her face seemed contorted and uncanny, as if all of the rage she was feeling was pouring out of her. She groaned angrily as she thrusted her head downwards, her forehead making contact with Slade’s teeth, before pulling her head back up again in preparation for another attack.
Before she could make one, however, one of the lizardmen had almost reached the warring duo’s sides, and as he lunged forward with his long spear, he made contact with Raven’s side. A small rip formed in the side of Raven’s outfit, which seemed to only anger her further. However, it did seem to distract her enough; Mar’i fired off a single Starbolt which struck only the ground - a warning shot.
“Raven! Please!” the half-Tamaranean cried out. But the Raven she knew was buried under unfathomable amounts of fury; she ignored her teammate’s call and instead flew forwards and swung out at the reptiloid. The strike glowed with red flame, sending the creature skidding across the floor, barely conscious. Slade spotted a flash of something else on her face, as if she was finally able to fight back against the endless rage - pain, perhaps, or anguish. But in an instant, it was gone.
That flicker of something other than white-hot anger was enough for Slade.
He clutched his side as his still open wound began to ache, the bandages feeling wet with fresh blood. His jaw felt crooked, and as he gritted his teeth, it felt as though they sat differently atop each other. And yet, he clutched his staff tightly in one hand, and with the other he beckoned to Raven.
“Kid, you’re fighting it, I know you are!” Slade felt his mouth filling with blood rather than saliva.
Within a moment, Raven’s attention was locked on the white-haired man once again. She fired bolt after bolt of black and red flame, but Slade was still dextrous despite his pain. He dodged and dived, weaving through the fire, until he finally managed to make contact with his opponent. He drove his staff into her chest and pushed his weight against the weapon, forcing her backwards. She rose into the air, a black mist pouring from her arms and over her face, a large ghostly corvid taking her place. He felt the deathly cold shadow of the bird’s wing fall over him, his feet leaving the ground as she scooped him into the air.
He looked down at the ground far beneath him. A fall from this height would kill anyone, he thought, let alone someone beaten half to death.
Then, as a verdant bolt of energy struck it in the side, Raven’s Soul Self shrieked and the shadows retreated inwards. Slade felt himself falling through the air for a second, then two, before he felt his back collide with something soft and cushioned. As he looked up, he met the gaze of Conner, who soared to the ground in an instant, placing the snow-haired man on the ground and giving a swift nod.
Raven let out a pained, frustrated yell as she returned to the ground, aided by a grappling line expertly positioned by Tim, and in response, Conner jetted off towards the sound of her cries. Slade’s feet faltered beneath him, and he stumbled to keep his balance. His breathing was laboured and his vision was becoming fuzzy. It felt as though, he realised, all the blood loss and violence he had suffered over the past few hours were finally catching up to him. Was this what dying felt like?
“Slade!” shouted a voice, followed by the dulled drumming of hurried footsteps. Slade pulled his hand across his face to wipe away the mental haze and drops of blood. It was Don, sprinting towards him. When Slade felt Don clasp him by shoulders, he realized just how slowed he was by his injuries. “Plan?” Slade coughed out.
“You’ve seen what she can do. I only see one way out of these without one of the kids getting hurt. I’d do it myself, but I’m out of practice and this is too important to leave to chance.” Don looked around anxiously, his face betraying that he had a lot on his mind. “I’m giving you the powers of a god.” Slade opened his mouth to ask a question, a million came to mind. He glanced across the battlefield. Through a blurry film, he saw Raven’s Soul Self bat Conner away with its wing. He careened into the trunk of a thick tree, uprooting it with a deep crunch. “Are you sure?,” Slade asked, breathless.
“I’m not losing another Titan.” Don squeezed his eyes shut. His grip on Slade tightened as pale, almost blinding light enveloped them. It felt warm. No, better than that: it felt peaceful. With his enhanced senses, Slade could hear his erratic heartbeat slow. Fleeting visions bubbled up in his mind, opening up his awareness beyond the wildest dreams of Project Veritas. He felt rivers of magical energy flowing through the air and earth. Each of them spiralled towards a depression. Towards Raven, he knew instinctively. Iridescent blue light spread outward from his shoulders. It washed over his body armor, bleaching the jet black panels until his entire body shone with radiance. The pain from wounds old and new faded, replaced by serenity - and power. Don opened his eyes again and sighed gently; a concoction and joy, relief, and quiet mourning.
“There,” Don remarked. Slade felt lighter, less angry, less burdened. He looked down at the iridescent light enveloping his body. Magical energy buzzed against the surface of his skin. “The powers of the Dove - officially yours.”
Slade sucked in a nervous breath. “Don…” Even rejuvenated, he was still lost for words.
“They’re yours now,” Don smiled weakly. “Now go earn them. There’s a Titan in dire need of our help.”
Conner floated out of the dense jungle, rubbing his forehead. “Is Slade glowing or do I have a concussion?”
Slade looked over at Raven. She seemed less erratic, her movements driven by her brain rather than her gut. Tim’s staff batted fiercely against her, each strike buffeting her back more and more, but it was clear to Slade that Raven was not any weaker physically - her mind, however, was another story.
Slade began marching towards her, the ache in his side dulled. “Raven. You’re strong. Fight this rage inside of you.” Raven glared at him, a spark of something in her eyes, as she swooped in towards him at top speed. As she neared him, however, Slade readied his staff, stretching it out in front of him. As the tip of the weapon struck Raven, a beam of white energy coursed through her, as if she had been struck by lightning, and her body was flung backwards across the dirt.
Slade danced a hand over his rifle, but something felt different. He pulled it into his hands and inspected it swiftly; nothing seemed out of order. Raven rose slowly from her supine position, snarling softly to herself. Her movements had slowed, the expression on her face becoming closer to horror than rage. She was doing it.
“You’re nearly there, kid,” Slade soothed, his words suddenly like butter. He watched Raven’s shoulders start to relax. “That’s it. Just fight this, Raven. You’re almost there.”
Despite her tremendous progress, Raven’s blistering fury won out once more, and she charged a large bolt of hellfire in her hands. Slade fiddled with his rifle and crossed his fingers. There was a standstill between the two. Slade analysed his rifle again; there was something different about the barrel, as if it had been swapped out for another similar model. The stock felt lighter, too, as if the weight had been–
Raven roared at him, swiping wildly with glowing fists, and in an instant Slade instinctively pulled the trigger.
What fired from the gun was not a silvery bullet, but a familiar glowing bolt of white light, cloud-like in appearance. As it struck Raven, she sucked in a deep breath, the energy engulfing her. Her face softened and her posture relaxed. Then she swung out for the man’s weakened side, his bandages poking through the aura of light. And yet, as he stayed steadfast, not even attempting to dodge the attack. Sparks flew from the point of contact. Slade just readied another shot and fired.
Her body swayed with the blow. Slade closed the gap between them and focused on the new warmth he felt, concentrating it into his staff as best he could. Then, as he held it out in front of him at arm’s length, he swiped at Raven and struck her in the side of the shoulder. Each blow seemed to be more effective than the last, but as Raven’s movements continued to slow, Slade held fire.
“You’re doing it, Raven,” Slade encouraged. He watched as the other Titans surrounded Raven, each of them ready for any further attacks. Everyone watched with bated breath as their teammate and friend thrashed and recoiled from the hit. Her breathing was rapid, although it felt closer to panic than unabashed fury. She clasped her hands over her head, groaning. Then, suddenly, she stopped.
Her face had softened completely, her jaw slack, and tears filled her vision. She looked up at Slade with a comfort in her eyes. The aura emanating from him was pervasive and contagious, and although she had felt lost in a sea of impossibly vast emotions, its warmth and comfort cut through. The anger was still there somewhat, the last remaining dregs still working its way out of her system, but the comfort, the peace that Slade was providing was the anchor for her to stabilise herself. She had only ever seen this kind of power when Don…
Raven’s eyes widened as she realised what that meant. She collapsed to her knees, suddenly feeling the bone-deep fatigue her rage had suppressed. Her teammates rushed in around her. Mar’i dropped to a knee by her side and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s OK. You’re safe. Everyone’s OK.”
“Don I’m—” She wiped away a stream of tears, stumbling her way out of the emotional vortex she’d been sucked into. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I’ve lost control before, but never like this.”
Don looked older. Creases ran across his forehead and around his eyes. His smile hadn’t changed. “Raven, my brother and I got those powers when I was a kid. We didn’t ask for them. We weren’t ready for them. We didn’t know how to use them, let alone control them.” He laughed dryly, recalling Hank. “I don’t regret anything. Giving my powers to Slade is the best thing I’ve done with them in years. I know Hank would feel the same way.”
In the moment of silence that followed, Raven rose to her feet and pulled her cloak tightly around herself. She was still shaking. Tim’s eyes drifted from her to Slade. “Something’s gnawing at me. Kestrel’s powers are weakened in Skartaris. Don’s…” He coughed, “Slade’s powers are amplified. If this place is what affected you—”
Mar’i’s face flashed with recognition, “—your powers must be tied to the Lords of Order and Chaos!”
Tim furrowed his brow. “Maybe.” He hardly had time to consider further when a thundering crack tore open the sky. Two bolts of swirling energy - one red and one blue - met above them, forming a swirling portal at their vertex. The Titans readied their weapons, expecting the worst.
“It’s them.” Slade murmured, still put off by his uncanny awareness. Terataya and T’Charr descended from the sky, one wreathed in mist, the other, magma. The two elementals stopped a few feet above the ground, hovering.
Terataya was the first to speak. Even at a whisper, her voice reverberated through the air. “I don’t usually care for surprises, Don, but this was a pleasant one.” A thin smile appeared on her face.
“Slade Wilson.” Terataya’s neck turned at an unnatural angle to face him. “You wield the powers of Order with great skill. Who understands the dangers of unchecked War better than a soldier. Become my champion. Protect the balance.”
Slade took a step back, then glanced at Don.
“She’s right.” Don said, with only a hint of hesitation. “It took me years to use the powers like you used them today. You’re a natural.”
Slade looked at his hands, still gently pulsing with pale blue light. “Thanks.” He allowed himself a weak smile. “But no thanks.”
“What.” T’Charr’s voice boomed.
“It doesn’t take Zatanna to realize an old soldier like me makes a piss-poor Avatar of Peace. I fight for a living, and I’m not deluded enough to think that makes me good at anything but fighting. If you want someone who understands the need for balance, Don just sacrificed everything special about him for it.”
Don raised an eyebrow. “None taken.”
“His actions today were noble, but they do not make up for years spent squandering the gift.”
“Squandering? The Titans wouldn’t exist today if he hadn’t pulled them together. Everything they’ve done. Everything they’ve achieved for your balance wouldn’t have happened without him, including stopping that monster you made.”
“Watch your tone, mortal.” T’Charr threatened.
“There may be a vein of truth to his words, lover.” Terataya said. “But *if we were to restore Don Hall’s power, we would need assurances. His indecision led down this path.”*
Rocks ground against each other as T’Charr landed beside Don. “You would have weeks, not years, to select a counterpart and return to your duties.”
Don’s response was instantaneous. “I’ve made a decision.”
“You’ve decided if you’ll take up the mantle of Dove again?”
Don nodded. “And who should be the new Hawk.”
Terataya giggled. “Full of surprises today. T’Charr?”
“We should discuss this.” He said. “In private.”
The three of them vanished, leaving the Titans and Slade alone on a battlefield riddled with bits of dino meat and ape fur.
 
○○ Ⓣ ○○
 
“You don’t think they’re gonna come back in like, 200 years, right?” Conner asked. He sat beside the depowered Slade Wilson, who was downing aspirin to make up for the sudden deficit in peace energy.
“I don’t know.” Tim said. “But we should give them more than fifteen minutes.”
As if on cue, the skies opened again. Again, the chromatic energy lit the sky and again a portal opened its swirling maw. This time, however, it wasn’t two elemental Lords to descend. Raven squinted to make the figures out.
“Oh my god.” Conner said, having a far easier time with his super-vision.
“What? Who is it?” Tim asked.
“Donna!” Mar’i shouted. She shot off the ground towards her. Her black combat armor was replaced with a crimson and white bodysuit studded with stars that seemed to twinkle as the light shifted around her. The sword at her side was gone too, replaced with a coiled loop of rope suffused with the same brilliant energy. The two collided into an embrace, spinning through the air as they held each other tightly.
Don was the first to land, restored with the powers of Dove. He looked stronger than ever, and maybe more importantly, happier. Even Tim’s typical thoughtful brooding has been pierced by an unimpeachable joy.
“I don’t understand,.” Raven said. “S-She’s alive. How is this possible?”
“I knew there was only one person who could be trusted with the powers of War, with Hank’s abilities.” He scratched the back of his neck, a bit guilty. “And she’d been staring me in the face for years. It took some doing, but eventually T’Charr and Terataya saw that too.”
Donna landed beside him, Mar’i only a step behind. By now Conner had stepped forward. He tried not to choke over his words. “I’m sorry. If I’d—”
Donna didn’t let him get the words out before pulling him into a grapple-turned-hug that quickly grew as the rest of the team piled in. Slade flicked another aspirin into his mouth.
“Danyah!” A voice called out from over the ridge. It was Travis, mounted atop a fanged reptilian creature in the vague shape of a horse and flanked on either side by his gold-armored honor guard. He broke into a gallop, stopping just short of the Titans. “When I saw the skies, I feared the worst. Is it really you? Has sorcery brought you back to us?”
“It’s me, Travis. A Lord of Chaos brought me back.”
“Not to interrupt,.” Slade said, still nursing his wounds. “But did either of you ask them to bring us back to Chicago?”
“I…” Don grimaced. “Donna, how do we get home?”
“How did you get here? Surely you could return the way you came.” Travis said.
“No, we can’t.” Tim said, pressing a few buttons on his wrist’s holographic display. “Whatever magic pervades Skartaris is also causing some extreme time dilation. I can’t guarantee we’d return to the 21st century, or even to Earth.”
“I spent a decade in Skartaris and returned to Earth nearly two centuries later. It’s the influence of Chaos. We’d need a Skartaran mage of overwhelming power to stabilize our return.” She spat the word mage with disgust. Travis’s expression seemed to confirm the reputation of Skartaran spellcasters.
Before their anxiety could spiral, the sky above began to churn. Moments later, the ground shook as a violent bolt of lightning cleaved the air, striking with such ferocity that all but Conner and Donna were flung backward. Mar'i skidded across the damp undergrowth, her senses overwhelmed by the acrid scent of ozone. Her mind was racing; their victory was hard fought, and she doubted they had much left in the tank for another confrontation. She dug her hands into the ground and pushed herself up as she choked from the smell. The Warlord Morgan and his military guards snapped to attention, forming a protective ring around the crater that now marred the earth.
From the smoking pit, a figure rose, unfolding from a crouch like something out of Terminator. Adorned in a red and white jumpsuit that accentuated his lithe build, the young man's appearance was marked by a red cowl and goggles, with sandy brown hair rebelliously spilling out.
Conner squinted through the dissipating smoke, murmuring under his breath, “A speedster?” The Flashes had had a variety of different sidekicks and other allies over the years, but none of them recognised this one
With a nonchalant flair that seemed at odds with the charged atmosphere, the newcomer greeted them. “Hey, everyone chillax. I'm here to get you guys back home.”
Donna, ever the leader, stepped forward and spoke with a commanding curiosity, now emboldened with the war aura of Hawk. “And who are you exactly? Why should we trust you with such a claim?”
Flashing a cheeky grin, he tilted his head and responded, “Well, I’m a speedster for one. Name’s Impulse. If I run fast enough, then I can… well, I guess bend time.”
Behind Donna, the group exchanged sceptical glances. Raven's face remained shadowed by recovery, Mar'i and Conner braced for action, and Tim discretely checked his gadgets, no doubt for something that he could use on a speedster should the need arise.
“Yeah, we figured that much,” Don cut through the tension, his voice calm yet insistent. “Who sent you?”
Impulse chuckled, his demeanour remaining unfazed by their scrutiny. “Look, the details aren't the fun part. Trust me, I can get us back.”
As a silence thick with doubt and scepticism settled over the group, Impulse seemed to realise his casual assurances weren't sufficient. With a theatrical sigh, he reached up and removed his mask, revealing a face familiar to both Mar'i and Raven.
“Brody!?” Mar'i exclaimed, her surprise echoing through the clearing as she stared at the boy who had once hobbled through their college classes with his leg in a cast.
The young man’s grin widened, his eyes sparkling with mischief and a hint of pride. “Actually, it’s Bart.”
 
○○ Ⓣ ○○
 
When Slade emerged from the shower, his skin was glistening with moisture, the water tracing the contours of his scars. He wrapped a stark white towel around his waist, and crossed the plush carpet to sit on the edge of the hotel room bed. He released a slow, deep breath; it was a good job the speedster kid arrived when he did. The notion of being stranded in an alien land or, worse, a different time had gnawed at him with a ferocity that was hard to admit. Without Bart’s intervention, every one of Slade’s meticulously crafted plans would have been utterly dashed.
Facing him, a wall-mounted mirror caught his rugged reflection. Drawn to his own image, Slade studied the scars that mapped his trials, the slick white hair that crowned his head, and the deep lines etched into his face. A familiar discomfort nagged at him, focusing his attention on his right eye. Unable to alleviate the irritation through the skin, Slade exhaled heavily and carefully removed the eye altogether. The movement, fluid and practised, spoke of years of adaptation.
He placed the prosthetic gently on the bed beside him and as he massaged the socket, a decades-old habit, his mind wandered. He wasn't accustomed to keeping the prosthetic in for extended periods. Showering with it had been an uncomfortable experiment in necessity - he didn't like it, but understood the importance of maintaining the facade. The Slade he would have people believe he was would have never lost an eye, because that Slade had led a life far from by the darker paths Slade had truthfully trodden.
His thoughts wandered to his brief time wielding the potent powers of Dove, and Slade felt a twinge of regret at their loss. The clarity and strength those powers had provided were intoxicating, yet he recognised that he had a more important goal, one he couldn’t compromise. His current role demanded not the accumulation of power but the perfection of his deceit, ensuring that all believed he was not the Slade Wilson they knew, but a Reawakened, more innocent doppelganger.
Now, with the glass eye resting beside him, Slade stared at his unmasked visage. Maintaining the myth of the noble Slade was critical. The ruthless mercenary, the World’s Deadliest Killer - those identities had to remain buried. The Titans had believed him enough to entrust him with divine powers, their faith a testament to his performance, but the game was far from over; in fact, it was entering its most critical phase.
 
 
Next: Return to normality in The New Titans #10
 

Hi. You guys might remember that I posted in here and the cancer family support group not long ago looking for some advice about looking ahead at my dad's treatment and care. Please let me know if I should change the flair, but support and advice is definitely wanted.
To revisit, he was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell lung cancer, metastases virtually everywhere in his body except brain and spine. We found out at the end of March/maybe very beginning of April. They told him 4-6 months without treatment, up to 18 months with treatment. So.. what happened?
I flew out to be with him and got here on the 15th of April. I took over his full time care. He declined so fast. Tuesday the ​30th, we had an interview with a home based palliative care nurse and he recommended that we send my dad to the hospital. Dad had been getting more and more foggy mentally and having a lot of difficulties communicating, tremors, etc. I questioned this very much and was told throughout the two weeks that I was here that it was probably the pain medication and we alternated through a couple options for pain management up until Tuesday. When the nurse was asking him questions, my dad couldn't remember the date or his address. So we made the call to send him to the hospital because the nurse thought it was more than just the pain medication. He was a complete angel on earth, he stayed with me the entire time until after the EMTs left with my dad and he made sure I was okay.
The doctors found out my dad had hyper calcemia, high calcium levels, which can happen in cancer patients. He had every single symptoms. They tried to give him a bunch of fluids and he got a bit better on day 2. But day 3, Thursday, he was much worse. The physician said, in the kindest way possible, that he didn't think my dad would get better. He tried one more option for a diuretic to help get fluid flowing because dad was having very wet/rattling breathing by that point. It didn't work. I had to make the hardest decision of my entire life to switch my dad to comfort care. It was what he would've wanted and made clear he would've wanted in his advanced directive/polst/etc. He told me for my entire life that if he ever was incapacitated, he wouldn't want to be a vegetable or prolong his suffering, he'd want it to end. Over the past ~month since his diagnosis, he made it clear through his legal forms and telling me/his other family that he would not want to suffer longer for no reason. He was a DNR and he chose "limited intervention" for his preferences. So I did what he wanted, I didn't prolong his suffering since it didn't look like it would help. The doctors and nurses were the most incredible I could've asked for and they gave him a lot of pain medication and meds to help him relax and be comfortable. They were wonderful to me and brought m​e and my family food and water and were just there the whole way through. He passed around midnight Friday morning. He was peaceful and at rest.
I know that I was true to what he wanted. But I'm struggling so fucking much. My heart hurts beyond words. I don't know how to live the rest of my life without him. I'm mourning that he will never get to see my boyfriend and I get married, that he'll never be able to do a first look with me or walk me down the aisle, that he'll never see my boyfriend and I finish our advanced degrees or see my boyfriend's son graduate high school. I had dreams of getting to have an inlaw sweet at our future house to have him with us. Even after getting his diagnosis, I had thought we had so much more time. I feel so lost. What do I do now? How do I cope? I already got his ashes back because he wanted to be cremated, having a celebration of life this weekend. Waiting on death certificates to close out accounts and get things taken care of. I don't know what to do with myself. I felt like I was treading water before, barely staying afloat. Now I feel like I'm at the bottom in the silt, running out of air. It hurts so much. Please share any advice or even words of comfort. I'm trying to make sure I have a list of everything that needs to get done. Thank you. So sorry you're along for this journey too ❤️🫂

Hi. You guys might remember that I posted in here not long ago looking for some advice about looking ahead at my dad's treatment and care.
To revisit, he was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell lung cancer, metastases virtually everywhere in his body except brain and spine. We found out at the end of March/maybe very beginning of April. They told him 4-6 months without treatment, up to 18 months with treatment. So.. what happened?
I flew out to be with him and got here on the 15th of April. I took over his full time care. He declined so fast. Tuesday the ​30th, we had an interview with a home based palliative care nurse and he recommended that we send my dad to the hospital. Dad had been getting more and more foggy mentally and having a lot of difficulties communicating, tremors, etc. I questioned this very much and was told throughout the two weeks that I was here that it was probably the pain medication and we alternated through a couple options for pain management up until Tuesday. When the nurse was asking him questions, my dad couldn't remember the date or his address. So we made the call to send him to the hospital because the nurse thought it was more than just the pain medication. He was a complete angel on earth, he stayed with me the entire time until after the EMTs left with my dad and he made sure I was okay.
The doctors found out my dad had hyper calcemia, high calcium levels, which can happen in cancer patients. He had every single symptoms. They tried to give him a bunch of fluids and he got a bit better on day 2. But day 3, Thursday, he was much worse. The physician said, in the kindest way possible, that he didn't think my dad would get better. He tried one more option for a diuretic to help get fluid flowing because dad was having very wet/rattling breathing by that point. It didn't work. I had to make the hardest decision of my entire life to switch my dad to comfort care. It was what he would've wanted and made clear he would've wanted in his advanced directive/polst/etc. He told me for my entire life that if he ever was incapacitated, he wouldn't want to be a vegetable or prolong his suffering, he'd want it to end. Over the past ~month since his diagnosis, he made it clear through his legal forms and telling me/his other family that he would not want to suffer longer for no reason. He was a DNR and he chose "limited intervention" for his preferences. So I did what he wanted, I didn't prolong his suffering since it didn't look like it would help. The doctors and nurses were the most incredible I could've asked for and they gave him a lot of pain medication and meds to help him relax and be comfortable. They were wonderful to me and brought m​e and my family food and water and were just there the whole way through. He passed around midnight Friday morning. He was peaceful and at rest.
I know that I was true to what he wanted. But I'm struggling so fucking much. My heart hurts beyond words. I don't know how to live the rest of my life without him. I'm mourning that he will never get to see my boyfriend and I get married, that he'll never be able to do a first look with me or walk me down the aisle, that he'll never see my boyfriend and I finish our advanced degrees or see my boyfriend's son graduate high school. I had dreams of getting to have an inlaw sweet at our future house to have him with us. Even after getting his diagnosis, I had thought we had so much more time. I feel so lost. What do I do now? How do I cope? I already got his ashes back because he wanted to be cremated, having a celebration of life this weekend. Waiting on death certificates to close out accounts and get things taken care of. I don't know what to do with myself. I felt like I was treading water before, barely staying afloat. Now I feel like I'm at the bottom in the silt, running out of air. It hurts so much. Please share any advice or even words of comfort. I'm trying to make sure I have a list of everything that needs to get done. Thank you. So sorry you're along for this journey too ❤️🫂

My son was without a heartbeat for 28 minutes during birth because a nurse fucked up. He has hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy which is an traumatic brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen with severe damage to the thalamus and basal ganglia along with defusion injury. His road to recovery has been incredibly long, he has a gtube now and has no oral feeds, and so far he's been diagnosed with GERD, Microcephaly, Cordical Blindness (he can currently only see bright lights some of the time) Tremors/Spasms, and High Muscle Tone. I feel like in the beginning the whole world had our backs, everyone was so supportive. As the weeks went on people slowly went back to their lives and the reality set in that this is ours now. I love my son, I absolutely do, I break down crying when I have thoughts of wishing he were different, or that I had never been pregnant, and I feel so guilty for feeling grief. Im terrified of having another kid because im so so fucking scared I'd be unable to treat them both fairly and to provide the same opportunities. It sucks so much because I have wanted two kids since I myself was a child. I feel like i've given up so much of me in this process, and im incredibly depressed with no one to turn to, all I want is someone who understands us. I thought I found it briefly in a mom who's baby had a brain cyst, she made a post about how difficult it was dealing with the possibility of her baby developing lifelong complications, we connected and I feel like I just became someone for her to brag to, the cyst went away without intervention, and her son is developmentally ahead at the same age as my son, same birthday actually. Now she just sends me pictures of him sitting up on his own or pushing up, or videos of him babbling, and I just wish my baby could cry god damn it. And I feel so horrible and selfish for wishing her baby was sick so I could have a friend. Taking care of a child with disabilities is hard but its so much harder alone, I feel so lost, google doesn't have answers to the questions I've been asking, and I have so many. Edit: my writing got really messy in the end. Stupid tears.

I feel like when it comes to discussions about divorces involving children, 99% of the time people say it was better the divorce happened than if two people that didn't love each other stayed together for the sake of the kids. I want to share my story, because that was not my experience as the kid of divorced parents.
Almost two decades ago when I was 10 years old, my parents told my sister and I they were getting a divorce. They said they didn't get along anymore and we wouldn't all be living together anymore, but they would still be our mom and dad and we would live with each of them. I bawled my eyes out uncontrollably that night, completely shattered. In reality, my dad had spiraled down a 9-year-long addiction to opioid pills that meant he was high 24/7, lost his job, and was doing reckless things like drinking and driving, even with me in the car. Not to mention the impact it had on everyday life, vacations, finances etc. It drove my mom to her breaking point where she wanted a divorce, but first helped him get sober with staging an intervention and then getting him into rehab and NA.
Gradually my dad moved out to an apartment nearby, our house was sold and my mom bought a smaller one a town over, my sister and I would go back and forth between staying with each parent each week, and they both started dating. About a year after the divorce, my dad started seeing a woman of a far trashier, immature nature compared to my mom. He moved her in after a month, and long story short, my dad was heavily dedicated to her and changing from her influence, becoming a juvenile 40-something man unrecognizable to me. All while he had two young adolescent kids to raise who just had their world's shattered. My sister and I felt like afterthoughts, and I blame my dad for that as well as my now-stepmom for fully seeing the situation she was walking into, the impact it had on my sister and I, and still diving head-first into it. She quit her job as a nurse pretty early on to be a stay-at-home wife, even though my dad was making just OK money.
As for my mom, she lost her job shortly after the divorce due to insubordination, and then never held a job of the same seniority/salary/importance ever again. She spent the remainder of my childhood staying at home raising my sister and I, who eventually moved in with her full time to get away from being around my stepmom until we went to college. She had a few smaller jobs she'd last a few months at, but that's essentially been her career ever since but with a steady decline. She was a vice president of a Fortune 500 company, and now she's on the phone in a call center making a little more than minimum wage.
She dated a little too, but never got as serious with anyone as my dad did. Part of it may have been that she just couldn't catch the kind of guy she was looking for, but part of it may have been seeing the impact one stepparent was having on my sister and I. I'm sorry she's still alone and may be alone the rest of her life. But I'm also glad we had her full attention and care when we were growing up, because I was thinking about ending my life every day of those years, and the addition of another new strange adult living with me and having nowhere for me to escape to probably would have put me over the edge. I did attempt in college several times, but had a moment of reckoning and decided to see life through.
Part of the reason for her overall decline too has been her descent into alcoholism, starting a couple of years before the divorce but the scope of it not fully visible at the time. From when I was 12 onwards, she's gone through cycles of sobering up, working AA, gradually checking out of AA, functionally relapsing, descending into disfunction/rock bottom and repeat every 18 months or so. Her latest period as a full-blown alcoholic was her worst, and she was more of a mess than my dad ever was. He's relapsed twice over the years, but to his credit, they were relatively brief periods of relapse and he's seriously worked the 12-step program to maintain sobriety otherwise. He now owns a home near where I grew up.
In summary: I absolutely recognize what my mom went through for 9 years with my dad's drug addiction and I can imagine the stress it put her through, the impact it had in shaping those years of her life, and how out of love she must have felt after so many incidents with my dad being high. That said, I've always felt a massive hole in my chest every day of these last 19 years, and hindsight has only further made me feel like the divorce was a mistake. I can't put myself in my mom's shoes, but I wish she had given my dad a last chance once he was sober. He's a better man sober. I can't help dreaming of "What if's" even when it only hurts to imagine. If my parents stayed together, maybe we would have still had our big, beautiful house; maybe my mom's alcoholism wouldn't have been so out of hand with my dad to support her own sobriety; maybe my mom wouldn't be living in a sober house 200 miles away right now with barely a dollar to her name; maybe my dad would have a repaired relationship with his kids instead of barely seeing one and never hearing from the other; maybe I would actually want to have a family of my own instead of worrying there's a chance I really ruin my kids in some way too; maybe I would be able to hold down a relationship of my own without getting anxiety about the future if I had an example of a united family to look up to or even parents that could give me useful relationship advice; maybe my chronic depression wouldn't have started so early or at all so that I'd never eat myself to morbid obesity. Or maybe not.
Look, yeah, we can never know one way or the other for sure. But if they knew then where their lives, my life, and my sister's life would end up, I think they would have found a way to make it work.
I don't think I'll ever fully be ok with everything that happened or how it's shaped me. I wish I could be, and I wish I could move past all of it, but this was all some destructive shit.
TL;DR - I'm sharing this as a counter to the popular idea that divorce is always better, especially for the kids when there's kids involved. My unbeknownst-alcoholic mom divorced my long term opioid pill-addicted dad when I was 10, my mom helped my dad sober up during the divorce. My dad quickly started seeing a trashy woman that he moved in with him and invested most of his time, love, and attention into, and he eventually bought a house for them. My mom lost her job, essentially never held another serious full-time job again, descended deep into alcoholism with a dozen relapses and sobering-ups over the years, is flat broke and never found another partner. It's almost two decades later and I'm a 29-year-old man, and the effects of the divorce left a lasting trauma on me that a life of therapy hasn't and won't fix. It's also influenced my aversion to ever having a family of my own, my struggles to have a serious long-term relationship with someone, and overall plays a roll in my chronic depression.

Hello everyone,
Here's an family physician from Spain who has been working in pre-hospital emergency medicine for almost a decade now. I’m curious about how emergency care is organized in your area. Let me explain:
I love reading the cases, anecdotes, and stories on this subreddit, but often I don't understand the structure you work under, as there are categories that don't exist in my area or at least don't perform the same functions: paramedics, EMTs, NREMT... Recently, someone shared an article stating that in 48 states of the USA, it wasn't mandatory to have a physician in the emergency room, which is unthinkable here (mainly because of legal repercussions).
So, let me explain how things work in my area, in the pre-hospital setting.
Keep in mind that emergency care is centralized, as in Spain the healthcare system is public, the percentage of users with private healthcare is very low, and they usually don't offer emergency services (let alone ambulances).
Pre-hospital emergency care is divided into Puntos Fijos, which are primary care centers equipped with very few resources: a short treatment room (nebulization, oxygen therapy...), a critical care room with everything needed in case of cardiac arrest (defibrillator, respirator, medication), a nursing consultation room (dressings, injectables...), and medical consultations (some centers have ultrasound). In these centers, users come on their own with any type of urgent demand (according to their criteria, of course) and are attended by the doctor, and the nurse if needed.
Then there are the mobile teams: ambulances.
Calls come in through the 061 phone line, and in the coordination room, they are assigned a priority and a resource. In the room, there is always a physician (who is the final responsible of the assignment) and depending on its size, a greater or lesser number of case managers (telephonists).
There are three different types of ambulances: * Advanced Life Support Ambulances: dispatched for priorities 1, 2, and sometimes 3, where the patient may require medical intervention. The team is formed by: * Emergency Medical Technicians whose job is driving, mobilizing and immobilizing the patient, performing cardiac massage during CPR... * Nurses: vein cannulation, administration of treatments, performing diagnostic tests, techniques such as catheterization, aspiration, gastric lavage... * Physicians: final responsibility for decisions and medications to be used, airway management, interventional techniques (central vein catheterization, thoracentesis...) * Advanced Care Teams: comprised of an EMT and a nurse. They assist (suppose) non-critical conditions, may dispense medication upon telephonic medical order. * Conventional Ambulances: staffed by an EMT, used for stable patient transport, supporting ALS ambulances if needed. They cannot administer medication or treatments.
This is a rough vision of how it is organized, there are several different units with different equipment and ambulances, some other ambulances that cover the urgent or emergent transport between hospitals…
How does all of this work in your country/area? For example, here it's unthinkable for an EMT or a nurse to decide on treatment without a physician's decision, and the paramedic role doesn't exist.
I would love to hear your opinions and experiences. How is emergency medical care organized in your country or local area? Are there particular aspects that you consider unique or interesting compared to other places? Feel free to share your ideas!

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, nursing stands as the cornerstone of patient care. As we navigate through the complexities of modern medicine, it becomes imperative to foster an environment of continuous improvement within the nursing profession. From refining working habits to advocating for better resources, here are some examples of nursing improvements worth discussing:

1. Optimizing Workflow Efficiency:

Nurses often face challenges related to time management and workflow efficiency. One improvement could involve implementing technology solutions such as electronic health records (EHR) or mobile applications to streamline documentation and communication processes. By reducing administrative burdens, nurses can dedicate more time to direct patient care, ultimately enhancing outcomes.

1. Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration:

Effective collaboration among healthcare professionals is essential for delivering comprehensive patient care. Nurses can advocate for interdisciplinary rounds where physicians, nurses, therapists, and other team members come together to discuss patient cases and develop cohesive care plans. By fostering open communication and mutual respect, interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.

1. Promoting Staff Well-being:

Nursing is a demanding profession that often takes a toll on the physical and emotional well-being of nurses. Implementing initiatives to support staff well-being, such as mindfulness programs, mental health resources, and flexible scheduling options, can help alleviate burnout and improve retention rates. Prioritizing the health and happiness of nurses ultimately translates to better patient care.

1. Advocating for Patient-Centered Care:

Nurses play a pivotal role in advocating for the needs and preferences of patients. Encouraging shared decision-making, implementing patient-centered care models, and providing cultural competency training can empower nurses to deliver care that is tailored to each individual's unique circumstances. By prioritizing the patient's voice and preferences, nurses can foster trust, enhance satisfaction, and improve health outcomes.

1. Embracing Evidence-Based Practices:

In an era of rapid medical advancements, it's crucial for nurses to stay abreast of the latest evidence-based practices. Establishing regular education and training programs, promoting participation in research initiatives, and creating forums for knowledge sharing can help nurses integrate evidence-based interventions into their practice. By aligning care with the best available evidence, nurses can ensure optimal outcomes for their patients.

1. Addressing Healthcare Disparities:

Nurses have a critical role to play in addressing healthcare disparities and promoting health equity. By advocating for equitable access to care, addressing social determinants of health, and participating in community outreach initiatives, nurses can contribute to reducing disparities among underserved populations. Through collaborative efforts, nurses can work towards creating a more just and inclusive healthcare system.
In conclusion, nursing improvements are essential for advancing the quality and effectiveness of patient care. By actively engaging in discussions and implementing innovative solutions, nurses can drive positive change within their practice environments. Let's continue to strive for excellence, advocate for our patients, and work together towards a brighter future for nursing.
Let me know your opinion in the comments and be free to say what would you change in your work enviroment! 🫶🏻

Hey there!
I'm a Canadian OT (5 years of practice) and currently on maternity leave. I have been working in community mental health for the last 4.5 years, and I've enjoyed my position for the most part. However, I was given the opportunity to try acute care and now that's where I'm stuck.
I will admit that my current position I am required to do a lot of counselling, thus sometimes giving me the "glorified social worker" vibe (no hate to RSW's, just I didn't sign up for that).. I am limited in my OT intervention at times at my job as well as sometimes there are OPI's I can address (eg. Chronic Pain) but I have to refer out for equipment, longer term follow-up, etc. At my current job, there is no room for me to go "upwards" either. I am the only OT on my team (nurses/rsw's).
With the acute job, I'd have a team to work with. Management seems super great, and I'd be working on 4 different floors (rehab, alternate level care aka waiting for a nursing home, er, and surgical stepdown/icu). I am concerned I am not skilled enough in my phys dys for the job, however when I spoke to the management during interview about it, they weren't worried.

Pro of MH	Con of MH
Competent in field	A lot of counselling
Love my team for most part	Sole OT (no inspo fr others)
Flexible schedule (can wfh, flex day)	Boring at times
completely independent/no micromanagement	No room to grow
Like being out in community and working with clients in their spaces

Pro of Acute	Con of Acute
+++ skills in OT	I'm not good at it lol
Team to work with	Not flexible in days (could be issue with kids)
Supportive management	not sure how I will like repetiveness of intervention
Room to eventually grow if wanted

So, help me decide - I have beaten it around my head forever and cannot for the life of me figure out what to do. I feel I have two great options, and I'm fortunate and will be happier in either. I lean a little to mental health for the aspect that it's familiar and comfy, but I know the opportunity in acute won't come up again for a long time.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Treatment.com AI Inc. (CSE: TRUE, OTC: TREIF, Frankfurt: 939) (“Treatment”) is pleased to announce it has signed a Collaborative Agreement with Health Care Services International Inc (o/a Novus Health). (“Novus Health”) to explore utilization of Treatment’s proprietary Global Library of Medicine (“GLM”) to further enhance Novus Health’s Health Risk Assessment programs.
Treatment is partnering with Novus Health, an acknowledged leader in health navigation supporting over 1.5 million members and their families. Over the past 7 years and in collaboration with hundreds of global healthcare professionals, utilizing our proprietary algorithms, Treatment has built one of the world’s most intelligent, personalized healthcare AI engines, the Global Library of Medicine (GLM). Working with a number of leading North American Health Insurers, Novus Health has built a trusted navigation platform that simplifies health care experiences by bringing together everything an individual needs to successfully manage their care journey.
Treatment and Novus Health also intend to explore mutually beneficial opportunities through the partnership, this will include Health Risk Assessment and Medical Second Opinion.
The collaboration also allows Novus Health and Treatment to work closely on testing and development of further new mutual joint commercial applications and/or solutions. The intent of this collaboration is to promote the development, installation, testing, validation, and commercialization of one or more novel solutions that further the goals of both companies and proactively impact the health insurance market.
Dr. Essam Hamza, CEO of Treatment, comments: “We are very excited to partner with a recognized leading healthcare firm in Novus Health. There is a near term opportunity to implement our proprietary AI diagnostic tools into the solutions offered to their vast customer base. However, with this collaboration we also have an opportunity to extend into new mutually developed tools and solutions that have the ability to further improve health care efficiency and patient outcomes.”
Jamie Marcellus, CEO of Novus Health, comments: "We are excited about the potential for Treatment.com’s AI to augment our services. Their platform offers the possibility of unparalleled efficiency and accuracy in health risk assessments, drawing insights from vast data sets to detect patterns and predict potential risks. By leveraging these tools, our members can make better informed decisions swiftly, enhancing care and enabling proactive interventions to mitigate health threats effectively.”
About Treatment. com AI Inc.
Treatment.com AI is a company utilizing AI to positively disrupt the healthcare sector and impact current inefficiencies and challenges. Over the past 7+ years and with the input of hundreds of healthcare professionals globally, Treatment.com AI has built the world’s most intelligent, personalized healthcare AI engine, the Global Library of Medicine (GLM). Providing the highest qualified clinical information and support to all healthcare professionals, the GLM delivers >92%+ accuracy on first diagnosis as well as providing recommended tests (physical and lab), x-rays, and billing codes. The platform’s quality and transparency are unrivaled, as the GLM provides an explanation of every step and likelihood associated with every symptom. Treatment.com AI also focuses on the next generation of healthcare professionals supporting Medical and Nursing schools, who utilize the GLM to help enhance the future clinical skills of their students. Treatment.com AI is focused on using AI for good and utilizing its GLM platform to bring the possibility of health equity and inclusion for disenfranchised communities.
About Novus Health
Novus Health connects people with care and is a leader in health navigation. We deliver personalized support, reputable information, and health-related services in one single destination, using technology to help individuals make informed health decisions. In doing so, we create value for our partners while improving their members’ and customers’ health and well-being.
FULL PR...
Treatment.com AI and Novus Health Partnership Expands Access to its Global Library of Medicine (GLM) (yahoo.com)

Smartg4control is a leading automation company providing hotel room and hotel guest room automation services. Out patient Clinic Management System, Nurse Call system, Outpatient clinic system, Hotel MUR DND GRMS, Intelliggent Building Lighting Control, Lighting and Dimming Panel, Mood Lighting and Dimming system, Smart Hospital SystemsSmartg4control is a leading automation company providing hotel room and hotel guest room automation services. Out patient Clinic Management System, Nurse Call system, Outpatient clinic system, Hotel MUR DND GRMS, Intelliggent Building Lighting Control, Lighting and Dimming Panel, Mood Lighting and Dimming system, Smart Hospital Systems, control systems, Building Managment System BMS. https://www.smartg4control.com/

Definition and Purpose

BMS is a centralized control system that integrates with various building subsystems to provide real-time monitoring, automated control, and data analysis. Its primary purpose is to create a comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient environment for patients, staff, and visitors while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.

Key Features of BMS

• Real-time Monitoring: BMS continuously monitors the performance of building systems and equipment, providing insights into energy consumption, temperature levels, and equipment status.
• Automated Control: BMS automates routine tasks such as adjusting thermostat settings, turning lights on/off, and regulating airflow based on predefined parameters and occupancy patterns.
• Data Analytics: BMS collects and analyzes data from sensors and devices to identify trends, detect anomalies, and optimize system performance through predictive maintenance and proactive interventions.
• Integration Capabilities: BMS integrates seamlessly with other Smart hospital systems, such as EHR and security systems, to enable data sharing, interoperability, and centralized management.

Lighting and Dimming PanelMood Lighting and Dimming systemSmart Hospital Systemscontrol systemsBuilding Managment System BMS

Benefits of Implementing BMS in Hospitals

The implementation of BMS offers a wide range of benefits to hospitals, stakeholders, and patients alike.

Efficiency and Cost Savings

By optimizing energy usage, automating routine tasks, and identifying opportunities for improvement, BMS helps hospitals reduce operational costs, lower utility bills, and minimize waste.

Enhanced Patient Experience

A comfortable, well-maintained environment is essential for patient satisfaction and healing. BMS ensures optimal conditions by regulating temperature, humidity, and lighting levels, thereby enhancing the overall patient experience.

Improved Facility Management

BMS provides facilities managers with valuable insights and tools to proactively manage building systems, prioritize maintenance tasks, and respond promptly to issues, minimizing downtime and disruptions.

Challenges in Implementing BMS

While the benefits of BMS are clear, implementing such a system in a hospital setting comes with its own set of challenges.

Initial Costs and Investments

The upfront costs associated with installing and configuring a BMS can be significant, requiring hospitals to allocate resources and budget accordingly. However, the long-term savings and benefits often outweigh the initial investment.

Data Security Concerns

With the increasing connectivity of building systems and devices, ensuring the security and integrity of data becomes a top priority. Hospitals must implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.

Training and Adoption Issues

Successfully implementing BMS requires buy-in from all stakeholders and effective training programs to ensure staff members understand how to use the system effectively. Resistance to change and lack of training can hinder adoption and limit the system's effectiveness.

Case Studies of Hospitals Using BMS

To illustrate the real-world impact of BMS, let's explore some case studies of hospitals that have successfully implemented and benefited from this technology.

Real-world Examples

• Hospital A: By implementing a BMS, Hospital A was able to reduce energy consumption by 20%, resulting in significant cost savings and environmental benefits.
• Hospital B: BMS helped Hospital B improve patient comfort and safety by monitoring air quality, controlling temperature, and detecting equipment failures in real-time.

Success Stories and Lessons Learned

Through these case studies, hospitals have learned valuable lessons about the importance of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing maintenance in maximizing the benefits of BMS.

Future Trends in Smart Hospital Systems

As technology continues to evolve, so too will smart hospital systems and the role of BMS within them.

Advancements in Technology

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced sensors will further enhance the capabilities of BMS, enabling predictive analytics, autonomous operations, and personalized experiences for patients.

Predictions for the Future of BMS

In the future, BMS will become even more integral to hospital operations, acting as the central nervous system that orchestrates and optimizes all aspects of the healthcare environment, from patient care to facility management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, smart hospital systems, powered by technologies such as the Building Management System (BMS), are revolutionizing the healthcare industry by improving efficiency, enhancing patient experiences, and optimizing resource utilization. While challenges exist, the benefits of implementing BMS far outweigh the costs, making it a valuable investment for hospitals seeking to thrive in the digital age., control systems, Building Managment System BMS. https://www.smartg4control.com/

Definition and Purpose

BMS is a centralized control system that integrates with various building subsystems to provide real-time monitoring, automated control, and data analysis. Its primary purpose is to create a comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient environment for patients, staff, and visitors while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.

Key Features of BMS

• Real-time Monitoring: BMS continuously monitors the performance of building systems and equipment, providing insights into energy consumption, temperature levels, and equipment status.
• Automated Control: BMS automates routine tasks such as adjusting thermostat settings, turning lights on/off, and regulating airflow based on predefined parameters and occupancy patterns.
• Data Analytics: BMS collects and analyzes data from sensors and devices to identify trends, detect anomalies, and optimize system performance through predictive maintenance and proactive interventions.
• Integration Capabilities: BMS integrates seamlessly with other Smart hospital systems, such as EHR and security systems, to enable data sharing, interoperability, and centralized management.

Lighting and Dimming Panel

We sleep trained my daughter about 1.5 months ago using CIO and she had been sleeping wonderfully. We were getting about 11 hours of sleep straight a night. The only times she woke up were for very clear reasons, like a poopy diaper or a missed feed during the day.
The last several nights she’s woken up around 3 or 4 AM and not gone back to sleep without intervention (for an hour.) She doesn’t seem overly fussy, so I’m not sure it’s teething pain, although she is starting to teeth. She will eventually go back to sleep after she nurses, so could it be hunger? Like a growth spurt? She’s been eating and nursing the same amounts during the day. I’m afraid that I’m getting her used to MOTN feeds again by letting her nurse at night again.

This parent has fired other nurses before. I’ll try keep it short. I’m a new grad RN who has worked on pediatrics for the last 3-4 months. Early in my shift, she asked me if I “just sat and watched her baby cry again” when his CPAP was being applied (he doesn’t tolerate it well but does settle after being swaddled and a few minutes of cuddles). She was short with me all night or simply didn’t respond when I asked if she had questions or concerns. Babe was super irritable and when he was moving, it appeared as if he was desatting on the monitor. Parent was angry I “wasn’t doing anything.” I explained as best I could what a pleth was and how we monitor it, and that it wasn’t a true desat. She got upset I didn’t explain this to her before, and I apologized and told her that I’m here to answer any other questions she may have. I told her I can arrange a family discussion with the care team so she can get any questions she might have answered. She apologized for how she talked to me earlier and I left the room.
Here’s where things get bad lol. I can tell the kid is still irritable, so I go in to offer to turn the monitor in her room off and to help settle the kid because she’s clearly stressed. She says no because she “doesn’t trust us”. I offer to call RT for suctioning as an intervention. She says “why don’t you make the decision, you’re the nurse.” I tell her I think collaborating with her as a parent is important. She then questions my practice and says “I don’t even know what kind of nurse you are” and rips off her kid’s CPAP. I told her straight up that I wouldn’t tolerate the way she was talking to me and that’s when she requested a new nurse.
I know it’s scary for parents and I tried to be empathetic and I feel awful about the whole situation, but at the end of the day I’m not going tolerate that kind of treatment. I’m worried I was a bit harsh but maybe I’m just in my head

We're still in the process of sleep training so it's still all over the place but we had one good night were my 5 month old only woke up once to nurse at 5 am and that day he only had two naps. Let me paint you the picture: Woke up at 7 am Nap 1 from 9 to 10.30 Nap 2 from 1.05 until 2.25 (he started his nap a bit late according to the 2.25 wake window but he took a while to fall asleep) I tried to make him sleep a third nap but he just didn't fall asleep so I gave up and he finally slept at 6.45.
He woke up at around 9.30 crying for 10 minutes then back asleep without intervention, he does that everyday, not related to not taking his third nap.
He usually wakes up at 2 to nurse but that night he didn't. He just woke up at 5 to nurse then back asleep until 7.15.
What's the deal?! Should I try to only let him sleep twice a day? He doesn't always nap for 1h30 though like he did on that day, sometimes it's only one hour for one nap and then the subsequent naps are 1 hour then like 45/50 minutes. That day he had two +- 1h30 naps.
Help! I'm so tired from nursing him at night. My older kids still wake me up at least once a night and I'm drained

I have been working in procedural interventional pain for several years, in all areas (pre-op, PACU, OR). It’s fairly “soft” as far as nursing jobs go. 13 years nursing experience, but I started out in psych. I recently interviewed for an IR position in a local hospital as it is something I have always been interested in. I don’t have any critical care experience, and was very transparent about that in my interview. I have never done moderate sedation, and my EKG reading skills are very rusty, but they said they teach all of that during orientation (about 10-12 weeks). I was actually surprised to be called for an interview and even more surprised to be offered the job. I really want to take it, it’s quite honestly my dream job, but I’m nervous that I’ll be overwhelmed. The manager said that my procedural background was a huge plus, to her as much as having a ICU background.
I just wanted to hear from any nurses that have transitioned to Interventional Radiology without a critical care background…what was your experience? Were you successful? Do you like it? I have thoroughly researched the role and have always felt that I would love it but now that I’ve been presented with an actual opportunity, I’m wracked with uncertainty!

Background: I'm a single Mom with an almost 9 year old son. He's currently finishing up second grade in our local public school and I'm torn between staying in public school for third grade, which is a different building with only 3rd and 4th grade in it, or going back to his private school which he attended for kindergarten and first grade. My son has an IEP due to his Autism, but is considered high functioning in comparison to others.
My son did an assessment through is previous private school which is a school designed for special needs children on the spectrum, and was officially accepted today. The Pros of this school is that he's already been there previously and knows the layout and what's expected. The classroom he would be in would have the same children as before, with the exception of maybe 2-ish kids that had left the school the same time we did. The classroom is a max of 16 children on the spectrum/ learning challenges, but does have two intervention specialists. The cons would be that the scholarship doesn't cover the full amount and I would be required to pay $2,200 for the school year, which as a single Mom in nursing school is a lot for me to be able to do each month, if they even accept payment plans. His Dad wouldn't be helping foot the cost (he already told me no). The school also requires uniforms which is both a pro and a con. I found that uniforms seem to be easier to deal with than everyday clothing, but the shirts alone are like $30 each since it has to come from a particular store and needs to be engraved with the school's name. There's no busing available so I would be required to drive him to school which is about 15 minutes away. The district would reimburse me $500 at the end of the school year since they don't offer transportation to the school since it's out of district.
As far as the public school goes, I live in a top 10 school district in my area. The Pros is that he would be going to a different building that's actually closer to home (less than 8 minutes away). The classroom size is larger than the private school with about 24 kids a class, but luckily he would have a second teacher in the class that's an intervention specialist. He would still get his speech therapy, be pulled into smaller groups during some activities, have the opportunity to go for a walk in the hallway if he needed a moment, etc. Pros here is that he would be in a mainstream classroom, which he's done well with, but I'll be honest, these public school kids have been mean this year. They've told my son that he isn't stylish (whatever that means to a bunch of 8 year olds), that he's weird, and has had some classroom disputes with two boys that he used to be friends with at the beginning of the school year which he isn't anymore. Along with that, one of the girls in his classroom has been an issue all year which i had brought up numerous times so I don't think they'll be in the same class next year (she literally hit him in the face with her lunch box).
The school recommended him stay in the district since his biggest issue is socialization and he would have a better opportunity to learn to better interact with people of all backgrounds instead of just children on the spectrum, which i agree, but I'm also aware that with the scholarship, the cost comes out of the district's budget so I could understand them trying to sway me one way so they don't lose the $40k.
The private school is also not in session 34 days out of the school year which is a bit more than the public school at 26. I'm only somewhat concerned by this because I'm his main caregiver and would struggle to find childcare on the days the private school isn't in session since they don't have any programs. They do have aftercare which is $10 an hour in the gym. The public school has a YMCA program, but we wouldn't be doing it again next year since we didn't have a great experience. The intermediate school has after school clubs, but another childcare center would be an option as long as i sign up early. The $10 hr charge is more expensive than the daycare center would be.

I'm thinking of making a podcast that examines the AI onslaught from the groundfloor or "Average Joe" perspective. I feel most, if not all, AI podcasts focus on high-end tech news and interviews with futurists, MIT professors, PhDs and the like regarding theoretical futures that may or may not happen. I would still conduct interviews but, with say, restaurant owners, retail workers, nurses, etc. to find out what changes they are actually seeing or hearing about. The focus would be on how life is changing for the average person as well as how the average person can continue to earn an income in the future.
I'm struggling with names because the name I wanted is already a book title. Here are some ideas I came up with (without AI help):

• Earn Despite AI
• AI Life Jacket
• AI Sanity Check
• AIn't Broke Yet
• AI Intervention
• AI Affluence
• Weathering AI
• Getting By with AI

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance.

Which ABSN curriculum would you have preferred?
School 1: Fall Year I 5101 Legal and Ethical Accountability in Professional Nursing Practice 2 5103 Human Experience of Health and Illness Across the Lifespan I 4 5105 Enhancement of Community and Population Health I 3 5106 Pharmacology for Nursing Care I 2 5115 Fundamentals of Clinical Practice 5 Spring Year I 5201 Inquiry and Evidence in Professional Nursing Practice 2 5203 Human Experience of Health and Illness Across the Lifespan II 5 5205 Enhancement of Community and Population Health II 3 5206 Pharmacology for Nursing Care II 2 5215 Integration of Theoretical and Clinical Aspects of Nursing I 3 Summer Year I 5301 Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing Practice 2 5303 Human Experience of Health and Illness Across the Lifespan III 4 5305 Enhancement of Community and Population Health III 2 5306 Pharmacology for Nursing Care III 1 5315 Integration of Theoretical and Clinical Aspects of Nursing II 1 5325 Capstone Clinical Practicum 2
School 2: Fall 1 (Semester 1) NURS 5070 Pathophysiologic Mechanisms & Pharmacologic Interventions in Caring for Individuals and Populations 2.0 NURS 5010 Ways of Knowing for Nursing Practice I: Assessment of Health 1.5 NURS 5020 Ways of Knowing for Nursing Practice II: Promoting Health & Health Equity 0.5 NURS 5100 Nurses Caring for Psychiatric Mental Health of Individuals: Theory & Behavioral Health Management 1.5 Spring 1 (Semester 2) NURS 5140 Advancing Leaders in Health & Health Equity 0.5 NURS 5040 Nurses Caring for the Individual Adult and Across Populations 1.5 NURS 5050 Nurses Coordinating Care for Adults and Older Adults 1.5 NURS 5250 Ethical Aspects of Health and Technology 1.0 NURS 5470 Scientific Inquiry for Evidence-Based Practice 1.0 Summer 1 (Semester 3) NURS 5370 Systems Approach for Promoting Safe Nursing Practice 0.5 NURS 5190 Nurses Caring for Family I: Women and Infants 1.5 NURS 5200 Nurses Caring for Family II: Pediatric 1.5 NURS 5300 Nurses Caring for and across Communities 1.5 Fall 2 (Semester 4) Elective 1.0 NURS 5780 Inquiry-based Innovation for Nursing Practice 1.0 NURS 5400 Current Issues in Health and Social Policy 1.0 NURS 5600 Nurses Leading in Complex Care 2.0

I would like to share some tips that helped me do well on all my ATI exams! For reference, I got a level 3 on all but one ATI exam! Fundamentals was my first ATI exam ever which I got a 2, and it helped shaped the way I continued to study for ATI. I hope this helps anyone who is either struggling with ATI or wanting to increase their scores.

• This one is obvious, but ATI is your best resource. Start early. Utilize the book. It’s not a typical textbook so it is easier to get through compared to your average 2,000+ page textbook. If you start early and it’s not huge like the med-surg one, you can get through the majority of the chapters before test time. You do not have to read every word.

How I utilized ATI textbooks:

• For courses that required an ATI exam, I read the chapters that corresponded with the lectures - except med-surg… have you seen that thing? I relied on the Lewis Med Surg book that was required for our class because our Med-Surg 1 & 2 class HEAVILY tested on that book.
• I get highlighter happy at times, but I tried to limit myself to highlighting important things that would jump at me if I had to later refer back to a chapter. I highlighted drug names in green. I also highlighted measures/numbers/lab values and random facts that ATI likes to throw at you in. Like if you have a latex allergy, you can be allergic to strawberries kinda thing.
• Do the practice questions at the end of the chapters. If you don’t want to read the chapters, at least do the questions (usually only 5) to see if there are any gaps of knowledge. If you get something wrong, refer back to the book to read over that section.

Practice Exams/Dynamic Quizzes

• Plan to complete all dynamic quizzes for that subject. If you can only do ONE thing, complete all the quizzes. I can’t emphasize that enough. You hear it over and over again, but read to understand rationales, writing out the ones for unfamiliar topics or easily forgotten details. They will help in future ATI exams! The goal isn't to memorize practice questions, but to learn and understand. Refer to the book for content review when needed. If you know you have 400-1,000 questions to get through, start early. Mark the ones you get wrong or guessed correctly so you can review later and when your exam gets closer.
• Take Practice A & B exam and take it seriously. As tempting as it may be, do not google the answers. These exams give you an idea of areas you are struggling with. I recommend doing focused reviews because it takes you to the exact area where you missed the question. I would hand write the areas I missed.
• If you see the same thing over and over again during your quizzes and practice exams, pay attention. ATI is giving you hints on what you may see on the exam.

Extra Tips for ATI

• Be familiar with National Notifiable Conditions for those dreaded “which one do you report?” questions. You don’t have to memorize them — just know the main ones. There is a page in the Community ATI book with some of the main ones, but the CDC website is a quick reference. Bookmark it!
• Know antidotes, especially to common drugs.
• Know what you can delegate to UAPs and LPNs. In short, do not delegate what you can EAT (Evaluate, Assess, Teach). Remember, LPNs can only reassess after the RN has done the first assessment. This includes if a patient came back from surgery. The RN will assess and do vital signs if the patient has come back from surgery or is unstable, not the LPN and definitely not the UAP. Also, LPNs cannot do the initial teaching, but they can reinforce the teachings (example: self-administering insulin).
• Review frequently missed content because a lot of that stuff may be on your exam.

Outside resources

• The only resource outside of ATI I used are the LevelUpRN videos, which I am sure many of you already know about. Her playlists follow ATI closely enough without her getting sued again lol. If you can get your hands on her cards, that’s great but do not neglect the quizzes.

Test taking prioritization strategies you have to understand:

• Least invasive vs most invasive, acute vs chronic, unstable vs stable, expected findings vs unexpected findings (aka complications), & ABCs go without saying.
• Go through the NurseLogic 2.0 modules (under the learn tab) if you need help with prioritization. This is often what gets us the most but you’re always going to RUN to the patient who will die without intervention first. If you see a patient with stridor vs chest pain, who do you think is the priority? What about the patient with laryngeal edema or the stroke patient with hemiparesis? The patient with a sudden, severe headache or the patient with heart failure and 2+ edema? The asthmatic patient who stopped wheezing or the patient with chronic angina clutching their chest after walking?
• In a disaster situation (moreso for the community & leadership ATI exam), the patient who will die without intervention, but can survive with intervention is the priority (red tag). The patient who is dying (SCALP, not facial lacerations, fixed and dilated pupils) is the least of the priority (black tag) due to limited resources.

Other test taking strategies

• Go with what you know, but if you see 2 answer choices that are basically the same but worded differently, eliminate those. If you see 2 answer choices that are opposites, one of them may be the answer.
• When in doubt, avoid absolutes like “always, never, only, everyone” (unless it’s something accurate like ALWAYS practice hand hygiene lol but ATI usually doesn’t use absolutes like that)
• Look for keywords. Is the question asking what the nurse should do FIRST or what is the best nursing action?

It’s true that ATI will test you on things from other courses (some you haven’t taken yet), but the majority of it will be over the course you are studying for. The goal isn’t to get every question correctly. The goal is to use prior knowledge and test taking strategies to help you at least narrow down to 2 answer choices, and hopefully choose the right one. After doing a bunch of questions, you start to see patterns and understand how ATI wants you to choose the answer.
I know this is a lot, but I just wanted to be as thorough as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions! I am happy to help! 😊

I’m reaching out to share a cautionary tale about my recent experience with orthodontic treatment gone wrong. I want to shed light on my situation, and seek advice on how to navigate this current situation.
Background:
I received orthodontic treatment from Dr. Nancy Phan in San Jose CA. During our initial consultation, she was pressed for time and sped through the explanation of my treatment plan. All I understood from her rapid explanation was that she recommended a palatal expander to widen my upper & lower jaw. However, what followed was a nightmare that left me with damaged teeth and a mountain of dental bills.
Dr. Nancy Phan has a practice called Care Orthodontics, where she has a bunch of watered down assistants doing her job for her. It's literally a pump and dump orthodontist place where they try to manage as many patients as possible. As a result, Dr. Nancy Phan doesn't have any assistants helping her while she's treating you. She literally holds the vacuum, water spray, and drill all at the same time... To me, this is the equivalent of a nurse giving you surgery, or the surgeon is performing surgery without any assistants nearby.
The Problem:
During the installation of the palatal expander, my orthodontist failed to properly assess the condition of my molars. One of these molars had a pre-existing fracture, which my orthodontist was aware of but chose to ignore. As a result, the appliance was placed in a way that directly impacted the roots of two of my molars.
The Consequences:
Within weeks of having the palatal expander installed, I started experiencing excruciating pain in the affected molars. A visit to my dentist confirmed the worst: both molars had sustained significant damage to their roots and required immediate intervention. I underwent root canal treatments followed by the placement of crowns on both molars, not to mention the emotional and physical toll of dealing with such dental trauma.
Legal Considerations:
Now, here’s where things get tricky. It’s clear that my orthodontist’s negligence led to the damage to my teeth. They failed to obtain clearance from my dentist before proceeding with the treatment, and they disregarded crucial information about the condition of my teeth. This raises serious questions about the standard of care provided by the orthodontist.
How to Proceed:
This experience has been extremely traumatic and sad for me. Has anyone faced a similar situation? Seeking advice on navigating the denial and addressing the dental damage.

We want to hear from the next generation of trans and non-binary Canadians. You’re the experts of your experiences, and we’re here to listen.
The Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey is a national survey of trans, non-binary, and gender diverse Canadian youth ages 14-25 that runs every five years. The study is managed by the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre with co-investigators across the country. Results help researchers identify health disparities, theorize helpful interventions, and describe trends in gender diverse health, values, identity, and experience. This research is core to developing successful advocacy and change in our social and health care systems.
To participate in the study, you must be between 14 and 25, live in Canada, and be non-binary, trans, and/or gender diverse. Visit saravyc.ubc.ca/CTYHS2024 for more information and for a direct link to the anonymous survey. To protect participants, all data is anonymous, encrypted, and only used for academic research purposes.
Questions? Email saravyc@nursing.ubc.ca or reach out to the Principal Investigator for this study, Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc (Professor at the UBC School of Nursing) at elizabeth.saewyc@ubc.ca.
[Mod note: Previously posted, but this will be our final post to avoid spamming your feeds. Thanks!]
Répondez à l'enquête anonyme en français: saravyc.ubc.ca/ctyhs2024-fr

We want to hear from the next generation of trans and non-binary Canadians. You’re the experts of your experiences, and we’re here to listen.
The Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey is a national survey of trans, non-binary, and gender diverse Canadian youth ages 14-25 that runs every five years. The study is managed by the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre with co-investigators across the country. Results help researchers identify health disparities, theorize helpful interventions, and describe trends in gender diverse health, values, identity, and experience. This research is core to developing successful advocacy and change in our social and health care systems.
To participate in the study, you must be between 14 and 25, live in Canada, and be non-binary, trans, and/or gender diverse. Visit saravyc.ubc.ca/CTYHS2024 for more information and for a direct link to the anonymous survey. To protect participants, all data is anonymous, encrypted, and only used for academic research purposes.
Questions? Email [saravyc@nursing.ubc.ca](mailto:saravyc@nursing.ubc.ca) or reach out to the Principal Investigator for this study, Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc (Professor at the UBC School of Nursing) at [elizabeth.saewyc@ubc.ca](mailto:elizabeth.saewyc@ubc.ca).
[Mod note: Previously posted, but this will be our final post to avoid spamming your feeds. Thanks!]
Répondez à l'enquête anonyme en français: saravyc.ubc.ca/ctyhs2024-fr