Author Archives: Jill Turner

MedlinePlus: the go-to website for consumer health information

MedlinePlus logo

Brought to you from the National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus is a free website that offers “information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in” easy-to-understand language. Learn about the latest treatments, look up information on a drug or supplement, find out the meanings of medical words, or get links to the latest medical research on a topic.”

  • What side effects can result from taking Alka-Seltzer? – MedlinePlus has the answer.

MedlinePlus contains animated videos depicting “body parts and organ systems and how diseases affect them.” What happens during heart bypass surgery? Check out the short animated video.

My favorite part of MedlinePlus is the Videos and Cool Tools. In addition to the animated videos mentioned above, MedlinePlus provides interactive health tutorials on topics like tests and diagnostic procedures. Ever wonder how or why an amniocentesis is done? Or how about coronary angiography/angioplasty? The tutorials cover diseases and conditions  (like Crohn’s disease or Malaria) as well as surgical procedures (like tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy) in lay terms.

My favorite section, however, is the webpage of surgery videos. These are video recordings of actual surgeries and diagnostic procedures performed in hospitals around the country. If you do not like the site of blood or are squeamish, these are not for you. The list contains procedures like heart transplant, hip replacement, awake craniotomy, and more. As the surgeons operate, they narrate the procedure as well as provide other background explanations.

If you have a health-related question or just want to surf, check out MedlinePlus.

Jill Turner

Librarian Consultant

 

LearningExpress Library – Practice Exams

learning ex lib logoAre you preparing to take the NCLEX exam? The PANCE?  LSAT’s? There is an online resource that can help you prep: LearningExpress Library.

LearningExpress Library is an interactive online “database” of practice tests designed to help students and adult learners succeed on academic or licensing tests in subject areas such as teaching, law enforcement, nursing and allied health, legal, and much more. LearningExpress Library can be found within the list of UDM databases, behind the “Scholarly Articles and Databases” link, under LearningExpress Library Learning centers with paint“L”.

The link for Occupational Practice Tests can be found on the left hand side of the LearningExpress Library homepage.

In order to use this resource, you will need to register for an account (it’s free) within LearningExpress Library, so the system can track your progress. Create an account by clicking the “Login” link in the top right corner of the webpage. Then register as a New User.

LearningExpress Library! login

LearningExpress Library log in with paint

 

If you have any questions about using this or any other library resource, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Jill Turner, Librarian

 

 

 

Overcoming Test Anxiety

zen dog

The Scream

Finals are upon you …

Tips for Combating Test Anxiety:

1. Be prepared – study over a few days or weeks time rather than pulling an all-nighter.

2. Practice good test taking skills

  • read the directions fully and carefully
  • answer the simple questions first then go back and complete the more difficult ones
  • if you can’t answer a question, skip it and come back to it later
  • for essay questions – start with an outline
  • note formulas in the margins so you won’t forget them

3. Think positive thoughts

4. Stay focused on the exam – don’t let yourself be distracted by others around you

5. Try to relax

  • practice deep breathing if you need to
  • chew gum, if allowed
  • make an effort to relax your muscles one at a time

6. Stay Healthy (exercise, sleep, eat nutritiously)

7. Don’t worry if other students finish their exams before you – there are no extra points awarded for finishing first

 

Aplus

Good Luck!

Jill Turner, Librarian

 

 

Check out a cool new resource: Anatomy.TV

AnatomyTv homeThe UDM Library has a cool new resource: Anatomy.TV.

Anatomy TV is an online model of the human body.  Derived from real human data, Anatomy.tv provides over 5,000 interactive 3D anatomical structures, clinical slides, dissections, animations and much more. To supplement the core three-dimensional anatomy data, are clinical videos and text written by some of the world’s leading medical specialists. Finally, the quiz section lets you test your knowledge of anatomy.

The database is divided into sections:

  • Regional Anatomy
  • Surgery – (Knee Arthroplasty, Podiatric Medicine, and etc.)
  • Sports & Therapy – (Hand Therapy, Anatomy for Yoga, Resistance Training, Sports Injuries, and etc.)
  • Specialties – (Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Anatomy for Chiropractic, and more)

Located within the Student Area tab are instructions for How to Use Anatomy.TV. This is a great place to begin to make the best use of this cool resource.  Access to Anatomy.tv can be found under the database tab on the library homepage.

UDM subscribes and shares access to Anatomy TV with a number of other universities and colleges in Michigan.

Jill Turner, Librarian

New Nursing Education in Video content added

Fourteen new videos have been added to the Nursing Education in Video database. Nursing Education in Video is a collection of 298 streaming videos. “All of the videos in the collection have been created with the guidance of the Medcom-Trainex advisory board.”

Videos in this collection cover a variety of subjects and specialties from basic clinical skills to obstetrical nursing. The new additions include:

  • Respiratory Distress in the Pediatric Patient
  • Professionalism in Healthcare – (a demonstration of proper ways of interacting with patients, patients’ families, coworkers, and physicians.)
  • Pharmacology and the Healthcare Professional – (4 videos delivering an overview of how drugs act and interact with the body, food, the environment, and each other.)
  • How the Body Ages – (details how each bodily system changes as it ages, and the consequences on patients’ physical and mental well-being.)
  • Common Feeding Tubes - (the latest information and best practices for nasogastric intubation and replacement balloon gastrostomy tubes.)

Nursing Education in Video can be accessed through the library homepage:

1. click the Articles, Journals, + Databases tab at the top of the page

2. click the “N” under “Find databases by title”

3. Scroll down the list to “Nursing Education in Video”

Nursing Education in Video can be accessed off campus. For more information or assistance, contact any reference librarian.

Jill Turner (Reference Librarian)

Using My Account to create My Lists in the catalog

Did you know that you could mark and save book and journal titles for future reference right in the catalog? This catalog function may be useful in many ways. Maybe you need to keep track of the books that you have used for a research paper. Mark them on My Lists , then consult the list when it is time to compile your bibliography. Or, perhaps you want to keep track of library copies of class recommended texts. Or, maybe you just want to keep a list of the  DVD’s that you want to check out from the library. Whatever the reason, this feature may be of value to you.

1. To use this feature, first choose the book or journal that you would like to save by clicking the box to the left of the title.

2. Use the “Select an Action” drop down menu to “Add to My Lists”. Keep in mind that this is a TEMPORARY list only.

3. To make your list permanent, go to the Log In link in the top right corner of the webpage.

4. Your “Borrower ID is the 14-digit number on the front of your University ID card: 21723000xxxxxx.

5. Click on the “My Lists” link in the upper right hand corner of the webpage. You will see your Temporary list.

6. Once again, use the “Select an Action” drop down menu and choose “Save Temporary List”.

Your list is now permanent and will appear in the left hand column of the page.

As always, if you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact a librarian.

Jill Turner

Librarian

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