How Is Technology Affecting Your Health?

Technology is everywhere. Some people say it is great while others think the opposite. Whatever the opinion, technology can be both! Like many great things, there can be some setbacks. One of the main concerns with technology is the devices that are being invented. How do those affect our health?

First, let’s look at the benefits of technology! Some forms of technology such as phone apps, Fitbits, pedometers, and much more encourage users to exercise more! Computer programs also provide a variety of online videos to guide users through a workout. The websites fitnessblender.com and workoutz.com are just two with several videos. Check them out! Apps can also be used to track weight loss and calorie intake. It’s amazing how easy is can be! Some apps are even being created to help diabetics manage their blood sugar. There are also apps to track sleep. Do you know how much sleep you are really getting at night? One of the best benefits of technology is the ability to maintain social connections. Stay up to date with friends and family through texts or on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Technology can also be bad. Although it can encourage users to exercise more, it can also lead to exercising less. Video games, television, games on phones, social media, the list could go on. These things are keeping people from being active. Other downfalls include back and neck pain which can be caused by someone who is a frequent user of phones and computers. Tilting of your head puts a lot of stress on your back and neck which can lead them to be sore. Another way technology can be bad is the germs that build up on our devices. Sure germs are everywhere, but when was the last time your devices were cleaned? Good thing this is an easy fix! Headaches and eye strain can also be caused by technology use. Take breaks by looking away from the screen. Also avoid technology use before bed to get a better night’s sleep!

All of this technology can be beneficial to our health. The list of these benefits could keep on going! However, moderation and proper care of these devices is necessary to maintain good health. Enjoy the convenience and fun of technology, but be careful with the amount of time you spend on them!

 

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/health-effects-of-technol_n_6263120.html

8 Ways Technology Is Improving Your Health

https://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/09/19/smart-devices-can-disruptive-without-intrusive/#.tnw_R6bwFUAQ

Celebration of Nations and the Woodlands and High Plains Powwow Tomorrow, April 1st 2017

“A traditional powwow is a time to celebrate and renew friendships. In addition, this powwow celebrates the educational experiences of American Indian higher education and the sharing of tribal cultures in the FM area.”

This year is the 28th annual Woodlands and High Plains Powwow. The Powwow is held at Nemzek from 1 to 9 tomorrow. The powwow will have a variety of dancing and drum songs from the area tribes. The community is encouraged to come and enjoy the cultural display and learn. In addition to the music and dancing there will be a hand games tournament and many vendors selling wares from their tribes.

The Celebration of Nations will also be held in the CMU tomorrow. Students and community members from cultures around the world will be here to get together. The celebration is kicked off with a parade of flags. Following that, students will have cooked some of their meals from home that are available to sample with dancing and music being played at this time. The celebration will end after a fashion show highlighting the dress and attire from around the world.

Celebration of Nations

Woodland and High Prairie Powwow

 

Dragon Athletics Spring 2017

The MSUM wrestling team has excelled this year, but one teammate in particular stood out. Blake Bosch is a senior here at MSUM and he has been put on quite a few good matches this year at the NCAA Championships. He took 2nd place at the Championship this year and won  the All-American Honors for the third year in a row. He will be graduate this year, and he leaves a great legacy as a student athlete at MSUM. He is leaving with the second best record in MSUM history (115-35).

The men’s basketball team also has a good season. This was their 4th consecutive 20+ win season, with a record of 24-6. In addition to the that streak, they won their  fourth straight NSIC North Division Championship and a third straight NCAA Tournament!

The Women’s Basketball team had a great season this year finishing at 24-5. They won the NSIC Conference Tournament against Southwest State, but sadly lost the NCAA regionals to Central Missouri. This was the team’s first time making it to regionals since 2009. Dragon Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Carla Nelson, celebrated a feat this year. Coach Nelson achieved her 300th team win as a head college basketball coach.  Both Men’s and Women’s Basketball had great seasons and we look forward to next year!

The Women’s tennis team is off to a good start with a record of 9-5. Their next match will be at Bemidji State on April 1st. Be sure to show your support by cheering them on!

Dragon Softball season started Tuesday the 28th with the first conference game against Northern State. The team fell to its opponents, but takes on Bemidji State this Saturday in an away game.

For more information on Dragon Athletics, team schedules, and rosters visit http://msumdragons.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2017 is Self-Injury Awareness Month

This month long observation is recognized in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. In the U.S. alone there are 2 million cases of self-injury reported annually, mostly among youth. It’s time to end the stigma of self-harm.

Self injury is any deliberate, non-suicidal behavior that inflicts injury on one’s body. Although self injury is not a suicidal behavior if the emotional trauma that causes one to self-harm continues it can lead to suicidal thoughts or actions. People often self harm as a way to confront emotional pain. When most people think of self-harm they often think of cutting, but there are many other forms. Actions such as burning, scratching, consuming harmful products such as bleach, pulling out clumps of hair, bruising, and breaking bones are all forms of self-injury. Self-injury is a coping mechanism and is seen as another way to deal with the emotional pain that many experience, but have difficulty handling or processing. Self-injury occurs across all ages, genders, races, and beliefs. If you know someone who self injures reach out to them and follow the tips below to do so successfully.

DON’T

1. Get angry or show disgust. Negativity alienates and ultimatums only drive the person away from you.
2. Deny the problem. It’s not the person’s problem or just one of his/her ‘things’. It’s not a fad, social statement or a phase he/she will grow out of.
3. Hide sharp objects. If the person wants to self-injure, he/she will find a way.
4. Judge the severity of the injury as an indicator of the level of emotional pain. A severely depressed person might only have scratches instead of cuts.
5. Assume the person is okay once in treatment. Recovery from self-injury can take months, maybe even years.

DO

1. Stay calm. Freaking out won’t solve anything. It will just close all lines of communication.
2. Talk. Be non-judgmentally supportive. Ask “Why are you doing this to yourself?”
3. Take the problem seriously. It’s not about attention-seeking or a growing pain.
4. Seek treatment. Accompany the person to the doctor or counselor but don’t be pushy about privacy.
5. Find the triggers. Focus on the underlying problems rather than just the injury.
6. Trust the person. Self-injury is just a small part of the person.

It’s time to end the stigma of self-injury and help those who self-injure. Visit the links below for more resources on helping individuals and how to end the stigma.

Safe Alternatives

Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/terezia-farkas/self-injury-awareness-month_b_6810634.html  http://selfinjury.com/

March is Women’s History Month- 2017!!

The roots of Women’s History Month can be traced to the first known Women’s History Week that was celebrated in 1978 in Sonoma County, California. From then the movement slowly spread to other cities and gained support from President Carter declaring March 8th National Women’s History Week. March had been declared Women’s History Month in 14 states by 1986. The National Women’s History Project and other lobbying groups used this as evidence when discussing with Congress to declare March as Women’s History Month nationwide. Congress made the declaration in 1987. Since then the movement has grown each year.

There are events nationwide that last all month long to celebrate Women! Here are a few in the area.

• On March 22nd from 11:00-1:00 you can attend the Leading Ladies Luncheon at Fargo Holiday Inn to hear from leading local women about their successes and business stories.Be sure to register by March 15th using the link below.
  • http://trainingnd.com/event/2017-leading-ladies-luncheon-fargo
• On March 29th from 7:30-9:30 attend a lecture at Concordia by Dr. Mary Dana Hinton, the president of the College of St. Benedict, entitled “Mission-Driven Leadership for Women.”
  • https://www.fargomonthly.com/events/womens-history-month-lecture/

In the Fargo/Moorhead community there are also many resources for women. Check out the list below to see if any of them interest you!

• Junior League of Women – a nonprofit group of women dedicated to bettering the lives of women and children in the F/M area.
• Dress for Success Red River Valley – a national nonprofit that helps women with employment interview attire, resume-writing, and a few other career services.
• North Dakota Women’s Network – a coalition of ND women aimed at bettering “the lives of women through communication, legislation and increased public activism.
  • Join them this Friday at Gastropub at 5:30 for the March Feminist First Friday.
  • On March 9th from 9:00am – 5:00pm join the movement at the ND state capitol to lobby for policies that will better the lives of families and women.
• Girl Develop if Fargo – A chance for female software developers to network and attend seminars relating to the field.
• Fargo-Moorhead Women’s Business Exchange – A networking opportunity for female business leaders and owners.
• Women’s Impact – a nonprofit group that provides a variety of resources to women to empower them or help them get involved in their community.
• Women Connect – a monthly meetup organized by the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce “aimed at connecting, inspiring and growing a community for women in business.”
  • Attend the monthly meeting on Thursday, March 26th from 3:30-5:00 at the Avalon Events Center West 2525 9th Ave. SW, Fargo.
• Women’s Business Center – a group that organizes leadership programs and seminars to help women advance in their careers and develop as leaders in business.
  • Attend the Fargo Leading Ladies Luncheon on March 22nd from 11:00-1:00 at the Fargo Holiday Inn.

Empowering women is a goal in the F/M area and these resources/events are a great way to do it! Get informed, get involved, and get EMPOWERED!!

 

Sources: http://www.nwhp.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/http://trainingnd.com/event/2017-leading-ladies-luncheon-fargo https://www.fargomonthly.com/community/local-resources-women/

Image Source: http://www.nwhp.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/

Smile! It’s National Children’s Dental Health Month 2017!

Mastering good oral hygiene habits in children can be a chore! Did you know that tooth decay is the most common, preventable, chronic disease in children? No wonder it can be frustrating for parents! Fortunately, there are several resources to use that can guide parents through this process as well as plenty of fun activities for children to help them understand why tooth brushing and flossing is so important!

Promoting the benefits of good oral health is the goal of National Children’s Dental Health Month. Every February a campaign slogan is released to spread the message. This year’s slogan is “Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile” which promotes drinking tap water that contains fluoride rather than sugary drinks. The American Dental Association (ADA) provides printable activity and coloring pages at the following link:

http://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/national-childrens-dental-health-month

The ADA also provides resources such as brushing charts at this website:

http://www.mouthhealthykids.org/en/activity-sheets/choose-tap-water-for-a-sparkling-smile?source=promospots&content=topstories&medium=best_drink_childs_teeth

Good oral health is so important in children and good habits should be started early. Use the countless resources available to help children learn and become excited about taking care of their teeth! There are informative tools to help parents go through this experience, too! Nobody misses out in the promotion of good oral hygiene. Mouth Healthy Kids (mouthhealthykids.org) by the American Dental Association is a wonderful source for both kids and parents. Check it out and start promoting good dental health today!

 

Sources:

http://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/national-childrens-dental-health-month

mouthhealthykids.org

 

Apply for Fall 2017 RN to BSN Program!

MSUM is accepting RN-BSN nursing applications from motivated RNs seeking to earn their baccalaureate degree. With the BSN, you can more greatly impact patient outcomes, advance your career, and consider graduate school one day. Obtaining a BSN opens up many opportunities for career advancement. Nurses with this degree are in high demand and the field continues to grow! If you are curious about this degree check out some of the many reasons its a great day to be a Dragon!

WHY MSUM ???

• Flexibility with total online delivery, semi-annual admission, and progression at your own pace (average part-time completion: 2 years)

• National accreditation since 1981 through CCNE to ensure the highest academic rigor to advance your career – and/or be accepted into graduate schools one day

• A smart investment by delivering a nationally recognized and highly reputable BSN more affordability than any in the area (e.g. compared to other public, for-profit, private institutions)

• Meaningful connections and readily accessible faculty who are well equipped to manage an online learning environment with high quality faculty

• Spring application deadline: March 15 (summer/fall start)

Learn more:

1. Visit the RN-BSN program website | https://www.mnstate.edu/snhl/bsn.aspx
2. You will note a separate link for the RN-BSN Program Admission & Application information.
3. Call or email to get your questions answered with ease. 218.477.2693 | nursing@mnstate.edu

 

Xi Kappa Honor Society Induction

The Xi Kappa-at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing held its annual induction ceremony on Saturday, November 5, 2016 in Jamestown, ND. The induction recognizes nursing students and community nurse leaders who have demonstrated achievements in nursing, leadership qualities and high professional standards. Inductees consisted of students from the following colleges:

• Concordia College: Leah Benthin, Brian Bickel, Elizabeth Dorf, Emily Honl, Lauren Lee, Megan Lindquist, Emily Luckhardt, Katharine Serbus, Kayla Stanelle, and Rachel Tolkinen
• Minnesota State University Moorhead: Briana Powell and Melissa Mostad
• North Dakota State University Fargo: Amy Andrushko, Anna Benke, Melinda Duenow, Monica Flackey, Brooke Feltman, Leah Hermanson, Hailey Kotts, Christian May, Katie McCorquodale, Nicole McDonald, Naomi Meier, Alexis Rankka, Jamie Tollefson, Vesela Ugrinova, and Kari Ust
• North Dakota State University at Sanford Health Bismarck: Bryce Anderson, Hannah Bailey, Levi Barbao, Kendra Beedy, Rebecca Bruns, Kayla Casteel, Sohaila Dadelahi, Madison Deibert, Mary Dingman, Jordan Ebel, Oxana Flemmer, Lindsey Kirschenheiter, Kelley Lehrke, Lindsey Robinson, Ashlee Rudolf, amber Schmidt, Devyn Schmidt, Lauren Sneddon, Taylor Stute, Kelsey Weigel, and Elizabeth Wickenheiser
• University of Jamestown: Christine Coughlin, Megan Cunningham, Brook Grooters, Ashley Jenniges, Danette Larson, Christa Lysne, Catherine Nienhaus, Kelsey Newton, alphonse Schoeneberger, Andrea Steinberger, Shanda Stromley, Lauren Tollefson, and Melissa Wilson

Community Nurse Leader inductees: Rhonda Entzie, Paula Fogarty, Lisa La Fontaine, and Patricia Wetzel

Scholarships were also awarded to the following recipients:

• Xi Kappa Graduate Scholarship: Jaclyn Johnson
• Xi Kappa Undergraduate Scholarships: Sohaila Dadelahi, Hailey Kotts, and Nicole McDonald
• Martha Vorvick Berge Scholarship: Brooke Feltman

Congratulations to the new inductees and scholarship recipients!

Image Source: http://www.nursingsociety.org/

 

World Pneumonia Day 2016 is Nov. 12th

Pneumonia is a lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection that can affect one or both of your lungs. Some symptoms of pneumonia include: cough, fever, chills, and a hard time breathing. When a person has pneumonia, oxygen has a hard time reaching the blood, and when there is too little of oxygen in the blood it causes the cells in the body to not work properly. Because of this and the risk of infection spreading throughout the body, it can cause death. Pneumonia is the world’s leading infectious killer of children under the age of five.Nearly one in five global child deaths result from pneumonia every year.

World Pneumonia Day was established in 2009 when over 100 organizations joined to form the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. World Pneumonia Day helps to highlight the severity of pneumonia and encourages more organizations to look at ways of combating the disease. This worldwide day helps:

• Raise awareness about pneumonia
• Promote interventions to protect against, prevent, and treat pneumonia
• Generate action to fight the illness

Pneumonia is one of the most solvable problems in global health and yet a child dies from the infection every twenty seconds!

Mark this day on your calendars and help spread awareness by using #StopPneumonia on social media.

Together as a world, we can stand together and help fight pneumonia and save a child!

Sources: http://stoppneumonia.org/world-pneumonia-day/

http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumonia/learn-about-pneumonia.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/pneumonia-day

 

Tips and Tricks for Halloween 2016!

Halloween is the time when we think about the things that go bump in the night. Don’t let that stop you though, Trick-or-Treating can be a fun time for everyone! There are certain things that you can do to help make sure you and your witches and ghosts stay safe.

Arts and Crafts

Bright is better. If possible try and work reflective tape, glow sticks or flashlights into your child’s costume. It will help you pick your child out of a crowd and visible in the dark.

Masks can be fun, but only if you can see. The eye holes on some masks can block your view and pose a safety risk. Test the mask to see if your peripheral vision is obstructed, you may need to cut the holes larger.

Carving pumpkins is fun, but the knifes and blades can be dangerous if not handled properly. Carving should be done by an adult to cut down the risks of an accident. Try something different by letting your kids color and put glitter on the pumpkins instead

Walking Safety

Kids should have an adult with them at all times. If your kid is under 12, they should have some kind of adult supervision for the night. Have your child carry a cellphone on them for the off-handed chance that you get separated.

Feed your family before you go out for the night. This will help for when you tell them to not eat any candy before you can inspect it. You don’t know what they might be getting. The treats might have expired or been opened to the elements and be unsafe to eat.

Street Smarts

Kids tend to walk on the curb and run across streets while they are out Trick-or-Treating. While you’re driving, drive slower than the posted speed limit. This gives you more time to stop if a kid runs across the road.

Avoid the tech. You shouldn’t be on your phone anyways, but it’s even more important that you are focusing on the road tonight of all nights.

The most popular times for Trick-or-Treating is from 5:30 to 9:30, so it’s important that you drive with your headlights on. Pay attention to any hazard lights you see, that car is most likely dropping some kids off.