Author: Dominick Flarey

Legal Nurse Consulting: Expert Witness

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Legal Nurse Consulting: The Nurse as Expert Witness

Exploring The Nurse As An Expert Witness

It is not unusual for an attorney to utilize a nurse as an expert witness when the malpractice issue involves another nurse. There was a time when the attorney would have sought this information from a physician, but times have changed, and many states have ruled that expert testimony about a nurse should come from a nurse. The need for expert nurse witnesses is growing, and the job is not as easy as some might expect. The requirements to be an expert witness are many, and the job responsibilities are even more demanding once received. Let us explore the journey to becoming a nurse as an expert witness.

 The Nurse

The registered nurse is a highly sought after profession that involves providing personal health care to patients in a wide range of health care applications. To be a nurse one must complete the educational requirements necessary for specific specialties and degrees. There are various levels of credentials that can be earned in nursing that cover some 200 areas of certification. The more credentials a nurse have the better should they desire to become an expert witness.

 The Nurse As An Expert Witness

Some believe that an Expert Witness Nurse must be credentialed as a Legal Nurse Consultant. However, the two are not necessarily the same. The legal nurse consultant may well be an expert nurse witness. But, conceivably, any nurse may serve as an expert witness in a malpractice case and deliver an expert opinion.  An expert witness must maintain all of their existing credentials, qualifications, and be clinically active at the time of testifying. It is best if the nurse is certified, and current on the most recent procedures and related information. The basic mission of the expert witness is to conduct a review of the case and decide if the case should be pursued.
Should witness testimony be required from the nurse, they would utilize their experience, training to provide a scientific and technical opinion on whether or not there were deviations in the heath care standards surrounding the issue involved. Some malpractice areas where the expert witness nurse might be required include falls, misuse of medication, bedsores, or any deviation in the nurses function of adhering to applicable health care standards.
The expert witness is often used to show that the patient was not protected because a colleague administered substandard care. They may also determine if charts were accurately filled out, and to report incompetence by the nurse involved in the issue.

 The Role Of A Nurse As An Expert Witness

The expert nurse will review all records associated with the medical issue in question, and then provide their professional opinion to the retained attorney, as to whether or not the given case should be pursued. This requires a great deal of research to ensure the expert can see all aspects of the case clearly. In most cases the expert will review the Administrative Code of the Board of Nursing for the state in which the issue occurred. Any pertinent information discovered by the expert witness should only be provided to the attorney on the case.
Many states ask that a Certificate of Merit be filed by the expert witness. This will be used by the state to determine if the case should be pursued. The expert will either need to deliver a written or oral report on their opinion. They may need to gather information involving the relevant standards regarding the issue in question. All information must be handled with care. Court decisions have been decided all too often because paperwork was mishandled or filing dates were not met. The expert must be prepared for extensive questioning on the stand in reference to their credentials and professional opinion.
It can easily be determined that the responsibilities of an nurse as an expert witness is not easy in any form or fashion. These expert witnesses can earn a lot of money for their efforts, but they develop a sound reputation for honesty, and sustain the credentials to back up their testimony. Whether they work for the defense or the prosecution, it is imperative that their homework has been done. A malpractice decision may very well rest on the expert opinion they provide.
Registered Nurses may learn more about doing expert witness work as well as legal nurse consulting by access information: click here.

Fighting the Seven Sins through Christian Spiritual Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

 How can counseling help against the seven sins?

The role of the Christian Counselor goes beyond the mere guidance in times of crisis or trouble but is a role that takes upon mentorship and spiritual guidance in everyday life as well.A spiritual adviser within Catholic circles is usually a priest, but within Christianity as a whole, many lay men and women take upon this role in character formation of their spiritual children.Hence Christian mentorship and spiritual guidance become core elements in Christian Spiritual Counseling. In accepting this role, the Christian counselor becomes a moral compass, guiding his or her spiritual children through the wilderness of the world.

Moral guidance is especially important. In guiding other souls, the Christian counselor points to the commandments, scripture, and God as sources of inspiration to instill virtue. The Christian counselor also guides the soul from sources that instill vice. In looking at the tree of vice, one must pin point the 

people should train their mind to control their passions via abstinence, fasting, and denial. Yet the senses are powerful things and in many cases can gain the upper hand. The primary four vices connected to the senses are sloth, greed, gluttony and lust.

The final two vices deal more with a deeper reaction that goes beyond the initial senses but involves a deep recollection of the object and the agent’s correlation with that object. In such cases, wrath and envy manifest themselves. In the case of wrath, the object upsets the agent and induces an emotional state within the mind that results in violence, unjust anger, and hate. In the case of envy, the object induces an unjust desire of wanting what is not legally the agent’s possession. These reactions are more complex than the previous four because

while they do initially stem from the senses, they eventually are analyzed by the intellect.

As Christian counselors, when encountering these spiritual maladies in their spiritual children, they should look for the roots of these vices and what is causing the particular vice. Is there a particular occasion or place that induces this vice? Also a counselor should look to scripture and other pious sources for ways to combat this particular vice and demon. In most cases, abstinence, denial, fasting and prayer become excellent weapons against the particular sin. Also, usually the virtue that polarly correlates with the vice is the best remedy; for example, humility to fight pride, or patience to fight anger. There is a virtue that counters every capital sin. 

In attempting to cultivate the virtues necessary to fight vice, praying to the Holy Spirit for his grace, gifts and virtues becomes the essential and first step. The Holy Spirit’s gifts, grace and virtues strengthen the Christian in his or her particular charisms and spiritual talents. Also, one should encourage those within the various traditions of Christianity to take advantage of various rituals to enhance their connection with God and to spiritually strengthen their soul. In Protestant circles, this may include prayer circles services and other gatherings, while in Catholic circles they may also include sacramental participation. Use of the sacrament of reconciliation and frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist are excellent sources for Catholics to strengthen their moral armor against sin. In the end, both traditions should take advantage of the rich divine words of Scripture.
If you are interested in becoming certified as a Christian Counselor, pleaser review the program.
 
By Mark Moran, MA, GC-C, SCC-C

Christian Counseling Courses: How to Counsel Lust?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Religious Counseling of the Vice of Lust

One of the most addicting and habitual vice is the sins of the flesh. These sins involve man’s lower  

passions that are correlated with his five senses. Even more addicting is the fact they correlate with man’s natural desire for procreation. Distortion of this natural end for merely pleasurable ends is the primary element of lust or unlawful desire of sexual desires. This disproportionate desire corrupts God’s gift and very easily can become a habitual vice. In most extreme cases, the sins of the flesh turn the other person into a object of pleasure instead of a person who reciprocates love. With these distortions in mind, a Christian Counselor must guide the penitent very carefully through the tricky waters of pleasure and emotion.

Sins of the flesh involve sins of self pleasure, pleasure with others via the conjugal act and distorted and unnatural sins that transgress the natural order of sex. While avoiding a detailed account of the types of these sins, the purpose of this article is to identify the central themes of these sins. First, they are usually completed out of self interest. Second, they usually deny the procreative element of sex. Third, they distort God’s gift of sexuality to man. Fourth, they are void of love and finally they are habitual in nature. This makes counseling this vice very difficult.
When counseling these individuals, one must identify the level of sexual misconduct. Second, one must identify the regularity of the actions and third, one must set up a prayer schedule. Within Protestant and Catholic circles prayer and scriptural references are indeed required as well as fasting and self denial to help train the will in overcoming temptation. Avoidance of occasions of sin and drugs is also important. In Catholic circles, frequent confession and reception of the Eucharist is encouraged as well as a devotion to Mary for purity. In the end, it is true the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This is so true of the sins of the flesh. A counselor must be patient because one will fall again and again in this battle as one begins their change. Such failures should not be fiercely condemned but analyzed. As long as the person is trying to overcome sins of the flesh, then one should be judged less harshly when occasional falls occur…in fact in some Catholic circles, sins that would be considered mortal can be considered venial during relapse if the penitent is earnestly trying to rid himself of these sins. It is only when the penitent gives up completely that there is absolute danger and lost.
If you are interested in Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program.
By Mark Moran, MA, GC-C, SCC-C

Manage Stress with this Easy Solution

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Ever wonder how to manage stress without breaking the bank?   Lucky for us all there are ways you can achieve stress management and still be able to go out to the movies.   The secret is to be happy with what you have and express your gratitude for it.   It could be something as simple as “I’m glad I have such a wonderful family” or “I’m happy I take the time each morning to brew a really good cup of coffee”.   Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW via Huffington Post has more on this subject.

Manage Stress with this Easy Solution

The article, “The No. 1 Cheapest Solution To Stress”, by Ashley Davis Bush

“Once you start to see the details in your life through the lens of gratitude, you will find yourself happier and less stressed. No extra time or fancy equipment needed — gratitude is yours for free!”

For the full article please go here.

Now that you understand the basis of this stress management technique, you can apply it to your daily life.   As you can see managing stress does not have to be an expensive and complicated process.   If you would like to see more techniques to manage stress and become more relaxed please feel free to visit our webpage.

Christian Counseling Programs: Counseling Must Teach that the Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Counseling must emphasize the holiness of the body

There has been a over-emphasis on the value of soul when one looks at the essence of human nature in Christian Counseling Programs. Merely because the soul survives the temporal reality and the body dies, people have come to the conclusion that the soul is superior. This is even the case among Christians who are far from Platonic in judgment on the body. Christians have always revered the body as more than a shell but a temple of the Holy Spirit. While this respect has existed it seems in popular thought that it is the soul that ultimately makes us human and hence is superior. The truth is the body plays as an important role as the soul in defining us. It is not only a temple of the Holy Spirit and our soul but is a interwoven element of our 

human nature and without our unique body we would cease to be human or exist at all. It with this in mind why Christ himself promises the resurrection of every human body to be reunited with one’s soul.

One should only teach a philosophy that emphasizes only the most respect for the body. The body while being an integral part of our human nature is a sacramental sign of the soul to the world. With this in mind, our bodies reflect the desires of the soul. Our eyes should only seek beauty and truth, our hands should never commit evil and our tongue should never speak untruth. Instead our bodies should do the work of the Lord in this world. In essence, our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
In this regard, any sins that harm the body, or stain the purity of the soul through physical actions are strictly forbidden in Christianity. Philosophies that reduce the body to a mere pleasurable object are condemned as well as philosophies that limit the body to only a shell of the soul such as Reincarnation. Also philosophies such as Manichaeism that teach all matter, including the body as evil should be strictly condemned.
Counselors should avoid various extremes. They should avoid extremes that devalue the body such as Reincarnation or Manichiean philosophies and should also avoid idealogies that idolize the body at the expense of eternal salvation.
If you are interested in Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program.
By Mark Moran, MA, GC-C, SCC-C

Substance Abuse Counseling Must Also Be Spiritual

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Substance Abuse Counseling must also be Spiritual Counseling too

Substance Abuse is more than just a physical analysis of the body and its dependency on a drug.  It is even more than a psychological issue.  The reality is that when one is treating someone for a dependency on a drug, one must treat the unique wholeness of that individual.  This is where Christian Counseling or even merely Spiritual Counseling comes into contact with Substance Abuse Counseling.
From a more theological perspective, one must go beyond the physical and psychological manifestations of addiction but also see the spiritual elements that are at play.  In essence, if one accepts the reality of the soul, then one also accepts the reality of sin.  Sin is a rejection of truth and an acceptance of something in its place.  Some sins are occasional, while others can become habitual.  It is when a sin becomes habitual that it becomes a vice that pollutes the beauty of the soul and dampens one’s spiritual life with God on a consistent basis.
The particular vice of addiction correlates with drunkeness, which is one of the seven capital

sins.  This root vice can be applied to any substance that is used in excess to lessen reason.  This vice is counter to the virtue of temperance which teaches one to moderate any physical pleasures.  It also contradicts the teaching to respect one’s body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Through the misuse of substances, one not only hurts one’s body but also damages other social relationships.  One’s family, schooling and career can be ruined via substance abuse.  Furthermore, the substance becomes one’s god in many ways.  Everything else is put second to this devouring new god that demands finance and time at the expense of spiritual and physical well being.
With these things in mind, what does the virtue of temperance include?  Does it demand complete abstinence from all substances that can alter the mind?  This is a divided question among religious.  Islam strictly forbids any form of alcoholic drink, much less any addictive drugs.  Christianity, however, offers a mixed reaction.  While all Christian denominations condemn drunkeness and drug use, there is division upon moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages.  Some denominations of Christianity condemn all drinking of alcohol and strictly forbid it.  Other denominations, including Catholicism, do not condemn drinking if it is done so moderately and without the production of an altered state.  These denominations primarily site

the story of Christ at the Wedding Feast of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.  They also site the Last Supper where Christ turned wine into his blood.  All cases showed that Jesus partook in the consumption of wine and did not officially oppose it usage.
Yet, despite moderate usage, alcohol still can pose a threat to addicts.  In these cases, recovering addicts must avoid occasions of sin and temptations by completely removing themselves from the environment this vice lurks.  Counselors of both Substance Abuse and Christian Counseling need to understand the addictive nature of these substances to their clients.  The power of addiction as a physical force is strong enough.  One simple slip can enslave the person again to its power.  In this way addiction is more than a physical force but also a spiritual vice.  From a spiritual view, addiction is demonic in origins and hopes to lead the soul down a dark path void of the light of Christ.  In this way, whether a religious counselor or a substance abuse counselor, one needs to see the spiritual war that is taking place within the soul.  The person needs to find virtue and grace to finally overcome any addiction.  By replacing their vice with virtue and filling the void that addition gives with the love of Christ, one can overcome any addiction.  In this way, a spiritual rebirth or rediscovery is essential for spiritual healing.  This is key because usually what initially turned the person to the drug was due to a spiritual wound.  The drug and the subsequent addiction is an attempt to escape the spiritual damage.  One must face their pain, heal it and move on.  This can only be accomplished via God.  In this way, I hope Substance Abuse Counselors also discover the need to become Spiritual Counselors because the whole nature of the person needs treated not just merely the physical and psychological manifestations.
If you are interested in Substance Abuse Counseling or Christian Counseling Certification, please review both programs.

Mark Moran, MA, GC-C, SCC-C

Christian Counseling Certification Program: 700 Club, Pat Robertson Answers Common Christian Counseling Session Questions

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling Certification Program: Pat Robertson answers questions that Christian Counselors deal with in sessions

Pat Robertson answers a few questions that may come up in Christian Counseling sessions.  I especially like his comment about those looking for relationships.  Watch the video below from the 700 Club.
To see the video, click here

I hope you enjoyed the video and the advice offered by Pat.  Christian Counselors can learn alot from him and other Christian leaders.

If you are interested in Christian Counseling Certification Program, please click here.
The program consists of core courses in Christian Counseling.  After completion of these courses, qualified professionals are eligible for certification in Christian counseling.  Renewal of certification is due every three years and requires academic and professional hours.
Thank you for your interest in the program and our blog.

Hypnotherapy for Pain Management

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Does hypnotherapy for pain management really work?   There is strong evidence that points to yes however the field is still relatively unknown.   Hypnosis can lead to a reduction in pain through the use of the subconscious mind.

Hypnotherapy for Pain Management

The article, “Hypnotherapy For Pain and Other Conditions”, by Steven Novella  states

“What, then, are the variables specific to hypnosis that make it an identifiable intervention? This is not clear, but we can start with a definition of hypnosis based upon our current understanding. Hypnosis, first of all, is not what happens on stage for the purpose of entertainment.”

For the full article please go here.

Do you want to learn more about hypnotherapy and how to use hypnotherapy for pain management?  For pain management and more hypnosis techniques you should check out our clinical hypnotherapy webpage

Alternative Treatments to ADHD

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Doctors are finding alternative treatments to ADHD through “mindfulness”.  By treating their attention deficit disorder with mental exercises they were able to reduce negative emotions and control anxiety.   An article by Oord, S., Bogels, S., Peijnenburg, D. via GoodTherapy.org has more.

Alternative Treatments to ADHD

The article, “Combating ADHD by Treating Child and Parent with Mindfulness Training”,  by GoodTherapy.org states

“Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) sometimes parent their children in negative ways as a result of the stress resulting from the ADHD behaviors. Children who have ADHD are impulsive and inattentive and can create a tense and frustrating situation for the parents who try to assist them with completing tasks such as homework assignments and chores.”

For the full article please go here.

If you are interested in learning more about alternative treatments to ADHD and other attention deficit disorder counseling techniques then you might want to check out our webpage.

Christian Counseling and Labor Ethics

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling and Labor Ethics

With the recent outcry of union rights versus the state, one may come to many questions regarding Christian ideals and how to counsel confused individuals upon what is right and wrong.  One prominent document that championed the right of the worker but also guided many away from the idealology of socialism was Rerum Novarum.  Pope Leo the XIII wrote this encyclical in a time of public outrage as workers tried to organize against oppressive industrial barrens who exploited the poor.  Yet during this dark era of labor history, the Pope also warned Christians of the dangers of Socialism that attempted to manipulate the worker for its own designs and purposes.  Below is this encyclical.

“That the spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been disturbing the nations of the world, should have passed beyond the sphere of politics and made its influence felt in the cognate sphere of practical economics is not surprising.”

To read the full encyclical, please press the link below.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum_en.html

I feel this encyclical l captures the essence of extreme ideals found both in capitalism and socialism and how ultimately, it is the church, ministries, counselors, and other charitable organizations that must curb the desires of evil philosophies from injuring the rights of the working man.

If you are interested in the Christian Counseling Certification, please click here.