This week, the Colon Cancer Coalition hosted a Twitter chat on an important topic—colorectal cancer.

An article in the latest issue of The International Journal of SPHM (Safe Patient Handling and Mobility) investigates a significant but rarely publicized problem—musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among endoscopy nurses and technicians. “Endoscopy Staff Injury: A Serious Problem Hiding in Plain Sight” provides specifics on the extent, nature, and root causes of endoscopy staff MSDs and includes data compiled from various studies.

There is no doubt that the partial government shutdown, the longest in US history, is having a detrimental effect on the 800,000 Federal government employees and their families. In response to the crisis, some furloughed workers have gone to extreme measures; thousands have created GoFundMe pages to help pay for necessities like food, childcare, and medicine.

Put yourself in their shoes. Now imagine that you have cancer.

Looping occurs in 90% of all colonoscopies. It is the main cause of patient pain and failed and prolonged procedures. Yet the concept of looping can be hard to grasp and even harder to visualize.

This short video illustrates WHAT looping looks like and WHY it happens.

Meet Cathy

She’s an endoscopy technician with over 30 years of experience. She loves her job, but not the pain and injuries that come along with it.

Why would you have a sedation-free colonoscopy, when the norm is sleeping through the procedure and having no recollection of it?

Nurses who handle patients on a regular basis are likely to get injured, sooner or later. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing has the highest rate of nonfatal occupational injuries of any profession, (yes, even higher than construction workers or factory employees), and an American Nursing Association survey revealed that 62 percent of nurses indicated that the risk of developing a disabling musculoskeletal disorder was a top health and safety concern.

Does FIT Measure up to Colonoscopy?

How do fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) stack up to colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening? Admittedly, FIT might sound pretty good—no special diet, no colonoscopy prep, no hospital gown. But everything that shines is not gold.

In terms of quality, safety, and patient satisfaction, screening colonoscopies performed by nurse practitioners (NPs) are equivalent to those of physicians, according to the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Given proper training, NPs could improve the sub-par colorectal cancer screening compliance rates in the United States with procedures that cost less and are equally safe and effective.