Excel For Nurses

Excel is a very powerful tool that can help us in a lot of ways in making our work a lot easier, and as nurses, we need to know how to use Microsoft Excel even just the basics. So here is a beginner's guide on how to get started with Excel.

Opening a spreadsheet

When you first open Excel (by double-clicking the icon or selecting it from the Start menu), the application will ask what you want to do.

If you want to open a new spreadsheet, click Blank workbook.

To open an existing spreadsheet (like the example workbook you just downloaded), click Open Other Workbooks in the lower-left corner, then click Browse on the left side of the resulting window.

Then use the file explorer to find the workbook you’re looking for, select it, and click Open.

Workbooks vs. spreadsheets

There’s something we should clear up before we move on.

A workbook is an Excel file. It usually has a file extension of .XLSX (if you’re using an older version of Excel, it could be .XLS).

A spreadsheet is a single sheet inside a workbook. There can be many sheets inside of a workbook, and they’re accessed via the tabs at the bottom of the screen.

Working with the Ribbon

The Ribbon is the central control panel of Excel. You can do just about everything you need to directly from the Ribbon.

Where is this powerful tool? At the top of the window:

There are a number of tabs, including Home, Insert, Data, Review, and a few others. Each tab contains different buttons.

Try clicking on a few different tabs to see which buttons appear below them.

There’s also a very useful search bar in the Ribbon. It says Tell me what you want to do. Just type in what you’re looking for, and Excel will help you find it.

Most of the time, you’ll be in the Home tab of the Ribbon. But Formulas and Data are also very useful (we’ll be talking about formulas shortly).

Pro tip: Ribbon sections

In addition to tabs, the Ribbon also has some smaller sections. And when you’re looking for something specific, those sections can help you find it.

For example, if you’re looking for sorting and filtering options, you don’t want to hover over dozens of buttons finding out what they do.

Instead, skim through the section names until you find what you’re looking for:

Managing your sheets

As we saw, workbooks can contain multiple sheets.

You can manage those sheets with the sheet tabs near the bottom of the screen. Click a tab to open that particular worksheet.

If you’re using our example workbook, you’ll see two sheets, called Welcome and Thank You:

To add a new worksheet, click the + (plus) button at the end of the list of sheets.

You can also reorder the sheets in your workbook by dragging them to a new location.

And if you right-click a worksheet tab, you’ll get a number of options:

For now, don’t worry too much about these options. Rename and Delete are useful, but the rest needn’t concern you.

Entering dataNow it’s time to enter some data!

And while entering data is one of the most central and important things you can do in Excel, it’s almost effortless.

Just click into a blank cell and start typing.

Go ahead, try it! Type your name, birthday, and your favorite number into some blank cells.

You can also copy (Ctrl + C), cut (Ctrl + X), and paste (Ctrl + V) any data you’d like (or read our full guide on copying and pasting here).

Try copying and pasting the data from the example spreadsheet into another column.

You can also copy data from other programs into Excel.

Try copying this list of numbers and pasting it into your sheet:

• 17
• 24
• 9
• 00
• 3
• 12

That’s all we’re going to cover for basic data entry. Just know that there are lots of other ways to get data into your spreadsheets if you need them.

Basic calculations

Now that we’ve seen how to get some basic data into our spreadsheet, we’re going to do some things with it.

Running basic calculations in Excel is easy. First, we’ll look at how to add two numbers.

Important: start calculations with = (equals)

When you’re running a calculation (or a formula, which we’ll discuss next), the first thing you need to type is an equals sign. This tells Excel to get ready to run some sort of calculation.

So when you see something like =MEDIAN(A2:A51), make sure you type it exactly as it is—including the equals sign.

Let’s add 3 and 4. Type the following formula in a blank cell:

=3+4

Then hit Enter.

When you hit Enter, Excel evaluates your equation and displays the result, 7.

But if you look above at the formula bar, you’ll still see the original formula.

That’s a useful thing to keep in mind, in case you forget what you typed originally.

You can also edit a cell in the formula bar. Click on any cell, then click into the formula bar and start typing.

Performing subtraction, multiplication, and division is just as easy. Try these formulas:

• =4-6
• =2*5
• =-10/3

What we’re going to cover next is one of the most important things in Excel. We’re giving it a very basic overview here, but feel free to read our post on cell references to get the details.

Now let’s try something different. Open up the first sheet in the example workbook, click into cell C1, and type the following:

=A1+B1

Hit Enter.

You should get 82, the sum of the numbers in cells A1 and B1.

Now, change one of the numbers in A1 or B1 and watch what happens:

Because you’re adding A1 and B1, Excel automatically updates the total when you change the values in one of those cells.

Try doing different types of arithmetic on the other numbers in columns A and B using this method.

Unlocking the power of functions

Excel’s greatest power lies in functions. These let you run complex calculations with a few keypresses.

We’ll barely scratch the surface of functions here. Check out our other blog posts to see some of the great things you can do with functions!

Many formulas take sets of numbers and give you information about them.

For example, the AVERAGE function gives you the average of a set of numbers. Let’s try using it.

Click into an empty cell and type the following formula:

=AVERAGE(A1:A4)

Then hit Enter.

The resulting number, 0.25, is the average of the numbers in cells A1, A2, A3, and A4.

Cell range notation

In the formula above, we used “A1:A4” to tell Excel to look at all the cells between A1 and A4, including both of those cells. You can read it as “A1 through A4.”

You can also use this to include numbers in different columns. “A5:C7” includes A5, A6, A7, B5, B6, B7, C5, C6, and C7.

There are also functions that work on text.

Let’s try the CONCATENATE function!

Click into cell C5 and type this formula:

=CONCATENATE(A5, ” “, B5)

Then hit Enter.

You’ll see the message “Welcome to Spreadsheeto” in the cell.

How did this happen? CONCATENATE takes cells with text in them and puts them together.

We put the contents of A5 and B5 together. But because we also needed a space between “to” and “Spreadsheeto,” we included a third argument: the space between two quotes.

Remember that you can mix cell references (like “A5″) and typed values (like ” “) in formulas.

Excel has dozens of useful functions. To find the function that will solve a particular problem, head to the Formulas tab and click on one of the icons:

Scroll through the list of available functions, and select the one you want (you may have to look around for a while).

Then Excel will help you get the right numbers in the right places:

If you start typing a formula, starting with the equals sign, Excel will help you by showing you some possible functions that you might be looking for:

And finally, once you’ve typed the name of a formula and the opening parenthesis, Excel will tell you which arguments need to go where:

If you’ve never used a function before, it might be difficult to interpret Excel’s reminders. But once you get more experience, it’ll become clear.

This is a tiny preview of how functions work and what they can do. It should be enough to get you going on the tasks you need to accomplish right away.

Saving and sharing your work

After you’ve done a bunch of work with your spreadsheet, you’re going to want to save your changes.

Hit Ctrl + S to save. If you haven’t yet saved your spreadsheet, you’ll be asked where you want to save it and what you want to call it.

You can also click the Save button in the Quick Access Toolbar:

It’s a good idea to get into the habit of saving often. Trying to recover unsaved changes is a pain!

The easiest way to share your spreadsheets is via OneDrive.

Click the Share button in the top-right corner of the window, and Excel will walk you through sharing your document.

You can also save your document and email it, or use any other cloud service to share it with others.

References:
https://spreadsheeto.com/how-to-use-excel/
https://www.excel-easy.com/
https://www.guru99.com/excel-tutorials.html
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/excel-for-windows-training-9bc05390-e94c-46af-a5b3-d7c22f6990bb

COVID-19

What is this all about?

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.  Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

What are the Symptoms of COVID-19?

For confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses.

How to Prevent COVID-19?

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.     
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
•  Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of face masks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

What are the Causes and Risk Factors of COVID-19?

Causes

It's unclear exactly how contagious the new coronavirus is or how it spreads. It appears to be spreading from person to person among those in close contact. It may be spread by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes.

It's not known if a person can catch the virus by touching a surface that an infected person has touched, and then putting his or her hand to the mouth.

Risk factors
Risk factors for infection with the new coronavirus appear to include:

• Recent travel from or residence in China
• Close contact with someone who has the new coronavirus — such as when a family member or health care worker takes care of an infected person
• People who are older or who have other existing medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, may be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with the new coronavirus. But there is still much unknown about the virus, and the CDC and WHO continue to investigate.

What nurses need to know about COVID-19?

1. Preparedness, Early Identification, and Notification

• Develop and educate all staff on a preparedness plan that provides infection control procedures and protocols used within your healthcare facility for the early identification, containment, and care of patients with symptoms associated with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) to prevent spread within your healthcare facility.
• Develop inpatient, ambulatory, and home care policies and procedures that are in line with current CDC guidelines for COVID-19
• Provide training to all personnel on screening and isolation procedures
• Provide updated training and guidelines on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as the use of gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, and a face shield
•  Display clear signage with instructions for the use of PPE
• Ensure consistent use of proper hand hygiene, standard precautions, contact precautions, and airborne precautions, along with the proper use of a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-Approved N-95 respirator or higher
• Clearly display signage for patients that lists symptoms and instructions to wear a face mask before entering the healthcare facility if symptoms are present.
• Incorporate assessment questions to document a detailed travel history when patients present with fever, cough, or respiratory illness. Consider COVID-19 if the patient traveled to China within the last 14 days.
• Identify, in advance, airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIR) or negative pressure rooms, for quarantine and screening
• Outline staffing protocols to facilitate care of patients with COVID-19 and to minimize patient-to-patient transmission
• Have available for immediate notification of Patient’s Under Investigation (PUI) the infection control personnel at your facility and the local and state health department. Click here for additional Recommendations for Reporting, Testing, and Specimen Collection and the fillable COVID-19 PUI case investigation form
• For Patients Under Investigation (PUI), follow the Criteria to Guide Evaluation of PUI for COVID-19

2. Isolation, Quarantine, Monitoring, and Hospitalization

The CDC recommends several steps for identification and maintenance of COVID-19 along with detailed guidelines for isolation precautions to prevent transmission. Have clearly displayed a flowchart for early identification and assessment of COVID-19. At this time, the exact mode(s) of transmission remain undetermined, but person-to-person transmission has been identified.

• Have masks available for PUI to don before entering the healthcare facility
• Once identified, isolate the patient to airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIR) or negative pressure room and keep the door closed. Conduct the assessment in this room.
• Healthcare personnel entering the room should use standard precautions, contact precautions, airborne precautions, and eye protection (goggles or a face shield)
• Don Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before entering the room
• Have guidelines for the proper use of PPE displayed throughout the healthcare facility
• Notify your infection control personnel and the local and state health department of suspected cases

3. How to Educate Your Patients and Minimize Spread within the Community

Per the CDC, it is known that coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses that can cause illness in people and animals. While the mode(s) of transmission of COVID-19 remain under investigation, the CDC provides the following interim guidance to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading among people in homes and communities:

• Stay home except to get medical care, do not use public transportation or taxis
• Call first before visiting your healthcare provider to notify of the need for evaluation for COVID-19. Follow the instructions provided by your healthcare team.
•  Separate yourself from other people in your home, utilize a separate bathroom
• Wear a facemask
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid sharing household items
• Monitor your symptoms

Death toll of COVID-19

The death toll: The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 2,100 people, with eight deaths reported outside of mainland China. It has infected more than 76,000 people, with over 1,000 cases outside mainland China.

Latest update about COVID-19

• The latest numbers: The novel coronavirus has killed 3,200 people, the vast majority in mainland China. There are now close to 95,000 global cases, with infections in more than 70 countries and territories.
• In Italy: The country will close all schools and universities around the country until the middle of this month as officials work to contain the outbreak.
• South Korea confirms 3 new deaths and 438 additional cases of novel coronavirus.
• Malaysia confirms 14 additional cases of novel coronavirus.
• There are now 158 cases of novel coronavirus in US.
• Coronavirus briefing for all House members to convene Thursday morning.
• California governor: 11 passengers and 10 crew members on cruise ship are "symptomatic"

References:

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-07-20-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/coronavirus-updates-live-14-dead-across-u-s-trump-signs-n1151451

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china