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Providers: Things Have Changed
Nursing Care After RaDonda Vaught I recently wrote an article in which I blamed RaDonda Vaught for her negligence. I supported (and still support) the outcome of her case. In my opinion, it was right to revoke her nursing license, and the charge of criminal negligence seems appropriate to me. I’ve spent the last few days poring over…
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He Wasn’t Supposed to Die
While I was documenting an argument I had with a drunk lady in one room, I noticed the Charge Nurse running. He never runs. Curious, I followed him into one of the Resuscitation Rooms. CPR-in-progress. EMS had just brought him in. He looked young. Well, young for a person to be in cardiac arrest, anyway.…
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Listen to Nurses
I wear cowboy boots to work. 12 hours a day. Three or four shifts a week. No, they don’t hurt my feet; they actually feel great! But, my socks don’t come up high enough, and the top of the boots rub on my calves. I’ve been wearing boots to work for years, and I’ve never…
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That’s Not What Time Means
They taught you the wrong stroke assessment Some Background I became a lifeguard when I was 15 and started teaching Lifeguarding, First Aid, and CPR classes only a few years later. I loved it. I loved teaching and I loved finding a way to help people learn the information not only for the test, but…
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You Don’t Want to be First
Being a triage nurse is like being a nightclub bouncer. They are the first medical professional to see patients as they walk in. From across the room, they must evaluate the severity of their illness or injury, often while talking with another patient. Triage is a game of measuring vital signs and documenting chief complaints…
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Just Get the Damn Vaccine
Have you gotten your COVID vaccine yet? I ask this of every patient I triage in the emergency department. I added the “yet” qualifier at the end to emphasize that it’s recommended. Sneaky, I know. We’re supposed to be screening for blood clots in patients who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine (despite there being…
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How to Get Away with Assault
The hospital is the only place where powerless people have power. That’s what a doctor told me, early in my nursing career. I remember feeling amazed at how poorly I was being treated. “I am here to help, so why are these people so rude,” I had asked. Once, a patient’s son said “thanks” to…
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Avoiding COVID-37
Being in healthcare during the pandemic was not fun. It was hard. It was hard for a lot of reasons. It was hard because we saw people dying. Young, healthy people, people who weren’t “supposed” to die. We saw patients with oxygen saturation levels far below what we had ever seen in conscious patients. Normally,…
