Today I read one of the most touching stories about a nurse named Laurie Van Damme who goes above and beyond to help mothers and families deal with the tragedy of a stillborn. Even those who cannot face the possibility of having the time to make closure, have found comfort in her efforts weeks and months after the event. Once the moment is gone, you cannot get it back again and for so many this is the most heartbreaking part of losing a baby. Having suffered an ectopic pregnancy many years ago, I know the pain of not having a baby to make closure with. So many hospitals just whisk…
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Pay Attention to the Political Conventions
The political race in the U.S. has been a long one this time around, but as the parties head to their conventions, platforms will become more clear and we’ll begin to understand more about where Obama and McCain stand on health care and issues involving solving the shortage of nurses. No matter what your political preferences, we need to pay close attention to these issues. The nursing shortage and health care crisis in this country are very important issues in this election and how the next administration approaches them. I hope you will all take some time to listen and read about the proceedings taking place in Denver this week…
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Deadline Approaching for Kaplan Anthology Submissions
A reminder to all nurses interested in submitting a story for Kaplan’s new anthology about your experiences working with babies in their first 28 days. The deadline of September 1, 2008 is quickly approaching. photo from stock.xchng.com
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A Little Humor for Your Day
Perhaps you have heard this already, but it gave me a giggle yesterday. They say laughter can add 8 years to your life, so laugh a little today! This is NOT a true story, but it’s cute. (See Snopes.com) Picabo (Peekaboo) Street the former Olympic skier has become an ICU nurse now and works in an intensive care unit in a large metropolitan hospital. She is not allowed to answer the phones however, because she was causing a great deal of confusion: “Picabo, ICU.” Picabo has been the brunt of jokes her entire life, as would most anyone with an unusual name. She is not a nurse, but she has…
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News for Nurses
A couple of items worth bringing to your attention: Behavior Affects Patient SafetyJCAHO recently issued a Sentinel Alert calling for all JCAHO accredited institutions to take note of findings hat patient safety is being undermined by inappropriate and unprofessional behavior exhibited by health care professionals. Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, therapists and support staff who demonstrate intimidating and disruptive behavior toward other health care professionals, patients and others will need to be dealt with if facilities wish to comply with JCAHO standards as of January 1, 2009. For far too long, inappropriate behavior has been ignored, unreported and never addressed for fear of reprisal or being labeled as a “whistle blower.” Research…