I left work angry nearly every day this week. Angry and thankful. In doing so, I recognize my full passion is returning – something I have missed for a while now. I was and continue to be angered over the... Read More
Beware the gaps. They are all around us. Some people are oblivious to the gaps; however, most people see them, pointing them out others. Only a small percentage of people, though, actually stop, identify the gap, and fill it. Those... Read More
One of my favorite local nonprofits posted A Franciscan Prayer last year. I kept it, and I look back at it often. Every time I read it, it stirs something inside of me – something that made me want to... Read More
A friend was expressing her concern and frustration today as she described recent encounters with nurses and other healthcare professionals. Over and over again she pointed to situations in which nurses lacked appropriate knowledge for care. I couldn’t dispute it.... Read More
Many thanks to Patricia Poirier, PhD, RN, AOCN®, for allowing me to share her poster, Health Policy Advocacy Begins in Undergraduate Nursing School, which was highlighted at the 36th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress in Boston last month. I love... Read More
I cannot shake a recent article from my thoughts. Daniel Iverson, a homeless man and frequent visitor to the ER, enters and tells the triage nurse he hates his life and he’s ingested a fatal amount of morphine. She does her... Read More
In the 30 seconds it takes for you to read this post, it will have claimed 135 lives. Think a communicable disease is the number one killer globally? Think again. Cancer kills more people annually than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria... Read More
First, seat belts rock. I’ve seen the saving power both personally and professionally. Secondly, how in the world is it possible that 19 states have no primary seat belt laws (in which passengers are required to wear seat belts and... Read More
Near misses are often referred to as “close-calls” or “good catches.” They’re potentially harmful events that never reach the patient. Nurses catch them every day, often because the nurse is the last link to the patient. Conversely, when nurses do... Read More