Introductory Statement From Shirley Barker, RN, BSN: As nurses, we’re expected to be an “advocate” for our patients. Unfortunately, we are often stifled from fulfilling that role. I retired in 2013. During my 30 years of nursing for Los Angeles County, I was aware of medical errors leading to harm and sometimes death for …
8 months ago
Chaos In A General Surgery Residency Program
Vanderbilt General Surgery Resident, Gretchen Edwards BY BOB ALLER 04/07/2020 (10 min read) In April 2017, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville), a resident from the general surgery residency program was instructed to place a central venous catheter. During the procedure in the morning, (over 5 million central lines are placed each year), the resident …
11 months ago
Air Embolism Linked To Central Line Death
Bob Aller December 29, 2019 Revisions: January 22, 2020 Summary: Just after 1:30 pm on the afternoon of August 22, 2016, at Palms West Hospital in Florida, RN Linda Truempy entered the ICU room of a 25-year-old patient, Joshua Dziedzic. What followed was an event that should have never occurred. Josh was sitting up in …
1 year ago
Epidemic Of Violence In Hospitals Facing Nurses
Bob Aller September 20, 2019 Why is there a need for workplace violence prevention programs for nurses? “They are routinely yelled at, spat at, pummeled, kicked, scratched and even stabbed by the people they are trying to save. In some states, nurses are assaulted more than police,” wrote columnist Petula Dvorak in the Washington Post. According …
1 year ago
ER Nurse Kills Attacker While Defending Herself
Bob Aller September 20, 2019 This report focuses on an incident involving ER nurse Susan Kuhnhausen. Her self-defense training at Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregon, appears to have contributed to her ability to protect herself. Fortunately, when a life-threatening encounter occurred, Susan was prepared to handle it. Nurse Kuhnhausen had also been …
1 year ago
Understaffing In The ER Claimed, ER Nurse Fired
Lawsuit States ER Clinical Coordinator At HCA Hospital Was Fired For Claiming Understaffing In The ER The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that Nurse Julie Stephens filed a lawsuit against Portsmouth Regional Hospital (HCA Health Services of New Hampshire.) According to the lawsuit, Nurse Stephens made repeated complaints about understaffing in the ER that resulted …
1 year ago
Nurse Fired While Advocating For Patient Safety On CVICU
Nurse Julie Griffin Photo by Munoz Photography Bob Aller August 4, 2019 Nurse Julie Griffin worked as an RN at the Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation, Florida (Miami metro area). Repeatedly, Ms. Griffin registered criticism with hospital administrators over the practice of no continuous monitoring as well as inadequate nurse staffing on her cardiovascular ICU. …
1 year ago
Medical Executive Committee Issues Vote Of No Confidence
Tennessee Doctors Revolt Reporter: Maxine Magtoto The Medical Executive Committee members at Tennessee’s Erlanger Health System (7 hospitals), were concerned about issues of patient safety. They took a unanimous vote of no-confidence against three hospital executives, according to a June 23, 2019 report in the Chattanooga Times Free Press In a May 9, 2019 letter …
1 year ago
Ward 5B: Nurses Gave AIDS Patients the Care Others Would Not
Celebrating A Team Of Nurses Reporter – Julia Pinney June 26, 2019 The film “5B” premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theatres June 14. Through archival footage, photos, and interviews with doctors, nurses, AIDS survivors, and activists, it tells the story of Ward 5B at San Francisco General Hospital. …
2 years ago
Vanderbilt’s Role In The Death Of A Patient
It’s been widely reported that Nurse Ra Donda Vaught is facing criminal charges of reckless homicide and impaired adult abuse. The charges stemmed from a series of inadvertent medication errors Nurse Vaught made at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The Nashville District Attorney has assigned full blame to her for the death of Charlene Murphey. …