pinkplumeria

Okay, I have to admit it, yesterday I actually used the words. I told our patient safety manager that our patients had the right to fall. I am the clinical director of a home care program for the federal government (VA), we have similar regulations to Medicare agencies, and are actually surveyed by three different agencies. One of the big focus areas this year is on falls. I use the right to fall as a way to cover our butts. We do a home safety assessment, a comprehensive fall history, a fall risk assessment, an adaptive equipment assessment, cognitive screening, and much much more. However, in patient's homes, they are the boss. We can bring them all the equipment in the world, get PT and OT involved, and make any number of suggestions, but the patients still do what THEY want, and ignore our teaching and our equipment, and fall anyway. That's not our fault. A patient has the right to refuse rehab therapy, and the right to refuse to use the equipment we bring, and the right to refuse to follow our suggestions/teaching. That being said, having the right to make poor decisions = having the right to fall. Our policy on fall reduction includes something to that effect and we haven't been "dinged" on it yet...

These are wonderful! Thanks! and keep 'em coming! I love the "Desiderata for Health Care" It's fantastic...

A very good family friend has been accepted into medical school (osteopathic) and there is going to be a party for him. As a gift I would like to give him a poster or small book of upbeat, light-hearted advice from nurses around the world on how to be a great physician. Having been a nurse for 12 years now, I have plenty to say, and I have some entries from my co-workers, but thought I'd ask here and see what words of wisdom everybody else has to offer...