KathyDay

When I was 50ish, I applied for an Employee Health job at the smaller of 2 hospitals in my city. I had experience in the larger hospital and great referrences. I had only worked per diem for a while because I wanted to be available for my young gra...

If hospitals can't afford to pay for the people to provide the basics of daily care, then they shouldn't be in the "business" of "caring". It was horrifying to me to see my husbands needs ignored the way they were, and to have staff say that he "re...

ahhh, Crusty old bats!! I'm sure that is how I was described by the younger nurses and CNAs where my husband was during his terminal cancer last Summer. My best memory of my training and subsequent nursing experience was how important patient p...

I went to Nursing school (3 yr program) in 1967, when young women had limited opportunities...and we were steered by guidance counselors into nursing, teaching or secretarial work. I believe I made the right choice. I worked at 5 different hospital ...

I AM the Skeleton Crew!

Early last month when my husband was on comfort care (esophageal cancer), I expressed my concern about his ineffective cough for the cracking in his throat. His nurse said they give medications for secretions...which were obviously not working. Isn...

Wanting a private room is one thing, but wanting a decent roommate is another. My husband spent 11 days and nights roomed with a homeless addict, who stole one of his things, was loud, demanding, setting off his bed alarm often, watching tV at full ...

Skin check was part of routine hygiene in both my training and my practice when I became a nurse. Bathing and other patient hygiene was integral in all of the care we gave, and during AM bathing and PM wash up and back rubs, we did skin checks. My ...

I have been wondering the same thing??

How many times did we hear this over the past few years and during the worst of the pandemic? Even though all media resources told us that thousands upon thousands of people of all ages were dying from COVID 19, many decided they could instantaneous...

Great article! Thank you for this. The only thing I don't 100% agree with is this "We are all different and the choices we make for our life and our health need to be what is best for our individual health, physical and emotional." In most cases,...

I am pretty old and retired, and I KNOW I couldn't pass the nursing boards that I took in 1970. We tested for 2 solid days in each specialty. We did not do NCLEX, which I have never understood. So, my answer is no I couldn't pass today, but under ...

https://medshadow.org/hospital-pneumonia-toothbrushing/?mc_cid=a4c7043f09&mc_eid=ff368fb62f&fbclid=IwAR1oTs3HX3b9wrhcr-5mTrHuzK8k4ObLWnjHJ_RJePa62uY7UjVFB3iE1dw I was interviewed by the writer of this article, because my father d...

It certainly wouldn't be this way if politicians and judges kept their noses out of medical matters, some of them very personal women's issues. Patients have a difficult enough time with the emotions and physical pain surrounding pregnancy and other...

Great article. Some of the roadblocks to good information exist in social media. Gossip, politics and so much more influence people and their healthcare decisions. And like you said...too many become self proclaimed "experts" after reading a few o...

I love this discussion. As always, there are two sides to every story and opinion. I always hope that the people I love take the side that is healthiest for them. I also understand the need for good solid information before making a decision. Abo...

I was not being disrespectful at all. I was simply making a point that any patient, adult or child, has a right to disclose or not disclose information to a provider, and they also have a right to not have a provider at all. It is a fact. I agree t...

Or, she could not have a provider at all, correct? We seek care and we hope we can trust our providers. The decisions to share or not share private information is up to the patient, whether they are a kid or adult. If sharing intimate information ...

No, the daughter is an educated and pro active young woman. It is sad that nobody can trust anybody anymore, because of the intrusive "decision making" by the SCOTUS, and other politicians. Some of the rhetoric surrounding women, their reproductive...

The nursing shortage is starting to hurt, really bad. These past few years have worn down some of the strongest and most talented nurses in the US, and they have either quit nursing or moved to greener Nursing pastures. Sadly, this happened smack i...

I had several weeks of OR training as well, Pre and post op, and scrubbing in. And like you we learned to clean and repack instrument packs. My first job as an RN was in the OR/ER/sterile supplies department of my small hometown hospital. I had al...

Let's all agree, that some prefer 5 8 hour shifts and some prefer 3 12 hour shifts. And hospitals have to learn to accommodate all of them. That was the point of my article...Promise Nurses the Moon and Give it to them. It's time that nurses decid...

What I suggested in my article was to bring the goals and successes of the 3 year diploma program back, not necessarily the route to get there. You are absolutely right...not many modern students would accept the rigors of being under the strict rul...

Isn't it sad that those who deserve excellent care and who need it the most are often harmed and/or neglected in a LTC setting? It is a catch 22, trying to get qualified and sufficient staff for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. My own ...

#s 4 and 6 could absolutely contribute to local nursing shortages, but as you say, perhaps not to a national nursing shortage. When people leave YOUR hospital and are not replaced, that leaves you in a shortage, locally.