Observations and Assessments

By Torontoemerg
Notions to small for a blog post, all in one place, a.k.a. the periodic link dump.

Giving all aid short of actual help. First, some words from the American Nurses Association on Amanda Trujillo. The ANA finallyissued a news release, in which they absolutely avoided, like nervous grannies dithering over an icy stretch of sidewalk, any position at all. However, they are watching the case “closely.” They advise “nurses and the public not to rush to judgments about complex cases based on social media postings or other media coverage.” They tell nurses in trouble to avail  themselves of the “many resources available on its website”. That’s pretty well it.  Three Tweets and they could have saved themselves 323 words and a news release. Would have been a more honest display of actual content, too.

That’s gonna leave a mark. Meanwhile Kim McAllister over at Emergiblog administers a very judicious flogging to the ANA over said news release above. Jennifer Olin does more dissection here.

Big and growing. More resources on Amanda Trujillo, including media contacts and how to contribute to her cause at NurseFriendly’s site.

Funky, interesting and fabulous New Blogs! New to me, anyway.

  • Medical Ethics and Me has some great, relevant material on its collective blog. Deserves to have a much wider audience.
  • RNAcademy.com: New grad on the ED offers a fresh perspective.
  • Greg Mercer: a very new blog, and a strong advocate for nurses

So what about Pinterest, anyway? Got my account, and am still puzzled by what exactly to do with it. (Though got a recipe for Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce.) HealthisSocial has some answers, but may also be mocking you.

Um, no? Does the World Really Need a 5-Inch Phone With a Stylus? (I would lose the stylus in about 10 minutes.)

Another float in the Parade of the Blindingly Obvious. Nurses need breaks! say health care leaders. (You think?)

The complaints are even more surprising given the culture of nursing. Rarely having time for rest and meal breaks is part of the nursing folklore. New graduate initiation practically stipulates that a requirement of successful floor nurses is a gargantuan bladder.

This culture is entrenched. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Nursing Administration revealed that hospital staff nurses were completely free of patient care responsibilities during a break or meal period less than half the shifts they worked. In 10%

of their shifts, nurses reported having no opportunity to sit down for a break or meal period. The rest of the time, nurses said they had time for a break, but no one was available to take over patient care

Next thing they’ll be telling us is nurses shouldn’t be punished for taking sick time.

“Weeds are the tithe we get for breaking the earth.” Too true. An elegy on the humble weed
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