So, it’s been awhile, eh? It was Chuck Norris who found me. To everyone who emailed and texted and Tweeted, thanks. Everything is hunky and dory. I’m not dead, ok? Let’s get that out of the way. Nor am I afflicted with a Chronic Debilitating Illness, unless you count members of my family. (That
Continue readingTag: Blogging Navel Gazing
Those Emergency Blues: Jean, ROSC*
So as J mentioned before, I was in a near catatonic state due to my VSA* computer which has fortunately been resuscitated. The hypothermia post resuscitation care was beneficial but it suffered an anoxic brain injury that may not be possible to overcome. Despite this crushing blow, (more so financially really since
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: The phrases junior nurses and most staff do not care to hear from senior nurses…
… and other examples of nurses eating their young… A few statements I’ve heard in the last few years that I shall share periodically. “It is more important that I get all of my breaks than you young folk because I’m older and need to rest more often” I fail
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Jean, RN
I’d like to start off by saying how truly flattered I was and am to be asked to write with this blog. I’ve admired the diversity in content and the nursing/healthcare related issues this blog has brought to my attention that I wouldn’t likely be aware of otherwise. I never
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: In Which TorontoEmerg is So Busted, or, Welcome, Jean Hill
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a colleague, whom I will call Jean Hill, and by-the-by the conversation fell to nurse bloggers. Several prominent ones were mentioned, like Crass-Pollination and Emergiblog and Nerdy Nurse. “Oh,” said Jean Hill innocently. “I wish I could write like these guys.” At
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: More on When Labelling Patients Causes Patients to Die
In the comments WhiteCoat (of WhiteCoat’s Call Room fame) strenuously objects to my take on the Anna Brown case: Wow. Someone on my blog suggested that I check out this post after I just posted about this story yesterday. To all of you who think “something more should have been
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Out of Sorts
Don’t know if it’s the crazy weather, but just feeling a little whacked today. Got up this morning, all burstin’ to write an epic post about the RNAO’s new best practice guidelines on restraints, wrote about three paragraphs and went bleh. Didn’t care as much as I thought. So maybe
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Why Physicians Should Care about Amanda Trujillo
[This post appeared last week, in slightly modified form, at KevinMd.com. Nice to see it’s generating a huge response and vigorous debate there. TE.] For the past month, the case of Amanda Trujillo has resonated deeply among nurses, triggering an avalanche of postings on Facebook, Twitter and in the nursing blogosphere.
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: In Which TorontoEmerg is Famous
OK, not really famous, but published on Kevin Pho’s site, KevinMD.com. Check it out, and Retweet/Like/comment as you will — it’s all in a good cause. I’ll repost it here sometime next week. I am this morning getting an uptick in visitors from KevinMD.com. Welcome, and free to poke around.
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Just Lie Back and Think of Florence — Or Not
Nurse K, possibly the doyenne of nurse bloggers, gives her two cents on Amanda Trujillo. Her advice is to surrender: Yes, I’m going to say it: Forget advocating. Be humble. Be honest and consistent. Go through the process. Listen to your attorney. Your most important asset as a terminated person is an
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Nurses are Like Howler Monkeys, Poo and All
When I was a young, inexperienced nurse, I quickly learned one lesson: the cliché that Emergency nurses are fabulously assertive, mouthy, in-your-face pitbulls is absolutely true. I don’t mean ED nurses are bitchy or backstabbing eat-their-own-young types, though this was true also, at least for some of them. I mean
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Another One Bites the Dust
Via White Coat’s Call Rooom, I wanted to mention the demise of Weird Nursing Tales: After nearly 20 years on the internet, Weird Nursing Tales passed away. Weird Nursing Tales died on February 7, 2012 after it was reported to Administration that the true author was an employee of the
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: A Little Nurse Bashing to Start Your Day
For breakfast, how about some outrageous libel from physician-blogger Terry Simpson (Twitter: @DocSimpson). File this under how not to blog about a serious issue in health care: The Arizona State Nursing board has asked that this nurse [Amanda Trujillo] undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The board is charged with protecting the
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Best of 2011
A little late for 2011 retrospectives, but, as I said, I was busy. First list: the most popular by hits. Second: my personal picks. 10 Most Popular Posts (many of which were actually posted in 2010) 1. Can We Stop the I’m-a-Male-Nurse-Who-Isn’t-Gay-Contrary-to-the-Stereotype Routine? (An oldie-but-a-goodie. By far and away the most popular
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: So Long, Robert
Not unnoticed by me is Robert Fenton’s likely last post at Nurse XY. This a real loss — Robert is a truly gifted writer, and always has something interesting and insightful to say. If you have a chance, head over and check out his stuff. Here’s hoping he changes his mind.
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Back
More or less. Everyone who emailed me, thanks. I am quite well, if a little bruised. Therein lies a tale, you say — true enough, but one I’m not quite ready to tell, though I’m working on an article for a (non-nursing) publication about it. Everyone who sent me an
Continue readingDeath to PowerPoint and Other Notions
Back again.Yeah, I’ve been away for a while, for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with writing or blogging. However my unintentional sabbatical has had the benefit of leaving me refreshed and full of ideas and so maybe wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I mean, in the two years I have operated […]
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Yep, Still Have A Pulse
My unintentional hiatus will have to continue for a few couple more days, anyway, so apologies to my regular readers and friends. My absence is for reasons I’d love to tell you about, but can’t (damn you, self-imposed anonymity!). Suffice to say work — I’ve been seconded to some administrative-like work, remember — plus some […]
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Happy Canada Day
And all that. No Cobourg frolic this year, unfortunately, just work, work, work The dearth of posts the past week is not for lack of trying — have several rattling around in the draft file, but circumstances — work and family commitments, and also some (usual) nursing nastiness, which i will probably write about in a […]
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: I’ve Been Selected for a Not-So-Clever Marketing Scheme
This blog has been named as one of the ”20 Best Blog for Nurses” by that august institution, Jacksonville University School of Nursing. My jaded, cynical, shrivelled heart tells me it’s a trojan horse marketing scheme, since the button they emailed me links to information on their MScN program, and there doesn’t seem to a “20 […]
Continue reading