My 2 Cents

Nurses Democratic Caucus

The Nurses Democractic Caucus is sponsoring a CE program, Nurses and Politics: A Practical Application for Democratic Nurses and Students, on Saturday, April 28, 2007 from 1-4pm at the Ohio Democratic Party Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

The cost is $10.00 for no-members and is free to members. Membership in the Nurses Democratic Caucus is open to any licensed nurse or student. The Nurses Democratic Caucus is a political action committee, affiliated with the Democratic party. For additional information, see the NDC website at www.ohdemnurses.org.

Voluntary vs. Mandatory Overtime

Julie Thao, the nurse in Wisconsin who was charged in 2006 with neglect of a patient causing great bodily harm, a Class D felony worked two consecutive 8 hours shifts and the second shift ended at midnight on July 4, 2006. She had arranged to sleep at the hospital following the shifts because she was scheduled to work another 8 hour shift on the Birthing Unit at 0700 on July 5, 2006. On July 5, 2006 around 12noon she mistakenly administered epidural medications (bupivacaine and fentanyl) instead of pencillin to a patient on a birthing unit. The baby was delivered after the patient coded however the patient expired. Her license was suspended for 9 months by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. Her license is limited for two years to working no more than 12 hours in any 24 consecutive hours. She cannot work more than 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days.   

In your opinion, should a distinction be made between voluntary and mandatory overtime? In your opinion, is mandatory overtime more hazardous for nurses and to patient safety than voluntary overtime?

How many hours should a nurse work during an given week if providing direct patient care? A few years ago, I did 15 home health visits (wound care, medication assessments, etc.; no admissions) as a per diem nurse in one day. Each visit lasted between 30-45 minutes. I completed the paperwork in my truck and I drove to the next visit. I was physicially and mentally exhausted at 5pm (my day started at 8am) and I still had several visits to complete. My pay check the next week was nice, but.....

Texas Nursing License Defense Attorney

Taralynn Mackay is a nurse attorney in Texas and represents nurses and other licensed healthcare professionals in licensure matters. For additional information about Ms. Mackay, please see her website at www.healthlicensedefense.com.

Criminalization of Medical Errors

The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) is sponsoring a teleseminar, Criminalization of Medical Errors on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 from 1pm-2pm EST. The seminar will provide an overview of the Wisconsin case where a RN was charged criminally for a medical error that resulted in patient death.

The presenters are Linda Dawson, Esq., who is the general counsel for the Wisconsin Nurses Association and Gina Dennik-Champion, R.N., M.S.N., executive director and lobbyist for the Wisconsin Nurses Association.

For additional information about the teleseminar see www.taana.org or call 1-877-538-2262.

Criminal Law 101 is a new category on this blog which is unfortunately necessary given the complexity and interplay of criminal, civil, employment (workplace), and administrative (state licensure, national certifications, National Practitioner Data Bank, Healthcare Integrity & Protection Data Bank, etc.) law and legal issues for nurses.

My consulting firm submitted several applications for CE hours last month. One of the courses is Alphabet Soup: Administrative, Business, Civil, Constitutional, Criminal and Employment Law for Nurses.

Its Only A Statement

Two nursing home residents argue for several minutes on Sunday. The staff watch but don't take any action. A few staff members laugh and joke about what's going on, including you. The verbal altercation progresses to pushing and shoving and both residents are transported to a local hospital, one for chest pain and the other for hip pain after being pushed. You are the only nurse who witnessed the incident. The Director of Nursing asks you to write a statement of what occurred and you do so on Monday. On Tuesday, you are placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the internal investigation. On Wednesday, you meet with the Director of Nursing, Administrator, and Human Resources Manager. You are terminated for allegations of failing to promote patient safety and unprofessional conduct in the workplace.

The family of a resident "goes to the press" and this incident is receiving what seems like non-stop coverage by the local news and print media. On Thursday, you receive a phone call from the state Board of Nursing investigator who interviews you on the phone and asks you to mail her a statement on what occurred. You write another statement because you didn't ask for a copy of the statement you provided to your former employer.

What is the purpose of a statement?