I am meeting with several clients who live in the Ashland, Kentucky and Ironton, Ohio area on Sunday, April 20th in South Charleston, West Virginia. We are driving in on Sunday afternoon and departing Monday afternoon.
Any suggestion for activities and sight seeing in Charleston, West Virginia?
This is a nightmare. My boyfriend Barry had an accident in my 2000 Nissan Frontier last month.
My insurance carrier paid for the repairs. I find out today that between the autobody shop and a Nissan dealer (these folks were replacing the airbags) my truck started having engine problems.
Well guess what? I need a new engine. My truck was leaking oil (closed containment system) and it wasn't caught until the truck started knocking.
Its not covered by the insurance company because its unrelated to the wreck and of course the autobody shop and the Nissan dealer are pointing the finger at each other. No accountability. It would be nice if these folks had a license issued by the state; I would file a complaint!
I am in the same position that I was a month ago when my boyfriend Barry wrecked my truck. I have a truck I can't use. I am disgusted; but I am not upset.
I am an attorney but I don't feel like suing anyone. Why? I will obtain more pleasure tormenting my boyfriend Barry about my pretty yellow truck for the duration of our relationship. Also I am going to parlay this truck situation into all expenses paid Las Vegas vacation for my birthday in July from my boyfriend Barry.
It will cost $4,500 for the rebuilt engine and labor.
My boyfriend Barry is buying me a new car. I want a crossover vehicle, convertible sports car, or a four door jeep. What do you think?
He also wants to eat home-cooked soul food meals again; so he is planning to fix my pretty yellow truck at the end of the summer. I haven't cooked since my boyfriend Barry wrecked my pretty yellow truck.
My nephew has an atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension. He is seven years old. He was scheduled to have open heart surgery on Tuesday to repair his ASD. Because of a prior engagement I would have been unable to be there for my nephew. I left on Monday for Chicago and will be in Illinois until Thursday.
I felt really bad; my nephews says I am his special nurse. I am his nurse and I refer to him as my special patient. My nieces and nephews call me Nauntie (it Aunt-tie with a N).
He tells the nurses at Cincinnati Children's Hospital that his Nauntie is a nurse also. He is my only patient now because I am not practicing as a home health RN (per diem) anymore. That's another post.
I must admit that I cried because I would not be there for him and my sister. He was scheduled for his pre-op (EKG, Echo, labs, and stress test) on Monday. On Sunday he developed a fever and a rash. On Monday, his surgery is being rescheduled for next month.
I will be there for the pre-op, surgery, and his recovery whenever its scheduled. I am limiting my travel (where I have to stay overnight for more than a day) for the remainder of 2008. No exceptions because it tore me apart to think my nephew would be on a table and I would be six hours away.
Everything happens for a reason and I am not happy of course that my nephew has a virus (he attends daycare for pre-care and aftercare and he is a first grader so he most likely picked up something).
But I am glad that this special nurse will have the opportunity to be there for her special patient.
The Women's Institute for a Safe Retirement (WISER) published this quarterly newsletter on behalf of the Center for American Nurses. The Center's website is www.centerforamericanurses.org.
You can view the article at http://www.centerforamericannurses.org/wellness/finance/wisewoman/2008/feb.pdf
I had four toy poodles. In June 2007, Paulie had a seizure and died. I still have three toy poodles: Amidala, Anakin, and Petie. Like so many of you, I am attached to my dogs.
I have two new puppies; two 8 week old labrador retrievers. Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Skywalker. Both of course are characters from the Star Wars Movies. I call them Lukie and Leia. I considered Frodo from the Lord of the Rings but since Frodo didn't have a sister or love interest.....
Petie and Paulie. The names are from the movie Good Fellas. If you are familiar with the movie, you might remember this line at the wedding....This is my cousin Petie and my nephew Paulie...
Queen Amidala is from the Star Wars movies. Everyone knows that Anakin Skywalker became Darth Varder and later became Anakin Skywalker before his death. You might remember this line from the movie, ....Luke, I Am Your Father!
Yes, I am a Star Wars Fan and I do love my dogs! I will post pictures soon.
Until then, May the FORCE Be With You!!!
The Center for American Nurses www.centerforamericannurses.org has a new publication for nurses about credit reports and improving your credit score.
When is the last time you requested a credit report and reviewed the report for accuracy? Download wiserwomencenterfeb08.pdf.
Make an effort this year to clean up your credit report, improve your personal finances, and start planning for your retirement. This is early February and its not too late to review and revise your New Year Resolutions.
Cincinnati, Ohio based law firm focusing on nursing licensure and professional practice matters in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana is seeking a RN, BSN (MS preferred) for a very unique home-based part-time position. Work between 5-10 hours week. Must be able to work independently. Occasional travel may be required. Proficient with Word, Adobe, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Publisher and internet-based applications and research.
Clinically diverse nursing background and familiarity with nursing regulation is required. Membership(s) and activity with national, state, local, or specialty nursing professional associations is a plus. Submit salary requirements, one page writing sample, and CV listing publications, speaking engagements, poster presentations, etc. to ldw@nursing-jurisprudence.com or 11427 Reed Hartman Highway, Suite 205, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241. No phone inquiries.
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I am seeking an RN independent contractor to assist me with project-based work for my firms. If you or someone you know has these qualifications, consider submitting your CV.
Start the year off right and think about your retirement planning. This applies to you regardless of whether you are a student nurse or a seasoned and expert clinician. This article was specifically written by WISER Women for the Center for American Nurses. See the Center's website at www.centerforamericannurses.org.
The article is titled Managing the Risks of Retirement. Download wiserjan08.pdf
Please see the attachment that was sent to the Ohio Board of Nursing from a retired nurse. Download NNOCletterOBN.pdf . This document was mailed to the Ohio Board of Nursing and therefore was made available as an attachment to Board Members materials available to the public.
In the November 15, 2006 correspondence addressed to the NNOC/CNA (National Nurse Organizing Committee and California Nurses Association) and copied to the Ohio Board of Nursing, the nurse states:
If nurses have concerns regarding patient staffing ratios, they have a responsibility to work with their employer and ultimately with our existing organization, the Ohio Board of Nursing. That organization has served us well in the past and I'm sure will continue to advocate for and monitor all aspects of the nursing profession.
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Boards of Nursing do not advocate for the nurses and the profession of nursing. Boards of Nursing as state regulatory agencies exist to protect the public from unsafe nursing care. State nursing associations advocate for nurses and the professional practice of nursing. A state board of nursing is not "our" organization; its the state's organization. "Our" organizations are national and state nursing professional associations.
I think there are alot of us who assume that the state board of nursing advocates for and protects nurses. I think this also explains why nurses involved in disciplinary investigations before a state board of nursing don't realize, perceive, or understand that the process is adverserial.
There are almost 3 million RNs in the United States and less than 150,000 belong to ANA, which is recognized as the national professional association of RNs in the United States. The majority of the 3 million RNs in the United States don't belong to any specialty nursing association either like the Infusion Nurses Society, Emergency Nurses Association, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Oncology Nurses Society, etc.
Why don't we as a profession of 3 million RNs belong to and support our professional associations?
If you don't like, can't, or absolutely will not support any of the existing national, state, or specialty nursing professional associations out there, start your own professional association and market it to nurses. We need a professional association were all nurses, RNs, LPNs, and Student Nurses feel comfortable joining and perceive value in paying dues.
What would this nursing professional association "look like" in your eyes? How would you market your association? What would its structure be?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holidays are stressful. I camped out overnight at HH Greg on Thursday night to buy a 50 inch plasma TV for $999. Why? I could have purchased the same TV online a Circuit City for $200 more and saved myself the stress and disorentiation that comes from sleep deprivation and power shopping after a one hour nap. From HH Greg I went to Old Time Pottery at 6am. Then to Value City. My 18 y/o son works at Value City so I have to be on my best behavior there at all times.
Then to Macy's and Dillards. Then to Big Lots. Then to Lowes. Then to Circuit City to compare prices with HH Greg and Best Buy.
I do this to myself every year and I love it! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I know alot of us as nurses plan to work "until we die" however this is not the best approach to retirement planning. Those of us who are self-employed should really start saving now for retirement.
The Center for American Nurses (www.centerforamericannurses.org) has a publication on its website developed by WISER (Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement). See http://www.centerforamericannurses.org/wellness/finance/wisewoman/11-07.pdf.
Don't wait or assume that your employer-sponsored plan and social security will be enough. Take a hard look at your finances now and develop a plan to save for your retirement.
I was contacted by a nurse who is very angry about her situation. She was reported to the Board of Nursing and voluntarily provided a very detailed written statement with lots of admissions and damaging information to the Board of Nursing. The nurse received a Consent Agreement from the Board proposing to resolve the pending complaint. The nurse is angry. I could hear the anger in her voice through the phone. I receive at least 5-10 calls a month from angry nurses.
If I had $9.99 for every time, I have made this statement, I could redesign my lifestyle and work schedule. I could sit for the Nevada and California Bar Exams and obtain my law license via endorsement in Arizona. I would practice part-time in the sunny states. I would spend my remaining years (I'm 36 years old) in 80+ degree weather year around. I would live in Las Vegas but maintain part-time law practices in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana also. I like this plan!
Here is goes....The submission of a statement to the Board of Nursing when you are the subject of the investigation, DOES NOT automatically resolve the complaint. The Board staff don't review the statement and say "oh okay that explains everything; this case is now over."
If you receive correspondence from the Board of Nursing stating that you are the subject of a disciplinary investigation, seek legal advice before you submit a written response or before you agree to a phone interview.
Are you an angry nurse? If so, why are you angry? Is it constructive or destructive anger?
Cheryl Johnson, R.N., President of the United American Nurses (http://www.uannurse.org) and the Michigan Nurses Association (http://www.minurses.org) passed away Sunday, October 28, 2007 surrounded my family and friends. She had been admitted to the University of Michigan Health System on Friday, October 19 with a ruptured brain aneurysm.
The AFL-CIO President John Sweeney praised Johnson as a real pioneer for nurses. http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/10/29/workers-mourn-death-of-uan-president-cheryl-johnson/ She was a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council (http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/leaders/ecmembers_gl.cfm) and vice president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, an AFL-CIO constituency group. See http://www.cluw.org/.
Keep Cheryl Johnson and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
How do you characterize professional nursing practice? Do you think the majority of nurses practice in accordance with the standards of professional nursing practice? Do you think the majority of nurses think in terms of a job, paycheck, and only in terms of unit or facility-based issues?
I admit its hard to see the forest from the trees from ground level when you are in the trenches. I can remember having a job and paycheck mentality at various stages of my career as a nurse and as an attorney. The paycheck mentality for me stemmed from my unhappiness with the work environment.
Where are you in your career?
Do you think that nurses have an extremely nonchalant attitude towards nursing law and regulations, medication errors, and documentation?
Over the past several years I have met a number of nurses who have surrended their nursing license because of disciplinary issues and/or Board imposed monitoring. Some of these nurses would say that the practice of nursing wasn't worth the stress related to "jumping through the hoops" i.e. psychiatric evals, chemical dependency evals, daily call in process for drug testing, Board imposed practice restrictions, etc.
Before you decide to voluntarily surrender your nursing license, consult with a licensure defense attorney to discuss your situation.
Do you have your own professional liability insurance policy? The majority of nurses don't purchase their own policy for whatever reason.
If you do have the insurance, is it a good policy? Have you read the terms and conditions in the policy? Consider having the policy reviewed by an attorney who represents nurses in malpractice or licensure matters. Have the attorney explain the policy terms to you and what you are required to pay out-of-pocket in the event of claim.
Why? Because not all policies are made equal and you don't want to learn after the fact (after a complaint is filed against your license with the Board of Nursing or you were named a defendant in a civil lawsuit) that your policy isn't that great and that there are more "nurse-friendlier" policies on the market and available for purchase.
I apologize for not posting much this month however this has been a very busy month for me. I presented a poster on Risk Management for Nurse Practitioners at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana last week. Also RN licensure renewal in Ohio has begun and I am receiving lots of calls from nurses regarding criminal convictions and reporting. On a personal note, my son graduated from high school this month (yes!) and one of my poodles (Paulie) died.
I am back however and planning to see the movie Sicko today. Has anyone seen the movie yet? If so, what did you think?
The Ohio Nurses Foundation luncheon is Wednesday, April 18, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. For additional information, see www.ohnurses.org.
The Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio student nurse Convention is Tuesday, April 17, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio. For additional information, see www.lpnao.org.
At the end of each month, I will provide a brief summary of the types of cases, phone calls, and inquiries, I receive in my law practice. No client identifying or state specific information is provided. I posted before that January has been a busy month for me and it has been however, I am not complaining. Below is a summary:
* Administered a medication to a co-worker without a written physician order;
* Inconsistent documentation and waste of narotics;
* Allegations of theft of narcotics;
* Allegations of chemical impairment in the workplace;
* Practice deficiencies being reported to the state board of nursing;
* Advanced Practice Registered Nurse failed to renew RN license and continued to practice and bill for services;
* Unsafe nursing practice allegations being reported to the state board of nursing;
* monitoring problems with a Board of Nursing Alternative Program for Chemical Dependency and Practice Deficiencies;
* Nurse as a lay witness in a medical malpractice case;
* Positive drug screen for marijuana while being monitored by the state board of nursing;
* Resignation from employment in an ambulatory care setting;
* Placed on corrective action plan in the workplace for medication error;
* Reported to state board of nursing for alleged chemical dependency; and
* Student nurse terminated by healthcare employer for unauthorized access of an electronic medical record.
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