In 2006, The Institute of Medicine issued a shocking report on the prevalence of medication errors in the United States. A medication error involves any breakdown or failure, either from prescription of a medication or the medication being used or administered properly (Wu, 2006). They can include improper prescribing, ordering, dispensing, administering, and drug monitoring [...]
Health care professionals come in contact with many different infectious diseases on a daily basis. When working so closely with patients, it is important they be provided with the appropriate tools to protect themselves from these infections. It is also important that providers are educated on the different forms of disease transmission and what equipment [...]
In the previous blog post an overview of high-alert medications was provided. The term “high-alert medications” was defined, four classes of drugs commonly included in high-alert medication lists were identified, and general prevention strategies were outlined. Knowledge and awareness regarding the consequences of high-alert medication errors is valuable. However, it may be even more important [...]
When a person is admitted to the hospital due to a disease, illness, or injury there is a reasonable expectation that if medication is needed it will be appropriate for the individual’s specific condition and prescribed at a safe dosage. However, mistakes involving medications are among one of the most common healthcare errors resulting in [...]
As any criminal attorney knows, the stakes are high when evaluating cases that involve childhood sexual abuse. The review and analysis then needs to be done by an experienced forensic nurse (as in Integrity Legal Nurse Consulting PDX) to ensure that your client has the best chance in representation for their alleged crime. This [...]
The novel corona virus, also known as COVID-19, has spread rapidly throughout the world. Thousands of confirmed COVID-19 cases occur daily, and thousands have died. Pharmaceutical companies and laboratories around the world are working tirelessly to develop medication and vaccines to help flatten the curve of this invasive pandemic. As the number of cases continues [...]
According to the American Heart Association, women are more likely to have a stroke, and experience declining health or die following a stroke, when compared to men (Willis, 2020). A recent study by Tietjen and Maly (2020) has linked a history of migraines with aura to a higher incidence of ischemic stroke. An aura is [...]
Nurses go to work and are exposed to human tragedy on a daily basis. On any given day, a nurse will see patients who are diagnosed with serious and/or terminal illnesses, death, domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and more. A nurse is there to comfort those facing horrible news and terrible losses. The nurse [...]
It has been over 150 years since the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery; unfortunately, the concept is still alive today. The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose (including forced labor or sexual exploitation) (UNODC, 2020). Human trafficking is a [...]
When working in healthcare, the main goal is to take care of people and provide them with exceptional, evidence-based care. Healthcare takes a multidisciplinary approach, and they all share one thing in common: the need for thorough and appropriate documentation. It is rare to find a healthcare provider who will admit to enjoying documentation and [...]