Category: Workplace Issues

I recently attended the Indiana State Nurses Assistance Program quarterly provider meeting. This was an opportunity where people who serve nurses with substance abuse issues can get together. Representing and being an advocate for nurses, I attended the session which included the Executive Director of the Indiana State Board of Nursing, the President of the Indiana State Board of Nurses […]

Recently I learned that nurses at a major health care system in my home State of Indiana are organizing a union. I am most bothered by the fact that the nurses in this health system are so dissatisfied that they believe a union is necessary. I have trepidations in writing this post but feel it is necessary to make some […]

This past week I went before the Nursing Board. Not only do they hear matters against nurses who licenses are being charged but also cases of individuals who have completed their nursing education and now want to sit for the test. Some have skeletons in their closet such as a previous DUI conviction or some such criminal matter. Once you […]

The late comedian, writer and actor Steve Allen once had a group of individuals, each bilingual but no 2 with the same pair of languages, form a circle. In the televised event, he told a joke, in English, to the first one who then told it in a separate language that he and the third person shared. That person then […]

Is a med error considered malpractice? “Malpractice” is a fancy word for negligence, but involves a professional. There are 4 elements of malpractice: Duty (the standard of care) Breach (you didn’t do what you were supposed to do or did something that you should not have done); Causation; and Harm. So, let’s put it in layman’s terms. You have a […]

Recently a study was performed which determined six individual factors that lead to human errors. Three factors were contributed to the caregiver, 1) fatigue, 2) emotional stress and 3) multitasking. If you think about situations in your work place, when you are tired or when you are stressed, or you’re trying to do too many things at once it can […]

I know how difficult it can be to be understaffed on a busy medical surgical unit or for that matter, any unit and I know that hospitals and nursing homes discourage overtime.  Unfortunately, most state laws do not have any minimum staffing requirements.  You’re in between a rock and a hard place because you are required to accept the assignment […]

“Should I carry my own malpractice insurance?” That’s a question I hear quite a lot. As an employee, your employer is responsible for your actions as long as you are acting within the scope of your responsibilities. If you do something that is clearly outside that scope, your employer will not cover you. Some extreme examples are having inappropriate relations […]

This first video is me interviewing Renee about what is bullying and what can be done about it.   This second video is Renee interviewing me about the legal aspects of bullying and what we can do in negative employment situations.

Substance abuse is one of the most important issues in nursing because access is so easy. Even with Pyxis machines that distribute medications with a thumb print, there still are ways that a determined nurse can divert medication. According to the Indiana State Nurses Assistance Program [ISNAP]: Impaired nurses demonstrate mood swings and irritability. He/she may seem depressed for no […]