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When I heard that the 19 y/o suspect had been apprehended and, because of his injuries, had been taken to the hospital, I thought, “Oh brother, God bless the hospital staff that will be treating and caring for him.” Amidst all the public sentiment surrounding the terrible tragedy at the Boston Marathon, and the ensuing . . . → Read More: Boston Bomber #2 Taken to Beth Israel/Deaconess Medical Center Recently, it seems like we’ve had a flurry of facilities whose staff has been unwilling, for one reason or another, to speak with our nurse advocates over the phone. Last week, I was asked to intervene in a case where our nurse advocate was having difficulty getting information DESPITE a signed authorization and consent on . . . → Read More: “Our nurses don’t give medical information.” In the course of our work at Guardian Nurses, we often (ok, every day) have to deal with the federal healthcare privacy law called HIPAA. Since we are working on behalf of patients, we need to get their written authorization that we can speak with their clinical providers and request records from facilities. Patients easily . . . → Read More: HIPAA GONE WILD! Though it comes the same time every year, the New Year’s holiday evokes anxiety in people who feel the need to “make resolutions” as they approach the new year. I take a different approach. Think of your resolution as a suggestion. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. For those of us working in the . . . → Read More: New Year’s Thoughts and Reminders Many thanks to the planning committee and volunteers who made the 2012 RN-AIM (Registered Nurse Association in Michigan) Annual Conference a smashing success! This year’s theme for the conference, on September 20th and 21st, was “Nurse As Advocate” and I was honored to be invited to give the keynote presentation to kick off the meeting. . . . → Read More: Six Lessons for Nurse Advocates We recently had a case in California which required us to frequently communicate telephonically with the nursing staff. We had the required signed HIPAA release on the chart (multiple times, in fact, as it continued to get ‘lost’) as well as the family’s verbal authorization to speak on their behalf with the clinical team. . . . → Read More: Nurse Practice Act? C’MON……. Last week a good friend had bilateral knee replacements and chose to ‘buy up’ for her recovery by selecting the hospital’s “Concierge Unit.” Many hospitals now offer such a unit, requiring patients to pay out of pocket per night in addition to their expected insurance payment. In my friend’s case, it was $40o each night. . . . → Read More: $400 Per Night and Still No Benadryl Ointment!! Somehow it seems appropriate a few days before April 15th to write that the two things absolutely certain in our lives are death and taxes. And on April 16th, we recognize the 5th Annual National Healthcare Decisions Day. Seems like good timing, yes? This date was created to “inspire, educate . . . → Read More: Death is Not Failure For many people, organ transplantations are just something we occasionally read about in the news, if at all. (Of course, a donor heart being given to a former vice president always makes the news.) But for the team at Guardian Nurses, organ transplantations are a much greater part of our day to day reality. We . . . → Read More: Even With A New Liver, Sometimes Patients Die Can a grateful heart enhance your health? A growing body of research says, “Yes.” Gratitude, as a conscious practice, offers a whole host of health benefits. Gratitude promotes physical and emotional well-being, improves one’s ability to cope with stress and bolsters positive interaction with others. Furthermore, research shows grateful individuals report having more energy and . . . → Read More: Can a Grateful Heart Enhance Your Health? |
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