The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital (60 page)

Most trusted profession
.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1654/honesty-ethics-professions.aspx

Directly involving nurses . . . these strategic meetings.
See, for example, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Nurses Are Key to Improving Safety,” April 28, 2011.

One strategy to curb bullying . . .
C. Rocker, “Addressing Nurse-to-Nurse Bullying to Promote Nurse Retention,”
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing
, August 29, 2008. Steering committee: see, for example,
ISMP Medication Safety Alert
, March 25, 2004.

“no retribution” policy
See, for example,
ISMP Medication Safety Alert
, April 24, 2014.

Some hospitals have trained
Interviews.

a quiet room . . .
B. Lombardo and C. Eyre.

soothingly colored walls . . .
Ibid.

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital . . .
“Three-Tiered Emotional Support System Generates Positive Feedback From Providers Who Become ‘Second Victims’ of an Unanticipated Clinical Event,” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (March 2009).

“Using a colleague’s first name . . .”
See
ISMP Medication Safety Alert
, March 25, 2004.

Hospitals have had success
See, for example, Emergency Department Management, “Take Steps to Curb Violence, Improve Safety for ED Personnel,” October 1, 2011.

. . . or conducting bag checks.
“Preventing Violence in the Healthcare Setting,” Sentinel Event Alert,
The Joint Commission
45, June 3, 2010.

consider installing metal detectors.
See, for example, “OSHA Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Workers,” 2004.

Within six months after . . .
“Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings,” Center for Personal Protection and Safety, August 2011.

By requiring staff to report
See, for example, Jessica Gacki-Smith et al., “Violence Against Nurses Working in U.S. Emergency Departments,”
Journal of Nursing Administration
(July–August 2009).

“The program helped reduce . . .”
“Occupational Hazards in Hospitals,” CDC Workplace Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, April 2002.

“at a minimum, workplaces should”
OSHA Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Workers (2004).

The most important step . . . getting harmed.”
Interview with Douglas McLellan by Eaves.

illness, not willful misconduct
See, for example, Debra Dunn and T. Monroe.

nurses with chemical dependency issues
Some helpful links can be found at
http://www.peerassistance.com/links.htm
. For resources searchable by state, visit
http://webapps.aana.com/Peer/directory.asp
. (While the AANA’s directory is intended for nurse anesthetists, many of the resources and state assistance programs are for all nurses. Peer advisors volunteer only for CRNAs and student nurse anesthetists.) The ANA’s Impaired Nurse Resource Center also includes some links to organizations specializing in addiction:
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/Healthy-Work-Environment/Work-Environment/ImpairedNurse/Impaired-Nurse-Resources.html
.

administrators could tap them . . .
See, for example, Kevin Pho, “Should Nurses Be Fired for Fatal Medication Errors?”
KevinMD.com
, May 2, 2011.

“A mistake does not mean . . .”
David Maxfield et al., “The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren’t Enough to Save Lives.”

Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital . . .
See, for example, Aaron Derfel, “Jewish General Dramatically Cuts Bed-Sore Cases,”
Gazette
(Montreal), July 20, 2012.

Designate one family member . . .
Interviews. See also “Total Disregard for Visiting Hours,”
allnurses.com
, comment, September 19, 2012.

“Even if you’re worried about annoying . . .”
Interview.

maintain a written medical history . . . pain or complaint.
Interviews.

Your hospital is not as clean . . .
Interviews.

“It is really important . . .”
Interview.

at least sixteen hours per day.
Interview.

Not all doctors and nurses remember . . .
Interviews.

Bring or find your own . . . love them most?
Interviews.

Even if your hospital medications . . . “abused by a drunk,”
Interviews.

“Most nurses bust their ass . . . deal with them.”
Interview.

fastest-growing occupation
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2012–2022, released in December 2013. See also Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupations Projected to Add Most New Jobs, 2012 to 2022 (January 27, 2014).

“The profession is exciting . . .”
Interview, Terri Weaver.

“Campaign for Nursing’s Future.”
Interview with spokesman; see also
www.discovernursing.com
.

“Choosing nursing as a profession . . .”
Author correspondence with Joan Shaver.

scientists, engineers . . .
Interviews with several deans of nursing schools.

“gives you a chance . . .”
Interview.

“consider no less . . .”
Kathleen Potempa.

“They have the same . . .”
Interview, Bobbie Berkowitz.

lifelong goal.
Interview, Mary Kerr.

“Be avid readers . . .”
Interview, Linda Norman.

“We’ve got to get away . . .”
Ibid.

“Never give advice . . .”
Interview, Judith Karshmer.

“The best coping resource . . .”
Interview.

“It’s a platform for nurses . . .”
Interview, Brian Short.

“The point of the profession is to provide patient care . . .”
Interview, Terri Weaver.

“To be a good nurse . . .”
Interview.

“Many times patients wanted . . .”
Interview.

Nurses nationwide told me . . . “identify the possible options.”
Interviews.

“After a bad day . . .”
Interview.

“I am not asking you to confirm . . .” Impaired Practice in Nursing: A Guidebook for Interventions and Resources,
Massachusetts Nurses Association. National Nurses United, 2011.

“. . . positive effect on the nurse as well.”
Author correspondence with Beth Perry. See also Beth Perry, “Why Exemplary Oncology Nurses Avoid Compassion Fatigue,”
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal
18, no. 2 (2008).

taught a group of new nurses . . . bullying by peers.
Martha Griffin.

“Experienced nurses do feel threatened . . . ”
Interview.

exercise in which participants share . . .
Interview with Patricia Potter, Barnes-Jewish director of research for patient-care services. See also States News Service, “Compassion Fatigue Program Gives Staff Skills To Be Resilient Against the Cost of Caring,” January 3, 2012.

“I absolutely” . . . “who love what they do.”
Interviews.

Photo Credit: David Robbins

ALEXANDRA ROBBINS
, winner of the 2014 John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Magazine Journalism, is the author of four
New York Times
bestsellers. Her previous book was voted the Goodreads Best Nonfiction Book of the Year. She has written for
The New Yorker
,
Vanity Fair
,
The New York Times
, and other publications, and has appeared on numerous television shows, from
60 Minutes
to
The Colbert Report
.

For lectures:
alexandrarobbins.com

Pledged: The Secret Lives of Sororities

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids

Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power

Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis: Advice from Twentysomethings Who Have Been There and Survived

The names and/or identifying details of most of the people and some settings in this book have been changed or omitted to protect their privacy. The narratives do not use the actual names of hospitals; any similarities to hospitals that may have similar names is unintentional. Some chronologies have been shifted. All events and dialogue are as observed or as told to the author.

Copyright © 2015 by Alexandra Robbins

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
eISBN 978-0-7611-8423-2

Cover photo by Kurhan/fotolia

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