Letters to the Editor is a periodic function. We welcome all feedback and can publish a range. We edit for size and readability and require full names.
Nursing on Trial
It’s about time that nurses are held accountable for his or her jobs (“As a Nurse Faces Jail for a Lethal Error, Her Colleagues Fear: Might I Be Subsequent?” March 22). A number of measures, coaching, and laptop programs are already in place to strive to make sure that nurses don’t make medicine errors. However they simply ignore them or manually override the pc. Remedy errors had been rampant at my final hospital job. Each hospital has an nameless system the place any worker can report these sorts of errors. I reported a number of medicine errors, and nothing was ever executed about it. No conferences, no emails, no “right here is an instance and we have to do higher.” So I gave up reporting them on the system.
Just a few days earlier than I retired, I used to be telling the evening nurse a few med error I prevented on a brand new affected person admitted the evening earlier than. Seems she was the one who made the error! Her response was, “Shouldn’t pharmacy have caught that?” She took no duty for not clarifying the order. And she or he had been a nurse for over 20 years. And the med error was near an overdose quantity, in response to the pharmacy.
My expertise was that there’s little or no accountability in nursing until a supervisor doesn’t such as you. It has nothing to do with the power to do the job or affected person security.
— Phyllis Mitchell, Laguna Woods, California
This case can have far reaching implications. That is what occurs after we automate all the things and do not take into consideration the implications. @annlcutrell @JohnMaynardCPA
— Tom Wriggins (@TomWriggins) March 23, 2022
— Tom Wriggins, Naples, Florida
I’ve been a registered nurse for 2 years and was a licensed sensible nurse for 10 years. What RaDonda Vaught did is abysmally flawed on so many ranges. I can not imagine the variety of licensed professionals making an attempt to defend pure malpractice and negligence (“Response to the RaDonda Vaught Verdict: KHN Needs to Hear From Nurses,” March 30).
This isn’t a “system drawback,” it’s a RaDonda drawback. You’re telling me she needs to be exonerated after blowing previous 10 enormous pink flags?! They mentioned “Cease what you’re doing and ensure it’s right. This can be a PARALYTIC drug.”
No extra system checks would have made a distinction as a result of she ignored each single one which got here up. Medical professionals rely approach an excessive amount of on expertise. Blaming expertise and “the system” are poor excuses for what occurred.
If I used to be ingesting, then determined to drive my automobile at 80 mph by means of a neighborhood, blast by means of cease indicators and pink lights and kill a toddler, ought to I be forgiven with a slap on the wrist?
Pure and easy negligence. These individuals making an attempt to defend Vaught are all about skilled duty, and need RNs to be revered, however assume that is OK? The RN is knowledgeable, licensed nurse and is the underside line in opposition to errors that slip by means of the system. If she would have taken two seconds to consider the 5 rights, this by no means would have occurred, no matter whether or not there have been issues with the automated medication-dispensing system. That is primary Nursing 101.
This case actually upsets me. The actual fact nurses try to shift blame away from her is alarming. And in the event that they’re frightened it might occur to them, then possibly they shouldn’t be training.
— Paul Dziejman, Depew, New York
this trial that resulted within the criminalization of medical errors additionally revealed systemic points within the hospital setting. if unaddressed, the priority of this ruling can have damaging impacts on the nursing occupation. #RaDondaVaught #PM760https://t.co/KKFOyEPtKv
— Katie Wee (@wee_insun) March 29, 2022
— Katie Wee, Boston
One vital reason behind potential nursing errors not talked about within the article is understaffing. My RN sister’s intensive care unit expects as many as six nurses gone quickly, from her shift alone. And the more serious circumstances are, the much less possible even company nurses will settle for a place. Do devoted RNs keep for the sufferers’ sake, or depart to guard themselves? You’ll be able to assist each sufferers and nurses by supporting protected staffing laws in your state.
— Gloria Kohut, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“THIS COULD BE ME” Heartbreaking case of automated allotting cupboard (ADC) override gone flawed https://t.co/DtZ1WA258U#medsafety #medicationerror #medicationsafety #secondvictim #ilovemedsafety #nurses #hospitals
— Sunny Ro (@SunnyRoPharmD) March 22, 2022
— Sunny Ro, Philadelphia
The Fallout of Prosecuting Medical Errors
Within the article “Nurse Convicted of Neglect and Negligent Murder for Deadly Drug Error” (March 25), I discovered myself reflecting on my future nursing profession. Though it’s clear RaDonda Vaught was responsible of a drugs error that led to the dying of a affected person, I can sympathize. The hateful public ridicule she has been given and the defaming feedback from the prosecutors relating to her nursing character being “uncaring … and abandoning her affected person” are alarming. It creates an alternate narrative of what has taken place, and that’s that Vaught deliberately harmed a affected person, not by chance. Reporting any sort of medical error whether or not it’s small or giant is essential in figuring out issues of safety in nursing care and, with the dealing with of the Vaught case, some nurses could really feel that admitting to a mistake can price them their job and/or their life. To construct progress towards enhancing well being care supply, the dealing with of medical errors needs to be judged pretty, and with out shaming nurses who’ve devoted their lives to defending and therapeutic sufferers. As acknowledged within the article, “Well being care simply modified perpetually,” and this creates an setting of concern and distrust, and an unsupportive system for nurses to come back.
— Katarina Velardez, San Francisco
Be frightened. For these of you concerned in making medical care safer and extra dependable, a latest prosecution of a nurse for a medical error could set our efforts for “Simply Tradition” again a couple of many years. We be taught, not blame. @AAPneonatal @D8Neonatal https://t.co/NpWqS5gfBh
— james barry (@skideepowder) April 1, 2022
— James Barry, Denver
I’m saddened that with all of the efforts made to advance affected person security that RaDonda Vaught was prosecuted versus Vanderbilt College Medical Heart and/or the drug-dispensing vendor.
We all know that medicine errors happen day-after-day and we have to repeatedly work to reengineer issues to make it onerous to make an error. Having been a nurse for a few years, I’m appalled on the manipulation of calling nurses who work in difficult circumstances heroes till one thing goes flawed.
This error was utterly comprehensible and predictable. To begin with, after many years, why are these programs nonetheless not programmed to acknowledge each generic and model names? That alone would have prevented this medicine error.
Secondly, as with all damaged programs, when there have been recognized allotting points with the drug-dispensing system, why wasn’t Vanderbilt proactive? If nurses wanted to override the system routinely, why didn’t a patient-safety skilled conduct an FMEA (failure mode occasion evaluation) and take away all high-risk medication from the drug-dispensing machine?
Vanderbilt has failed sufferers and nurses and may step up. With out specializing in investigating what went flawed and sharing the findings with different organizations, well being care can not be taught. Distributors for these programs are additionally failing sufferers and nurses. Shouldn’t there be necessities by now for all searches on these programs to incorporate each model and generic drug names?
We now have created a distraction with this trial to mistakenly assist Individuals really feel protected. We eliminated this “dangerous” nurse, so we’re protected now. The reality is sufferers are actually much less protected than earlier than this verdict. Nurses all the time reside in concern of constructing a mistake and inflicting hurt. We wrestle to proceed to work in environments the place our voices for affected person security aren’t heard and are silenced.
This can be a step backward for all of American well being care by which medicine errors stay the No. 1 sort of error. We now have uncared for to be clear and discover ways to forestall one other nurse from making the identical mistake. This has reaffirmed for me and different nurses that you’ll be requested to work your self to exhaustion, give all of your psychological and bodily energy and be known as a hero as long as it advantages a corporation or society, however when one thing goes flawed you’ll be unsympathetically discarded and made a villain. How unhappy.
— Carole Cassidy, Newtown Sq., Pennsylvania
She made a vital mistake, however is she deserving of serving time in jail? Nurse Convicted of Neglect and Negligent Murder for Deadly Drug Error by way of @khnews
— Garry Klein (@GarryfromIowa) April 6, 2022
— Garry Klein, Iowa Metropolis, Iowa
A Household Caregiver’s Plea
One other important a part of household caregivers needs to be a requirement for medical data to have the ability to be accessed by the household (“To Households’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Residence Reform Doesn’t View Them as Important Caregivers,” March 22). I’m the authorized guardian of my sister-in-law and don’t have any entry to her medical data. She shouldn’t be able to answering my questions precisely. I would like to have the ability to see these data to watch her drugs and comply with what care is being offered. It isn’t as in the event that they don’t use computer systems. It could require no further work on the employees’s half. And we should always have additionally entry to the identical information the employees sees. As a result of I’ve no entry to her data, it made no sense for me to proceed to take her to her personal physician or psychiatrist as a result of I can not reply the questions they ask about her exercise and her well being and consuming. I go to twice every week and do among the little issues that the employees misses. There are occasions I think a missed dose of medicine or a drugs change, however there isn’t any strategy to know for positive. I’m contemplating transferring her to a distinct facility because of this. I simply assume it is a very important a part of together with household, particularly if they’ve guardianship.
— Theresa Smith, St. Joseph, Missouri
Actually? There’s nothing “casual” about household caregiving. Household/shut pals are essentially the most trusted allies & care coordinators for residents of LTC services. They’re important to the well-being of susceptible older adults. by way of @khnews
— Lynn Friss Feinberg (@FeinbergLynn) March 22, 2022
— Lynn Friss Feinberg, Washington, D.C.
Concerns About an Autism Therapy
I’m concerned about the article “Delays for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Grew Even Longer During the Pandemic” (March 30) as a result of it doesn’t embody any enter from an really autistic grownup and it helps ABA [applied behavioral analysis] remedy because the gold customary for autism remedy, a idea dethroned by a number of latest research. I used to be lately recognized as autistic as an grownup and have executed hundreds of hours of analysis on what’s the finest remedy for myself and an underage member of the family below my care.
ABA is extraordinarily costly and time-consuming and never proved efficient, in response to a recent study by the Department of Defense, and could be actively harmful to youngsters receiving the remedy.
As well as, the remedy observe is ethically questionable, because it was based by Ole Ivar Lovaas — sure, the identical man who based homosexual conversion remedy. And forcing an autistic child to “convert” to trying “regular” is equally dangerous.
Therapies that needs to be advisable for lately recognized youngsters needs to be occupational remedy, to find out sensory points and a sensory routine to assist these wants; speech remedy (if wanted); and coaching within the collaborative problem-solving technique by Dr. Ross Greene.
For extra skilled data than mine on the harms of ABA, see the work of the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective. Thanks to your consideration.
— Andrea Hebert, Nashville, Tennessee
You realize whats extra heartbreaking for folks who’ve youngsters with autism? Nothing shall be executed to assist them in any respect. They had been deserted, and CNN article is a pretend concern contemplating they incited lockdowns and covid hysteria.https://t.co/QcgoA9rZhA
— Ndee -Jkid- Okeh (@Jkid4) March 29, 2022
— Ndubuisi Okeh, Capitol Heights, Maryland
Extra on Vaccines and Covid Transmission
As certainly one of your readers, I worth your general mission. I’m writing with concern in regards to the article by Aaron Bolton, known as “Sufferers With Weak Immune Techniques Fear Vaccine Exemptions Could Put Them in Peril” (March 22). The premise of the article is that unvaccinated well being care staff are placing sufferers in danger, ignoring the broadly acknowledged proven fact that vaccination doesn’t forestall, and even cut back, transmission. I’d anticipate better diligence in demanding objectivity out of your featured authors, reasonably than perpetuating fear-based claims that unfairly goal these front-line staff who’ve been working time beyond regulation for the well being of the general public.
This article affords info on the transmission of covid-19 that will assist inform which items you select to run sooner or later.
— Hannah Miller, Missoula, Montana
Peek into the hazard for the #immunecompromised. Plenty of pretend non secular & medical exemption kinds on the market. Surprise why we’re so paranoid. #PandemicoftheUnvaccinated https://t.co/cCJi6X7gFI
— Barbara Katz-Chobert (@KatzChobert) March 24, 2022
— Barbara Katz-Chobert, Philadelphia
Eradicating the Stigma of Miscarriage
I’m a scholar nurse at California State College-East Bay and am writing relating to the article “After Miscarriages, Staff Have Few Ensures for Break day or Job-Primarily based Assist” (Jan. 26). I wish to begin off by merely saying thanks. You mentioned a subject that has gone ignored for therefore lengthy. It’s disheartening to learn that not even half of our nation has enacted legal guidelines that present paid sick depart for miscarriages. My hope is that articles like yours will permit us to have deeper, significant, and destigmatized discussions about miscarriages — and, extra so, to acknowledge the emotional, psychological, and bodily impression on anybody who could have skilled such loss.
— Catherine Zelidon-Sarcos, Pittsburg, California
Glorious essay on how we will honor girls within the office. If we would like extra youngsters, then we have now to worth girls at work.After Miscarriages, Staff Have Few Ensures for Time Off or Job-Primarily based Assist | Kaiser Well being Information https://t.co/5oaNdqqAFR
— dacortright🇺🇦 (@david_cort7) March 22, 2022
— David Cortright, Austin, Texas
Countering the ‘Abortifacients’ Argument
The morning-after capsule and IUDs work by stopping conception, not by stopping implantation (HealthBent: “As Pink States Push Strident Abortion Bans, Different Restrictions All of a sudden Look Much less Excessive,” March 30). The hormonal IUDs create a mucus plug that stops the passage of sperm. Copper IUDs create a sterile inflammatory response that primarily neutralizes the power of the sperm to penetrate the egg. Emergency contraception drugs forestall ovulation. By perpetuating the anti-choice narrative that these strategies work by stopping implantation, you’re discouraging and stigmatizing their use.
— Amy O’Meara, Kamuela, Hawaii
You can’t utterly ban abortion, as a result of the far-right can’t even agree on what an abortion is. 18 weeks, 6 weeks, conception, contraception, masturbation, IVF. Each new restriction opens the door to an much more draconian regulation. https://t.co/0BUiRIC9xQ
— Trojan Horse Information (@realTHNews) March 30, 2022
— Kate Woods, Atlanta
The Price of Treating Troubled Youngsters
The $400-plus-a-day common reimbursement per little one equates to nearly $148,000 a 12 months. That looks as if loads to accommodate certainly one of these youngsters (“Montana Is Sending Troubled Youngsters to Out-of-State Applications That Have Been Accused of Abuse,” March 25). I additionally assume the story glosses over the challenges that these youngsters current to the colleges.
— Mike Morgan, Bozeman, Montana
Schooling coverage is well being coverage. Working in a public highschool, that is an appalling motion by the state of Montana. #pm760https://t.co/3UyH7JhdvB
— Ian O’Neil (@IanONeil12) March 25, 2022
— Ian O’Neil, Boston
Earlier than you write an article about out-of-state abuse and quote somebody …
“Transport these youngsters out of state for remedy for behavioral and substance use problems comes with a excessive price ticket, and infrequently the kids’s points aren’t resolved or are even worse, mentioned Michael Chavers, CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Women Ranch. ‘After they return to us, they return with worse outcomes and for larger price,’ Chavers told Montana lawmakers final fall.”
… you would possibly need to have a look at the background of the Yellowstone Boys and Women Ranch, because it had to pay out $300,000 in a boy’s sexual abuse case in 2018. Let’s clear up our yard first. Perform some research earlier than throwing stones. The creator of the article ought to have executed higher analysis on the enterprise or individuals they had been utilizing as “consultants.” Disgrace on YBGR and Chavers for making feedback as if they’re with out issues.
— Kim Hover, Stevensville, Montana
Embracing Customized Medication
Within the article “Large Pharma Is Betting on Larger Political Ambitions From Sen. Tim Scott” (March 28), KHN describes the Customized Medication Coalition and its work inaccurately for a second time (see additionally “A Senator From Arizona Emerges As a Pharma Favourite,” Could 29, 2020). PMC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group comprising 14 distinct stakeholder teams inside well being care, with the most important phase made up of “analysis, schooling, and medical care establishments,” shouldn’t be a commerce affiliation and doesn’t signify any single trade or enterprise mannequin.
Furthermore, your implication that customized or precision drugs jacks up the prices of pharmaceutical merchandise misses the mark. Its objective, along with promising higher outcomes for sufferers, is to decrease systemic prices for well being care by making it extra environment friendly.
Customized drugs has been proven to save lots of well being programs cash whereas enhancing affected person care. The Academics’ Retirement System of the state of Kentucky, for instance, has found that integrating genetic testing into prescribing choices saved the system $5,176 per enrolled member by concentrating on therapies to solely these sufferers who will profit, sparing bills and uncomfortable side effects for individuals who won’t. For most cancers sufferers, Intermountain Healthcare has also found that genomic testing can lengthen progression-free survival charges with out growing prices.
Sen. Scott could or could not have his eye on larger workplace, however he’s right that we might do loads worse than embrace customized drugs.
— Edward Abrahams, president of the Customized Medication Coalition, Washington, D.C.
The Lengthy Arm of Large Pharma
I simply discovered about your web site, because of a latest day by day present occasions evaluation executed by American historical past professor Heather Cox Richardson, which cited a hyperlink to the superb webpage offering perception into Large Pharma’s deep-pocket attain into Congress. I’ve nothing however admiration and appreciation for the work that went into making such a web page.
And I say that regardless of the unlucky private shock and bummer it was to see my congressman listed prominently because the “Freshman Favourite,” Rep. Frank J. Mrvan. Dwelling right here in Indiana means Eli Lilly has all the time had an outsize affect on societal affairs. So the truth that it’s on the very prime of his listing of pharma donors is no surprise. However then there have been all the opposite pharma firms beneath Eli Lilly — an eyebrow-soaring quantity, really.
As a result of the dates return to 2007, I had been hoping to check his fame in opposition to his predecessor for this district, Pete Visclosky. The person was extremely esteemed and as such remained incumbent right here since I can keep in mind, not less than since I used to be in highschool in 2000.
I hope your mission can fill in knowledge on predecessor representatives. It could assist people like me contextualize simply how a lot pharma donations could have already been an issue. The underlying actuality is that every particular person receiving donations does so on behalf of a specific workplace — due to this fact, my pursuits as a citizen are aggressively purchased out.
I’d prefer to know if my say with my earlier congressional consultant was diluted in any respect. Significantly with regards to sure private features of the pharmaceutical trade, just like the $16,000-a-month medicine that stored my mom alive for some time longer in her years-long battle in opposition to most cancers, which she maintained till at some point she couldn’t anymore. (With out the Inexpensive Care Act’s insurance coverage having “arrived in time” for her discovering a lump and being recognized, our potential to afford such a remedy would have been nonexistent.)
In different phrases: I’d very a lot admire the likelihood to understand how offended and resentful, and due to this fact politically lively, I needs to be with regards to the donation-driven affect pharma has had on this small little bit of democracy assigned to me, my household, my pals, and my house group by and enormous. Thanks once more for the excellent work. It is rather, very appreciated!
— Tomas Feher, Chesterton, Indiana
Infants Die as Congenital #Syphilis Continues a Decade-Lengthy Surge Throughout the #US. Highest charges are in Southern US (#NewMexico, #Texas, #Oklahoma #California) by way of @CalHealthline
— George Monks, M.D. (@GeorgeMonks11) April 13, 2022
— Dr. George Monks, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Combating Congenital Syphilis
It’s heartbreaking, but unsurprising, that the charges of congenital syphilis are growing within the U.S. (“Infants Die as Congenital Syphilis Continues a Decade-Lengthy Surge Throughout the US,” April 12). Public well being departments are underfunded and reproductive rights have been below assault for a few years, particularly since Donald Trump’s presidency. The defunding of clinics, like Deliberate Parenthood, on account of anti-abortion laws throughout the nation, additionally signifies that many individuals in search of STD screening and remedy are shedding locations to take action. As a start employee in Los Angeles, I witnessed firsthand how lack of entry to well being care impacts communities of shade by means of structural racism.
It’s unacceptable that infants are dying from a completely treatable sickness, on account of an absence of employees and assets to assist pregnant individuals with syphilis obtain the prognosis and remedy they want. Simply as we needed to get artistic in the course of the pandemic, this well being drawback requires artistic options, partnership, and expertise. How nice wouldn’t it be if a affected person might obtain their STD outcomes and directories of locations to select up drugs to get remedy, simply as they will with covid-19. An answer should be discovered shortly. The well being and well-being of infants, particularly infants of shade who’re being affected at larger charges, depends upon it.
— Sweet Ramirez-Hale, Oakland, California
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