CVME Insider: Nursing Knowledge That Matters

Story by  Daniel Zwerdling NPR  Correspondent, Investigations Unit For years I have been teaching and talking about liability and  disability  insurance for nurses.  I explain that if you get hurt on the job; most if not all hospitals make it difficult for you to get the help you need as a nurse.  Even if you get on some type of disability; the amount of money you will receive maybe only be around 50-60% of your normal income if you are lucky.  The story below taken from NPR is a great example of how nurses can e lost in the crack and not helped even when simply doing their job. Daniel presents the case of Terry Cawthorn and Mission Hospital, in Asheville, N.C., which provides a look into how some hospital officials around the country have shrugged off an epidemic. "Cawthorn was a nurse at Mission for more than 20 years. Her supervisor testified under oath that she was "one of my most reliable employees."    Then, as w...

By Helen Taylor With all of the advancements in infusion technology during the last hundred years, it’s simply astonishing that the IV pole has remained essentially unchanged in design and function during all that time. Top heavy, “tippy”, noisy, awkward, inefficient, for generations the IV pole has been widely viewed as a challenge rather than asset—something to deal with rather than something that actually improves the quality of care. Finally, however, there’s an alternative. The IVEA is transformative patient-care equipment designed by nurses for nurses to improve mobility, safety, efficiency and storability. The IVEA replaces the IV pole bedside and supports the patient during ambulation. It holds all of the patient’s equipment, including infusion bags and pumps, PCAs, oxygen, chest tubes and catheter bag on a stable platform, and moves easily and securely, promoting early and frequent patient mobility. The IVEA’s award-winning design is also unique in that it folds and stores...