Today’s morning video of Michael Skolnik’s experience in the hospital with his neurosurgeon was so difficult to watch and hear about. As a physician who consents patients for procedures every day, I found the consent process and discussion with Michael’s parents appalling. How could you not discuss risks of a procedure? Or what about the fact that there wasn’t a blockage of CSF and no increased intracranial pressure? There were so many important discussions that came out of watching this film today, but one of the points that I am going to take back with me was brought up by Rosemary Gibson. We were discussing informed consent and she recommended asking a patient “what is important to you right now?” This resonated with me so much because I feel that when patient’s are given options, they can become overwhelmed with all the information and their emotions. But by simplifying a… Continue reading →

During this first day of the Marseille Experience, the main theme was communication. One specific aspect that I want to focus on is premature closure. I have seen so many residents have conversations with nurses on the phone and make assumptions and cut off nurses–sometimes due to their own egos, feeling burnt out, or busy and not knowing how to prioritize. But I know that there are many instances that nurses were truly instrumental in saving patient’s lives, and if I would have ignored their concerns, I’m not sure where those patients would be today. One recent instance that stands out in my mind is when I was called by a nurse about a patient was POD1 from an abdominal hysterectomy (who had been rounded on that morning and was doing well). She told me the patient’s hands were very pale and her blood pressures were low (100s/60-70s), even though… Continue reading →