The past several days in Marseille have far exceeded any opportunity I could have ever imagined. I left Virginia on Wednesday feeling exhausted and disengaged. I was tired from the long hours at work and the endless challenges with grad school. I was frustrated by the slow progress of change within our health system, and I was starting to disengage from my patients, trying to protect myself from getting completely burnt out. All of those feelings quickly dissipated once I got to Marseille. The stories and the moments we have shared together as faculty and students have changed my perspective and have re-engaged my heart and mind. My purpose as a future nurse leader is now clearer than ever. The bonds and experiences we have shared, as a group of young healthcare professionals is difficult to describe. It is without a doubt that our group is dedicated to improving our… Continue reading →

Patients want to hear the truth. The worst thing we do in healthcare is lie to patients, but we do it daily, and sometimes with the best intentions. It wasn’t until I watched the Lewis Blackman story for the second time, years after seeing it in my undergraduate nursing program, that I realized I’ve been lying to my patients and their families for nearly 5 years. As providers, and especially as nurses, we want to protect our patients. We see their struggles and their stressors, we watch them suffer, and we see their pain. So when something goes wrong, or even when a patient’s condition begins to decline, we try to guard them from that extra burden. We sugar coat the truth or tell them it will be okay when in fact the situation is far from okay. Yet, withholding the truth from patients and families does not protect them,… Continue reading →

I went into healthcare for the same reason that everyone else does – I care about human beings and want to do my part to make the human experience a better one. Over the last few days I have learned many new things about patient safety and feel inspired and energized about the change that I can be in healthcare both at my institution and across the country. However, I have been most surprised by my reaction to the stories of patients and families we have heard over the past few days. Unfortunately, I have witnessed many medical failures or missed diagnoses that have had tragic results and I have seen the tremendous grief that families experience after such losses. As an ICU nurse I am no stranger to death. The MICU I work in has the highest mortality rate after the palliative care unit. Accompanying patients and families through… Continue reading →