Category: Uncategorized

Okay, so it’s one of several big changes happening in my world, but I wanted to make sure I let folks know: today is my last day as Medical Advisor at AEquitas. I have spent more than 3 incredible years working with this group, and I will look forward to occasionally teaching and consulting for them going forward. But it’s time for a change, particularly in terms of getting back to spending more time with my medical colleagues and taking on a few new projects, not to mention trying to curtail my travel schedule just a bit, so it is with a mix of sadness and excitement that I make this move.

I am going to take the next few days off to finish up last-minute wedding details, bake for the holidays and just generally enjoy friends and family. I will be back on the 26th with fresh content and news from my corner of the globe. Until then, here’s wishing all who celebrate it a very merry Christmas. I hope all of my FHO readers will share good food, good company and good stories with the people you love over the coming days, as we will here in DC. See you next week!

This weekend I talked with my daughter about what happened in Connecticut on Friday, and frankly it wasn’t as good a conversation as I would have liked (Facetime is no substitute for being able to reach out and hug your kid in times like these, so that was the #1 issue with our talk). It makes me think about how easily I can talk to patients about traumatic events, and yet how difficult it is for me to talk about similar issues with my own kid. Is it that I weigh every single word, making it feel like a more stilted conversation? I’m guessing some of you have some terrific insight into this phenomenon. In any event, my struggle as a parent makes me grateful for the resources that exist right now in helping children cope after trauma. It’s what I’ve been reading since last we spoke, and I’m guessing maybe you’ve been reading some of it, too. Feel free to add the resources you like in the Comments.

Today is my partner’s birthday. We applied for our marriage license today. Plenty of reasons for joy. Lots to be grateful for. But I have to tell you–as a parent, a healthcare provider and a citizen of this country I am filled with grief in the wake of the devastation in Connecticut and that is coloring everything around me. It is time for a meaningful conversation about gun control once and for all. This madness had to stop.

We are a military family. We own a handgun. I am not advocating for getting rid of all the guns. But the correlation between access and gun violence cannot be denied. All of us who do this work know just how easily violence flows through our communities. We are witness to it. Every day. Why on earth do we as a country continue to make it not only easy, but efficient for people to take lives?

The NRA has a powerful lobby here in DC, but who will be lobbying for those 26 people, most of whom were kids between the ages of 5 and 10, who died in Connecticut today? My prayers are with those victims and their families, the first responders and medical staff treating the wounded, and the entire town of Newtown, which will forever be shaped by this horror.

Good information, creatively (and simply) delivered:

(AsapSCIENCE via Jezebel)

As I mentioned last week, I will be featuring some go-to tools and resources this holiday season for those of you thinking about how to upgrade your team’s operations or reward staff for their amazing dedication to this work and our patients. (Feel free to contact me with your own list of tools and resources and I’ll feature them here this month.) First up, Karyn Rasile from Scottsdale, AZ:

When it comes to CE offerings, one of the most popular topics on this site is sexually transmitted diseases (what does this say about us as a discipline I wonder?). If you’re looking for a little bit of a refresher, or you need the hours, the CDC has an STD self-study that includes modules on gonorrhea, chlamydia, and vaginitis (which I think is helpful to know when it comes to that whole question, is it pathology, is it trauma or is it a normal variant?). The curriculum is based on the 2010 treatment recommendations.

Time once again for our annual gift guide (you can see previous year’s guides here, here, and here). I’ve tried to give a broad array of serious and fun, useful and much less so. Click through to see this year’s recommendations. In addition to the gift guide I will also be posting an assortment of must have tools and resources from valued colleagues and friends in the field, so look for those over the next couple weeks.

This was recently posted on TED and I absolutely love it. You don’t have to be an aid worker in a distant country to get the general lesson in this pointed and very funny talk by Ernesto Sirolli. It speaks volumes about entrepreneurship and management and my guess is that if you listen hard enough, you may find some relevance to the work we do every day.

Thought you might enjoy this video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which addresses much of what we do as forensic healthcare providers (and if I’m not mistaken, includes an IAFN board member, which is very cool).

For the first time in more than 20 years we have everyone under one roof for what is my family’s most cherished holiday. Kids, spouses and grandkids are all at my folks’ place for the week. We will only be 9 (we’re a small crew), but we will cook for twice that, with many hands in the kitchen and an enormous capacity to enjoy (and eat) the meal that will take days to prep, and less than an hour to devour. I have taken the rest of the week off, and am grateful to have these days at home with my people. For those of you who will not have the luxury of being with your people on this holiday, especially those of you working a shift or taking call, thank you. I hope it will be quiet and uncomplicated, that you will be working with your favorite colleagues, that overtime will be unnecessary. And that a plate of good food will be waiting for you, wherever you are. Happy thanksgiving. See you back here Monday.

For your consideration: Anything that encourages more ethical communication is always a welcome resource. Let this piece from the Harvard Business Review blog network add to the conversation.

A very happy forensic nurses week to all my friends and colleagues around the world. If you’re still looking for ways to commemorate the week, check out some great ideas from IAFN. And, as the partner of a veteran (as well as the daughter, daughter-in-law and granddaughter of veterans), a note of gratitude for all of you who have deployed and who love and support those who have deployed. Happy Veterans Day.

This week while working with the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force, I made mention of my appreciation for clinical prompts and checklists that ensure that we provide a consistent level of care to patients coming through our doors. I read Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto (which I keep on my iPad and revisit regularly), and have found it to resonate quite a bit. It’s a great read, but to give you the general gist, you can check out this podcast over at Harvard Business Review. Personally speaking, I think it’s a must-read for program managers. And, you know, the holidays are coming…

Not surprisingly, I have had an influx of emails this week from nurses asking about formal opportunities to assist in disasters. Coincidentally, Medscape published this article at the beginning of the month that I had intended to post. As with all Medscape articles you must log-in to read it; membership is free. What’s particularly helpful about this article is the last section: “Training Opportunities for Nurse Volunteers“, but the whole things is a good (and quick) read.

I wanted to share this piece from the New England Journal of Medicine, Legislative Interference with the Patient-Physician Relationship. It’s really apropos of how *any* of us interact with our patients, the type of anticipatory guidance we provide, and the slippery slope we are currently on. Available as free full-text, it’s a must read.

(Hat tip, Kim Day)

ADD: [Sigh] Comments like this just really crystalize the point of this editorial…

We’ve had a huge influx of new readers here at FHO this month. For those of you trying to subscribe, please note you must click on the link Feedburner sent you to activate the subscription. Otherwise I can see you on my subscriber list as inactive, but I can’t change it for you. If you didn’t get a link, check your spam filter–the link often ends up there.

Thanks and welcome!

I am in Puerto Rico, preparing for this year’s Assembly, which is one of the highlights of my year. I always look forward to this annual gathering, both because of the content of the conference and the people with whom I spend time. To the extent that I am able, I will be livetweeting the conference. I encourage others who are here to do the same. This year’s hashtag is #iafn2012. If you won’t be able to join us, I hope you’ll join along on Twitter.

(And Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian readers!)