I had a reader send me a question regarding bath salts, which she reports is increasingly common in her emergency department. She asked if there was any decent info out there to share with colleagues, since most of what’s on the internet is of unknown quality, or is an actual how-to (either make or obtain). Coincidentally, Medscape has a piece on bath salts this week, although sadly, it doesn’t have any CE attached to it.
In the crazy post-holiday hustle I somehow lost track of the fact that January 6th was the 3rd Anniversary of FHO. Thanks to everyone who helps support this nerdy little hobby that has become a truly integral part of my professional world. And please keep coming to me with ideas and suggestions for growing and improving this site.
I’m not much for resolutions, but this is a piece that used to hang in my old home office (and now still hangs virtually in my Evernote box) that never seems to lose its impact. I don’t remember who initially introduced me to it, but it never stops resonating with me. It seems like a good time to share it with all of you.
It’s an exciting weekend here at FHO. Little brother is getting married tonight. And tomorrow I’m packing up the partner, the kid and the pup and heading to Baltimore to ring in the New Year with friends. Here’s hoping you will have the a.) festive, b.) peaceful, c.) romantic, d.) family-filled, e.) any combination thereof… weekend you desire. And, as always, a special thank you to those of you who will be pulling a shift, carrying a pager, or answering the hotline while everyone around you has time off.
Thanks for making this year at FHO the best one we’ve ever had. I look forward to seeing everyone back here on Tuesday. Peace and health in 2012…~Jen
(image via commentsyard.com)
I’ve been looking over my stats from 2011, and I thought you might be interested in what was popular in 2011, and who visited our happy little site. Would you be surprised that the #1 search term that lands people at FHO is “toluidine blue dye”? Two and three were “Forensic Healthcare Online” and my name, respectively. Those 2 are less interesting, but TB dye as #1? I wouldn’t have guessed that…
FHO is on vacation this week. A very merry holiday season to you all. We’ll be lighting candles for 8 nights AND waiting to see what goodies are under the tree, so it’ll be a festive and full week for us. Here’s hoping you’ll have some time off this season, surrounded by the people you love, pagers and cell phones blessedly silent. For those of you who will be working through the holiday, a small prayer for quiet shifts and staff lounges piled high with homemade treats. A special thanks to my friends and colleagues serving far away from home.
Peace and health to you and yours. See you back here next week.
Still have some shopping to do for trusted team members and other colleagues? Allow me to make some suggestions. A new 10 Things: Gifts for Colleagues after the jump…
For US readers interested in taking action around efforts to ensure the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (Senators Leahy and Crapo will introduce the bill today), please check out information from the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women about how you can help.
As the case of the 2 nurses in Texas has drawn to a close, and the physician in the case (along with other non-medical personnel) held accountable by licensing bodies and the criminal justice system, Medscape has published a wrap-up of the case in its entirety for anyone interested in looking at all angles of what was a terribly disturbing set of events. Apologies for the wonky formating, but it was the only way to include all of it here:
I am taking the rest of this week off to spend time with family and friends. I hope all of you are getting time off, as well. To those of you pulling a shift or taking call, my hopes that you will find it a quiet holiday, and that somewhere in all of it is a meal shared with people you enjoy. And for all of us, let us take a few moments to find gratitude in the small things, even in the midst of what are for many, challenging times.
Happy Thanksgiving. I will see you back here Monday.
I’m in Miami this week, and I’m desperately trying to put a challenging week behind me. So I leave you with some excellent reading by Jackson Katz in today’s HuffPost on the media and Penn State. Have a great weekend.
(p.s. If you are a serious multitasker, you may also want to read this.)
To all of you who posted such lovely comments on the site yesterday, or who sent me private emails, thank you so much. I am overwhelmed by the show of support for this site. What’s most interesting is that in the wake of controversy comes dozens of new subscribers in a single day, and, no exaggeration here, 4 times the average number of both visitors and page views. Of those visitors yesterday, 40% were brand new to the site. So to the hundreds of loyal readers, many thanks for continuing to come back. And for all of you who are new to FHO, welcome, and make yourself comfortable. Browse through the pages and stay awhile.
One of the best parts of living in DC is the ability to attend live events across a broad spectrum. Today, for instance, I was able to attend a briefing at the National Press Club on the AAUW report I mentioned on FHO last week. The panel was fascinating, and high school students were invited to attend as a way to include their voices in the conversation.
So a post from almost exactly a year ago is generating a lot of conversation, and not in a great way. It’s too bad, because the post was written for this site. It was written because humor is critical to sustaining ourselves in the face of tragedy day in and day out. And I gave permission for others to use it in a very limited way. Certainly not in the way it was used, sadly. I encourage anyone who has questions about the content on this site to visit the About page and the FAQs and review the very personal nature of FHO. And I thank those of you who know me well, and know what a struggle this weekend has been, for the kind words of friendship and support.
I am fortunate enough to spend many of my days teaching for, and training with servicemen and women from all branches of the US military. I am the proud daughter of a Vietnam vet, the proud granddaughter of a WWII vet, and the very proud partner of an active duty soldier. It is with heartfelt respect and gratitude that I wish all of you who have served, and all of you who support those who have and continue to serve, a very happy Veteran’s Day.
The Pew Internet and American Life Project just published the findings from their survey on teens and social networks: Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites. Read the full report here (PDF), or review the section breakdown (with hyperlinks) after the jump…
I attended a meeting last week in which we discussed the criminalization of nursing errors, and I have to admit, it was one of the highlights of the meeting. Punitive and finite steps (this may be one of the most tragic examples) are often the response by institutions, which may result in a culture of silence in the face of mistakes, rather than promoting solutions to avoid repeating them.
While my brain is very much consumed (and repulsed) by the details of the abuse–and rampant failures to report said abuse–at Penn State, it can be hard to remember there’s anything else going on in the world. But this report, by the AAUW, reminded me there’s plenty. Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School “…presents the most comprehensive research to date on sexual harassment in grades 7-12 and reveals some sobering statistics about the prevalence of sexual harassment and the negative impact it has on students’ education.” See also their blog series on the topic.
Happy Forensic Nurses Week to my fellow forensic nurses around the world! 
Perhaps, as I have been today, you occasionally find yourself a bit out of your element. And you can choose to fight it, or you can just give in to it and see what kind of magic might actually develop. Sort of like this, which showed up in my inbox courtesy of one of my oldest and best friends, who is apparently in my brain.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
“A chance encounter and shared moment with one of natures greatest and most fleeting phenomena”. I think the filmmakers’ reactions make this short piece that much better. Thanks, Rock.