Category Archives: Patient safety

Interruption Awareness and Medical Errors

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Pat Iyer

This is a great explanation of how the overload that occurs in a nurse’s job can result in distraction and medical errors.

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The Hospitalist and Nurse Practitioner Team

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Pat Iyer

Healthcare institutions are looking for ways to cut costs and improve quality. Can this be done? Are they incompatible goals? The financial survival of hospitals is dependent on how they prevent “never events” and those quality of care issues that … Continue reading →

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Preventing back injuries

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Pat Iyer

At the annual Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing conference, where I taught a legal preconference, I picked up a flyer created by a clinical nurse specialist. She reported on the factors associated with back injuries of nurses. Sharon Perkins MSN … Continue reading →

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Alarm fatigue: When nurses do not respond to alarms

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Pat Iyer

The nursing standard of care involves correctly applying, programming and responding to critical alarms on medical equipment. A recent article by the Boston Globe highlights one of the dangers of high intensity nursing today – not responding to alarms. Alarms … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical errors, Nursing malpractice, Patient safety | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Do 44,000-98,000 people really die each year from medical errors?

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Pat Iyer

You may have heard the statistic that 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year from medical errors. An often used comparison: this is the equivalent of one jumbo jet crashing every 2 days for a year. Did you know those … Continue reading →

Posted in Damages, Healthcare Risk Management, Medical errors, Medical malpractice, Nursing malpractice, Patient safety | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Plaintiff winner #3: Dropped during transfer

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Pat Iyer

The sound of a body hitting the floor can bring healthcare providers running. When the sound occurs when a nurse or aide drops a patient during transfer, the next sound may be, “Oh no.” This type of fall may occur … Continue reading →

Posted in CMS never events, Damages, Medical errors, Medical malpractice, Nursing home, Nursing malpractice, Pain and suffering, Patient safety, Tampering with evidence | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Plaintiff winner #2: Suicide in the Hospital

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Pat Iyer

Suicide in hospitals is more common than you think. The Joint Commission reports it is the second most commonly reported sentinel event with 816 events reported as of June 30, 2010. Most of these suicides occur in psychiatric hospitals, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication skills, Damages, Medical errors, Medical malpractice, Nursing malpractice, Patient safety, Tampering with evidence | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Plaintiff winner #1: Wrong patient/wrong site surgery

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Pat Iyer

Operate on the wrong patient or wrong side of the body? Unthinkable, you say? According to a new study, surgeons do this 40 times a week! A study of more than 27,370 adverse events self-reported by Colorado physicians was published … Continue reading →

Posted in CMS never events, Damages, Expert witness, Joint Commission, Medical errors, Medical malpractice, Nursing malpractice, Patient safety | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Nursing Shortage by Pat Iyer

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Pat Iyer

The supply of nurses in hospitals can be compared to a pipeline. Fewer people are entering nursing school (the opening of the pipe). As nurses age, they reduce their working hours and eventually retire. The pipe has developed leaks, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare reform, Patient safety | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Nurse as Patient Advocate by Pat Iyer

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Pat Iyer

A New Jersey plaintiff attorney lost a $19 million verdict when a state appeals court found multiple trial errors. Med League supplied one of the expert witnesses for this case. The case involved an alleged delay in ordering a cesarean … Continue reading →

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Posted in Communication skills, Medical errors, Medical malpractice, Patient safety | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments