Category: Hospital-Based Medicine

How families maintain hope of improvement, regardless of logic and science

I’ve always thought that I’ve understood illness and mortality very matter-of-factly. You live your life, you’ll most likely end up with some medical conditions along the way, and ultimately everyone’s life will come to an end because the body is not d…

Bringing hospitality back to the hospital: lessons from a bartender

It was a beautiful day in southern California as I made my way along Interstate 5 en route to San Diego from Los Angeles. Seeking a venue near the ocean to get some work done on my computer and maybe a snack with my iced tea, I turned off the interstat…

When physician pay packages become hospital kickbacks

For a hospital that had once labored to break even, Wheeling Hospital displayed abnormally deep pockets when recruiting doctors. To lure Dr. Adam Tune, an anesthesiologist from nearby Pittsburgh who specialized in pain management, the Catholic hospital…

Physicians should move away from pagers. But it’s not that easy.

As I imagine every young doctor does, I vividly remember the feeling of getting my first pager. It was boxy and bricklike (much like my current pager) and felt obsolete. I’ll admit, it gave me trouble for a couple of days, despite having desperately fe…

Nursing’s newest problem: The young eating the old

In 1976, we couldn’t wait to be nurses. Our starched white dresses with the nurse caps and stripes symbolized our graduation status as we were called one by one to receive our diploma and a rose. We took an oath to care for the sick, to be profes…

The epidemic of violence against health care workers

Across the country, many doctors, nurses and other health care workers have remained silent about what is being called an epidemic of violence against them. The violent outbursts come from patients and patients’ families. And for years, it has been con…

Don’t assume your patients’ character based on their diagnoses

1. Bipolar disorder 2. History of postpartum psychosis 3. No custody of her children 4. In treatment for cocaine abuse 5. Regular smoker I digest each of these facts on the computer screen in rapid succession, progressively cementing the picture of Ren…

How secondary post-traumatic stress contributes to physician burnout

Physicians have the highest rate of suicide of any profession in the U.S., including military service. We lose about one doctor per day in the U.S. to suicide. The high levels of stress, lack of sleep, ease of self-medication, and reluctance to seek me…

How secondary post-traumatic stress contributes to physician burnout

Physicians have the highest rate of suicide of any profession in the U.S., including military service. We lose about one doctor per day in the U.S. to suicide. The high levels of stress, lack of sleep, ease of self-medication, and reluctance to seek me…

Protect yourself and your standard of living as a nurse

This article is about learning to protect yourself and your standard of living as a nurse. Now that I am considered a seasoned nurse, I have concluded that there are many essential aspects of the nursing profession that are not discussed during nursing…