MY NURSE FIRST
Patient Advocates &
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Better Health Through Health Care Advocacy
MY NURSE FIRST
Patient Advocates &
Health Care Navigators
Your First & Best Choice in Health Care Advocacy
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We would like to thank the following organizations and publications. They have provided vital information used in this website and serve as a constant source of inspiration for our Blog [MyNurse1st.wordpress.com].
The statistics on medical error, adverse medication reactions, and hospital-acquired infections are alarming. They remind us there are no "routine procedures." My Nurse First strongly recommends that you educate yourself on the hazards of the healthcare system.
Organize, inform, empower is our method. The more you know, the more you can be prepared.
"Too many patients worry about exposing their rear ends in skimpy hospital gowns when they should be more concerned about exposing themselves to serious illness and potentially fatal incidents in the hospital"
Sheldon P. Blau,
How to get out of the hospital alive: a guide to patient power.
Macmillan, New York ©1998
Patient injuries that result from preventable medical errors are widespread and costly. One recent study found that more than one in six hospitalized patients suffered medical injuries that prolonged their hospital stays. It has been estimated that total annual costs associated with injuries resulting from medical error may be as high as $200 billion, the equivalent of nearly one out of every five dollars spent on health care in America. Estimates of the frequency of medical errors and injuries and the costs associated with them vary considerably, but even the most conservative estimates indicate that the problem is widespread, very costly, and requires serious attention.
EILEEN G. HOLLAND, PHARM.D., and FRANK V. DEGRUY, M.D. Drug-Induced Disorders, Volume 15, No. 7, November 1, 1997, html
National Patient Safety Foundation at the AMA: Public Opinion of Patient Safety Issues, Louis Harris & Associates, September 1997.
ANA and Nursing Ethics
In 1996, HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted into law. This law has had a significant impact on the health care industry including the need for numerous changes in the way we communicate with our patients, their families, and with each other. This law provides rights to patients and safeguards for employees. It affects everyone in a health care setting. Since the days in which the Nightingale Pledge was written, nursing has stressed the importance of confidentiality regarding all patient matters.
The current Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA, 2001) is clear in intent and meaning as it relates to the nurse’s role in promoting and advocating for patient’s rights related to privacy and confidentiality. For nurses, HIPAA is an endorsement of our previously articulated responsibility to our patients. The purpose of this article is to remind nurses of the importance of keeping patient information private. This reminder will come first as HIPAA is reviewed and the implications of this Act for nurses is discussed. The reminder will also come as challenges to maintaining privacy and strategies for promoting privacy are presented.My Nurse First is a HIPAA compliant company. We strictly abide by your wishes, keeping your information private and confidential, but disclosing information to the recipients you designate. It is the duty of the Patient Advocate to follow any referrals for medical, financial, legal, administrative or other personnel to assure that the patient is always kept safe and well informed, never abandoned or mislead during the process.
Institute of Medicine (IOM), "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System", 2000, online.
Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, Is US Health Really the Best in the World?, JAMA, Volume 284, No. 4, July 26, 2000, html, PDF
- Lazarou J, Pomeranz BH, Corey PN. Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. JAMA 1998 Apr 15;279(15):1200-5, html, PDF
- JAMA / volume:279 (page: 1216) Drugs
- and Adverse Drug Reactions: How Worried Should We Be? David W. Bates, MD, MSc April 15, 1998 html, PDF
National Academies, "Preventing Death and Injury From Medical Errors Requires Dramatic, System-Wide Changes" November 29, 1999, (press release)Richard J. Bonnie, Carolyn E. Fulco, Catharyn T. Liverman, Editors; Committee on Injury Prevention and Control, Institute
of Medicine, Reducing the Burden of Injury: Advancing Prevention and Treatment, online
Phillips DP, Christenfeld N, Glynn LM. Lancet 1998 Feb 28;351(9103):643-4 Increase in US medication-error deaths between 1983 and 1993. medlineSchuster M, McGlynn E, Brook R. How good is the quality of health care in the United States? Milbank Q. 1998;
76:517-563. online.We hope you have found these links helpful and informative.
If you are concerned about the state of healthcare in general and the well-being of your family specifically, contact My Nurse First and speak with on of our Registered Nurse Advocates. My Nurse First can help you safeguard your loved ones as you navigate the hazards of the healthcare system.
email info@mynursefirst.com
Better Health Through Health Care Advocacy
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