Show Another important factor is die shortage of nurses According to die American Nurses Association there will be a shortage of 139000 registered nurses this year and 275000 by 2010 There is a direct relationship between die number 1M©iEBp(§0 ®ES?(Sfe0S ofnurses patient care and hospital errors One study by Linda Aiken and the University of Pennsylvania School ofNursing showed that the - numberofpanents dying after com- mon surgeries in - than the average '! ‘ patient-nurs-e ' 0 pTlr ' : hospitalsgov-emment-owne- : 0 ' thequsdiofpancare:':' S'1? ?V a medical euor doesn’t cause immediatephysical ' injury to a patient butt still has serious consequences HoQy Shivers of Long Island NY daims that an error will affect her for at least a decade vDuring ahospiralstay in 2002 the : mother of two teenage girls had a lump removed ' from her bream Shivers recalls the day her doctor called and began Tm sorry" She was certain she was about m be told she had breast cancer Instead Shivers saysshe wasinformed that her tissue sample had been lost and there was no way of knowing ifit was malignant because the lump already had been tjpt--- destroyed As a resultfor the next 10 yeara-t- he "cancer-freecal " waiting period— she will worry about what the biopsy would hare found ' Shivers goes fix checkups every six months "Each time it’s the longest six months of my life" die says InfoxionsalsoareaconcernEveryyear according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly2 million people contract infrotitxu while hos-pitalized and lOOXX) die "Hospitals are doingapiiec-contmuea PAJtADS May 23 2004 PAM I m your Know OneerxtrrippleefifectsSotnetimM i : Ask about the hospital You may not hams foe time or luxury to inquire ratio or how many of about the patient-nurs- e V foe procedures that you will undergo have a 5:1 ratio and a "i h—n biwmM at fliit 31 increase results from an 8:1 ratio 'j ‘ ltiiljfln ' V'VfThe system is overwhelmed" says Gail Van:-- J So plan ahead: Ask your own doctor to which " A'i he would send you research its trade Kanegan author of How 7bSarrM 4: hospital record and asMM if it’s the best cine fin you "VtshortaofnuzseIahaXpeopleas weflasoomputa'malfuncticxis mistakes will happen" The type of hospital you’re in also matters A Designate an admcatelniBainf emergency aftnattoiM you can’t call foe audybyltafEncThomasoftheUniieisityofTens d revealed that patients in forprofit shots You may beunoonBcioiis confused or too side to know whafs going on Designate a minor teaching hospitals and all nonteaidiing hospitals ate irj friend or relative to represent you and act on 1 titties bdudL MAe these arrangements in vT lease more likely to sutler ‘jmvemidiki adi £ ' :1 advance and in writing Be sure your i‘verse' events than thosein nonprofit hospitals!! dedgnee concerns may affect This suggests that bbctdm-lin- e is someone who is wilfing and able to assume that responsibility SV ratio A7 increase in deaths is tied to v Ask for a printed list of all your medications and the dosages how ofien you must ' I take Aem and who it them Was prescribed doctor or a hospital your resident? Bit was foe 7 latter make sure your : CwMr doctor agrees Every time y medication a ask you'ro handed j25eos fin its name and check it against younokm your proscrptkmlisL Pont rely cnsppearauooa Different brands and generics have varying colors and shapes Make sure the piU you’re given is for you and not your roommate If you had a bad reaction to a medication tell the nurse and doctor before taking it again pills tnr Docton usually wash their iiMirf after seeing a patient That's mainly for their own protection But it's important for docton to wash their hands before examining you for J your protection Most hospital rooms now have a washbasin in the entry to each patient’s room When health-car- e providen enter your roonC attentim to whether v they wash their hands— and comment if washing ! when there is more' ' - hand- - ensuring your own safety doing treatment Hen vhal you can dot V hospitals jumps 4:1 Check Thousands ctpeople die every to medical mistakes Hospitals are due year toing what they can by introdudngnew foolproofcomputerised tedunbgy and framing thatpersonneLBut you can play a key robin ' aU your options fj Explore can about as modi as vs yvf f loam : QlJ you your own r health status and if you’re sick what all your treatment options are B there's any question £ about a proposed duunpygeta second -- yy yy opinion especially if you’ve been told you need nonemergency surgery 0 Mark it Before undergoing surgery miskesuxetiierittorganorareatobe operated on has been tagged Also check foe name tag on your wrist1 t ffJ or other y y diagnostic procedure that requires an y-v injection ask what it is TeU the technician s or radiologist if you’re allergic (especially if foe injection contains iodine) If you develop any problems during a procedure (even one as simple as a urinary catheterisation) let foe doctor or technician know Don't hesitate to yell “Ouch!” If you’ve been given an intravenous drip check your arm for swelling or discoloration (especially if you feel pain) The needle may have slipped out of foe vein and into foe surrounding tissues which can cause problems If you need an X-ra-y s ' |