In my current capacity, i'm often exposed to weird and somewhat disturbing facts. Everyday, I find out more ways i can die from preventable errors. Everyday, i tell hao-e about it, and we both pledge to stay as healthy as we can on the island.
You would think that given this day and age, preventable errors should remain preventable and therefore not happen. but often i find, the biggest perpetrator are humans and trying to change people's behaviour is more onerous than moving a mountain!
there are some people who try to work the system by working 2 shifts back to back. the 2nd shift counts as OT - which is principally wrong since the employee requested to work the 2nd shift and the employer didn't request for OT. but in pushing your body to work beyond the 'healthy' 8 hour limit, what kind of care are you providing during the 2nd shift? are you awake enough to know what kind of medicines are being administered? are you in the right mind to determine the identities of patients? fatigue is a very scary thing. and it is even scarier when one mistake and lead to a life lost or permanent disability.
and then there are preventable systematic errors - incorrect filling out of forms. of course the person who came up with the form knows how to fill it up. but how are the rest supposed to know? different places have different forms. locums who aren't permanent are usually the ones who make mistakes - because they are not familiar with procedures etc. i get why patients sometimes request for the chiefs or famous physicians instead of settling for the locums in the ER. i get it really because things can get horribly wrong. i won't want to lose a family member or friend due to hospital errors - especially when you would expect a super well-educated physician to know how to fill up a form!?! ah...
i can go on and on but for some reasons, i cannot talk indepth ethically. so if you want, ask me about it in person. but not on record pls.
You would think that given this day and age, preventable errors should remain preventable and therefore not happen. but often i find, the biggest perpetrator are humans and trying to change people's behaviour is more onerous than moving a mountain!
there are some people who try to work the system by working 2 shifts back to back. the 2nd shift counts as OT - which is principally wrong since the employee requested to work the 2nd shift and the employer didn't request for OT. but in pushing your body to work beyond the 'healthy' 8 hour limit, what kind of care are you providing during the 2nd shift? are you awake enough to know what kind of medicines are being administered? are you in the right mind to determine the identities of patients? fatigue is a very scary thing. and it is even scarier when one mistake and lead to a life lost or permanent disability.
and then there are preventable systematic errors - incorrect filling out of forms. of course the person who came up with the form knows how to fill it up. but how are the rest supposed to know? different places have different forms. locums who aren't permanent are usually the ones who make mistakes - because they are not familiar with procedures etc. i get why patients sometimes request for the chiefs or famous physicians instead of settling for the locums in the ER. i get it really because things can get horribly wrong. i won't want to lose a family member or friend due to hospital errors - especially when you would expect a super well-educated physician to know how to fill up a form!?! ah...
i can go on and on but for some reasons, i cannot talk indepth ethically. so if you want, ask me about it in person. but not on record pls.
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