https://www.qsen.org/post/the-lewis-blackman-story

My initial reaction to watching the video was how much consideration Helen Haskell put into providing the world with this life event.  She was extremely detailed and conveyed details about how all of this happened.  I feel she had spent a lot of time coming to terms and working through her emotions.  The traumatic even inspired her to inform the world and to educate others so that this never happens again.  A truly powerful person to turn this tragedy into a case of education and growth, very sad and real.

A policy that could help protect patients is supplying resources to the families that are working through these healthcare challenges.  A major resource would be to give them a hotline or department that they can contact when they are having issues with the care that is being provided.  I would also like to see that paired with a department that reaches out to families during care.  A department outside of the unit providing care that can answer question and get insight to how the families feel about the level of care that is taking place.

I would say from my experience that bias occurs.  I think this is a finely nuanced happening as we as nurses are trained to asses’ people in as much detail as possible.  Sometimes the bias is implicit and sometimes it is intentional.  This can get in the way because judgements are made that overlook and create assumptions about what is happening.  It is important to look at the information that is presented to us and to not explore outside factors.  It is also important to realize we have viewpoints that may be skewed by our own feelings and experience. 

If I were in this position I would have wanted to be heard and acknowledged by the nurses.  A patient and their family know themselves the best.  If a nurse had said “I hear what you are saying, and I hear your concerns let me look into this and follow up on these things you are saying.”  It is important to have a patient guide their care for one as it creates autonomy.  This is a good thing because it can help work towards a solution.  We are not working on the patient but rather working with the patient.  I think it’s important as the patient is part of the team.