Discipline: | Gynecology | Subject Definition: | Medical Errors; Hysterectomy; Patient Harm | NLM Class: | WP 468 | LC Class: | R729.8 | Abstract: | A surgeon unknowingly damages the intestines of a nurse expecting only an overnight hospital stay after surgery, beginning a chain of more tragic and preventable mistakes. The consequences result in the nurse spending a month on an ICU ventilator in a drug-induced coma, four additional surgeries, and a pump to drain the raging sepsis in her open abdomen. As she awakens and tries to come to terms with what happened to her, she realizes the hospital and doctors will never tell her the whole truth; she has to find out what went wrong on her own in order to heal and teach others how to avoid such mistakes. More than a narrative, Anatomy of Medical Errors: The Patient in Room 2 shines a light on the dysfunction that underpins many hospital organizations, especially teaching hospitals, including silencing of the patient, provider arrogance, flawed coordination and communication, and lack of ownership for outcomes. Forever changed by the experience, author Donna Helen Crisp recounts her struggles and teaches nurses and other medical professionals how to avoid potentially dangerous situations, recognize warning signs, and sound the alarm before it's too late. This book provides an ethical and critical thought process framework for care providers through a compelling story about hospital culture. Readers who want to understand how delivery of care works in fast-paced and complex environments will walk away engaged and informed. |
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