About codeblog:
Disclaimer: All stories are composites of different patients, doctors, nurses, and situations. Details about stories have been changed to protect patient and healthcare worker identities.
1. What is this?
This is a weblog specifically for personal medical stories. Many interesting things happen in hospitals, clinics, schools, hospices, at ball games, recitals, and on planes and trains. Almost everyone that comes into contact with someone in some sort of medical situation has at least one good story, be it an RN, MD, LPN, nurse’s aide, unit clerk, unit support, manager, or volunteer.
This is a place for sharing stories. It all started on our personal weblog. As an RN, I started posting stories about what happens at work, and people really enjoyed reading them. A friend suggested that I start an entire blog dedicated to medical stories. I thought it was a great idea.
2. How does it work?
If you want to submit a health-care related story, click on “submit your story” at the top of the website. It emails the story directly to me. You can also use this link to email me with any other questions, concerns, etc.
3. Why are some words dottedly underlined?
Some words have dotted underlines because they are defined. Just hold your cursor over the word and a definition will pop up! Also feel free to email me with any other questions you have about what has been posted… or leave a comment.
4. What will be posted?
Any health-care related personal story. Stories about patients, nursing school, med school, that unbelievably awful night your Med-Surg self had to float to the Psych floor….
5. What will not be posted?
Detailed identifying characteristics. Definitely no patient names, not even specific ages. No dates. Location is okay if you feel comfy with providing that.
Otherwise, obviously no gratuitous profanity, vulgarity, solicitations, nude photos or recipes.
Certainly no research papers, journal articles, or anything academic.
6. What are the guidelines for submitting stories and comments?
You know, just use common sense.
7. Can the general non-healthcare-public post anything?
Absolutely! Was there a nurse or doctor that made an experience especially awful, or especially good? We’re only human… Sometimes we forget that we’re being perceived somewhat skewedly because patients typically aren’t thinking completely straight when they’re in the hospital. Some of us really like to be reminded of what it’s like to be a patient. And some of us NEED to be reminded.
8. What’s up with the book picture off to the right under the links?
I like reading medical books and will occasionally put a picture and a link to Amazon.com for a book that I’ve found interesting.
9. I submitted a story weeks/months ago! Why hasn’t it been posted yet?
Because I procrastinate. This is unfortunate, I know, but that’s how it is. I also work full-time and don’t post as much as I’d like. Every story submission is read and the ones appropriate to post will be posted in due time.
10. How is this different from RN Yahoo! Groups or other health-care forums?
Yahoo! Groups currently have 3,795 groups dedicated to “health care” and 13,459 for “Professional” under Health & Wellness. I have tried to sift though the RN groups (800+) looking for something like this, but it was terribly time-consuming and I got bored. Also, once joining a group, you often get slowed down by ads.
11. Who did that awesome Nurse Blythe painting in the upper right hand corner?
12. Who made the buttons on the right side of the page?
I made them in Photoshop using the actual graphics from the blog, when I could. Some I had to do myself using the colors of the blog that I was buttoning. If you download any of these for your own use, consider linking back to my site. If you’d like to have a button, the fastest way to get on the sidebar is to make it yourself and email it to me. The first 20 buttons were really fun to make, the rest – not so much. I tend to really procrastinate on adding links to the sidebar for this reason. But! If you make your own, it will be up within mere hours to days! It needs to be a 90pixels x 25pixels. Likewise, if you already have a button and think you could do better, be my guest.
13. Image credits:
I used numerous Photoshop brushes for the header from people on deviantart.com: chokingonstatic, Forbidden-Stock, Shiranui.
Various buttons (technorati, facebook, etc) are courtesy of: FastIcon and AODdesign.
I have been an Intensive Care nurse for 11 years. This blog is about my experiences as a nurse, and the experiences of others in the healthcare system - patients, nurses, doctors, paramedics. We all have stories!
Comments
Could you write something about your role as a patient advocate? And about how you would handle a med a doctor has ordered that is for a BP that’s already low, but the doc wants it even lower? The patient (my friend) had a pulse in the 40s and the nurse refused to give the BP med. The patient was mad, and I, a former tech, tried to explain why she may have done this…but if you have time, I’d love to see something about this. Also, does your hospital have some strict guidelines about what meds can/can’t be given under certain conditions? Thanks.
added by Margot on 12.18.03 8:15 pm | Permalink
I care for a semi-comatose, dementia, AZ,bedridden adult,and she chokes alot while feeding her. She has dysphagia. She will take purreed food in mouth and not start chewing or chews and does not swallow. What is the correct way to feed and not have them choke? I understand about the relfex action to begin chewing. When she swallows, some is left in mouth, and sometimes she swallows 8 times for l teaspoon full.
added by c.clunan on 07.18.04 8:37 pm | Permalink
wanna try and convince dave winer to give us a medblogger track at bloggercon III? stanford 11/6/04. are you free?
-enoch
added by enoch choi on 08.16.04 2:30 pm | Permalink
Hi, I am changing careers to become a nurse and I found your blog. I read it just to test my sanity — I am sure that I want to be nurse, but I’m not sure in what setting. Please have a look at my blog, comment if you like; I would love to have a link on your site and likewise. Thanks, Denise
added by Denise on 09.27.04 5:03 pm | Permalink
Hello – I have a nursing student blog at http://www.theunlikelyrn.blogspot.com and would like to submit it so that any prospective or current nursing students can have another perspective on the saga/process/torture/joy that is nursing school.
added by EmJC on 02.15.05 3:54 pm | Permalink
I was going to ask whether you had come across theunlikelyrn, but I see that she has already alerted you to her presence. You should link to her on your page – her page is also a great nursing blog.
added by Daniel Groll on 03.04.05 7:38 am | Permalink
Hello there!
I was wondering if you help me out as I research work-related blogs. My research has just started and you find out information on what I’ve done at my own blog and I intend to keep interested parties updated as it progresses.
So, please if you can, will you complete a very brief questionnaire on work-related blogs at:
http://www.my3q.com/home2/62/apr2112/24991.phtml
It’s all only totally anonymous!
Thanks and good luck with your blog.
James
added by James on 04.17.05 12:55 pm | Permalink
Well, the first thing most of my patients say to the question “what brought you into the hospital today?” is.. the ambulance..SMILE
Surfing the web and found your site which is awesome by the way!! When I have time, after this semester runs out, I will come back and submit a story.. Thanks!
added by NursePractitionersSaveLives on 04.21.05 5:35 am | Permalink
Great blog. I just added you to my blogroll at http://www.diabetesmine.com.
Please take a moment to check it out.
- Amy
added by AmyT on 04.26.05 7:13 pm | Permalink
We would like to introduce you to MedReader at http://www.medreader.com. MedReader is a Free RSS Reader and RSS Resource Directory built specifically for the Medical Industry.
MedReader is a free RSS reader and in order to keep it free we must let people know about the Medical RSS Directory and RSS Reader.
We would like to add your site as a resource to our users because of the valuable content that you have on your site. It is our hope that you will find MedReader as useful of a tool as we find your content to be for our users. In exchange for listing your content into the MedReader Directory (which directly feeds MedReader itself), it is our hope that you will list MedReader near your xml/rss feed this would be appreciated. We are asking for you to add MedReader to your list of Readers and any additional methods of promotion that you can offer would be reciprocated on the system (MedReader & the MedReader Directory).
To add your xml/rss link to the MedReader directory for free, please click here: http://www.medreader.com/add_rss.htm.
To download MedReader, please click here: http://www.medreader.com/download_medreader.htm
If would have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please email Business Relations at bizdev@medreader.com.
Thank you for your time,
Jennette Baker
Business Relations
Email: bizdev@medreader.com
Web: http://www.medreader.com/
P.S. If you know of someone else that would find this free tool of value, please spread the word and help keep MedReader free.
added by Jennette Baker on 07.18.05 1:49 pm | Permalink
Hi there,
My name is Ellen and I just recently started a (nonprofit) message
board dedicated to discussion of health. You have a very informative
and really well designed site. We are currently seeking partners and
those potentially interested in exchanging links. Basically, if you
link us, we’ll link you. A little about us: we basically want to
provide a forum where people can connect and communicate with one
another to get health info, advice, and support. It is free and it is
not supported by ads. We simply want to provide an anonymous and
nonbiased forum for people on the web to talk about all things related
to health. Our URL is: http://www.ihealthbuzz.com
We hope you are interested and thanks for your time. Come check us
out at http://www.ihealthbuzz.com and see what you think. If you are
interested, please email me at ihealthbuzz@gmail.com. We look forward
to collaborating.
Sincerest Regards,
Ellen
added by Ellen on 08.08.05 12:10 pm | Permalink
Hey, I could not find your e-mail…sorry for OT.
I am hosting Grand Rounds next week and I have been appalled by the lack of nursing entries lately. Can you help me get more hursing entries (post a call for submission or e-mail your blog-friends)?
added by coturnix on 08.13.05 1:51 pm | Permalink
Please add my blog site to your link list. NPS Suvival. http://wwwnpblogger.blogspot.com/
added by Patti on 11.24.05 9:40 am | Permalink
Please add my blog site to your link list. NP’S Suvival. http://wwwnpblogger.blogspot.com/
added by Patti on 11.24.05 9:40 am | Permalink
Love your website, it’s awesome. I am an RN at UT Medical Center in Knoxville,TN. I just did a Thursday 13 meme on two days of nursing. Your welcome to pull it off my site and post it here if you like.
added by Beth on 06.24.06 9:24 pm | Permalink
I have written a book about my time as an ER RN. Title is Mystic Nurse: Four Years in the ER. If you are interested in reviewing the book for this blog, please email me. A preview is available at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.lulu.com, just search for ‘mystic nurse’.
added by Pat on 03.14.07 3:43 pm | Permalink
Greetings!
In behalf of the ‘iPhones in Medicine’ group in LinkedIn.com, I would like to invite you to join us in our discussion group. We believe that your expertise in the subject matter will be useful for our goals.
We intend to provide a channel for students, professionals and enthusiasts in the field of medicine where they can discuss issues using their iPhone software.
Our group is led by Dr. Jeremy Joslin, whom I have furnished a copy of this letter as well. You can join us here at http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1641217.
We hope to hear from you soon.
added by Jazmin on 01.18.09 8:24 pm | Permalink
I wanted to thank you for writing this blog. It is a refreshingly true look at what life in a hospital is really like. I’m sorry people but what you see on television even that trauma life in the er show just cannot compare to the actual being there feeling. Also the whole blog on coding…well that was awesome in itself! I got a good laugh out of some of it (only a medical professional can laugh at something like that and understand still the severity of the issue)…(eg. darn you i was just about to go to lunch…) is it not the truth though that just as you are about to leave the floor or take a break crap happens!
Anyhow thanks so much and have a wonderful week.
added by Allison on 04.16.09 12:17 am | Permalink
Your post is really great…
added by Tiffany on 01.11.10 4:35 am | Permalink
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