Training Day: A home care nurse switched off a tetraplegic man’s ventilator, leaving the already physically handicapped man with an even greater challenge: severe brain damage. This was not a case of the nurse being an “angel of mercy.” It was an actual mistake caused by ignorance. She simply hadn’t been trained in proper care of patients on ventilators and thought she was supposed to switch the machine off. Somehow, that’s just as scary as the idea of a nurse doing something like this on purpose!
Tip: If you aren’t absolutely sure how to operate a piece of equipment, ask for more training from your employer. Don’t accept an assignment if you feel you don’t have the qualifications to do it right.
Next: A Highway Menace →
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