As an LPN for 17 years and an RN for 17 more, I can recall several incidents of unintended consequences. One came close to home: my husband, who works in information technology for a large hospital, had an exacerbation of hypertension while at work. After being examined in the ED he was sent home with four pages of information to read. No one helped him to understand the material. When I read it, I thought it was too much information for a layperson to understand. So I accompanied him to the hospital for his follow-up appointment to see if the nurses were giving him proper advice. But again the staff didn't explain his discharge instructions. Finally, I stopped waiting for someone to do what they should, at least according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement or any other standard.

Do nurses have enough time during their shifts to do all that is expected of them? Is their goal to participate in data collection or to fulfill the job of nursing as it was intended-to improve patient outcomes?

Elizabeth Droski, RN

Walker, MI