OFF TOPIC - the ladybug "lost" her mittens

Cheryl Isaak · 2007-02-05T15:35:39+00:00

Last night, when I dropped all the wet snow gear in the dryer, I didn'tnotice there were no mittens. This morning, at bus time, I just foundanother pair. After the bus, I noticed this pile of gray/black next to the door. Ah thelost mittens. FROZEN IN PLACE. Since the kettle was still hot, I poured itover the mittens to find a second pair, even more frozen under them. It twomore kettlefuls to get them melted enough to pry off the deck......C

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bungadora 19 years ago

Yes there is a national college which establishes standards, but the assessment of educational instutional programs and implementation of training standards is by the provincial college, following the enabling legislation which is by province. Similarly there is a federal act which establishes goals in health care, but the 'nuts and bolts' is at the provincial level.

I think there is consistency in training across the country in terms of the basic essentials of nursing such as standard precautions or skin care, but when you get into some of the more advanced skills like intubation or injection of medications there are legislated differences in the level of worker who is permitted to perform these skills. Also a lower level worker might be permitted to perform some skills if the agency policy says they can. For example, I believe the administration of oral medication by pca's is permitted only as per agency policy. In some provinces they might not be permitted to administer meds at all.

Handwashing is pretty basic, but there's a difference between a rinse with a shake, and a medical scrub. And I'm not sure that is adequately addressed with in-house training, which is fortunately going by the wayside.

Oh I better go on a walk. It is so sunny outside. Dora

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lewmew 19 years ago

We have a local university affiliated hospital, but it takes so few insurance carriers that even half of the University staff can't go there to be treated as they are not on the "preferred provider" directory.

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Lucille 19 years ago

I know that when my husband was being treated in Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York I was told that they charged more for their services and because they were so specialized his insurance company paid the difference.

Of course that was almost 17 years ago and at that time he had an excellent insurance policy that was paid for by the company he worked for.

I guess now, with the outrageous audacity of the insurance industry where they won't pay for so very much, it's possible that what you saying is true here too.

Are you talking about an HMO, or a PPO that decides on paper who should live and who should die and how they should be treated? Those things barely existed back then.

That's one of the reasons that I took my supplementary insurance from AARP and pay dearly for it, rather than join an HMO. I can be treated in any facility I want and as long as a procedure is approved by Medicare, they will pay the difference in actual cost. and the Medicare preset payment.

Our medical system is badly in need of an overhaul.

Lucille

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Karen C - California 19 years ago

How I wound up at the university hospital in the first place was that our HMO was so oversubscribed that none of the doctors were taking new patients.

In desperation, I called the HMO and was offered a doctor 45 miles this way, or a doctor 45 miles that way, and when I pointed out that I don't drive and couldn't get to either one of them, they said "we'll assign you to a doctor at the university, because they by law have to take every patient".

Apparently, that was how the HMO got away with being so oversubscribed, was assigning people to the university doctors who would tell you personally that they weren't taking new patients. Voila, you couldn't complain to the Insurance Commission about them because they'd gotten you a doctor who, once the insurance company assigned you, didn't have the option of saying no.

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T Michelle Jensen 19 years ago

After 18 months of steroid shots & allergy meds, etc, because I had hives all over my body that were 3-5 inches across (each one) & having a reaction to Bactrim years ago that almost killed me, I won't even take the chance. The reaction is too unusual & too severe, & my allergist says 'uhuh' On the other hand, since we took all that out of the house, etc, the hives are gone. Same thing w/ the toothpaste - I constantly had mouth sores, but now I just buy something different from dh & use it. Luckily most people don' t have to be so extreme, but after all i went through, it's just not worth it.

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