Nurses Save Lives

What a pleasant surprise to read that nurses save lives (italics mine) in a news article yesterday, September 21. Unfortunately, the story was not a happy one. The Raleigh, NC News & Observer detailed the memorial service for the crew of a Duke Life Flight Air Ambulance that crashed on September 8 killing all aboard: pilot, patient and two flight nurses.

“Like all medical personnel at Duke, Life Flight’s Crew ‘have a strong desire to save lives (italics mine),’” said Irene Borghese, program director. She goes on to say “what sets this group apart is their desire to do so (save lives) while putting themselves in harm’s way and without the safety net of an entire health care team . . . They simply depend on each other.”

What she is saying is that the nurses can rely on their own knowledge and expertise when they deal with difficult patient problems on a flight mission and not have to follow doctor’s orders, although there probably are protocols when needed.

The nurses who died, Crystal Sollinger and Kris Harrison, had worked together on a flight “that wound up saving the life (italics mine) of an infant . . .that baby is now 3 years old, and her family brought her to” the service.

We all know that in most instance nurses are not recognized for the intelligent, caring and competent health care providers that they are.

In a post I wrote in February 2013, Businessweek reporters gave doctors credit for caring for Hillary Clinton while she was admitted to the hospital when she had a blood clot. Nurses were never mentioned. I can’t imagine a doctor was around to do vital signs on the night shift.

Thank you to Ray Gronberg and Tammy Grubb, the authors of N & O piece, for giving credit to Crystal and Kris for doing what they really do: save lives.