We are once again finding ourselves in the midst of a dual epidemic – one created by a Novel Coronavirus and the other generated by increasingly common panic. I am always amazed that despite the availability of considerable credible evidence that people still would rather believe their next-door neighbor’s cousin’s ex-wife (who just happens to […]
On the two year anniversary of the enacting of federal legislation on Medical Assistance in Dying (M.A.I.D), Health Canada published its third interim report(1). This report provides insight into how many medically-assisted deaths have taken place, the settings in which they occurred, the individual’s age and gender, as well as the most common underlying medical […]
Academic integrity – or lack thereof – appears to have become a very serious issue for colleges and universities throughout North America. In 2015, Dartmouth College (a private Ivy League in New Hampshire) suspended 64 students for cheating – in an ethics class!(1) (I have included a reference here for fear of being accused of […]
Elizabeth Wettlaufer, former registered nurse, is back in the news again this week with the opening of the Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry. Ms. Wettlaufer – in case you have forgotten – pled guilty to eight counts of 1st degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault back in June […]
I was listening to a radio program in the car this morning about Stephen Hawking, and they mentioned one of his books, “On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy”. Apparently, the phrase, “on the shoulders of giants” goes back a very long way, and its most familiar expression was by […]
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to listen to an excellent presentation given by Dr. Brian Hodges from the University Health Network. His talk provided a thought provoking exploration into the types of competencies health care practitioners will need in the not so distant future – and these competencies are quite different […]
I have always had a bit of an allergic reaction to things like “ice breakers,” “talking circles” and “mindful meditation” – an aversion I believe I share with others members of my profession. RTs tend to be very task-oriented and no-nonsense kind of people who like to troubleshoot, fix and move on. So many RTs […]
Do you know what I think is most surprising about the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal? Absolutely nothing. Same story; different day. It was Bill Cosby and Bill O’Reilly last week and its Harvey Weinstein this week. Guaranteed it will be someone else next week. And these are just the men who are rich and powerful […]
Social media was abuzz last week over the Utah burn unit nurse who was arrested for protecting the rights of her patient. The story goes that a police officer (who apparently was a part-time paramedic) wanted to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient who was injured in a deadly collision involving another driver […]
It seems that facts are having a tough time of it lately. For the first time, we are hearing phrases like “fake news” and “alternative facts”. Lies repeated frequently enough (or loudly enough) are often taken to be the truth – especially if these fabrications come from celebrities (I mean, how else can Gwyneth Paltrow […]
