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I read where a police helicopter camera mounted to the "bird", fell off in mid-flight and struck at least three vehicles in a parking lot (no one was hurt thankfully). The infra-red camera was valued at $100K and came crashing down as the heli was on a mission to search for a missing woman. It is uncertain why the camera came unhitched and there is speculation that the device was not secured properly to begin with. This brings back a horrific memory for me in my bedside days...I worked as a frontline ICU nurse and in those days, we had the CV, Neuro, and Trauma services all in one huge ICU. This particular situation involved a spinal injury patient who was in a specialty bed/frame to stabilize the cervical area...in those days (I'm dating myself), the specialty bed required a tedious amount of steps to ensure that when the patient was flipped from supine to prone and vice-versa, that everything was secure. Everything hinged literally on the last step which was to insert a pin into a socket...if you forgot this step, it could compromise the stability of the traction and neutral position of the spine which was obviously crucial. There were two of us in the room, and we were to be each other's "check, double-check, and check again" system, but in this case, we were hurried and didn't go through the "pre-flight checklist" as warranted...and before rotating the patient, we did indeed forget to make sure the pin was in the proper and secure position. As we flipped the patient...OMG, we simultaneously realized the pin was not engaged...thank the good Lord, we stopped short of fully rotating the patient and no harm was done...a near miss and it made us fall to our knees in thankfulness...these days, the technology and specialty beds for rotating spinal injury patients is a completely different technology and promotes a much more safe environment... ...enhanced technology and smart/safe devices still doesn't relieve those in healthcare from "checking, double-checking, and checking again".
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...and I love sleeping in on the weekends (as I get up at 0430 every day during the week). I especially like to sit in my "papa-saun" chair in the family room and settle in for an afternoon nap when I can spare one. My husband says he knows I'm catching a good one when he walks in and I have the "O" sign going on. Oh, and sometimes I've been known to drool...did I just admit that?!? Yikes. It's all a very light-hearted confession and I enjoy a good laugh at myself. Then I read about folks who deal as best they can with a sleeping disorder where in some cases, they can miss as much as 20 hours per day, weeks or even months on end, because they are sleeping. The rare disorder is "Kleine-Levin Syndrome". That severity is certainly nothing to laugh about and can be extremely disruptive and cause one to miss important events, activities, schooling, careers, and just life in general. In between these odd stretches of infliction can be complete normalcy. What can be especially challenging, is when there are periods of extreme sleepiness/sleep and brief periods of awakening, the waking behavior can be bizarre with exhibitions of irritability. They also wake up with massive appetites and are abnormally demanding, and at times exhibit incoherent behavior. There is no known cause nor cure and will often resolve on it's own. It strikes usually in teenagers and progressively gets better into the early 20's. Some have been treated with valium and lithium with a variety of success. I do enjoy my sleep and will now have a great appreciation for those who seriously struggle with too much.
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Well, apparently millions of "non words" that failed to make the dictionary, are locked in a vault at Oxford University Press (OUP). Examples: "wurfing"...definition: surfing the internet at work. "Polkadodge": wierd dance move where two people try to avoid each other but move in the same direction when dancing. "Nonversation": a pointless chat. I guess all these failed the test. Hey, I say we start using these words so they make the cut next time (hehe). Hey, how abut this one? "Furgling" (and many do it ALL the time): fumbling in your pockets for keys or loose change. "Earworm": catchy tune you can't get out of your head (thanks Lady Gaga). "Sprogging" (you fitness buffs, listen up, this is when you run slower than a sprint, but faster that a jog. These poor unsuitable words are in the abyss. HOWEVER, the senior editor of the OUP said these are not necessarily rejects and could possibly be resurrected. There just needs to be evidence that people are using them. Okay, what would the "handsfree/no texting" law have to say about "accordionated": being able to drive and refold a map simultaneously. "Dunandunate": the overuse of a word or phrase that has recently been added to your own vocabulary...uh oh..."been there done that" probably applies. "Espacular": something especially spectacular. Hey, this one could be popular with all the ecosystem-friendly emphasis lately..."glocalization": running a business according to both local and global considerations. Oooh...watch out for this one on your first date..."oninate": overwhelm with post-dining breath (well, as long as both have the garlic dish-shouldn't be an issue). "Vidiot": someone who is inept at the act of programming AV equipment (our IT staff would NEVER be accused of this because they are "stealth-geek": someone who hides their nerdy interests while maintaining a normal outward appearance). Just kidding folks, all our IT staff rock...and I do mean are "awesome". Oh well, we in healthcare certainly have our share of words and hopefully they are meaningful, reflect the "espacular" care given day in and day out, and that there is no "xenolexia": a grave confusion when faced with unusual words.
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... like 18 times worse than a toilet handle! What?!? Eeeeuuuuwwww! Well, I guess if ya think about it...that is certainly possible. According to a U.K. study, the tested phones had high levels of organisms (total viable bacteria count...TVC). The researchers concluded that there was no immediate harm that would make one sick "straight away", but the phones were "grubbier" than anticipated. One of the phones had such a high count, that they recommended it needed to be sterilized...oops! Some of the phones tested had traces of E. Coli and staph aureus...but at "safe" levels...still sounds bad to me. Handwashing, handwashing, handwashing...this article brought a whole new emphasis for me. Oh, and the next time someone wants to show me pictures on their cell phone, I think I'll politely put my hands behind my back and just observe. Yikes!
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Huh? What will they think of next? Yep...apparently there's a "Heads Up Virtual Reality" (HUVR) device that is a combo of 3D HDTV and a high-tech mirror that projects an image into a viewer's surroundings. You can maneuver a touch-sensitive device to interact with the 3D image as if it's literally in your hands. HUVR has such potential for training in medicine...can you imagine taking an image from a scan and manipulating it as if it were tangible? The operator could "feel" a defect rather than just seeing it...good grief! This really does make the world a small place and could lead to robust networking and engaing with instructors and students around the globe! The technology is not new, but the 12 year-ago prototypes had too many limitations. Now, the device generates sophisticated images so that when the viewer is blinking with the special eyewear, it's all synchronized with the HDTV's images-whoa. This is amazing. Before you know it, they'll create a desktop version, headgear you can buy at "Best Buy", and we will be doing "brain surgery" at home....well, maybe not.
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...mmmm, in an effort to reduce costs, some hotels are cutting back on housekeeping services...they are encouraging guests to forgo daily changing of linens, towels and toiletries. This isn't exactly a new concept, but as travelers frequent hotels less, and the industry battles with an historic reduction in customers, they've tried to come up with ideas to cut back. Most customers are responding very positively and indicating that changing linens daily is certainly not what they do at home, so really don't expect it on the road. Environmentalists are also supporting this trend as a way of "going green" and saving energy on laundering, and other conservation ramifications. A few customers have allegedly complained and indicated if they are paying for a room, they want everyday service. Well, as you all know, we are in very strenuous times in the the healthcare industry and needing to reduce costs...these days the other side of the equation, ie, trying to get better payment rates, is certainly going to be a challenge, so we have few options other than to reduce costs significantly. I know when I worked at the bedside, I was guilty of grabbing all kinds of linen to take into the patient rooms "just in case"...I certainly and single-handedly was responsible for a lot of waste over time. Maybe there is an opportunity for savings...I encourage you to work with the Environmental Service leaders on ideas that would create efficiencies.
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I read an article recently about a New York businessman who returned his newly purchased iPad within about two weeks of obtaining it indicating it was "too good"....huh? Yep, he said that the robust applications, ease of use, and amazing features kept him "too busy" and he wanted to get back to "being bored". He said that the device was keeping him from spending time with family and friends and felt he was missing out on quality time, especially with his daughter who he often would "sush" when she was asking him a question or wanted to share something with him. He said now he takes time to listen and ask her questions. Sometimes I too feel overwhelmed with our high-tech world and certainly never feel "disconnected" and experience very little downtime from work...there's always an email, text, alert, etc, etc. Advancements in technology are many times desired and I go through waves of wanting all the latest and greatest features that will supposedly "make my life easier". I am truly looking forward to the full implementation of the CMC-wide EPIC/Lawson initiative. The project seems at times daunting, but as I obtain more information about the positive impact, it re-energizes my interest and well-wishes for it's success. I hope you feel the same.
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..."Robonaut", developed by the International Space Station, is a prototype consisting of a head, torso, two arms and two hands...could this be your newest colleague?!?!? Well, at an El Camino Hospital in Silicon Valley...a similar prototype (19 of them) is roaming the halls and making deliveries. This particular one has a "female" voice, but nothing else about it is feminine. This thing apparently transports food, medicine, and lab samples around the hospital. Staff retrieve the materials from a cabinet device on the robot, press a green button, and send "her" on the next assignment. The sophistication of sensors and safety technology has created a robot that can prevent injuries, interact more extensively with humans, and even have a "cuteness" about them so they are more culturally acceptable. GM and NASA jointly developed a humanoid recently that can use traditional tools and later this year will travel to NASA to perform tasks deemed too dangerous for humans. Well...it's fascinating for sure, but I do hope any service industry primarily reserve the duties of these robots to tasks that could potentially put people in harms way or hazardous duties, and never be considered for care or services that absolutely require human interaction and a gentle, caring touch!
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