Critical care

Intensive caring in palliative care [PODCAST]

December 2, 2023Dec 2, 2023

Join guest Harvey Max Chochinov, a psychiatrist, as he delves into the profound concept of "intensive caring" in palliative care. Inspired by Dame Cicely Saunders' powerful quote, "You matter because you are you," Harvey discusses how this approach reaffirms the…

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Join guest Harvey Max Chochinov, a psychiatrist, as he delves into the profound concept of “intensive caring” in palliative care. Inspired by Dame Cicely Saunders’ powerful quote, “You matter because you are you,” Harvey discusses how this approach reaffirms the worth and dignity of patients who may feel they’ve lost their …

Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD

Intensive caring: Reminding patients they matter

November 28, 2023Nov 28, 20235

Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement and palliative care, famously said, "You matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment of your life." This quote has become the central philosophical tenet of…

Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement and palliative care, famously said, “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment of your life.” This quote has become the central philosophical tenet of palliative care. It implores us to remind patients, who may be feeling helpless, hopeless, or worthless, that they matter. There is abundant evidence that patients approaching death are susceptible to …

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Doctors’ emotional struggles in the medical field

Sogol Pahlavan, MD

November 26, 2023Nov 26, 2023

Most humans, especially doctors, are completely disconnected from their bodies. This conditioning starts in childhood, escalates through teenage years, and peaks in residency where we are trained to completely detach from our body. Our emotions are held in our body.…

It’s our coping mechanism.

It’s survival.

Yet this is so counterintuitive to our soul’s calling because most …

Prayer in the COVID ICU [PODCAST]

Prayer in the COVID ICU [PODCAST]

November 18, 2023Nov 18, 2023

We sit down with Robert Raschke, a critical care physician and the author of One Hundred Prayers: God's Answer to Prayer in a COVID ICU. We explore the power of prayer in the midst of a health care crisis. Robert…

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We sit down with Robert Raschke, a critical care physician and the author of One Hundred Prayers: God’s Answer to Prayer in a COVID ICU. We explore the power of prayer in the midst of a health care crisis. Robert shares profound insights and experiences, revealing the role of prayer in …

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Navigating grief: a doctor’s personal journey [PODCAST]

October 8, 2023Oct 8, 2023

Join Humeira Badsha, a rheumatologist, as she shares her recent, unexpected journey through grief, offering profound insights into the emotional challenges faced by medical professionals. From a tearful moment of vulnerability with a patient to the traumatic experience of watching…

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Emergency care nightmare: the urgent need for experienced nurses

Rachel Basham, RN, CCRN

September 27, 2023Sep 27, 2023

Imagine you are in a bad car accident. You are in and out of consciousness. There are lights and sirens and the smell of gasoline. Everything hurts more than you can bear. Hands pull you from the car and place you on a hard backboard with a rigid cervical collar around your neck. You bump down the road in the back of an ambulance as you start feeling like you …

Navigating medical decision-making: Embracing limits and growth

Benjamin Wade Frush, MD

September 16, 2023Sep 16, 2023

"Ms. Smith is going to the MICU," the resident on the other end of the line informs me. My stomach tightens as that visceral sense of guilt and frustration sets in, familiar by now but this time with a newfound…

“Ms. Smith is going to the MICU,” the resident on the other end of the line informs me. My stomach tightens as that visceral sense of guilt and frustration sets in, familiar by now but this time with a newfound intensity. It is my second week as an attending physician during my chief residency year, and Ms. Smith will now be the first patient transferred to the intensive care unit …

In the trenches of health care: Facing unbearable strain

Anonymous

August 23, 2023Aug 23, 2023

I'm so sorry, but the pain was too much, and I couldn't continue. I have witnessed patients crying themselves to sleep while nurses held their hands, praying for their treatments to be approved, giving them one more chance at life.…

I’m so sorry, but the pain was too much, and I couldn’t continue. I have witnessed patients crying themselves to sleep while nurses held their hands, praying for their treatments to be approved, giving them one more chance at life. Nurses try to juggle 8, 9, 10, or more patients during their shifts, holding onto their compassion with the last thread of hope that things will improve. Yet, they’ve also …

3 ways clinicians can unlock their career potential through writing

Harrison Reed, PA-C

August 20, 2023Aug 20, 2023

When I was a child, I discovered I had superpowers. One day my mother left me at home with a list of tasks, chores and invented homework assignments to complete over summer break — the joys of having a mom who is also a teacher. As my eyes wandered down each line of the list, I decided now was the time for my rebellion.

I flipped the paper over, took a …

Bully nurse in ICU: a shattered moment for a dying patient

August 14, 2023Aug 14, 2023

She was oil, and I was vinegar. We didn't mix. Ever. Even though we wanted the best outcome for our ICU patients, we stood on opposite poles of the earth. Sometimes, there's only room for one alpha dog, one ultimate…

She was oil, and I was vinegar. We didn’t mix. Ever. Even though we wanted the best outcome for our ICU patients, we stood on opposite poles of the earth. Sometimes, there’s only room for one alpha dog, one ultimate bully. And that person wasn’t me.

Mr. Williams, 68 years old, received the tragic news from his physician. He was experiencing strange and unusual symptoms: slurred speech, muscle weakness, lack of …

From buzzer beaters to critical care

From buzzer beaters to critical care

Navneet Kaur, MD

August 7, 2023Aug 7, 2023

Twenty-four is the number of hours in a day that you have to change someone's life, and it's also the jersey number of my favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, and my desire…

Twenty-four is the number of hours in a day that you have to change someone’s life, and it’s also the jersey number of my favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, and my desire to compete is the source of my relentless, driven attitude. The fundamentals of basketball entail rigorous training, critical analysis of opponents, working well under pressure, and most importantly, teamwork.

At 3:30 …

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Unmasking the truth about ECMO [PODCAST]

July 23, 2023Jul 23, 2023

Join John R. Mehall, a cardiothoracic surgeon and physician executive. We explore the lasting impact of the global pandemic on hospitals in the United States, uncover the underlying financial crisis often overlooked by headlines, and discuss innovative strategies to bolster…

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From doctor’s journey in ICU to unveiling poisoning mysteries

Dr. Natasha Khalid

July 19, 2023Jul 19, 2023

Through a combination of coincidental privilege, silly circumstances, hard work, persistence, and perseverance, I ended up becoming a doctor. The journey post-graduation is a difficult one, as it introduces you to a world beyond books and examination halls. It’s a world where people are in agony and depend on you for every single ray of hope—a task that is both immense and heavy on the heart.

Being a doctor who takes …

Life and death in the ICU: a night of heroism, tragedy, and budgetary battles

July 8, 2023Jul 8, 2023

ICU: Our acuities were high, and staffing was low. Our ICU, with 24 beds, was already full. The staffing situation for that night was so poor that instead of our RNs having a 2:1 patient-nurse ratio, we were forced into…

Despite the challenging circumstances, we couldn’t have asked for a better team of ICU nurses. They were the best in their field, supported by two dedicated Respiratory Therapists assigned …

The heartbreaking reality of a nurse’s struggle: a father’s tale

Anonymous

June 28, 2023Jun 28, 20232

I love two nurses. One of them is my son, and the other is someone very close to me. She'll have her own article. My son has just finished his seventh 12-hour ICU shift. He's wiped out, devastated, and shell-shocked.…

I love two nurses. One of them is my son, and the other is someone very close to me. She’ll have her own article.

My son has just finished his seventh 12-hour ICU shift. He’s wiped out, devastated, and shell-shocked. Let me introduce him to you before sharing his pain.

The kid was always enthusiastic about medicine. He wanted to be a physician more than anything. Maybe it runs in the family; …

The inspirational journey of an 82-year-old WWII veteran battling cancer

June 21, 2023Jun 21, 2023

He was 82 years old when he came into our ER, writhing in excruciating abdominal pain. After an ultrasound and a subsequent CT scan, the devastating diagnosis was revealed—end stage pancreatic and liver cancer. Despite enduring a pain level of…

Despite enduring a pain level of 10, he managed to maintain his sense of humor, joking about “biting the bullet.” However, he admitted that the pain had become unbearable.

This resilient individual was not just any patient; he …

On the front lines of COVID-19: the untold sacrifices and heroic efforts of health care professionals

Nicole M. King, MD

June 14, 2023Jun 14, 2023

There is a phenomenon sweeping across various medical circles on social media that is forcing people to address accusations from those who were not on the front lines of COVID at the beginning of the pandemic. Though I have refused to pay much attention to the details, I have become more and more enraged at the audacity and frank ignorance that it takes to judge when not in the arena. …

Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes

June 13, 2023Jun 13, 2023

Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you. You've been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 long hours. You had…

Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you.

You’ve been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 long hours. You had to beg to use the restroom. Your staffing was minimal, and your 24/7 manager was nowhere to be found. Your fellow doctors are shouting at you, and patients’ family members are …