Imagine walking into an emergency department and witnessing a chaotic scene where patients' lives hang in the balance due to sheer understaffing.
An 81-year-old man with pancreatic cancer died because there were only 11 nurses available for 95 patients.
In another case, a 28-year-old man in a mental health crisis, placed in restraints for his safety, also lost his life because no one was there to monitor him.
These tragedies were entirely preventable.
How do we address this critical issue in our healthcare system?
Ellen MacInnis, RN, a nurse at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, MA, testified before the Senate HELP Committee during a hearing on the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, addressing how management decisions have affected patient care.
