Chapter 42 Melissa took a sip from the glass of water in front of her before speaking. “It was supposed to be my night off, but I came in extra at 11 for an eight hour shift. There was a sick call, and when they got a third admission that night, the charge nurse asked […]
A Tiny Diamond in Her Nose (The deposition)
Chapter 41 Extending his hand to introduce himself, Grant stood up to meet the nurse and hospital lawyer as they entered the conference room. Then he introduced me as part of the legal team. I don’t know what I’d expected, but I was surprised the nurse facing deposition appeared to be in her thirties. Like […]
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Critical Values (Niki ponders on the job training for nurses)
Chapter 38 The chart notes written by the pediatric nurse caring for the little boy who died are scant. However, by searching the lab values, medication administration record, and the vital signs flow sheet in his medical record, I piece together a story of wrong assumptions combined with missed critical assessments. The ER got the […]
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Something Cold & Diet (Niki turns nurse expert in a medical lawsuit)
Chapter 36 “I have to wait and see what happens next, Raquel. I won’t pressure Corey into leaving Sheila when she has breast cancer. There’s no moral ground for me to stand on. She’s his wife, after all.” “It’s funny that fact only became important to Corey just now. That’s all I’m saying, Niki.” “Jeez, […]
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Secret Valentine (Corey shares a revelation)
Chapter 34 Standing next to me on the front step as I unlock the door to my house, Corey asks, “How was your shift?” I stop for a moment in the open doorway thinking about my answer. “Well, it’s a stressful shift when I use cuss words as punctuation; silently of course, I’m a peds […]
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Call Lights Magazine: Looking for Real Nurses (Niki & her friends apply for modeling)
Chapter 30 Walking into the staff lounge, I find Kris, Liz, and Kathy laughing and talking excitedly. “Here she is,” says Liz. “I bet Niki will come with us.” I head towards the phone to clock in and ask, “Go where?” Kris holds up a magazine. “Call Lights Magazine is looking for real nurse models for an […]
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Sins of Omission (Niki keeps a secret & learns another)
Chapter 28 In the parking lot, Corey is standing by my car. “You and Corey are seeing a lot of each other this week,” observes Liz, whose car is parked near mine. I smile without comment. Immediately, Father Michael’s catechism lecture when I was eight years old pops into my head: “Children, there are two kinds […]
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A Mid-Tone Grey
Chapter 26 With his body wrapped around mine, Corey falls asleep before I do. Outside, the bright morning sun filters through the heavy window drapery, illuminating the bedroom to a mid-tone grey. I watched him sleep, wondering what will happen next. As if he feels my gaze touching him, Corey wakes with a start, realizes […]
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He’s Not Here For Omelets (Eggs are broken)
Chapter 25 Corey’s car is in my rear view mirror the entire drive home. For a moment I ask myself, “What are you doing?” but the thought is overcome by that floaty, out-of-body feeling I get sometimes. From here on out, I’m both audience and actor in a disconnected state. I park in the driveway, […]
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