Barbara Olson

Jan 20, 2025 | kevinmd.com | Debbie Moore-Black |Michele Luckenbaugh |Alexander B. Camp |Barbara Olson

A former ICU nurse and close friend told me tonight that she wanted to start the new year on a positive note. I nodded, trying to absorb her optimism, but deep down, it felt like an impossible belief to hold onto. Earlier in the evening, I finished watching Selena: The Series on Netflix. Tears streamed down my face, not just for Selena but for all those whose greatness was taken too soon. JFK. Robert Kennedy. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X. Medgar Evers. John Lennon. Selena.

Oct 15, 2024 | kevinmd.com | Joseph Lanctot |Barbara Olson |Sarah Jorgensen |Jennifer Geller

I introduce myself to the patients as a nurse practitioner (NP), but they still call me a doctor. Even worse, some of the staff refer to me as “doctor.” I imagine they do so out of respect, but no matter how many times I correct them, the erroneous title lives on. The reason I ask not to be called doctor is not because I have not earned my doctorate nor because I did not go to medical school; rather, it is because I want to be called a nurse.

Oct 13, 2024 | kevinmd.com | Howard Smith |Emily Watters |Barbara Olson |Sarah Jorgensen

In the August 2023 issue of MD Linx, Stephanie Srakocic writes about a Philadelphia jury that awards a $1.4 million verdict against a nurse practitioner for failing to treat hyperthyroidism. The patient, who is hyperthyroid, is admitted to the hospital for acute abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The patient subsequently dies. The implication is that the patient is under the care of a nurse practitioner, and there is no supervision.

Oct 1, 2024 | kevinmd.com | Debbie Moore-Black |Seth Rabinowitz |Barbara Olson |Sarah Jorgensen

In the ICU, there was an experienced nurse. She was full of information and knew the policies and procedures inside and out. She was proficient in her role as an ICU nurse. But she was flawed. Something was wrong. Each day, she came to work wearing a gold bracelet, which she made sure everyone knew was valued at $15,000. She wore two-carat diamond rings. She would arrive, showing off her fancy pocketbook along with her designer scrubs.

Jul 27, 2024 | kevinmd.com | Debbie Moore-Black |Barbara Olson |Sarah Jorgensen |Cole Edmonson

After 45 years as an ICU nurse specializing in surgical trauma ICU and eventually PACU nursing, Marsha wasn’t ready to retire. She was restless and bored and decided to continue her PACU expertise at a freestanding surgical center. While juggling that job and an endoscopy center, she started to notice a recurring theme: time is money. The endoscopy freestanding clinic performed colonoscopies, EGDs, and sigmoidoscopies—up to 42 procedures a day.