29th Annual Medical Communications Conference a Success!
Presented by the American Medical Association and the National Association of Medical Communicators By Barbara Ficarra I recently returned from the 29th Annual Medical Communications Conference sponsored by the American Medical Association and the National Association of Medical Communicators where I presented two workshops. Medical professionals passionate for improving media and communications skills gathered at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, April 1-3, 2009. The conference was a…
Read More...Medical Dramas – Accurate or Not?
By Barbara Ficarra Today, Kevin Pho, MD writes, “Why can’t young doctors intubate patients correctly? Blame television.” Dr. Pho references a Canadian newspaper where it’s reported that “Many of the doctors in training said they had learned the procedure from watching medical dramas. And a subsequent analysis of the show ER revealed its fictional MDs and nurses performed intubations incorrectly almost every time.” Medical dramas on television are for entertainment purposes. They are not educational…
Read More...Health 2.0 Conference Meets in Boston
By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Health and Medical Professionals I am excited to be part of the Health 2.0 phenomenon and I am eagerly awaiting this unique conference in Boston on April 22-23rd at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. I will be conducting a radio and on-camera interviews with some of the guests and I’m thrilled I’ll be able to bring them to you. The theme of the conference is “The Great Debates on…
Read More...Empathy for Family Members
From the Front Lines By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA As nurses we tend to focus on treating a patient’s illness and still show compassion. As a nurse I try to feel the surroundings. I try to sense not only what a patient is going through, but what the family goes through. And yes, I need to avoid being so intertwined with a patient that it becomes emotionally overwhelming. The key is to separate the…
Read More...Prescription Drugs: Keep Out of Reach of Teens
By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Will Hiding Mom & Dad’s Meds Keep Teens’ Hands off Them? Keep Out of Reach of Teens While fewer teens may be trying inhalants as reported recently in The Wall Street Journal, more teens are abusing prescription drugs. “Every day, 2,500 kids age 12 to 17 abuse a prescription painkiller for the first time, and more people are getting addicted to prescription drugs,” according to the federal Substance Abuse…
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