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Mammography Screenings Changing?
November 17, 2009 9:47 AM by Lorettajo Kapinos

Last month was Breast Cancer Awareness month and I blogged about my experience with a false positive mammogram. Ironically, this is now the center of a new debate: if women, with little to no risk of breast cancer, should have annual mammograms before Read More...

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month: They said, "Do not panic." Part 2
October 27, 2009 11:09 AM by Lorettajo Kapinos

The weekend between the call for a repeat mammogram and the actual appointment passed quickly. I stayed busy with family to keep my mind away from the unknown. Being a person who compartmentalizes emotions, denying anxiety was easy to do. So, it took Read More...

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month: They said, "Do not panic." Part 1
October 22, 2009 2:33 PM by Lorettajo Kapinos

My doctor informed me this summer I was of age to receive my baseline mammogram. He paused for a moment in the hallway and glanced into my eyes. "You've always had lumpy breasts, right?" I nodded. Before he closed my chart, I caught a glimpse of a circle Read More...

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The Reality of Propofol Abuse
September 7, 2009 3:22 PM by Lorettajo Kapinos

I have been following the first season of Nurse Jackie closely. Not only am I enjoying the show, but I also find the heated debate around it very interesting. Ainsley Maloney's coverage of the show at Advance Perspective has had great comments, as well Read More...

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Copay collection dilemma
August 19, 2009 10:43 AM by Lorettajo Kapinos

Most insurance companies require a copay for different types of appointments, including ER visits. This seems reasonable enough, and most of the rules, depending on the particular policy make sense. But now that the hospital I work in attempts to collect Read More...

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I QUIT....and then...
August 6, 2009 9:43 AM by Lorettajo Kapinos

I ran through the door at 3pm, a few minutes late. The hallway was filled with stretchers and wheelchairs holding patients that had been waiting for hours. The air was warm and thick; the air conditioner had apparently malfunctioned again. I swallowed Read More...

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Inspired to Educate
July 7, 2009 5:04 PM by Lorettajo Kapinos

All the media coverage of Michael Jackson's sudden death has me concerned. Right away, I assumed it was a drug overdose. Words like sedative, demerol, and pain medicine hadn't even been uttered yet, but the nurse in me began to speculate at which drug Read More...

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Thoughts about Organ Donation
May 18, 2009 12:42 PM by Lorettajo Kapinos

Organ donation is a reality I have to face on a regular basis. Every death that occurs in the ER must be reported to our regional organ donation center. As a nurse, this becomes yet another task I need to accomplish. As much as I understand the value Read More...

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Hold the Attitude, Please....
April 27, 2009 10:41 PM by Lorettajo Kapinos

Spring has sprung, finally. Thanks to the lovely Norovirus, this winter was brutal. Incapacitating vomiting with diarrhea took out practically everyone I know. With the abolition of diversion, frequent sick calls, and a super long winter, we in the ER Read More...

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What if They Knew?
April 6, 2009 9:24 AM by Lorettajo Kapinos

I often wonder what people expect when they come to the Emergency Department. In triage, I am bombarded with the same question over and over again. There are variations, of course, but it’s always the same. They want to know how long they are going to Read More...

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