Carl Lindel Burns
I don't expect anyone to know him, but he was Donna's dad. The best description for him was a very intelligent "common man". He made it to 8th grade before his family moved to the "city" and left him to run the cattle farm by himself, but he was knowledgeable on most things and would carry on long conversations about politics and Cardinal baseball. He was 88 and was in decline after 2 strokes, but still very much engaged. It's sad when you lose a parent, but his death was made worse because of a simple oversight by the hospital he was taken to when he had his 2nd stroke, a small one, a few weeks ago. If you are a healthcare worker or know someone providing bedside care, please share what I posted on social media below.
To my fellow nurses and healthcare professionals:
The next time you are taking care of your patients, providing excellent care, assessing and treating, remember, first and foremost, to keep your patients safe.
My father-in-law died tonight after a cascade of events that started with one of "us" overlooking something very simple. This seemingly trivial oversight was the one thing Carl needed to not injure himself.
I'm not angry at the staff member. I'm sad and disappointed that someone in my profession didn't put their patient first and I'm distraught to think this is happening at every hospital across the country, everyday.
RIP Carl. This never should have happened.
j