Anatomy of Medical Errors (The Patient in Room 2)

A surgeon unknowingly damages the intestines of a nurse expecting only an overnight stay after surgery, beginning a chain of more tragic and preventable errors. The consequences result in the nurse spending several weeks on an ICU ventilator in a drug-induced coma, having four additional surgeries, and requiring a pump to drain the raging infection from her open abdomen. As she awakens and tries to come to terms with what happened to her, she realizes the hospital and doctors will never tell her the whole truth; she has to find out what went wrong on her own. In order to heal, she determines to write and share her story so others may learn how infections, adverse events, and medical errors occur frequently in hospitals, sometimes resulting in death. More than a narrative, Anatomy of Medical Errors: The Patient in Room 2 shines light on the dysfunction that underpins many hospital organizations, especially teaching hospitals, including silencing of the patient, provider arrogance, flawed coordination of care, poor communication, and lack of ownership for outcomes. Forever changed by the experience, author Donna Helen Crisp uses her struggles to teach nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals how to prevent or avoid potentially dangerous situations, recognize warning signs, and work collaboratively to provide transparent patient care. This book provides an ethical and critical thought process framework for care providers and others through a compelling story about hospital culture. Readers who want to understand how delivery of care works in fast-paced and complex healthcare environments will come away engaged and informed.