LFP Nurse's editorial: State legislation urgently needed to protect patient safety

Lake Forest Park resident and pediatric nurse Lindsey Kirsch, BSN, RN has an article in the Tacoma Weekly News about the dangers of fatigue for medical workers in hospitals (State legislation urgently needed to protect patient safety).

In a hospital setting, doctors order medications and then the orders are sent to the pharmacy for approval. Nurses are the last line of defense for our patients, and often it is up to us to catch an error. 

I have seen firsthand the wrong medication prescribed, doses being off by 100-fold, and critical medications not being prescribed at all.

Catching these errors can be a matter of life and death, and nurses need to be constantly on our toes, closely reviewing all the notes for every patient. 

But when we go for long periods without breaks, our ability to stay focused and alert is severely diminished.

She advocates for the passage of SHB 1155, currently in the hands of the state senate.