Dumb people doing dumb things is nothing new, but Lisa and Nyssa - with special guest Dr. Cory Nonnemacher  - examine how the viral challenge trend has led to a whole new generation of dangerous stunts being performed for likes and lolz by today's social-media hungry kids.  Learn what challenges like the "Skullbreaker", "Milk Crate" and "Scalp Pop" look like when they present in your ERs, and what downstream health implications these internet exploits might mean to your patients ..read more

The contribution a nurse makes to their community is heroic, and the Nurse Honor Guard was created to celebrate that contribution each time one of these heroes passes away.  Nyssa and Lisa speak with Julie Murray about this important and necessary program to pay tribute to fallen nurses, one that can be easily established in every city and town to honor the work these healthcare professionals do to make the world a better place ..read more

Supraglottic airways are getting more and more spotlight time.  Nyssa and Lisa discuss how, when you have a patient that comes in from the prehospital world with a SGA airway in place, the best practice is to leave it alone if it's working until you've addressed bigger issues.  Seems simple, right?  Let's find out why this paradigm shift is so important, and how to incorporate it into your practice ..read more

In this special episode, recorded live at the FlightBridge ED FAST21 conference in Nashville in May, 2021 , Nyssa and Lisa reveal how and why one of the most ubiquitous tools used in every hospital and doctor's office may be inaccurate in up to 13% of the population, and what you can do to correct this serious and pervasive issue in your practice ..read more

Let's face it: treating arrest after a blunt trauma may very well be a daily experience in your practice, but the standard protocols for resuscitation can actually do as much harm as good.  Nyssa and Lisa talk to Dr. Amanda Humphries-Ventura about her approach to reviving a profusely bleeding and broken patient, so that nurses in both the ER and the pre-hospital environment can make simple but important changes in how they treat arrest when acute injuries raise the stakes ..read more

Nyssa and Lisa review Paul Graham's classic productivity argument, and reframe it in the context of hospital employees, where the administration (a.k.a. managers) and the boots-on-the-ground medical personnel, specifically nurses (a.k.a. makers), are often at odds because of their wildly divergent schedules.  So how is a 9-5, M-F management team supposed to train, meet with, evaluate, and develop an everything *but* 9-5, M-F nursing and hospital staff?    ..read more

In the second half of this special episode, Britanny Smith shares her carefully cultivated "Toolkit" with The Q Word Podcast audience, explaining to Lisa and Nyssa how to assemble one to use in your practice when facing the complex interactions required when dealing with the neurodivergent population.  This document (link on website) contains a comprehensive but concise list of Do's and Do Not's, as well as links to where you can investigate what simple items can be relied upon to help you and your patient communicate ..read more

Following our Special Populations in Trauma series, and still sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC), Nyssa and Lisa talk with educator Brittany Smith about how to care for what can be considered the most special, at risk population of patient: the neurodivergent.  In this first part of our two-part series, learn how to recognize the signs of ASD, ADD, ODD, and other psychiatric disorders, especially in the pediatric population, and get tips on how to treat them without causing more distress.   ..read more

The four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education, and compliance angles.  The Region V RTAC planned educational trauma outreach to include classes and conferences for the quarter, but Covid-19 made it unsafe to carry out those plans in person.  The regional leadership got creative and approached Lisa and Nyssa about using The Q Word Podcast platform to publish trau ..read more

The four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education, and compliance angles.  The Region V RTAC planned educational trauma outreach to include classes and conferences for the quarter, but Covid-19 made it unsafe to carry out those plans in person.  The regional leadership got creative and approached Lisa and Nyssa about using The Q Word Podcast platform to publish trau ..read more