Author: Chris Baxter

Chiropractors help people live better and more comfortable lives every day, but etiquette and bedside manner are also critical for a chiropractor’s success. Ahead, we’ll go over the etiquette every chiropractor should follow, from pre-treatment to post-treatment.

Chiropractor Etiquette—Pre-Treatment

The time you spend with a patient in the pre-treatment phase is crucial to building a rapport and establishing your credibility. This can determine how well the treatment will proceed and how effective it’ll be, as well as how confident the patient is moving forward. With the right information, you can avoid the common mistakes new chiropractors make.

Before treatment, keep the following tips and guidelines in mind.

Don’t Keep Them Waiting

Remember that your patient’s time is just as important as yours. We understand that you want to be as thorough and attentive as possible with every patient, but the most common complaint patients have against doctors is wait time.

Communication and treatment always come first, but you’ll attract patients and retain them the more punctual you are with their appointments.

Have Them Lead the Communication

Communication is difficult for some patients, and it often falls on the chiropractor to open up clear lines of communication and coax information out of the patient. Remember that patients aren’t as familiar with treatment options or even ailments, so they may struggle to describe their pain or problem accurately.

Lead them along with questions so they’re the ones driving the conversation. Make sure you’re listening actively—patients will be able to tell if you aren’t.

Show Confidence and Authority

As a chiropractor, you have lots of education and training behind your treatment, but a patient may not immediately be confident in your skills. Before treatment begins, demonstrate your expertise to establish an authority on the subject and ease the patient’s mind.

When you talk to the patient, be clear and precise about why they may be feeling pain and discuss the treatment options to consider. Patients want to be heard, but they also need to know they’re in good hands.

Sympathize and Listen

When the patient describes their pain or ailments, focus on and listen to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Don’t interrupt them or look distracted as you take notes.

Sympathize with their pain and show the patient that you understand them. Above all else, patients want to feel that there is someone else who understands what they’re going through and knows how to fix it. Empathizing helps make the patient more comfortable opening up and communicating with you. Ignoring bedside manner is one of the mistakes new chiropractors make, but it will cost you clients in the long run.

Empower the Patient

When patients enter your office, they’re probably a little frightened and feel powerless to fix whatever is ailing them. You can put their minds at ease by empowering them with knowledge.

After discussing their problem, walk them through the possible reason for their ailments and pain so that they can better understand their body. Explain the steps to the treatment and thoroughly explain their options in layman’s terms.

People feel better when they know what they’re facing. Help make them feel like a partner in their treatment instead of a passenger to your expertise.

Chiropractor Etiquette During Treatment

You’ve sat and talked with the patient and come up with a treatment, either for that day or for a future appointment—now, it’s time for the actual treatment. Improve your bedside manner and relationship with your patient by following these tips.

Keep Communication Open

While the patient is undergoing treatment, you want to continue to build upon the communication and rapport you created in the pre-treatment session. Walk the patient through what you’ll be doing, why this treatment is best, and what they can expect during and after the treatment.

Ask for feedback from the patient as the treatment moves along, gauging their comfort and pain levels regularly. As you use specific techniques, explain them to the patient and ensure that they approve of them. If the patient doesn’t approve, have alternative approaches ready.

Also, it’s good to have some usual chitchat during the procedure. It helps put the patient’s mind at ease if you look and sound confident in what you’re doing and can help distract them from any pain or nerves they may have.

Know When To Listen

Avoid talking over or interrupting the patient—communication is a two-way street between the professional and the patient.

The patient will probably feel a little overwhelmed with all the information you’re giving them, but let that settle over them and get them talking about themselves to make them feel more comfortable.

Warn the Patient About Side Effects

Always make sure the patient feels informed about the treatment and possible side effects. This way, you can help avoid negligence or malpractice claims.

Chiropractic professional liability insurance protects you against such claims, but it’s best to head off any problems before they begin. Ensure that your patient understands all the details and consequences of treatment—both positive and negative.

Chiropractor Etiquette—Post-Procedure

The procedure is over, but the treatment isn’t. The time immediately following the initial treatment is still crucial to the patient. Remember, it’s not enough for the patient to be pain-free at the time—a thorough treatment plan will help outline their future.

Communicate Treatment Plans

Now that the procedure is over, solicit feedback from the patient about how they’re feeling physically and mentally. If their ailment requires future treatment, explain to them why you’d like to see them again.

Also, give them treatment options if applicable—patients want to feel like they have some control over their care.

Refer the Patient if Needed

Sometimes, patients see a chiropractor because they don’t have any other ideas for what to do. Unfortunately, a chiropractor may not be the best option for every patient, so don’t be afraid to refer them to another medical professional or even another chiropractor.

Some young chiropractors don’t want to admit they can’t help, but everyone has limitations. The patient’s well-being always comes first, so if you think another chiropractor or a different medical professional can help them, you should tell them that.

Give Them Something To Take Home

Whether or not you’re planning on seeing the patient again for further treatment, it’s always helpful to send them home with something. Give them some exercises, stretches, and health tips that could improve their quality of life.

It shows the patient that you have their best interests at heart and want them to feel better soon. If you don’t have a future appointment scheduled, check on them days or weeks after the treatment. Your patients will appreciate the thought and care you put into following up with them. Ideally, they will give your practice a positive review or testimonial, which can help you grow your chiropractic practice.

Soft-tissue therapy and spinal manipulations are only part of the job of a chiropractor. Along with treatment, there is etiquette that every chiropractor should follow, but what’s most important is making the patient feel heard and important.

At Baxter & Associates, we want your practice to thrive. Make sure it’s covered for any eventuality with the best chiropractic malpractice insurance. Contact us today for more information.

The world of medical malpractice is quite vast, encompassing all aspects of health professionals’ work, including times when they’re not actually working. In the lifespan of a medical career, a person may change jobs a handful of times, crossing state lines and moving higher up in their specialty. This is where special policies and additions come in. Here are the fundamentals of medical malpractice tail coverage.

Medical Malpractice Policy Basics

To appreciate the scope of tail coverage, you must grasp the basics of medical malpractice insurance. A large variety of professionals need coverage. Each policy is different based on the doctor’s location, specialty, and coverage preferences. However, the fundamental purpose remains—it supplies financial aid to clients in legal trouble per the policy agreement. 

Bringing Tail Coverage Into the Picture

Once a policy term ends and payments cease, most insurers cease their coverage. Some stipulations or special insurance types cover insureds post-policy. However, medical malpractice policies often lack this longevity.

Tail coverage is the add-on insurance that insureds can purchase at an additional price. This coverage will extend the time frame of the policy and cover the insured for patient malpractice claims from the time of the policy.

When Tail Coverage Matters

Medical careers are no different from other careers—people will move cross-country for the right opportunity. If a medical professional moves states, changes their scope of practice, or takes a break from their work, their insurance policy will end. This is completely normal, but it does come with risks that many people overlook.

Moving Across State Lines

Each state has its own rules and regulations regarding medical malpractice insurance types, policy limits, and choices. Doctors crossing state lines will need new insurance but could still receive claims from their previous patients. In this case, tail coverage will decrease the risk that these past issues will follow the doctor to their new location. 

Changing Scope of Practice

Similarly, when a medical professional gets a promotion or changes their position, their scope of practice changes as well. Their policy should change to reflect the increased or decreased risk of malpractice. This often results in new insurance in which the old policy is no longer in effect. Tail coverage will keep patient claims during their previous role from damaging them now.

Ceasing Work for a Time

Doctors may take time off for childbirth, sabbatical rest, or retirement. In any of these cases, this person is no longer working and not paying for insurance due to their professional hiatus. The only issue with these cessations is the risk that past patients will level a lawsuit against them. Tail coverage provides peace of mind to new parents and retirees alike, making career choices easier to bear.

Knowing the fundamentals of medical malpractice tail coverage can help medical professionals manage their careers amid change. If you need to update your insurance policy or find new malpractice insurance for healthcare professionals in your area, reach out to our team today at Baxter & Associates. 

Medical misdiagnosis is a problem that affects both patients and healthcare professionals. Doctors and medical professionals are human, too, so errors can happen. Still, they can cause long-term injury to the individual patient and the entire industry. Here are three ways misdiagnosis affects the healthcare industry.

Patient Suffering and Cost

The primary effect of medical misdiagnoses is the consequences suffered by patients. Around 12 million Americans experience a diagnostic error every year, and most American patients will encounter a mistake at least once in their lifetime. Due to misdiagnoses and related complications, approximately 40-80,000 patients prematurely expire each year.

The unnecessary loss of life is the most significant injury, but many patients undergo unnecessary treatments and suffer due to a diagnostic error. Misdiagnoses can mean prolonged stays in hospital facilities, wasting hospital resources, and possibly damaging patients in the long term.

Loss of Patient Confidence

Doctors and healthcare professionals rely on their experience and education to make educated decisions about patients’ health. When medical professionals make mistakes, patients lose their confidence in their doctors and medical treatment in general. It’s common for patients not to trust the future diagnoses of other doctors or avoid seeking medical opinions and treatment altogether after experiencing a diagnostic error.

A medical misdiagnosis can have a ripple effect on the patient and their family. Due to a loss of faith of medical professionals and the industry, some patients will seek self-treatment, leading to further injury. Even with the occasional mistake, it’s always better for patients to seek a professional medical opinion and treatment options instead of attempting to treat themselves or ignore their medical problems altogether.

Financial Industry Cost

Diagnostic errors have an individual impact on the patient and the healthcare industry as well. Recent estimates say that 30% of annual healthcare spending, approximately $750 billion, is wasted on unnecessary services and other treatment inefficiencies resulting from misdiagnoses.

Healthcare facilities are less efficient and productive due to medical misdiagnoses, which leads to wasted resources. It also leads to more insurance claims, so medical practice liability insurance is crucial for many healthcare facilities and providers.

A diagnostic error has many ramifications, both to the individual patient and the healthcare industry. There are many ways misdiagnosis affects the healthcare industry, but the primary injuries are to the patients and their families and the healthcare professionals who waste resources and time due to error.

There’s no doubt that it’s been a challenging couple of years for everyone in the healthcare industry, and the trend is likely to continue in the near future. With hospitals at capacity and nursing staffs low on personnel, malpractice litigation can pose a problem for many nurses. To help, we’ve collected the best advice on how nurse practitioners can avoid malpractice lawsuits.

Foster a Positive Relationship With Your Patient

The most important advice we can offer to nurse practitioners for avoiding litigation is to foster a positive relationship with their patients. We understand that it’s challenging to be a nurse in overcrowded hospitals, but taking time to be present and positive with your patients will pay dividends. Mistakes generally happen from nurses trying to rush services and procedures, so remember to take your time and be there for your patient.

Don’t Be Rude

There’s an old saying from lawyers that if you don’t want to get sued, don’t be rude. Nursing is a demanding job, and when you’re at the end of a long shift, it can be easy to be curt to a patient. However, it’s always better to stay positive in the long term. It may sound simple, but underestimating bedside manner is an important mistake for CRNAs to avoid.

Document Thoroughly

There’s a reason there’s so much documentation in healthcare, and it’s there to not only help you in providing the best care for your patient but to protect you in future litigation. Be sure to follow all documenting procedures and protocols as it keeps everyone on the same page, from nurses to doctors to patients.

The documentation shows all the methods, observations, tests, and results of a patient under your care and can be crucial in future legal proceedings. Also, if your patient and their friends or family have questions or concerns about treatment, you can refer to their documentation, where everything they need to know will already be there.

Stick To Facts Only

It’s common for patients to ask nurses for their opinion on their status or treatment. Even if you have plenty of experience and are 99% sure that your opinion is correct, don’t speculate and be sure to only stick to the facts. Speculation can lead to confusion which can lead to frustration and litigation. Let the tests and results speak for you instead.

Those are just some of the strategies on how nurse practitioners can avoid malpractice lawsuits, but there are plenty more. Professional liability insurance for nurse practitioners can help in the case of a malpractice lawsuit, but the best strategy is always to do what you can to avoid them altogether. The critical thing for nurses to remember is that a positive relationship with their patients is worth the time and energy and helps prevent future problems.

Contact Baxter & Associates today for an NP malpractice insurance quote or more information about what coverage you need.

Starting an insurance agency can be a great business, as it provides a necessary service that people need and helps them feel secure. Like any new business, though, starting your own is a challenge that requires tons of foresight. To learn more, read our guide on the six things to know before opening your own insurance agency to explore the obstacles you may face in starting your new business.

The Start-Up Costs

The initial start-up costs of any business will be heavy and require a significant amount of capital, and an insurance agency is no different. Every person and company will be different, but a new agency is generally going to require at least tens of thousands of dollars.

Most people don’t have that kind of money lying around, so the vast majority will take out a business loan. But, before you can acquire a business loan, there’s a thorough application and vetting process you’ll have to go through. To receive a loan, you’ll need a good credit history, likely some reliable work experience you can offer, and a well-researched and written business plan.

Do you have all of those qualifications for securing a business loan? Be sure to think long and hard before you begin to plan for a new insurance agency. There are other ways to secure funding like grants and crowdfunding, but those aren’t as reliable and secure as a business loan.

The Needed Training and Licenses

Before you even think about starting your agency, you’ll need to have all the necessary training and licenses. Depending on where you’ll be operating, you may need to take different courses to acquire the required education and licenses. In general, most states require about 40 hours of insurance education and about 12 hours of ethics training.

Keep in mind that these courses are not free and will take time. Once you’ve completed the required courses, you must take the license certification examination. Once you’ve passed, you’re then able to operate and sell insurance legally.

What Is a Business Plan?

An essential step in creating your new insurance agency is researching and formulating your business plan. A well-made business plan helps you secure a business loan and acts as a roadmap for an initial couple of months and years of your agency.

A business plan should be a map for your business, documenting key aspects such as who will be involved in the agency, your strategy for attracting customers, your target market, your competitors, your initial budget, and much more. But there are plenty of other vital questions a business plan should answer, such as:

What Will Be the Legal Structure of My Agency?

The legal structure of your new business is the foundation of everything else. You can structure your agency to make yourself the sole proprietor, which is the simplest structure but will make you personally liable for business debts. You can also choose to structure as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), limiting your liability.

Research and weigh the pros and cons of each potential legal structure before you make such a weighty decision, especially when it comes to taxes.

Will I Buy a Book of Business or Start Fresh?

There are two ways to begin a new agency: You can buy an existing book of business from another agency, which gives you a starting list of clients, or you can start fresh and attempt to build your book of business.

An existing book will help you hit the ground running but be wary of why the agency is selling it and compare it with other available lists for a fair market value. Starting fresh will force you to build your clientele and network from nothing, which will take longer and require more investment in departments such as marketing. But your clients are likely to be more reliable and loyal to your agency.

What Insurance Will I Specialize In and Sell?

Another critical question to ask yourself is what kind of insurance your agency will sell. Will you be a commercial auto insurance agency or a medical malpractice agency? If you’re buying an existing book of business, you’ll want to know your specialty beforehand.

In your business plan, you’ll want to explain why you’re choosing to sell the insurance you picked, who your competitors are, and what the market is currently for the local area. Once you’ve got your foundation, you can continually expand your business to other places.

You Can Join a Cluster or Go Solo

Before you begin your agency, consider whether you want to be out on your own as a solo agent or to join with an association of several independent insurance agents, known as a cluster. Both ways have their advantages: There’s strength in numbers and can open doors to more prominent insurance companies, but you likely will have to pay an initiation fee which could limit future opportunities.

The Many Permits for Operating a Business

It would help to familiarize yourself with the many permits and licenses required to operate a business before you do anything. You’ll need to apply for local, state, and federal permits, so be sure you know which ones your agency needs, how to get them, and how long it will take.

To register and obtain the proper permits, you’ll need a company name and tax ID number. Your company name should be simple but unique and easy to find. Your tax ID number is the employer ID number you will use for your taxes and is required for opening a business bank account.

It Could Take Years Before Your Agency Is Profitable

It’s crucial to remember that an insurance agency, like any new small business, will take time and investment before it returns a profit. Every person and company is different, but the general benchmark is two years before owners see a return on their investment. Do you have the resources to go two years without a reliable monthly profit?

Insurance for Your Business Is Crucial

Because new businesses are so volatile, you must protect yourself and your business. That’s why insuring your agency is critical. You’ll want a Business Owner Policy, which combines business property and business liability, and Errors & Omissions insurance, further protecting against losses not covered in the Business Owner.

Starting a new insurance agency is a significant endeavor that requires mountains of research, education, and paperwork. What’s most important, though, is your commitment and investment in your agency. Now that you’ve got the gist of what to know before opening your own insurance agency, what will your agency look like?

Starting a chiropractic practice can be a daunting and intimidating task, like starting any business. Becoming an entrepreneur is exciting but can lead to disaster if you’re not prepared. We want to make sure you’re ready to start your new practice. Before you make any decision, read about these four factors to consider when starting a chiropractic practice.

What To Practice & Where To Do It

First, what do you want to practice, and where do you want to do it? If you’ve decided what scope of the chiropractic profession you want to practice, do some research on the laws for that scope in the state you want to practice in. Different states have different regulations and requirements for the chiropractic profession, so consider that before you choose where you want your practice located. Conduct some demographic research on the city or town you want to open in. What’s the average income of your expected patients? What care do they have access to? There’s no such thing as too much research!

Start New or Buy an Existing Practice?

What makes more sense for you: starting from scratch or purchasing an existing practice? If you want to begin from the ground up and be involved in every decision of your business, you probably will prefer a brand-new practice. But you could save on start-up costs by purchasing an existing chiropractic practice. If you know the practice is successful, there’s less mystery about if the business can succeed, and you likely have a built-in client base. You can make it uniquely your own through changes, but you can still purchase crucial business momentum and skip the initial steps of starting from nothing.

What Do You Know About Running a Business?

You could be the best chiropractor ever to live, but that’s only part of why your practice will succeed or fail as a business. Do you know how to bill patients properly or how to market yourself and a business? Do you know where to get proper insurance like chiropractic malpractice insurance? Many students start as associates for existing practices to learn the profession and save money before starting their practice. If you’re unfamiliar with the particulars of running a business, perhaps that path would work better for you.

The Initial Financial Burden

As with any business, starting a chiropractic practice demands a sizeable financial commitment. The start-up costs especially are high, so before you begin planning your new practice, make sure you’re aware of the sacrifices you’ll have to make initially. A brand-new practice means a hefty investment up-front. Even if you choose to buy an existing practice, you’ll likely have zero net income for months, if not years. Are you prepared for that financial burden? Be sure you can accurately answer that question before committing to anything.

Starting a chiropractic practice takes a lot of time and involves a certain amount of risk, like starting any new small business. These are just four factors to consider when starting a chiropractic practice, but there are many, many more. Keep reading Baxter & Associates blog for more advice and information about health care, business, and the law.

The American healthcare industry and its workforce have faced extraordinary challenges in the past couple of years. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed many hospitals and workers to the breaking point since 2020, and, unfortunately, 2022 is forecasted to be another challenging year for many. There will be many obstacles for healthcare workers, many of them without clear solutions or answers. If you’re looking to learn more about the industry and its immediate feature, we’ll be breaking down the biggest challenges for healthcare workers in 2022 in this article, including staff shortages, burnout, staff turnover, and more.

Staff Shortages

The most significant problem healthcare workers and the industry are experiencing and will continue to struggle with is staff shortages. Lack of a good staff was a problem for many hospitals pre-pandemic, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated the situation to crises levels. A study showed that full-time equivalent hospital staff had shrunk 3% from pre-pandemic levels. Couple this shortage with hospitals operating at, near, and sometimes even overcapacity, and the problem is only intensified. A worker shortage is a significant problem for both hospitals and workers, and many of the challenges facing the industry currently and in the future stem from inadequate staffing. New issues arise, and other problems exacerbate the shortages that many hospitals already struggle with.

The increased workload that COVID-19 has brought to hospitals and staff has been especially detrimental to workers. Without proper support from other resources, the remaining staff are asked to work longer hours and in different capacities, sometimes outside their training, leading to staff worker burnout and low morale. It also directly affects patients and the ability of healthcare workers to do their jobs adequately. The U.S. News & World Report reported that four out of every five healthcare workers say staff shortages have negatively affected their ability to work safely and satisfy the needs of their patients. Workers see the problem and struggle under their conditions, but how do things look for the future?

Unfortunately for workers, the trend is that things will get worse in the coming years. The U.S. healthcare industry is trending toward a shortage of 3.2 million workers by 2026. That’s a staggering number that shows how serious the problem is. Without practical solutions or resources, the need for healthcare workers could be hazardous to healthcare workers and patients soon.

Burnout Among Workers

One can’t understand the staffing shortage without learning about the rate of burnout many healthcare workers feel and have felt for years. Like the previous pandemic years, healthcare workers in 2022 face alarming challenges, and chief among them is burnout from working longer and harder hours. The pandemic has taken a toll on workers—not only physically, but also mentally. A 2021 survey of healthcare workers showed that nearly 30% are considering leaving the profession entirely. As we mentioned, burnout and staff shortages are permanently linked. The shrinking hospital staff leads to higher burnout, leading to more workers leaving and greater stress on remaining staff. It can be a devastating cycle for facilities if it’s allowed to continue with any applied solutions.

The same study found that working during the pandemic has affected the mental health of 60% of healthcare workers. With some hospitals at, or in some cases over-capacity, healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of long hours with more challenges as they work to fill the gaps of diminishing personnel. Many within the industry hoped that 2021 and 2022 would see a return to normalcy for hospitals and staff with the introduction of vaccines and booster shots. However, hospitals operating at their limits with limited resources have evaporated many hopes for a more normal year in healthcare. COVID-19 variants have pushed healthcare facilities to capacities seen at the pandemic’s peak, pre-vaccine. Whether or not COVID-19 cases go down in 2022, it’s a safe assumption that burnout among staff will continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare workers in 2022.

Not Enough Time With Patients

We’ve talked about the problems facing healthcare workers and the industry so far, but what we haven’t mentioned yet are the patients. How do all these challenges translate to patient care? As you might expect, these circumstances trickle down to more challenges in treating patients. Fewer nurses and physicians working longer hours means saving time in other areas, such as facetime with patients. In April of 2020, the Cleveland Clinic saw the consequence of this as its complaint rate of patients toward healthcare workers more than doubled, as threatening and violent behavior also increased. These complaints came at the height of the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s easy to see how this trend could become more prevalent in hospitals as variants of the pandemic push hospitals across the country to their capacity like in the first year of COVID-19.

The deterioration of relationships between patients and hospital staff is a natural result of shortages and reports of burnout among the remaining team. In 2022, these same problems will likely persist, leading to greater stress on patient-staff relationships. Liability insurance for healthcare facilities is likely to become even more critical. As relationships between patients and healthcare workers falter due to the decreased time doctors and nurses have with their patients, it’s only logical that complaints will arise. Possible lawsuits will increase against facilities as well. Legal protection in 2022 and beyond will be a crucial resource for many facilities in 2022.

High Turnover Rate

As one might expect from the increased work hours and the difficulty of the job, turnover among healthcare workers has increased under the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing and other essential positions were already susceptible to high turnover rates pre-pandemic, and COVID-19 has only aggravated that trend. In a survey of healthcare workers, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Registered Nurses (RN) accounted for two of the three highest turnover positions within hospitals, exceeded only by Patient Care Techs. In healthcare facilities, one in four CNA positions is turned over in a year, essentially replacing the entire staff within four years on average. The turnover rate for RNs was slightly lower, at one in six, but still much higher than most professions in other industries.

What leads to this high turnover rate amongst critical positions for facilities? The simple explanation is that it’s an extraordinarily tough job that has only been made more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also points to low morale among the workforce, even for those who remain on the staff for years. RNs and CNAs work together daily under challenging circumstances, which makes close relationships between coworkers natural. Losing not only a relied-upon coworker but a close friend at regular rates can be devastating for the confidence of staff.

There are many questions and obstacles ahead for healthcare workers and facilities in 2022 and beyond. The most prevalent of them is a lack of adequate staff to fill facilities, and from this shortage, more problems branch out, such as staff burnout, a decrease in patient-worker relations, and an increase in staff turnover. Like 2021 and 2020, healthcare workers will face many challenges, and only time will tell how facilities and the industry will react to these obstacles soon. Keep reading the Baxter & Associates blog to learn more about the inner workings of the healthcare industry and the latest news.

 

Hospital employees see how certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) impact the lives of their patients every day. CRNAs provide vital services under regular circumstances, adapt under crises with impeccable capability, and help some of the most underserved parts of the United States. In this article, we will explore the importance of CRNAs in the healthcare industry so that readers can appreciate all they do for the people they serve.

They Provide Vital Anesthesia Services

CRNAs prove their worth every day by providing vital anesthesia services. Through the help of CRNAs, patients receive safe, appropriate doses of anesthesia for their surgery. They also help administer medications that keep patients free from pain during their surgery, as well as monitor the patients to ensure their bodies function correctly.

CRNAs are leaders in fighting pain with practical, intelligent methods. In that way, they tremendously increase the quality of life for their patients. Like all professionals, CRNAs must protect themselves from unfair lawsuits. CRNA malpractice insurance is a worthwhile purchase for anyone in this field.

They Spend Time With Patients

Since CRNAs must evaluate patients before surgery, work with the patients during surgery, and then evaluate them post-surgery, they spend more time with patients than the typical medical professional. As a result, patients rely on CRNAs for important emotional support. Perhaps the importance of CRNAs in the healthcare industry is best exemplified by how their bedside manner can improve patient experiences all over the country.

Their Role Adapts To Benefit Medical Emergencies

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the United States, the roles of CRNAs in many hospitals adapted to new realities. They gained skills in ventilation management, advanced patient assessment, advanced airway management, and in many other related areas. In the face of medication, equipment, and staffing shortages, CRNAs were indispensable leaders.

They Help in Underserved Parts of the United States

In many cases, CRNAs are the only providers of anesthesia services in rural hospitals. In the parts of our country that need the most support, CRNAs are available to help and lead the way. In Kansas, for instance, the majority of anesthesia providers are CRNAs.

When a chiropractor makes a life-altering mistake, patients have the right to sue them for damages. Sometimes chiropractors manipulate a patient’s body until they have severe pain. Sometimes their major mistakes can even cause strokes. Chiropractic patients understandably expect to be cured by the hands of a medical professional, not further injured. People who suspect their chiropractor has caused them harm and want compensation for their misbehavior should familiarize themselves with the primary causes of chiropractic malpractice cases. By reviewing the most common chiropractic negligence cases, you’ll have a better understanding of what behaviors constitute malpractice.

Failure To Diagnose a Medical Condition That Requires Immediate Care

Just like any other medical professional, chiropractors are required by law to put the patient’s health above everything else. To that end, chiropractors must analyze the symptoms causing a patient’s ailment and refer them to other professionals for immediate medical care when necessary. Even if chiropractors were to lose money by making referrals, that is exactly what they must do. If they fail to do so, they may be liable for an injury.

For instance, if a chiropractor treats a patient for a compression in the spine when their symptoms indicate a potential heart attack, the chiropractor may be liable for that patient’s death if they die from the overlooked heart attack.

Lack of Informed Consent

Chiropractors must inform their patients of the potential risks associated with their treatment before they begin. If they fail to do so, they could be liable for their injuries.

For instance, some people may go to chiropractors for issues with upper back and neck pain. The chiropractor may offer some initial relief, but they then might go to a doctor for pain in their thumb and index finger. If they are surprised to learn that the newfound pain in their hand is a possible complication of their chiropractic treatment, then that chiropractor may be liable for malpractice. These kinds of errors make up some of the most common chiropractic negligence cases.

Negligent Manipulation of the Body

Negligent manipulation of the body happens when a chiropractic treatment creates new injuries or worsens old ones. Some of these injuries may include:

• Broken ribs
• Herniated discs
• Nerve damage
• Fractured vertebrae
• Pinched nerves
• Neck pain
• Sciatic nerve pain
• Lower back pain

Also, pregnant patients may go into labor earlier than expected as a result of negligent chiropractic manipulation.

Unnecessary Medical Treatment

This applies to every person working in the medical field. If a patient receives substandard care from unnecessary treatments, the chiropractor may be liable for any resulting injuries. Arguably, if the medical treatment was not necessary, then the patient did not grant their consent for the procedure. In order for a chiropractor to receive full consent, the patient must understand the procedure, its risks, and other important information. When a doctor misinforms a patient about the necessity of a procedure, that conduct might constitute medical malpractice because the patient was not given all the necessary information.

Chiropractic Induced Stroke

When a chiropractor manipulates the neck, they occasionally damage an artery that brings blood to the brain. When this happens, the patient may experience a stroke. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of instances when aggressive chiropractic practices have led to strokes. Experts say the known number of victims is an underestimate because most doctors do not ask stroke victims if they have been under the care of a chiropractor.

Damages for Chiropractic Malpractice

People who have fallen victim to chiropractic malpractice need to understand the damages they can collect for their injuries. Damages are the compensation for which people base their lawsuits. When a person sues for a chiropractor’s mistakes, they are requesting the court to compel the chiropractor to pay back whatever they lost as a result of that mistake. That dollar amount is considered the case’s “damages.” A few ways a person can accrue damages in a chiropractic malpractice case include:

• Medical expenses to fix whatever problems the chiropractor caused or exacerbated
• Lost wages due to all the time away from work the plaintiff lost while mending their problem
• The household services they paid for to keep them functional during their recovery
• Pain and suffering

Working with an attorney, people who have suffered at the hands of a chiropractor can reach a dollar amount for their lawsuit.

Filing a Lawsuit

In most states, if a plaintiff wants to sue a chiropractor, they must understand and follow the rules of medical malpractice lawsuits. They may be a little complicated, but patients must follow these rules nonetheless. Failure to follow the rules of a medical malpractice lawsuit may cause the case to be thrown out immediately.

Different states have different rules. For instance, in some states, before they can file a lawsuit, the plaintiff must give the defendant chiropractor notice that they plan to sue and on what basis. They must give an expert opinion explaining how the defendant did not meet their standard of care. Other states demand that the plaintiff send their case to a panel for review before they can file a lawsuit.

To put it simply, filing a lawsuit for malpractice is difficult, painstaking work. It should not be treated as a “do-it-yourself” operation. The complexity of the lawsuit and the lengthy litigation process cannot be accomplished easily without a lawyer. For that reason, patients who believe they have a malpractice case against a chiropractor should speak to a lawyer as their first course of action. Working alongside a trained, educated professional can avoid a great deal of trouble and lost time.

Conclusion

Although chiropractors often do wonderful work for people in need, they also have the potential to do tremendous damage. People on the receiving end of poor chiropractic work may have a malpractice case on their hands. Whether it is a failure to diagnose a medical problem or a lack of informed consent, unnecessary treatments or a chiropractic induced stroke, people every day are injured by their chiropractors. If you think you may be one of these people, you should work alongside an attorney to see if you have a case.

Also, chiropractors need chiropractic malpractice insurance to protect themselves from these lawsuits.

Nurses who are about to begin their clinicals have a lot to look forward to. This is the culmination of a great deal of work. But, in order to avoid getting overwhelmed, they should know exactly what to expect going in. These four things you should know before you start nursing clinicals will hopefully prepare you for the difficult yet rewarding road ahead.

1. How Nursing Clinicals Work

You will shadow nurses and assist them as often as you can. At the beginning of most programs, you will be assigned one patient at first; then, a second will be added once you get more comfortable. You may be tasked with studying their cases, completing a summary of any abnormal lab values, and writing a nursing care plan. A clinical professor will visit you throughout the day while they make their rounds. They will want to be present if you are trying a task for the first time.

2. Your Potential Rotations

One of the most important things you should know before you start nursing clinicals is what rotations are available. A good nursing program should offer a range of clinical specialties, including:

• Acute care
• Emergency room
• Long-term care
• Mental health
• Obstetrics
• Oncology
• Public and community health

Depending on your school’s program, you may be able to request a specialty.

3. What You Will Learn

You will learn a lot during your clinicals. All the material you have learned in your studies will transfer over into real-life practice. You will walk away with a far better understanding of the concepts you learned in school. You will eventually learn how to give medications, assess patients, change dressings, give families care, fill medical charts, and juggle several patients during one shift.

You will become familiar with the pace of working in different units. Through this experience, you will grow a better understanding of where you want to take your nursing career.

4. The Length of Your Clinicals

The length of your clinicals will vary based on your school. However, you can typically expect them to be between 120 and 140 hours per semester. You will usually be at the hospital twice a week for up to six hours at a time. Students often say that between lectures and clinicals, they dedicate way more than 40 hours per week to their education.

This is a truly exciting time for nurses, but they also must know how to protect themselves in case they run into legal trouble. Contact Baxter & Associates to learn more about malpractice insurance plans for nurse practitioners.