Nursing mistakes kill, injure thousands Cost-cutting exacts toll on patients, hospital staffs

By Michael J. Berens Tribune Staff Writer September 10, 2000 First of three parts

Overwhelmed and inadequately trained nurses kill and injure thousands of patients every year as hospitals sacrifice safety for an improved bottom line, a Tribune investigation has found.

Since 1995, at least 1,720 hospital patients have been accidentally killed and 9,584 others injured from the actions or inaction of registered nurses across the country, who have seen their daily routine radically altered by cuts in staff and other belt-tightening in U.S. hospitals.

Registered nurses are the primary sentinels of patient care, providing first warning and rapid intervention for those too sick to help themselves. But the majority of hospitals in Chicago and nationally are quietly eliminating or supplanting the role of their best-trained, highest-paid nurses, creating a harried work environment that often compromises patient welfareNursing mistakes kill, injure thousands Cost-cutting exacts toll on patients, hospital staffs

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http://chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,ART-46844,FF.html

-- K (infosurf@yahoo.com), September 10, 2000