You know you're a nurse when ...

Kentucky may well be remembered for something better than its bourbon and horse races. In early February, the Kentucky Senate passed a bill where the claimants have to go before a review panel prior to filing suit against a nursing home.

The purpose is to weed out frivolous law suits and hopefully allow nursing home operators spend the money they would have wasted on litigation and settlement on — get this — resident care! God bless Kentucky!

I guess maybe you won’t be seeing the typical ambulance-chasing commercials on the local Kentucky TV channels. 

“Is your 99-year-old frail, decrepit, loved one with cachexia, a severely compromised vascular system, post stroke/limited mobility and multiple organ failure in a nursing home? Did she develop a pressure ulcer? Well, I know that’s unavoidable, but the public doesn’t, so let’s sue the heck out of the nursing home and get ya’ll some money. The nursing home will settle because it’s cheaper than going through litigation. I guarantee it!”

Do you know that in England, if a plaintiff attorney files three frivolous lawsuits, he or she may no longer practice law? How ’bout them apples!  I wonder if that will ever catch on here.

So, my hat’s off to Kentucky. Here’s to the Bluegrass State’s horses and bourbon — and at least one piece of legislation.

Just keeping it real,

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, a 2012 APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real life long-term care nurse who is also the director of clinical affairs for the American Medical Directors Association. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. She has not starred in her own national television series — yet. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates.