Ruth Tarantine' Releases 'Against All Odds'
By: Christina Mancuso Mar. 25, 2014
PITTSBURGH, March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ In her new book, "Against All Odds: How To Move from Provider-Centered Care to Patient-Centered Care," DNP, RN and nurse educator Ruth Tarantine shares how her family learned to prevail against a broken and dangerous health care system, giving a detailed plan of action that provides power, knowledge and hope to caregivers, health care providers, patients and policy makers.
As a professional with decades of experience, Tarantine expected to navigate the health care system with ease when her mother entered the hospital with serious health problems. But the obstacles her family faced during their two-and-a-half year fight to honor their mother's wish to survive were unexpected and shocking.
"Mom wanted to get better, or at least to have a chance to get better. Our job was to ensure she got that chance," said Tarantine.
Surmounting tremendous obstacles, the family succeeded in advocating for their mother to become the first person in Pennsylvania to receive home hemodialysis with a tracheostomy in place. Despite doctors telling her there was no hope for recovery, their mother was enjoying life. Tarantine attributes her family's success to relentlessly following specific practices. These practices, detailed in the book, are powerfuland they are available to any family.
Patient advocacy is key. Tarantine came to the staggering realization that 39 health care providers could potentially write orders on her mother in any given week. She kept a binder with her mother's records, test results, prescriptions and provider contacts since the job of care coordination became the responsibility of her family.
Tarantine defines patient-centered care as the practice of involving the patient in the planning and implementation of their care, according to their own definition of quality of life. Health care providers have the job of facilitating the patient's wishes. Instead, patients are often relegated to the role of recipients rather than partners. This book can help change that.
"Against All Odds: How To Move from Provider-Centered Care to Patient-Centered Care" can be ordered through Amazon.com. For more information, visit healthcareagainstallodds.com.
About the Author:
Ruth Tarantine, DNP, RN, has been a nurse for 25 years. She has spent the majority of her career working in intensive care units at various hospitals across the country. Teaching future nurses and future nurse educators is her passion. To this end, she obtained her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2008 and began a full-time teaching position at a private university shortly thereafter.
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SOURCE Ruth Tarantine, DNP, RN
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