The Universe has never not taken care of me.

I’ve been shaped into a woman who will not bite her tongue when she is being put in a dangerous scenario, set up to fail, or otherwise finds herself in a situation that is unjust.

Having the courage to speak up and speak out is one

of a few qualities that I am truly proud of. It is a trait that was hard earned. After years of being knocked down and then apologizing to those who shoved me... apologizing for consuming oxygen and taking up space in places and spaces not meant for me.

I learned years ago to

quit apologizing. To recognize administrative gaslighting for what it is. To have the courage to protect myself at all costs.

When folks point out patient safety events, unsafe staffing ratios, and administrative policies that make an already impossible job harder, they should

expect to be seen and treated the same as whistleblowers throughout history.

What happened to @Cleavon_MD was not a fluke. That was calculated and intentional.

Doctors and nurses are put into unsafe situations and bad things happen to patients. It’s happened throughout

modern medicine. This is not new. It’s just dramatically worse during the pandemic.

When bad things happen... sentinel events, patient safety events, etc... the ones who are haunted are never the ones at home asleep. It’s the staff who was on that night fighting their hardest

to keep patients and other staff safe and healthy who bear that burden.

Never allow someone who cannot do your job to put you into a situation that is a set up for failure. Do not apologize for calling a spade a space. Never silence your voice for someone else’s comfort.

When the nightmares and the lawsuits come, the only ones affected are the ones who are in the arena. The folks at home asleep when something foreseeably bad happens somehow never seem to suffer the consequences of the choices they made for others.

So to all of the young docs and nurses and healthcare professionals...

Protect yourself first. Protect yourself always. Nobody else will do it but you.

Never apologize for calling out unsafe conditions. You will receive blowback but you will also never regret it. Speak your

truth. And do not apologize for it. Proudly speak up for yourself and your patients. Short term consequences may be unpleasant, but in the long term, being able to look yourself in the mirror and sleep without nightmares is worth it.

Advocate for your patients. Learn to recognize when you’re being out in an unsafe situation. And advocate for yourself too.

I learned this a few years back and I have never regretted it. Not one time.

If there is one thing I wish I had learned as a medical student, this is

it.

So to the younger Jerge and all of the trainees, residents, and newer staff out there... advocate for your patients and yourself. Fiercely. Consistently. Unapologetically. Hell, even “Dangerously” if you have to. And be willing to walk away from jobs where you and your

patients are not being protected.

FWIW, I do want to very openly acknowledge that being able to speak up is a privilege afforded to some of us. I have read through the entire #DNRTulane claim. Took me about 30 minutes to read and sparked many many thoughts... all coming in another thread. What was done to a

Black woman physician for speaking out is absolutely disgusting.

In many many cases, it is not just about having the courage to speak out... it’s about having the privilege to buffer oneself from the consequences of speaking out.

I hope folks didn’t read this thread and think

that I take that for granted. I don’t. I see what happens to minoritized folks who speak out. Which is why I am going to keep trying to be an ally and speak out with them.