As a mom and a 30-year neonatal nurse, I’m tough. Or so I thought. I can deal with kids getting infections and being born prematurely, and I can help immensely with all that. And I can deal with and help with setbacks and recurrences. I never thought I’d be confronted with the scenario of a parent I once knew being charged with injury to a child.
General Articles
Trying to reconcile unspeakable horrors – as a mother and as a nurse
Austin American-Statesman, May 18, 2010
The uninsured can’t afford delay
Austin American-Statesman, March 3, 2010
I refuse to nail the coffin shut on health care reform.
I chose neonatal intensive care as my professional home because it’s the perfect world. It’s a wonderful mix of high technology and caring, and every infant needing intensive care has access because the care is universally covered by private or public insurance. I could never work in an area that people couldn’t access because of lack of insurance.
Nurses win but still bear burdens of trial (Part 3)
Austin American-Statesman, February 15, 2010
You and I are a little bit safer today because a West Texas jury acquitted a nurse of felony charges filed after she reported a doctor’s suspicious conduct to the state medical board. Had the jury in Andrews found Anne Mitchell guilty, the message for nurses and other health care professionals would have been: “Report a doctor and risk losing your job and going to jail.”
Are West Texas nurses criminals or health advocates? (Part 2)
Austin American-Statesman, February 1, 2010
Remember the two West Texas nurses who were not only fired from their jobs but also indicted on third-degree felony charges for doing what they thought was right?
To me, there appears to be so much wrong here — arrogance, vindictiveness, downright good-ol’-boy idiocy — that it’s hard to know where to begin.
Vaccines are real science for real health threats
Austin American-Statesman, January 19, 2010
Vaccines represent the greatest success story in public health — the triumph of human achievement over disease. But as the incidence of infectious diseases has […]
Taking on doubt over vaccinations against disease
Austin American-Statesman, November 30, 2009
On a recent Saturday, Rondah Kentch and I cared for eight premature babies in our neonatal intensive care bay. All of them were adorable, nearing discharge and had blank immunization consents on the fronts of their charts, waiting for signature.
Retaliation against West Texas nurses is unacceptable (Part 1)
Austin American-Statesman, August 3, 2009
In a stunning display of good ol’ boy idiocy and abuse of prosecutorial discretion, two West Texas nurses have been fired from their jobs and indicted with a third-degree felony carrying potential penalties of two-to-ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000.
“I Promised Myself That It Would Happen” What happens when a will the size of Texas faces off with the great state itself.
American Journal of Nursing [Vol. 102, No. 10, pp. 106-7], October 1, 2002
It would be difficult to say where Sister Angela Murdaugh, MSN, RN, CNM, FACNM, has made a more profound difference: advancing the profession of nurse […]
5 Minutes with Nancy McDonald: On serving in the Texas legislature
NurseWeek, March 18, 2002
How did you become involved in politics?
Part of our professional code of ethics tells us that we’ll strive to “improve standards of nursing practice and promote … efforts to meet health needs of the public.” I’ve always taken that aspect of the code very seriously.
During the 12 years that I was a hospital staff and head nurse, I was also involved in local politics. During that time, an influx of foreign nurses pointed to the need for a clearer definition of nursing responsibilities in the Nursing Practice Act. After joining the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Texas Nurses Association, we set to work to rewrite parts of the act and then to lobby the Legislature for its passage.
Contact Info
Toni Inglis
800 W 5th St Apt 805
Austin, TX 78703
Austin, Texas