Take Your Own Professional Advice This July 4 and Enjoy the Holiday
Commentary From the Editor

In 1752, when Benjamin Franklin flew a kite to prove that lightening is an electrical current in nature that can pass through metal, he used a key to prove his point. Today, he might have used a cell phone or an iPod.

A 15-year-old girl in England was struck by lightning while she was using a cell phone in a large London park during a storm. She suffered a cardiac arrest. A man in Vancouver was listening to his iPod while jogging past a tree at the moment it was struck by lightning. He was thrown about 8 feet and had second-degree burns in various places on his body. Tympanic membranes ruptured in the ears of both patients, among other injuries.

These are freak accidents, and the press reports said that simply by using these high-tech devices does not increase the chances of being struck by lightning.

We all do foolish things sometimes that we realize are foolish at the exact second we do them, such as reaching into a hot oven without a pot holder or other protection, or slicing a sharp knife into a finger just as you move it closer to the knife. Ouch.

We were told from the first day that our toddler selves could walk: Don’t cross the street before you look both ways. Sure, we learned that lesson, but then there was the time that someone across the street caught your eye and you just stepped out into traffic without thinking. Phew, that was a close call.

We know that you, as emergency nurses, see the injuries resulting from such occurrences on a routine basis. You take advantage of as many teachable moments as you can by imparting safety information and other injury prevention tips to patients. But the truth is that we all experience lapses in judgment from time to time and either suffer the consequences or thank our lucky stars that no harm came. The truth is that, on occasion, we have to save ourselves from ourselves.

Now to get back to the beginning of this commentary and to Benjamin Franklin, I was reminded of him and our country’s other founding fathers because we will celebrate our national holiday, July 4, this week. And some people will be playing with fire (barbecuing) or jumping headfirst into shallow pools or shooting off fireworks in neighborhood backyards (even though they are illegal in many areas, and they’re dangerous).

We want you to have a safe and enjoyable holiday with your families and friends and hope that you will remind them about summertime safety, including drinking and driving. For fact sheets and other safety information, visit the ENA Web site at www.ena.org or click on the following link: www.ena.org/ipinstitute/.