| pronouns | she/her |
@wordshaper @mcnado Why were people not appropriately trained? Were they rushed? Had procedures changed they weren't informed of. Was there adequate turnover between shifts? Is the organization in the midst of a re-org or buyout? Is there undue pressure to cut costs or be more efficient? Is the organization short-staffed? Does the shitty pharmacy prescribing software list paralytics next to mild antinausea agents (this has literally killed people). Are staff taking shortcuts to work around broken software? Are people blindly trusting unreliable software output (stares at AI)?
Any time you see "human error" listed as a cause, substitute in "systemic or cultural organizational failure". Humans are fallible; the goal is to design processes so that simple errors aren't catastrophic and to learn where errors are occurring so the process can be improved. A punishment culture prevents learning, communication, and improvement - blame and discipline are very effective at eroding trust, psychological safety, and the culture needed for safety awareness and high performance.
There's a reason that industries like aviation and nuclear work so hard to build and maintain Safety Culture - we've seen the results when we don't and nobody but amoral investors want to be a part of that: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1303/ML13031A707.pdf
In fall of ‘99, I helped my dad set aside barrels of flour, sugar, and powdered milk, because he was working as a software test manager.
This year, I stockpiled antibiotics, drugs for managing obstetric hemorrhage, and birth control pills, because I work in medicine and don’t want to be stuck with no tools if the trade when Trump’s policies catch up.
Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe it’s familial. Maybe we’ll be the folks who can still get people treated for a few more weeks. Who knows.
After spending the last 5 years working on my own open source projects, I'm keen to get back to working with a team on larger-scale projects. Are you (or anyone you know) creating sustainable, human-centric user-facing software or devices, and looking for experienced client-side product engineers who are very comfortable with systems-level work? I'd absolutely love to hear from you.
You can find out a bit about me at https://jbmorley.co.uk/resume (and my website generally).
My wife once won Michael Keating in a raffle. Not a photo or something—the actual Michael Keating. It was in the late 1980s, and we got to go out for a meal with him before enjoying his performance on stage in Noises Off.
When we met him, he looked a little wary, perhaps thinking that being sci-fi fans we might be complete nutters. However, we seemed to pass muster and he quickly warmed up to us. And what a charming, witty, and thoroughly delightful fellow he was. R.I.P.
RE: https://mastodon.scot/@andrewducker/116611982336471563
I've now expressly stated on my personal social media (ie so family and friends are aware) that my body is not to be donated to science or medical research. Can you imagine the horror of being conscious and locked inside a brain?
In the past I've managed to get through stuff by sucking it up, writing a long list, prioritizing, and just doing the next thing. And there's been absolute avalanches of life crap that I've had to get through.
Lately I've been struggling and I'm just kind of getting through day to day but I'm really still avoiding things - taxes, a medical appointment - there's stuff I need to face up to but it all feels like a bridge too far.
Last time I slapped some gaffer tape on the boat and rowed into the torrent. Now I'm kinda sitting here clutching my paddle, being swept towards the falls.
Maybe it's the state of the world. It's like, before there was at least sight of the other side. Now?
arclight
McNadoMD
Independent Media Australia.
Jason Morley
Doctor Roo
Lyn