Latest news with #Craig
Technical.ly
32 minutes ago
- Health
- Technical.ly
A growing movement of ‘nursineers' blends tech and medicine to fix healthcare from the inside
When someone asks Garett Craig what he does for a living, the answer usually raises eyebrows. 'Nursineer' is the clever portmanteau Craig, a 27-year-old Canonsburg resident, has coined to describe his dual role as both nurse and engineer. It's his way of explaining a career that doesn't yet have a standard title, but he's leading the way to change that. Craig had no plans to become a nurse when he began studying biomedical engineering at Duquesne University in 2016. However, when he was offered the chance to earn a dual degree in nursing and engineering in exchange for an extra 18 months of coursework, he took a leap of faith, betting the added education would benefit his future career. 'I'm the oldest in my family, and I was always looked at as the support person and someone that everyone relied on,' Craig told 'Healthcare was that perfect role [for me], because you have patients that are relying on you to be an advocate for them and to make the best decision for what their needs are.' After graduating in 2022, Craig worked as an artificial heart engineer for healthcare giant UPMC, supporting patients with LVADs, or mechanical pump implants used to assist a failing heart. That hands-on experience, combined with his current role as an application consultant for medical equipment company Brainlab, revealed a healthcare gap that Craig is now determined to bridge: the disconnect between clinical needs and the tools engineers design to meet them. '[Engineers] don't take into consideration the nurse on a midnight shift who's burnt out, or the patient who comes in and throws the [medical device] against the wall that wasn't durable enough to be dropped,' Craig said. 'That's a scenario they've never considered because they've never been through it.' Now, Craig is spreading the word about this hybrid role, speaking with universities, attending Pittsburgh's weekly life sciences meetup BioBreakfast and connecting with fellow nurse-engineers. He hopes to bring nursineering into the mainstream, making it easier for medical tech to align with the real-world needs of hospital staff. 'It really doesn't matter to me what it's called,' Craig said. 'It just matters to me that there's someone who is a nurse and an engineer and is doing work with both of these backgrounds to improve all facets of healthcare areas.' In this edition of How I Got Here series, Craig talks about his passion for nursineering, the day-to-day realities of his job and why he's trying to build a community of people who share this hybrid skill set. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Why are you passionate about nursineering? I typically say nursing is my purpose and engineering is my process. Nursing gave me the reason why I'm doing this project, why I'm making this device, why I am spending all this time and stress and sleepless nights. Nursing gave me the why, and that was because of the patients. Engineering gives me the process. Just being an engineer, I wouldn't have the connection and the understanding of these patients and what they're going through. With engineering, you're more focused on the product, the materials, the science and making it work. You don't get a lot of exposure to mental health, understanding what actually goes on in healthcare and the process that people go through to have a procedure done. There's so much more involved that you just don't get with engineering that nursing gave me. With that differing view, it really allows me to find empathy and connect with the patients or hospital staff. What does a typical day look like for you? No day is the same for me. A typical week could be: On Monday, I might do an admin day where I'm catching up on paperwork, submitting different forms for purchases or problems and emailing clients we work with, along with accounts, physicians and specialists within Brainlab, for questions, concerns and product feedback. Then on Tuesday, I might be going into the hospital to repair something broken. I might be walking in with the biomed teams, the surgeons, the coordinators, whoever would be involved, and just figuring out what went on, what happened, what needs to be fixed. That's more of the technical side of my role, installs, repairs, updates, trainings. Wednesday might be a meeting with some surgeons about potentially purchasing a new system. Now I'm wearing my sales hat, working with them, their purchasing teams and logistics teams, figuring out how we can get this to work. Thursday and Friday, I might be doing actual cases — that's my clinical side — lending support in the operating room during the procedure, helping the surgeon with the equipment, making sure everything is running smoothly and finding ways to optimize the products for them. Then on top of all that, I'm going to conferences, helping with setup, pitching new products and doing demos for surgeons, residents and med students. It's almost like three jobs in one. It constantly changes, and no week is the same. But for those who like being busy, doing things and working with many different people, it's a great fit. What advice would you give to someone breaking into the field? Say yes to everything and just figure it out later. It's a lot to manage, and you have to be organized and on top of things, but when you find something you like and just take those opportunities as they come, life can be truly one of those, 'I can't believe this is real, pinch me,' kind of feelings. How do you like to spend your free time? When I'm not doing my day job and trying to make this nurse engineer role a thing, I race vintage Formula cars. I like the fast pace, balancing all sorts of things at once and the chaoticness of being behind the wheel of a car. I'm also a student pilot. It kind of goes hand in hand. There are a lot of technical things involved and it's very detail-oriented, like the job that I have. And I'm a volunteer firefighter. The firefighting alone is truly amazing. You don't know it until you see it. If I'm not racing cars, flying planes or firefighting, I always take on new projects. I hate being comfortable. I like to be constantly growing and feeling stimulated, like there's something that's going to happen. I always say I want to feel like I'm at the beginning of a really good movie where you don't know what's going to happen. It's the adventure that really makes me wake up in the morning and function. What's next for you and nursineering? I want to develop a community or an association of nurse engineers. I want to put faces and names to this idea, make it a reality and start a new movement of clinically trained but also technically comfortable individuals who can walk into a hospital, instantly pick up on everything and start making change. I've been in contact with different universities to come in and start talking with students about this. There are universities other than Duquesne that are starting these dual degrees and combining nursing with other technical fields. My ultimate goal is to make this a movement and really see change.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
‘Why do I hurt?' Inside the final days of a mother who was allegedly poisoned by her husband
Angela Craig spent her last days ill and frustrated as doctors in Colorado couldn't pinpoint why she suddenly felt sluggish despite her active lifestyle. For nearly two weeks in 2023, family and friends saw the 43-year-old deteriorate as they drove her to hospitals and an urgent care clinic, each time returning home without answers. Craig, the youngest of 10 siblings, shared her symptoms with her family over text messages, and a close friend reviewed her vitals. The strange symptoms lasted for 10 days, worsening to the point that she was declared brain dead. The lack of answers frustrated Craig until her last moments earthside. Her final words were: 'Why do I hurt?' according to her sister-in-law, Renee Pray. More than two years later, James Craig, her husband and father of the couple's six children, was convicted Wednesday of killing her, in part by poisoning her protein shakes. The Colorado dentist was found guilty of murder and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole He denied the allegations and had told others his wife had been suffering from suicidal ideations. But testimony from Angela Craig's friends and family paints a picture of a devoted mother experiencing inexplicable, worsening health complications that frustrated and handicapped her from living the active lifestyle she loved. On March 6, 2023, Angela Craig began her day by drinking a protein shake her husband made for her before he went off to work at his dental office in Aurora, Colorado. The couple often made them for each other, prosecutor Ryan Brackley said. After a workout, Angela Craig was feeling sluggish and texted her husband and her older sister, Toni Kofoed, saying her brain didn't want to work, Kofoed testified. The day before, the sisters had returned home from a genealogy conference they attended together in Utah. 'My stomach feels fine, but my head feels funny and dizzy. Very strange,' Angela Craig told her husband via text, according to the probable cause affidavit. James Craig, who was at work, stayed at his practice for a few hours before leaving to take his wife to the hospital, his office manager Caitlin Romero said in court. At the hospital, doctors conducted several tests, including an MRI, CT scan and bloodwork, but Angela Craig was discharged after nothing was found, Brackley said. The next day, she texted her husband and said, 'I feel drugged,' Garrett Lord, a cell phone analysis expert who testified about the Craigs' cell phone data, said in court. Angela Craig thought she had an inner ear infection and noticed her blood sugar level was high despite not having eaten and exercising, her sister, Kofoed, testified. Angela Craig also considered it could be diabetes because there was history of it in her family. 'It makes no sense,' said one message from Angela Craig to her sister. Around this time, text messages to the family group thread increased in frequency as Angela Craig grew concerned and frustrated without a diagnosis, her older brother, Mark Pray testified. At some point that day, she went to an urgent care clinic but was sent home again with questions unanswered about her illness, Brackley said. Angela Craig remained worried about having diabetes and sought the help of one of her best friends three days after she was first hospitalized. Her friend, Nikki Harmon, testified Angela Craig asked her to check her blood sugar levels. Harmon's daughter is a diabetic so her friend knew she'd be able to help her, she said. They became friends when their husbands were in dental school together in Kansas City. The couples also had children around the same ages. When Harmon arrived to the Craigs' home, she recalled Angela Craig 'looked like she hadn't slept well, she wasn't made up for the day' and she was 'just kind of slumped on the couch.' 'She had a protein drink next to her,' Harmon testified. '(She) told me her husband made her the protein shake that morning before he left' and the two friends tried to calculate carbohydrates to see if that had an impact on her blood sugar, Harmon said. Angela Craig was known to be very active and loved exercising on her stationary bike, doing yoga and Pilates, her 21-year-old daughter testified. It was unusual for her to hear that her mother was feeling so tired, she said. Her mother described feeling 'dizzy' and 'heavy' before her symptoms worsened, and she felt 'pukey' and 'less stable on her own two feet,' the daughter said. There was a moment that day when Angela Craig's symptoms became so severe she had to crawl across the floor to call for help because she couldn't get up on her own, said Brackley, the prosecutor. Angela Craig went back to the hospital for her second visit in three days. This time, she was not discharged until several days later. Angela Craig had already been at the hospital for a couple of days when her condition worsened so much that medical staff had to resuscitate her, James Craig told a woman he had an affair with, according to prosecutor Michael Mauro. After hearing about Angela Craig's condition, Pray and his wife Renee, drove through a snowstorm to Denver to visit her and help take care of the Craig children. When they finally got to the hospital, Angela Craig seemed better in person than James Craig made it appear to them, Pray testified. His sister was talking, her spirits seemed positive and 'she was acting fairly normal given the circumstances,' he said. After a six-day hospital stay, Angela Craig was discharged on March 14 without answers, yet again. Once Angela Craig got home, she could walk on her own, Pray said, but the nearly 9-mile drive from the hospital seemed to exhaust her. Still, within the hour, Angela Craig started searching online for possible causes of her symptoms, Brackley said. 'I'm shaking on the inside but I'm not shaking on the outside,' Pray testified his sister Angela Craig told him. That evening, a video from the Craigs' kitchen security camera shows James Craig making another protein shake for his wife. However, Renee Pray testified that she didn't remember who made it or if her sister-in-law even ate that day. The next morning James Craig texted his sister-in-law Renee Pray, asking her to give his wife a dose of clindamycin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. Angela Craig had been taking it due to a sinus infection, the prosecution said. Mark Pray gave his sister the medicine at 10 a.m. and 'within 20 to 25 minutes, she couldn't even hold herself up,' he testified. Angela Craig was slumped over in her bed when he went back to check on her. That's when Pray carried his youngest sibling to the car and drove her to the hospital. On the way there Angela Craig, who was dizzy and had a severe headache, didn't understand what was happening to her, Pray explained. While they were in triage, if you weren't speaking to her, she'd pass out, he said. James Craig, who arrived to the hospital after the siblings, had allegedly emptied a capsule of the antibiotic and refilled it with the highly lethal chemical potassium cyanide, according to prosecutor Brackley. Angela Craig's condition continued to decline in the next three hours. She then had a seizure, experienced rapid decline and was placed on life support in the ICU. Kristin Aubuchon, a nurse at UCHealth in Aurora who treated Angela Craig at that point, testified she had seen other patients prior to her arrival, but 'on that date she was so sick I didn't leave her room once I stepped into it.' Angela Craig lost brain activity on March 15 but wasn't clinically determined brain dead until March 18, according to testimony from Aurora Police Department Detective Bobbi Jo Olson. After her death, multiple samples of Angela Craig's blood taken during the hospital visits were tested. Dr. James Brower, a forensic toxicologist with NMS Laboratories who tested the samples, testified that Angela Craig's blood from March 9 had a high and toxic level of arsenic that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, lightheadedness and a feeling of being uncoordinated. A sample from three days later, again, showed high levels of arsenic along with, cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, Brower said. The amount of arsenic was less than before, but showed likelihood she'd been exposed to arsenic again, he testified. Brower also testified the blood results appeared to show 'there had to have been a second administration of cyanide in the hospital.' The chemical can cause similar symptoms to arsenic, and eventually it results in organ failure, he added during testimony. In the wake of Angela Craig's death, her 21-year-old daughter recalled expressing concerns about her mother's illness being hereditary, to which she said her father stayed quiet. He did however say he didn't want an autopsy to be performed on her mother to 'satisfy their curiosities,' she testified, though it's unclear who he was referring to. During the emotional testimony, the Craigs' daughters denied their mother could have taken her own life. For them, Angela Craig struggled 'like anyone else' but was mostly frustrated over not knowing what was wrong with her. CNN's Melissa Gray, Celina Tebor and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Devil dentist spent days slowly killing wife with poisoned protein shakes – before giving her deadly cyanide in hospital
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DEVIL dentist has been found guilty of slowly killing his wife with poisoned protein shakes before serving her cyanide in the hospital. James Craig has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his wife Angela after 20 years of marriage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Dentist James Craig is lead away after verdict was rendered in his murder trial Credit: AP 5 Angela was pronounced brain dead in March 2023 Credit: Facebook/ 5 James Craig was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Credit: Aurora Police Department A court found that the Colorado man had poisoned Angela Craig over 10 days in March 2023. But when those attempts failed the dentist gave his wife a final dose of cyanide as she was hospitalised with symptoms that puzzled doctors, prosecutors said. She was declared brain dead soon after. Toxicology tests determined Angela Craig, 43, died of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline - an ingredient commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops, according to the coroner. read more crime news ROUTINE STOP Wide-eyed Bryan Kohberger confesses to cops in never-before-seen bodycam video Photos from a hospital security camera produced in court showed Craig holding a syringe before he entered Angela's room. After administering the fatal dose through her IV, Craig walked out and texted a fellow dentist with whom he was having an affair, according to prosecutors. Court documents claimed that Craig wanted to kill his wife to get out of a marriage he felt trapped in, adding he didn't want a divorce so he could protect his money and image. Legal papers revealed he reportedly arranged to have her fly to Colorado when Angela was ill. Text messages showed the pair using affectionate language. However, Craig reportedly sent his wife affectionate messages while she was in the hospital. Wide-eyed Bryan Kohberger confesses to cops in never-before-seen bodycam footage of Idaho killer before murders He also expressed concern about Angela's welfare. Months later, Cain spoke out on Good Morning America and revealed she wasn't willing to have a relationship with someone who was married. 'There's been no planning for a future together,' she said. Craig was also found guilty of trying to cover up the killing by asking others to fake evidence and testimony that would make it appear that Angela had killed herself. He asked one of her daughters to make a fake video of her mother asking to be poisoned and of trying to get one fellow jail inmate to kill the lead detective investigating his wife's death, among other things. The defence had suggested earlier that Angela Craig may have taken her own life and faulted police for focusing solely on Craig as a suspect. James Craig case DENTIST James Craig faces two extra charges in connection with a plot to kill a detective probing his suspected murder case. He is accused of killing his wife Angela. March 6 2023: Angela falls ill after drinking shakes reportedly made by Craig. He takes her to the hospital, and she is released the same day. March 8 - 10 2023: Craig tries to arrange lover to travel to Colorado. March 14: Angela is discharged from hospital for a second time. March 15: She is re-admitted, and her condition deteriorates. March 16: She suffered a seizure and was put in intensive care March 18: Angela, Craig's wife of 23 years, is pronounced brain dead. March 19: Craig arrested on murder charges in connection with her death. March 23: Craig formally charged with murder November 21, 2024: Trial delayed after defense attorney withdraws. July 30, 2025: District Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced James Craig to life without the possibility of parole Police branded Angela's death a "heinous" murder and unearthed a series of Google searches allegedly made by Craig. Court documents also revealed that Craig ordered potassium cyanide – even though he didn't need it to carry out his job. The man stood in a hushed courtroom on Wednesday afternoon as the jury delivered a litany of guilty verdicts. His sentencing followed tearful testimony by Angela Craig's relatives about the impact of losing her, including one of the couple's six children, who cast her father as a villain. Craig appeared to shake with tears as his oldest daughter spoke about how much she missed being able to talk to her mother about her life and how she felt betrayed by her father. "I was supposed to be able to trust my dad; he was supposed to be my hero, and instead hell forever be the villain in my book," Miriam Mira Meservy said. District Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced James Craig to life without the possibility of parole. 5 With a photograph of his wife, Angela, cast on a screen above, dentist James Craig listens during closing arguments at his murder trial Credit: AP 5 Dentist James Craig reacts during closing arguments in his murder trial Credit: AP
The Age
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Why can't men make friends? Ask Paul Rudd
Men should not have friends. At least that's what Friendship, the black comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson, suggests. In the film, Craig (Robinson), is a slightly awkward suburban dad who meets his neighbour, Austin (Rudd). At first, the friendship flourishes – Austin even invites Craig to a gathering with his other male friends. But Craig becomes increasingly over-invested in the friendship, pushing further and further until the relationship completely fractures. Directed by Andrew DeYoung, the storyline is extreme, but it still explores a question many men have likely pondered at some point: Why is it so challenging to make friends with other men? It largely depends on how they've been raised, says Integrated Way relationship counselling specialist Daniel Lichtman. Many, particularly those in western cultures, are taught early on to be more emotionally contained and task-oriented rather than relationship-oriented. 'Many men don't necessarily seek out a relationship for the sake of having a relationship,' he says. 'When men are struggling, they're less likely to reach out to a friend for connection because they often feel more shame and embarrassment in vulnerability than women.' Instead, many opt for 'going at it alone', Lichtman says. It's a pattern of behaviour that appears to be getting worse. In 1990, 55 per cent of men told the Survey Centre on American Life that they had at least six close friends, but in 2021, that dropped to 27 per cent. Meanwhile, one in seven men say they have no close friends. Popular Australian men's forums suggest a similar trend locally. This isn't for a lack of opportunity. There are ample avenues for men to make new friends, says Lichtman, such as sports clubs and men's walking groups. Admission numbers also indicate plenty are actively taking part.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why can't men make friends? Ask Paul Rudd
Men should not have friends. At least that's what Friendship, the black comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson, suggests. In the film, Craig (Robinson), is a slightly awkward suburban dad who meets his neighbour, Austin (Rudd). At first, the friendship flourishes – Austin even invites Craig to a gathering with his other male friends. But Craig becomes increasingly over-invested in the friendship, pushing further and further until the relationship completely fractures. Directed by Andrew DeYoung, the storyline is extreme, but it still explores a question many men have likely pondered at some point: Why is it so challenging to make friends with other men? It largely depends on how they've been raised, says Integrated Way relationship counselling specialist Daniel Lichtman. Many, particularly those in western cultures, are taught early on to be more emotionally contained and task-oriented rather than relationship-oriented. 'Many men don't necessarily seek out a relationship for the sake of having a relationship,' he says. 'When men are struggling, they're less likely to reach out to a friend for connection because they often feel more shame and embarrassment in vulnerability than women.' Instead, many opt for 'going at it alone', Lichtman says. It's a pattern of behaviour that appears to be getting worse. In 1990, 55 per cent of men told the Survey Centre on American Life that they had at least six close friends, but in 2021, that dropped to 27 per cent. Meanwhile, one in seven men say they have no close friends. Popular Australian men's forums suggest a similar trend locally. This isn't for a lack of opportunity. There are ample avenues for men to make new friends, says Lichtman, such as sports clubs and men's walking groups. Admission numbers also indicate plenty are actively taking part.
