Nurses, like everyone else, are subject to health problems. In fact, they may be more prone to health problems, given their long hours, shift work, odd eating patterns and high stress levels. According to an article from Nurse.com, many healthcare institutions are searching for ways to improve the health of their employees, not just because they care about the well-being of their staff members, but also because it makes financial sense to do so. It has been estimated that… Continue reading
Category Archives: Nurse Employers
Staffing Levels and Patient Risk
Higher nurse workloads due to inadequate staffing have a direct impact on patient outcomes after surgery, a new study has found. The large-scale study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing showed that higher nurse workloads negatively impacted all patients, but interestingly, older black patients were three times more likely than older white patients to suffer poorer outcomes after surgery, including death. Over a 5:1 patient-to-nurse ration, the odds of patient death increased by 3 percent per additional… Continue reading
Nurse-to-Patient Ratios and Penalties
California has a strict nurse-to-patient ratio law, but since there haven’t really been any penalties for failing to adhere to it, the law has been hard to enforce. A measure to give the department of public health more authority to crack down on hospitals that don’t obey the law has been vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown, according to this article in the Sacramento Business Journal. The measure was called Senate Bill 1246 and was proposed by Sen. Ed Hernandez,… Continue reading
Strategies to Improve Medication Safety
Consider the following scenario: It is a typical busy morning on the ward. The unit is full to capacity. One of the nurses called in sick prior to the beginning of the shift, and thus far no replacement has been found. The other nurses have had to pick up the slack, increasing their patient load by two patients each. They are unhappy about this turn of events and are madly scrambling to meet the needs of their patients. They are… Continue reading
Increasing Need for Case Managers
The role of the case manager in home care is taking on greater importance and urgency, according to this article on Nurse.com. The Affordable Care Act is a big part of why, as it requires a greater level of coordination with its measures to control costs, improve transitions to home care, and prevent readmissions. For example, on October 1st, Medicare will start taking deductions from reimbursements for each claim if a patient is readmitted within 30 days for certain conditions.… Continue reading
Managers and Evidence-Based Care
Are nurses at the manager level barriers to the implementation of nursing care based on best practice? A survey published in the Journal of Nursing Administration seems to suggest so. The survey, which was answered by 1,015 American Nurses Association members, found that there many barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practice are still present. The following are some of the results of the survey: – Respondents cited nurse managers and leaders who are resistant to change, politics and organizational… Continue reading
MSN Careers
There has been more and more emphasis on increased education for nurses. It’s becoming increasingly common for employers to require that nurses go back to school to receive more education. Nurses are also calling for their peers to gain more education as a way to make their voices heard. The MSN degree — a master’s of science degree in nursing — is one choice for an advanced nursing degree that opens doors to several specialties. The MSN degree is typically… Continue reading
Nurses Branch Out
More than 120,000 nurses now work outside the profession, according to this article in Florida Today. While this might seem like a problem, especially against the background of the nursing shortage, nurses in Florida don’t see it that way. The expansion of the field beyond bedpans and blood pressure checks allows RNs to utilize their knowledge and experience while making choices that are well suited to their lives. Some of the many avenues nurses have pursued include consulting, teaching, writing,… Continue reading
Reducing Nurse Burnout to Improve Patient Care
When nurses are happier and healthier, their patients have better medical outcomes. So it makes sense that the opposite is true as well — that unhappy, burned-out nurses have patients who are at higher risk for health-care associated infection rates. Burned-out nurses thus can cost hospitals millions of dollars annually. A recent study summarized by Nurse.com here confirms that burnout and overstaffing does in fact lead to more health-care associated infection rates, thereby costing hospitals millions of dollars annually. Researchers… Continue reading
Nurse Residency Program Makes Stronger Nurses
New nurses in their first orientation program can expect to learn routines that are specific to their employer, and the policies and procedures associated with their job. They will check off competencies and compliance as they complete each skill set, and reiterate an understanding of care models. What is tougher to learn and harder to teach is how to be a nurse. This knowledge goes beyond nursing school curriculum. It speaks to the core of the individuals as to why… Continue reading