Exclusive room rates for nurses at DisneyWorld
In appreciation for all that you do, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort would like to offer you a very special room rate for your next vacation to the most magical place in the world … the Walt Disney World Resort!
National sample survey of registered nurses results
On March 18, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released initial data from the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. Here are some of the highlights of the report.
- The number of licensed registered nurses (RNs) in the United States grew to a new high of 3.1 million between 2004 and 2008. An increase of more than 5 percent.
- In 2008, 16.8 percent of nurses were Asian, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and/or Hispanic; an increase from 12.2 percent in 2004.
US needs national nurse to deliver health information
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., has introduced a bill to create an Office of the National Nurse, elevating the Chief Nurse Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service to the position. Alisa Schneider, MSN, RN, of the National Nurse Network Organization says a National Nurse is needed to inform and educate the public about health care and prevention, just as nurses at the bedside do for individual patients.
Nurse mentors learn skills to help retain new hires
A nurse mentoring program at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in Vermont gives new hires extra support as they adjust to the hospital environment. Each mentor goes through a 10-hour training program that gives them skills to help support and retain new nurses during what can be a stressful first year on the job.
Editor’s Note: Last week, we posted an interview highlighting a mentoring program through Truckee Community College. I asked the nurse mentor if she thought the practice of case management could benefit from a mentoring program.
Helping to keep aging nurses in the workforce
The nursing workforce shortage is expected to grow in the coming years as many nurses reach retirement age. However, many of those nurses are not ready to retire. Simple strategies like flexible scheduling, accommodating nurses who may need to take time for aging family members and helping them to transition to retirement can help keep older nurses in the workforce.
C. difficile may be a bigger threat to hospitals than MRSA
A study of 28 hospitals in the U.S. Southeast found the rate of Clostridium difficile infections was 25% higher than that of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. “Everybody thinks of MRSA as a serious threat. But C. difficile deserves more attention,” a researcher said in presenting the findings at a conference on infections in health care settings.
Hospitals are changing culture of handling medical errors
Assessing blame for medical errors is difficult, and hospitals are looking to see if their own systems may be partly responsible when providers make mistakes. The National Quality Forum has developed a Care of the Caregiver standard, and the Just Culture model stresses the middle ground between blaming a physician or nurse and holding a system failure accountable.
Editor’s Note: The Case In Point Webinar Series addresses the topic of ethical and patient safety issues on April 14, 2010.
Long-term care advocates want change in DEA enforcement
Federal interpretation and enforcement of the Controlled Substance Act is causing long-term care residents to endure unnecessary waits for pain medication, according to industry leaders who testified before a Senate committee this week. The regulations mean that nurses at nursing homes cannot respond to a physician’s verbal or chart orders for medication and instead must wait for a signed prescription from a physician.
Editor’s Note: This issue raises a challenge for hospital case managers, discharge planners and patients. Listen to the Senate hearing.
RAC auditors investigate inpatient admissions
Recovery Audit Contractors are paying particular attention to inpatient admission orders in their efforts to detect and correct improper payments in the Medicare Fee for Service program. Each patient must have a valid, individual “admit order” as opposed to a less formal progress note attached to another record. Simple “intent” is not a sufficient substitute for a admit order.
Editor’s Note: The Case In Point Webinar Series shared important information on RACs on March 17, 2010. The Program is available on demand till December 31, 2010.
Women need an hour of exercise daily to keep off pounds
Normal-weight middle-age women who want to avoid adding pounds as they age need to engage in moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, for one hour each day, a study found. Researchers said those who do more vigorous exercise, such as jogging or tennis, can limit activity to a half-hour per day to avoid weight gain.
Graying population could run out of workers
Unemployment could soon be the least of our worries: A report suggests that within the next decade, America could face a shortage of workers. With baby boomers beginning to retire and too few replacements available, researchers predict that the U.S. economy is likely to have as many as 4 million more job openings than available workers by 2018.
