CampusRN Job Blog
Action coalition aims to ensure Massachusetts RNs have a voice
Friday, February 10, 2012
Having recently formed, the Massachusetts Action Coalition has planned an ambitious agenda while looking forward to helping transform healthcare.
Citing the Institute of Medicine’s “Future of Nursing” report findings that more nurse education can lead to better patient outcomes, academic progression and increasing the number of baccalaureate nurses are among the coalition’s priorities. The coalition also plans to build on existing education programs in Massachusetts.
“Nurses are key members of the healthcare team, and they should be full partners with physicians and other disciplines,” said Kevin Whitney, RN, MA, NEA-BC, president of the Organization of Nurse Leaders of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and associate chief nurse of patient care services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Implementing the recommendations allows nurses in all roles to improve quality of care and access for our patients.”
Accomplishments for the coalition in 2011 include disseminating IOM report findings and educating key stakeholders about the report’s eight recommendations for nursing, said Whitney, whose organization is one of the co-leads of the coalition, along with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. That critical dialogue and dissemination will continue in 2012, he said.
posted in: Massachusetts
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New Jersey League for Nursing honors nurse for leadership
Friday, February 10, 2012
Elisabeth Micich Otero, RN, MSN, BCCC, quality manager and clinical educator at Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, N.J., was honored with a New Jersey League for Nursing’s 2011 Nurse Recognition Award. She accepted the award Nov. 4 during the 2011 Nurse Recognition Awards Gala at The Pines Manor in Edison, N.J.
“Elisabeth is an accomplished nurse,” Elaine Whelan, RN-BC, MSN, clinical education director at CHCC, said in a news release. “She possesses a unique blend of expertise in psychiatry, gerontology, nursing professional development and quality improvement. She excels in everything she does.”
A resident of Scotch Plains, N.J., Otero is a 29-year veteran of CHCC and has held many leadership positions, such as charge nurse, supervisor, clinical nurse educator, director of performance improvement and education, and quality manager for the long-term care division.
“Elisabeth has a reputation for being a nurse who exhibits expert skills, tolerance and compassion and is totally committed to working within an ethical framework,” said Whelan, who nominated Otero for the award. “She is a great role model for anyone who wishes to pursue his/her lifelong dream and is determined to achieve it.”
posted in: New Jersey
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Goal of new nursing institute: improve patient care
Friday, February 10, 2012
Providence Health & Services in Los Angeles is creating a nursing institute to advance quality patient care through professional development, education, technology and research.
The Providence Southern California Nursing Institute will train nursing graduate residents, established RNs and other clinicians at Providence’s five acute care medical centers and ancillary facilities including hospice care, long-term care and outpatient clinics.
Envisioned by regional CNO Katherine Bullard, RN, the institute will be under the direction of Kathleen Harren, RN, MHA, program director, who is laying its foundation and working with a core team of nurses. They expect operations to begin this spring.
“We want to inspire excellence through innovation and empower our nurses and other professionals to expand their abilities and their horizons,” Bullard said. “Across the nation, healthcare organizations are looking for innovative programs like this institute to enhance the roles of our profession.”
posted in: California
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More healthcare providers advising patients to exercise
Friday, February 10, 2012
Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of adults receiving advice to exercise from a physician or other healthcare professional rose about 10 points, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By 2010, about one in three adults (32.4%) who had seen a physician or other healthcare professional in the past 12 months had been advised to begin or continue to do exercise or physical activity, up from a rate of 22.6% in 2000, according to a data brief from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
“Research points to the benefits of physical activity for reducing the risk of chronic health conditions,” the researchers wrote. “Engaging in regular physical activity can reduce medication dependence, help maintain functional independence and improve the quality of life for older adults.
“Physicians and other health professionals can be influential sources of health information, and exercise counseling by primary care physicians has been shown to increase patients’ participation in physical activity.”
At each time point measured — 2000, 2005 and 2010 — women were more likely than men to have been advised to exercise.
Among adults ages 85 and over, the percentage receiving advice to exercise nearly doubled from 15.3% to 28.9%. Increases were less dramatic for younger age groups, such as ages 18 to 24, which increased from 10.4% in 2000 to 16.1% in 2010.
The percentage increased among all race/ethnicity groups, with the largest increase among Hispanic adults — from 20.8% in 2000 to 35.8% in 2010.
Receiving advice to exercise increased for adults with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Of adults with those conditions, those with diabetes were most likely to have been advised to exercise. In 2010, more than half of adults with diabetes were advised to exercise, compared with a little more than a third of adults with cancer.
posted in: National, news, Employer News
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How to Decide Which Classes to Take in Nursing School
Friday, February 10, 2012
If you are struggle with the decision of what classes to take after being accepted into two separate online nursing schools then read this article. There have been many recent inquiries about the best nursing classes available at Proctor University.
The truth is that there are many paths that one can take to obtain a nursing degree so the exact classes that you select will have little impact on your future when you graduate.
The main characteristics you will need are the willingness to persevere through obstacles and a desire to help others who are in need. However, if you are really adamant about selecting the most appealing classes then looking into nursing 101 and a general education course. The final characteristic you will need when deciding the best classes to take is the understanding that you will have to put in a lot of study time into being successful regardless of what classes you end up with.
posted in: National, news, Employer News
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THCA: New Federal Report Shows Importance of Skilled Nursing Facility Sector to Texas, National Jobs
Thursday, February 09, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/—U.S. Department of Labor Says Health Care Employment Slated for Major Gains Between 2010-2020
Citing a new report from the U.S. Department of Labor and a corresponding analysis of that report by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) today said Texas’ skilled nursing facility (SNF) sector will continue to be a significant source of new jobs throughout the state, and urged federal lawmakers to ensure funding adequacy as Congress and the President begin shaping the federal budget for the year ahead.
“Meeting Texas seniors’ ongoing care needs as well as sustaining a strong workforce and local jobs base for the future is contingent on adequate Medicaid funding levels from Austin in the face of more possible cuts to Medicare in Washington,” stated Tim Graves, President of THCA. “We urge the President to oppose both Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the FY 2013 federal budget since our profession and the patients we serve have been hit by a barrage of funding cuts and regulatory rulings over the past several years.”
In its most recent jobs report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the health care and social assistance sector will gain the most new jobs - 5.6 million of the 20.5 million new jobs the agency predicts will be created between 2010 and 2020. An initial analysis of the report by the AHCA Research Department shows that the top 4 of the 22 major occupational groups flagged for the greatest growth in employment in this decade are in the field of health care—with construction and extraction occupations rounding out the top five growth areas.
posted in: National, news, Employer News, Texas
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UB Nursing Gets Green Light for Online RN-BS Program
Thursday, February 09, 2012
BUFFALO, N.Y.—The University at Buffalo School of Nursing has received approval by the State Education Department and the State University of New York to reinstate its 12-month online RN-BS program.
The program is designed specifically for nurses who have completed a community college (associate’s degree) or hospital-based nursing program (diploma) and have passed the New York State licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) for registered nurses.
According to Susan Grinslade, PhD, RN, clinical professor and chair of UB’s undergraduate nursing department, the UB RN-BS will supplement and build upon the core nursing knowledge all RNs achieve prior to licensure and was reestablished in part because of inquiries from community partners Kaleida Health, Roswell Park and Catholic Health.
“The health care environment is more complex and ever-changing,” said Grinslade. “The newly designed RN-BS program is innovative, accessible for the working professional and designed to develop the nurse as a bedside leader to transform the delivery of patient-centered, safe and quality nursing care.”
The online program will help the nursing workforce in Western New York and possibly across the state move toward the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations to have 80 percent of nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level by 2020. The program also will complement New York State’s “RN to BSN-in-Ten” proposal, which recommends that community college and hospital-based graduates get a baccalaureate in nursing within 10 years.
“These recommendations are related to current research indicating that even a 10 percent increase in a BS-prepared, RN-workforce directly decreases the morbidity and mortality of current patients,” said Grinslade.
Grinslade also adds that the program is not just about meeting state and institutional recommendations. There are RNs who want the BS in nursing but don’t have access to a university-based school of nursing, either because of time or distance.
“Our online program enables nurses in rural areas to complete their degrees from home without distant travel. Our virtual classes also allow the nurse with family obligations and/or scheduling issues to access educational materials at his or her convenience around a family or work schedule,” she says.
The key attributes of the program are that it is student-centered and in a user-friendly, distance-learning/asynchronous format; that it is offered in a cohort format to ensure cost-effectiveness; and that it builds on previous education and experience without redundancy while mirroring the current traditional BSN program curriculum.
Grinslade says that by admitting students in cohorts they will be able to get to know and work with others within their cohort. She adds that it will also allow students from a specific health system to work with one another on class projects--their familiarity with their respective organizational cultures and nursing practices would give them shared knowledge on which to build.
The School of Nursing plans to admit its first RN-BS cohort in May of 2012. The application will be available on their website after March 1.
posted in: Employer News, New York
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Creating a Safer Workplace for Nurses
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Patient lifting equipment and safety needles are prevalent in today’s health care facilities, but a recent study from the American Nurses Association and statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor suggest that nursing remains a tough job, with opportunities to improve the work environment.
“Healthy and safe work environments allow nurses to provide the best possible care for the patients who depend on them,” said Jaime Murphy Dawson, MPH, senior policy analyst at the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health for the American Nurses Association (ANA) in Silver Spring, Md. “Also, protecting nurses from hazards, such as sharps injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and workplace violence, prevents nurses from leaving the workforce prematurely.”
The ANA’s 2011 Health and Safety Survey of 4,614 RNs found 13 percent of the respondents indicating they had been injured three or more times on the job within a year, compared to 7 percent in 2001.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in November 2011 that of all occupations in 2010, registered nurses had the fifth-highest number of days away from work due to musculoskeletal injuries.
ANA’s survey showed 80 percent of nurses with neck, back or shoulder pain caused by the job frequently work, despite the pain.
The nursing association’s survey indicated greater availability of patient lift equipment and safer needles, with nearly two-thirds of nurses saying they have ready access to lift devices, compared to less than half of the respondents in 2001; less than a third of the nurses reported using the equipment frequently, however, suggesting the need for more education and an evaluation of the selection and placement of patient lift and transfer devices.
June Marshall, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, director of advancing professional nursing practice at Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, expressed concern that tired nurses may cut corners and not take the time to use the devices.
“It’s so important to make sure nurses know how to lift and safely move patients and have the lift equipment available,” Marshall said
Some nursing schools are placing a greater emphasis on safety. The Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri in Columbia has converted an unused locker room into a nursing safe practices room, with transfer stations and specialized lift equipment for students to practice using the devices.
But even with striking numbers of musculoskeletal injuries, that’s not nurses’ top concern, according to the ANA survey. Nurses’ top work environment concern was acute or chronic effects of stress and overwork, reported by 74 percent of respondents; followed by disabling musculoskeletal injury, 62 percent; and risk of contracting an infectious disease, 43 percent.
The ANA survey showed improvement in the availability of safe needle devices, with 96 percent of RN respondents indicating they are available, compared to 82 percent in 2001, something Dawson attributes to the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000.
However, Dawson said that the survey indicated that RNs may benefit from a better understanding of their rights under the act, which requires that direct-care professionals participate in identifying and selecting safer needle devices. Of the ANA respondents, 62 percent either don’t know if nurses are involved in the selection process, or said they aren’t involved.
Providing lift equipment and safer needle devices are easier to address than relieving nurses’ stress and overwork. Many factors contribute, Dawson said, including professional and personal issues and staffing and shift work.
The ANA survey indicated that some staffing issues have improved. The percentage of nurses working more than 40 hours per week decreased from 64 percent to 55 percent, and RNs who work some mandatory or unplanned overtime each month decreased from 68 percent to 53 percent.
The ANA has established a “Healthy Nurse” program and plans to hold a conference this year. Dawson encourages nurses to be advocates for their health and safety.
“It’s important for nurses to address stress on a daily basis,” Dawson said.
The ANA survey also found nurses worry more about on-the-job assault now than in 2001, with 34 percent indicating that was a concern, up from 25 percent. At the same time, the actual number of assaults was down from 17 percent in 2001 to 11 percent in 2011. However, the majority of nurses still say they have been verbally abused or threatened on the job within a year, though the occurrence decreased since 2001 (57 percent to 52 percent).
posted in: National, news, Employer News
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Florida facilities implement plan to treat ED pain patients
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Laws targeting the state’s pain clinics have resulted in more people turning to EDs for pain medication, including those abusing prescription drugs, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel.
ED physicians and nurses are facing aggressive pill-seekers, who become threatening if they do not receive the drugs they want, according to the article. In response to this new wave of patients, Orlando Health and Florida Hospital officials announced they are implementing a chronic pain management plan to help ED staff better deal with the influx of people seeking pain treatment.
“We certainly support the additional policing of illegal use of prescription pain medication, but realized it was time for us to make some changes in how we handle the situation in our emergency department,” said David Goldman, DO, a Florida Hospital emergency room physician, in the article.
The new plan calls for physicians to help educate patients about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and addiction and to refer patients to a primary care physician for long-term treatment. The plan also calls for physicians to refer patients to community resources such as rehabilitation facilities, if they need help for prescription-drug addiction.
About seven people die each day in Florida because of prescription-drug overdoses, according to the article. New state laws ban most doctors from selling pain medications out of their offices, and many local governments have placed moratoriums on new pain management clinics.
According to law enforcement officials, many rogue doctors operate out of pain clinics, where people can get large quantities of pain medications and sedatives with little to no medical evaluation or true need for the drugs.
posted in: Florida
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NJ Nurses Train to Coordinate Their Patients’ Care
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
A new crop of nurses is being trained as population care coordinators—nurses who serve as part coach, part health advocate to improve coordinated follow-up and preventive and wellness care.
The program is a collaboration among Horizon Healthcare Innovations (HHI) and its education partners Duke University School of Nursing and Rutgers University College of Nursing.
It’s attracting nurses like Janet Duni, who has been working for the past year as a population care coordinator at Vanguard Medical Group in Verona.
“I manage the most high-risk population in the practice,” she said, those with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. “I reach out to patients who have had a hospital discharge or an emergency room visit, to make sure that they are at home, that they are settled, that their medications are correct. If they need a follow-up appointment with a doctor, I make it.”
Duni, with 30 years experience as a nurse, including in the emergency room and intensive care, began the new 12-week training course in January, a combination of online and face-to face-instruction that focuses on case management using databases, skills Duni will use for the care she coordinates for 5,000 Vanguard patients who are Horizon members.
The training is funded by HHI, a new company launched in 2010 by Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey. “We are creating a new nursing leadership role that will support New Jersey’s primary care doctors and deliver improved care to patients,” said Christy Bell, chief executive of HHI.
Dr. Richard Popiel, president of HHI, said the company has been funding the hiring of population care coordinators since launching a patient-centered medical home pilot program more than a year ago with eight primary-care practices. That pilot was expanded with an additional 15 practices in January, and now involves about 80,000 patients. The curriculum to train more coordinators grew out of the work that has already begun in the medical practices.
“This gives us a great opportunity to formalize the education around what they are going to be doing in these practices,” Popiel said. “This is something nurses have not been taught in traditional nursing schools.”
posted in: New Jersey
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