Although the number of medical errors probably aren’t actually increasing, the number of reported errors has risen. In the past, clinicians, including nurses, could face an immediate suspension or firing for a medical error. After a 1999 study in which the Institute of Medicine reported that approximately 100,000 people per year died due to complications […]
In Dayton, Ohio, the nursing shortage has evaporated — at least for the time being. One hospital in Dayton recently has been telling nurses to stay home rather than come in for scheduled shifts. Some of the nurses at this hospital lost up to a third of their regularly scheduled hours during the holidays, according […]
The New York Times has an article about how nursing school students are likely to reach for their smart phones when asked about a drug interaction. They don’t need to memorize this stuff anymore — they can just go ahead and look it up at a moment’s notice. Educators say that it’s not that the […]
An organization is helping foreign nurses get certification quickly so they can begin to practice in Canada. The organization, called the CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, has been around for about a decade. Even nurses who have had a complete education and plenty of experience have had to start four-year training programs all over […]
When asked what an ambulatory care nurse does, many nurses aren’t aware that such a specialty exists. What may be labeled as simply a nurse that used to work in a hospital, but who left to work in a doctor’s office, is an actual specialty in nursing practice. Ambulatory nursing has a professional society (the […]
This article in Health Leaders Media has an interesting perspective from hospitals regarding controlling nurse labor costs. It lays out a three-pronged approach to reduce personnel costs for nurses; a new approach to nurse overtime, use of supplemental labor such as from nursing agencies or from an in-house nursing pool, and focusing on retention efforts […]
Electronic Health Records are somewhat controversial — some people think they’re a great idea, some people really don’t. Evidence is starting to come in regarding whether they make a difference, and the news seems to be pretty good. Nurse.com has an article explaining a new study out of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, […]
A new regulation went into effect January 1st, 2012, setting industry-wide standards for electronic funds transfers in healthcare, as required by the Affordable Care Act. It will reduce up to $4.5 billion over the next 10 years in administrative costs, according to estimates published yesterday by the US. Department of Health and Human Services. An […]
“The New Old Age,” a New York Times blog, discusses a study that shows that staffers at non-profit nursing homes are happier than their counterparts at for-profit nursing homes. This is in keeping with many other studies that have shown that nonprofits do a better job of caring for patients. It makes sense that staff […]
When researchers took a look at the number of new students entering nursing school, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that the nursing shortage may not be as bad as they once predicted it would be when the baby boomer nurses begin to retire or leave the profession. Dr. David I. Auerbach conducted the study […]
