The Nursing Insider: December 2006
Current News Past News

ANA, ANCC, and ANF Offices Closed for Holidays
12/22/06
The ANA, ANCC, and ANF offices will be closed beginning at 3pm on Friday, December 22 and will reopen at 9am on January 2, 2007.

We wish you all a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year.

ANA Continuing Nursing Education Announcement
12/22/06
Contact Hour Credit Changes to 60 minutes = 1 CH
The American Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC). As required by new ANCC criteria, on January 1, 2007, as of January 1, 2007, ANA will provide 60-minute contact hours and will no longer provide 50-minute contact-hour credit for continuing nursing education. According to ANCC, “This change brings greater consistency with the accreditation processes of other disciplines and increases the understanding and intuitiveness of the awarding of contact hours.” To estimate the number of contact hours for an educational activity, total the minutes of didactic or clinical experience and evaluating the activity and divide by 60. For example, 60 minutes=1 CH, 150 minutes=2.5 CH, etc.

If you need information about re-certification or re-licensure CH requirements, please contact your certification board or state board of nursing. For questions about ANA’s change to a 60-minute contact hour, please e-mail valerie.restifo@ana.org.

231 Designated Magnet Facilities
12/22/06
The Magnet Recognition Program® was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the tradition within nursing of professional nursing practice. These are the facilities that received Magnet Designation in December 2006:

• The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
• Pinnacle Health System, Harrisburg, PA
• Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, Nashua, NH
• Martha Jefferson Hospital, Charlottesville, VA
• Children's Hospital, Omaha, NE
• University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, KS

Last Chance to Take Early Adolescent CE Module for Free
12/21/06
The continuing education module, "Early Adolescent Visit: Accentuating The Positive" will only be free to ANA members through January 2, 2007. The purpose/goal of this independent study module is to help nurses develop skills and knowledge regarding early adolescence and the well child needs of this age group. Adolescent behaviors, visit content, tips, tools, and resources are discussed. ANA Members can still take this module for free when accessed via NursingWorld's Members Only section. If you haven't yet set up your FREE online account, do it now. Link to the Members Only Log-in Page.

ICN New Year Message
12/21/06
On behalf of the Board and staff of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF) we are pleased to send you warm greetings and best wishes for a healthy, peaceful and successful 2007. More...

VA Interprofessional Fellowship Program in Patient Safety
12/20/06
The Office of Academic Affiliations and the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announce a one year fellowship in patient safety. The purpose of the Interprofessional Fellowship Program in Patient Safety is to develop leaders with vision, knowledge, and commitment to lead patient safety efforts in the 21st century. The deadline for application is February 1, 2007 for fellowships beginning July 1, 2007.

For additional information:

• Download flyer [pdf]
• Check VA’s web page at www.va.gov/oaa/specialfellows/programs/SF_patient_safety.asp?p=17 or the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center web page at www.visn8.med.va.gov/patientsafetycenter/
• Contact Dr. Gail Powell-Cope, gail.powell-cope@va.gov or (813) 558-3911.

ANA Statement on the Bulgarian Nurses Death Sentence
12/19/06
The American Nurses Association (ANA) condemns the latest verdict in the trial of the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor in Libya. ANA Statement | INC/WMA Joint Statement | Past Action

Online Genetics Education Opportunity: Non-CE Version
12/19/06
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has posted a free Continuing Education Module for Nurses on Genetics. The module entitled “Genetics is Relevant Now: Nurses' Views and Patients' Stories” was pilot tested with a national nursing audience. More...

New CE on The Legal Basics of Nursing Practice
12/18/06
Legal Basics for Professional Nursing: Nurse Practice Acts is an independent study module presented by The Center for American Nurses. This module includes current information regarding legal implications related to professional nursing. The module will address the regulation of nursing practice, current trends, and workplace issues. The module will also identify the most common complaints to the Boards of Nursing, analyze the role of the State Board in protecting the public, and describe risk management strategies for the professional nurse. Go to the CE Catalog...

NQF’s Endorsed Consensus Standards for Nursing-Sensitive Care
12/15/06
The National Quality Forum (NQF) has been awarded funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to track the implementation of NQF’s endorsed National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Nursing-Sensitive Care. The project is an effort to better understand the challenges, obstacles, successes, and lessons of adopting nursing care quality measures. If you or your organization has implemented—or has considered implementing nursing quality measures—NQF invites you to complete a brief online survey about your perspectives and insights. The survey can be found at www.qualityforum.org/nursing/survey.asp and requires only a few minutes of time to complete. In the event you have questions or comments, please contact Ellen Kurtzman, RN, MPH, Senior Program Director at NQF at ekurtzman@qualityforum.org.

UPDATE on Bulgarian Nurses--Action Needed
12/14/06
The World Medical Association and the International Council of Nurses Plead to Drop Death Sentences against Doctor and Nurses after New Scientific Evidence...

An urgent plea for the death sentence to be dropped against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of deliberately infecting Libyan children with HIV, has come from the representative bodies of the world's physicians and nurses.

The World Medical Association (WMA) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) have sent a joint letter to the African Union, Amnesty International, the Libyan Government, the Council of Europe and Physicians for Human Rights, drawing their attention to new scientific findings casting doubt on the evidence against the accused health professionals.

Now they are urging nurses worldwide to do the same. Help Now...

NACNS 2007 Annual Conference
12/14/06
The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) 2007 Annual Conference, “CNS Outcomes: Ensuring Safety and Quality” is February 28 - March 3, 2007 in Phoenix, AZ.

The NACNS conference offers the opportunity for Clinical Nurse Specialists from all specialties to meet and learn from one another. More...

Feel Good About It - Year End Giving to ANF
12/13/06
It Sparkles! It Shines! The American Nurses Association Board of Directors found the perfect gift for those "hard to shop for" individuals, especially those in the nursing community -- a tax-deductible donation to the American Nurses Foundation - ANF is the charitable and philanthropic arm of ANA supporting ANA and its work to promote the welfare and well-being of nurses, advance the nursing profession, thereby enhancing the health of the public.

At the final meeting of 2006, the ANA Board of Director made a donation of almost $1500 to ANF's Annual Fund in honor of ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, CEO Linda J. Stierle, MSN, RN, CNAA,BC and COO William J. Powers, FACHE. You, too, can make a special gift in honor or in memory of that special someone to ANF - it's easy -- just click the DONATE NOW link! ANF will send a card acknowledging your gift! And, feel good about it!

Are you ready to donate to this worthy cause? Donate NOW!

New Online CE from American Nurse Today
12/12/06
Taking the Pain Out of Patient Handling is the CE article in the December issue of ANA’s new journal, American Nurse Today.

The purpose of this new independent study is to provide registered nurses with an overview of safe patient handling, including organizational and professional cultural influences, assessment of patient handling needs, use of assistive equipment and devices, and essential elements of a safe patient-handling program. Authors: Jan DuBose, RN, is Director of Education for Liko, Inc., in Franklin, Mass. Terry Donahue, BSN, RN, COHN-S/CM, is President of Safe Patient Moves, Inc., in Sharon, Mass.

Go to Online CE journal catalog...

ANA Quadrennial Policy Conference Call for Poster Abstracts
12/11/06
Nursing Care in Life, Death and Disaster
The American Nurses Association is hosting its inaugural quadrennial policy conference, Nursing Care in Life, Death and Disaster, scheduled for June 20-22, 2007, in Atlanta, Georgia. This major policy conference is dedicated to considering the significant health and disaster preparedness questions related to an altered standard of care that can result from a major natural or manmade disaster.

ANA is now accepting Poster Abstracts that will be considered for inclusion in the important conference. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2007. To submit an abstract, go to http://ana.confex.com/ana/qpc07/cfp.cgi

To receive information about the Conference, email meetings@ana.org and we will forward it to you as it becomes available.

WMA AND ICN Plead to Drop Death Sentences Against Doctor and Nurses After New Scientific Evidence
12/11/06
An urgent plea for the death sentence to be dropped against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, accused of deliberately infecting Libyan children with HIV, has come from the representative bodies of the world's physicians and nurses.

The World Medical Association (WMA) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) have sent a joint letter to the African Union, Amnesty International, the Libyan Government, the Council of Europe and Physicians for Human Rights drawing their attention to new scientific findings casting doubt on the evidence against the accused health professionals. More...

Ethical Considerations Top of Mind at Guantanamo Bay
12/08/06
ANA’s President was part of a VIP tour of detainee facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) recently, and the first visitor representing a nursing organization. In considering the trip that laid ahead, Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, had to confront her own biases and then put them aside, she said. "A key process in my preparation was to identify my own beliefs and thoughts about the detention of individuals in this situation and then to suspend them for the duration of the trip so I could have an open mind, and thus, a better understanding of the experience of nurses who are working at GTMO."

She sought answers throughout the trip, wondering how military nurses handled the highly-charged ethical and emotional issues the assignment includes. "In keeping with the patient's right to self-determination expressed in our Code of Ethics, I wondered whether nurses are able to resolve conflicts of patients' choices—like hunger-strikes--in ways that ensure their safety." Additionally, the Code of Ethics affirms that "Patients have the moral and legal right to determine what will be done with their own person; to accept, refuse, or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress, coercion or penalty."

ANA’s 2005 House of Delegates passed a resolution confirming its belief that prisoners and detainees have the right to health care and humane treatment.

Patton has written an editorial about her trip for her monthly column in American Nurse Today, which will appear in the February 2007 issue. We will also feature a story in an upcoming issue of The American Nurse.

Injuries Cost Hospitals $20 Billion
12/07/06
As reported in the 11/29/06 AHRQ News & Numbers...
U.S. hospitals spend roughly $20 billion to treat the nearly 2 million Americans injured seriously enough each year to require inpatient care, according to a new report by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medicare and Medicaid are billed for almost half of all injury cases, and more than 12 percent of hospital stays of injured patients are uninsured. More...

For a listing of more than 100 News and Numbers features go to: www.ahrq.gov/news/newsnumix.htm

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Announces John Dystel Nursing Fellowship in MS
12/06/06
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is pleased to offer a nursing fellowship designed to train a registered nurse in specialized Multiple Sclerosis nursing care. Working alongside an MS nurse specialist in an MS clinical setting, the fellow will acquire the necessary experience to become a key contributor to the MS clinical community. Completed applications, including all required supporting documents, must be received at the Society by February 12, 2007. The fellowship will begin June 4, 2007. More...

ICN Launches a New Centre Specializing in the Nursing Workforce
12/05/06
The International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing (ICHRN) was launched November 27, 2006 in Geneva by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and its premier foundation, the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF). The Centre is an innovative initiative aimed at informing policy-making and building capacity in the areas of nursing human resources planning, management and development. More...

FDA Announces A Public Meeting on Improving Patient Safety
12/05/06
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public meeting on improving patient safety by enhancing the container labeling for parenteral infusion drug products. This will be a 1-day workshop involving FDA staff and representatives of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). The purpose of the meeting is to explore how labels on intravenous (IV) drug products could be designed to minimize medication errors. Design issues include placement, style and type of information, the need for standard expression of strength, quantity of information, and use of color on the label.

The public meeting will be held on January 11, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium, National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus, 9000 Rockville Pike, bldg. 38A, Bethesda, MD 20815, 301-496-4441. For directions and visitor information go to the NIH Visitor Center.

New Survey on Conflict Resolution
12/04/06
The Center for American Nurses Conflict Resolution Advisory Group is interested in learning about the types of conflict that nurses experience in the workplace. This information will assist the Center in developing programs and services that will assist nurses in managing and resolving the conflict. Take the survey...

Association of Nurses in AIDS Care and ANA Co-Publish New Scope and Standards of Practice on HIV/AIDS Nursing
12/01/06
Nursesbooks.org as just released a timely, new scope and standards on this growing epidemic. The practice of HIV/AIDS nursing encompasses a continuum of care from prevention through diagnosis and treatment to end-of-life/palliative care of the person living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice articulates the essentials of this nursing specialty, its activities and accountabilities at all practice levels and settings. More... Go to bookstore...

Letter from CDC Director Julie Gerberding to Health Care Providers
12/01/06
In honor of National Influenza Vaccination Week, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Jule Louise Gerberding (M.D., M.P.H) issued a letter encouraging health care providers to raise awareness in the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as encouraging more health care professionals to receive the vaccine.

Read CDC Director Gerbering's letter: www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/gerberding_letter_21nov06.pdf.