The Nursing Insider: July 2007
Current News Past News

ANA Redesigns Web Site
07/31/07
The American Nurses Association (ANA) will soon launch its new and improved Web site, www.NursingWorld.org. It is being totally redesigned with a completely new information architecture and a robust search engine which improves site navigation and usability. It will have all the rich professional nursing content you have come to rely on, but with an updated and modern look that will make it easier to find what you seek. It will all be there, whether you are looking for continuing education, want to take action on Capitol Hill, purchase the latest Scope and Standards of Practice, view the latest nursing news or link to your state nurses association. The new homepage will feature a central element that highlights the work of ANA to members and other constituents.

The new site is built with ANA’s members in mind. Members who login to the special Members Only section will be able to access the exclusive ANA publications archive, access free CE and the CINAHL database, view daily headlines from the ANA SmartBrief (as well as a link to subscribe to this new daily e-newsletter), view a new section that features individual members of ANA and coming soon—access to the latest topic of OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.

The new NursingWorld will continue to evolve over time with features that will make your Web experience even more rewarding. Please Stay Tuned...

ANA Supports SCHIP Renewal
07/31/07
Diverse National Leadership Organizations Join to Call for Renewal of State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)...
Demonstrating broad public support for ensuring that children in low-income families have access to health coverage, nearly nine in ten registered voters voice support for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). ANA joins with a diverse group of organizations to call for the renewal of SCHIP. More...

Healthcare Organizations Announce 2007-2008 Nurse Scholar-in-Residence Program Award
07/30/07
The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) and the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) have appointed their 2007-2008 ANF/AAN Institute of Medicine (IOM) scholar.

Carolyn A. Williams, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor of nursing at the University of Kentucky, will spend a year at the Institute of Medicine advancing the role of nursing in health policy. Read Press Release

American Nurses Association Releases Newly Revised Scope and Standards for Nurses in Hospice and Palliative Care
07/27/07
Hospice and Palliative Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, the latest addition to ANA’s library of nursing specialty publications, reflects the immense changes in hospice and palliative care since the last edition in 2002.  Again, co-published with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, the book details nursing’s leading edge in a critical healthcare arena. Read Press Release...

Wicker Amendment Withheld from Legislation - Victory for the Health and Safety of Nurses
07/26/07
The House of Representatives wrapped up debate on the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill late Thursday night, July 19, 2007.

Realizing that he did not have the support needed to win, Representative Roger Wicker (R-MS) opted to withhold his amendment. The Wicker Amendment would have made it impossible for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require fit-testing of respirators used to protect nurses from infectious diseases. These respirators are used to stop the transmission of airborne biohazards such as avian flu, SARS, anthrax, and TB.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) would like to thank those who took the time to explain the importance of aggressive infection control to their Members of Congress. This victory would not have been possible without your action. Your e-mails and calls in opposition to the Wicker amendment worked.

This is the significant step forward in making sure that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration renews annual fit-testing of respirators used in health care settings.

The next step is the Senate. There is a chance that this issue could re-emerge during the Senate debate on this bill. ANA will monitor activity, and alert you if further action is required.

Thanks again for helping us gain this victory for nurses.

Medics Freed in Libya HIV Scandal Arrive Home
07/26/07
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who had been imprisoned for 8 years in Libya arrived to a hero's welcome Tuesday after being released from life sentences for allegedly contaminating children with the AIDS virus.

Shortly after their arrival, Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin announced that President Georgi Parvanov had signed a decree to pardon the medics, who arrived on a plane with French first lady Cecilia Sarkozy and the EU's commissioner for foreign affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

From the airport, the medics were whisked to a government residence in the capital, where they will spend the next few days with their relatives and away from the intense media coverage of their release. For several years, ANA, as part of the international nursing community, had urged the United States government to intervene on behalf of the health care workers. Additionally, ANA had asked nurses to participate in a “call to action” in support of a joint statement by the International Council of Nurses and World Medical Association requesting Libyan authorities to drop the death sentences against the medics falsely imprisoned.

Libya had accused the six of deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS; 50 of the children died. The medics, jailed since 1999 with most of those years passed under a death sentence, deny knowingly infecting the children and say their confessions were extracted under torture.

During the court proceedings, several independent reports by respected international experts determined that the children were infected prior to the arrival of the Bulgarian health workers in Libya. Libya’s poor health conditions were long-standing before the Bulgarian team’s arrival.

The six originally had been sentenced to death, but that was later commuted to life in prison.

The deal for the medics' release included measures to improve the medical care of children with AIDS in Libya, the French presidential palace said, without giving details.

Libya's foreign minister said that Libya and the European Union agreed to develop a "full partnership" after the release of the medical workers, with the Europeans promising a package of aid to develop Libyan hospitals and other infrastructure.

Doctor Not Indicted in Post-Katrina Patient Deaths
07/26/07
A grand jury refused on Tuesday to indict Dr. Anna Pou accused of murdering four seriously ill hospital patients with drug injections during the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, closing the books on the only mercy-killing case to emerge from the storm.

ANA is very supportive of the nurses who stayed and cared for patients during and after hurricane Katrina, as well as nurses who supported these efforts in other ways.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a joint statement last week urging criminal prosecution not take place against the doctor. During any disaster, health care providers – doctors, nurses and others – must work together to make the best decisions that they can given available resources.

Pou and two nurses were arrested last summer after Attorney General Charles Foti's investigation concluded they killed four patients with a "lethal cocktail" at Memorial Medical Center amid the chaotic conditions that followed Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Anna Pou acknowledged administering medication to the patients but insisted she did so only to relieve pain.

Last week, a group of doctors and nurses held a rally on the anniversary of Pou's arrest, and hundreds of people turned out to show support.

ANCC & Cerner Corporation Partner to Sponsor the Magnet Prize™
07/25/07
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and Cerner Corp., a leading supplier of healthcare information technology, today [July 23, 2007] announced a new co-sponsorship of The Magnet Prize™, which recognizes cutting-edge nursing programs and practices in ANCC Magnet-recognized organizations. Read ANCC Press Release...

Petition Against Drive Through Mastectomies
07/24/07
Lifetime TV is sending a petition to Congress about the "drive through" mastectomy issue for women. In January 2007, Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) reintroduced the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (S.459/H.R.758). The bill would allow a woman and her doctor to decide whether she should recuperate for at least 48 hours in the hospital or whether she has enough support to get quality care at home following this emotionally and physically difficult surgery. Sign the online petition supported by Lifetime TV about ending the drive-through Mastectomy, which is part of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 at: www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Death Sentences Dropped Against Bulgarian Nurses
07/23/07
In the latest judicial action, a Libyan official commuted the death sentences of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian physician to life in prison. The six health care workers have been imprisoned since 1999 after being convicted of infecting more than 400 Libyan children with the AIDS virus. ANA has long recognized the pain of the children and their families, as well as the need to mobilize resources for treatment. However, ANA has considered the conviction of these professionals as a grave miscarriage of justice.

Call for Nominations for the ANA National Awards Program
07/20/07
The ANA Committee on Honorary Awards is accepting nominations for the ANA National Awards Program, which recognizes nurses who have made significant contributions to the profession of nursing. ANA will bestow 14 national awards on the recipients at a ceremony at the 2008 House of Delegates in Washington, D.C.

The deadline for receipt of all completed nominee packets by the ANA Committee on Honorary Awards is September 14, 2007.

The award descriptions, criteria and forms are available on at: www.nursingworld.org/awards/.

Popular Army Nurse is the First Killed in Combat Since Vietnam
07/19/07
A nurse who worked at a combat support hospital in Iraq was killed in July, making her the first Army nurse casualty of the war.

Throughout our country’s history, nurses have often been called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Nurses have a proud history of providing nursing care and leadership in the military. U.S. Army Capt. Maria I. Ortiz, 40, born in Pennsauken, NJ, and raised in Puerto Rico, died July 10 after suffering injuries from a mortar attack in Baghdad’s “Green Zone,” according to published reports. Prior to volunteering for duty in the combat zone, Ortiz served at an Army health clinic at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. She also had been stationed at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, and in Puerto Rico.

Ortiz will be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in a special ceremony honoring her service. Additionally, media reports said officials are considering naming a part of the new Walter Reed Medical Center honoring her and other nurses’ contributions in combat zones.

ANA and the AMA Issue a Joint Statement on Criminalizing Medical Decisions
07/19/07
The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) continue to be very concerned about criminalizing decisions about patient care especially those made during the chaotic aftermath of a disaster, when medical personnel and supplies are severely compromised. During any disaster, health care providers - doctors, nurses and others - must work together to make the best decisions that they can given available resources. Read Press Release...

ANA Response to Google Health Advisory Panel
07/18/07
Google has recently established a Health Advisory Council to help corporations, and staff to better understand the problems and opportunities associated with the delivery of healthcare services and health-related information. While ANA applauds their intentions and their efforts in assembling this esteemed panel, Google has failed to include a single registered nurse. Given that nurses represent the largest healthcare provider constituency most often involved in healthcare consumer education, ANA believes this oversight may ultimately hinder their efforts. ANA encourages nurses to go to http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-advisory-group-on-health.html to urge that nurses be included on the panel to help Google achieve a better understanding of the problems consumers and healthcare providers face every day.

End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium Courses Available
07/17/07
The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project is a national education initiative to improve end-of-life care in the United States. The project provides undergraduate and graduate nursing faculty, CE providers, staff development educators, specialty nurses in pediatrics, oncology, critical care and geriatrics, and other nurses with training in end-of-life care so they can teach this essential information to nursing students and practicing nurses.

Remaining ELNEC Courses in 2007:

• August 1-3: ELNEC Pediatric Palliative Care, Anaheim, CA
• September 12-14: ELNEC-Geriatrics, Pasadena, CA
• October 17-19: ELNEC-Super Core, Washington, DC
• November 7-9: ELNEC-Critical Care, Pasadena, CA

ANA and the International Centre Nurse Migration Co-sponsor Conference
07/16/07
Internationally Recruited Nurses: Creating Positive Practice Environments
August 5-7, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
Understand the immigration process and strategies that create a positive work environment for internationally recruited nurses. This conference is co-sponsored by the American Nurses Association and the International Centre Nurse Migration.

Explore legal and regulatory processes for recruitment and utilization of foreign educated nurses in the U.S.

• Describe positive work environment strategies
• Discuss positive methods to integrate internationally recruited nurses into work and the health care team
• Enjoy networking opportunities and in-depth discussions with speakers and other attendees

Call for Abstracts - NDNQI^® National Data Use Conference
07/13/07
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is hosting the 2^nd annual National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators^® (NDNQI^®) national data use conference on January 30-February 1, 2008 at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando^®, A Loews Hotel- Orlando, FL. The theme for this year's conference is Workforce Engagement in Using Data to Improve Outcomes.

Abstracts are now being sought for presentations or posters. The deadline for abstract submission is Monday, July 23, 2007 at 11:59pm (EST). More...

Nelson Named Chief Programs Officer for ANA
07/12/07
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is pleased to announce Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Nelson, PhD, RN has been named Chief Programs Officer (CPO). As CPO, Dr. Nelson is responsible for ANA's programmatic and content areas including ethics and human rights, nursing practice and policy, government relations, occupational and environmental health and continuing education programs. Read Press Release...

Tell Your Representative to Support Respiratory Protections for Nurses!
07/12/07
House Scheduled to Vote July 17 – TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Contact your Member of the House of Representatives TODAY! Tell them to oppose the Wicker amendment to the FY 2008 Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Act. The Wicker amendment - named for Representative Roger Wicker (R-MS) - bans the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from requiring health care facilities to conduct annual fit-testing of respirators used by nurses. This ban seriously undermines the effectiveness of these respirators and needlessly places America’s nurses at increased risk for contracting and transmitting infectious diseases such as M. tuberculosis (TB), smallpox, SARS, and avian flu.

OSHA normally requires that these respirators be fit-tested annually, and this requirement is backed up by research conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Institute of Medicine. The fit-test is needed to ensure that the respirator has a proper face seal, as factors such as weight changes, facial hair, and dental work are known to cause the respirators to fail. OSHA studies have shown that without annual fit-testing, as many as 50 percent of respirators fail to work properly. Conversely, annual testing reduces exposure to airborne biohazards by an average of 27 percent.

The CDC, WHO, and OSHA have issued guidelines endorsing the use of respirators that are fit-tested annually for protection against avian flu – but, these guidelines are not enforceable. Only the OSHA standard is enforceable. Therefore, the Wicker amendment seriously compromises the only current, enforced regulation that requires health care facilities to provide nurses with the tools they need to protect themselves during an infectious disease outbreak.

The Canadian SARS experience proves that fit-testing must occur before an infectious disease outbreak. Dozens of Canadian nurses were infected with SARS, even though they thought that they were protected by their respirators. One nurse wearing an ill-fitting respirator died from the disease. These infections could have been prevented by the very fit-testing that Rep. Wicker opposes. The Wicker amendment has been added to the last three health appropriations bills. Therefore, many nurses have not been fit-tested for a number of years. This issue leaves our hospitals and nurses in a precarious state of being unprepared.

ANA NEEDS YOU TO:

1. Log on to the ANA Government Affairs website http://rnaction.org/campaign/wicker_rider_july_2007 to access background materials and a sample letter that you can personalize and e-mail to Congress.
2. If you can’t email, contact your Representative by phone using the U.S Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
3. Spread the word!!! Ask friends and colleagues to contact their U.S. Representative as well.

Final action on this bill is expected to occur on July 17.
Tell them that now is not the time to weaken infection control in health care settings!
Make Your Voice Heard TODAY!

Giving Nurses a Voice: A Town Hall Meeting in the Greater Baltimore Area on the Vision of Future Care Delivery
07/11/07
The American Nurses Association and Intel's Digital Health Group are hosting a Town Hall Meeting on July 18, 11am - 1:00pm. The Town Hall Meeting will provide a unique opportunity for nurses in the Baltimore area to engage in an open dialogue with nurse leaders from across the healthcare spectrum. The discussion will focus on the challenges of the profession today and vision of future care delivery utilizing information technology solutions using an interactive format, nurses in the community will have the opportunity to talk about these challenges and solutions.

Nurse leaders from public health; academia and the clinical environment will talk about what is being done, with particular regard to health information technology to help enable nurse to do their jobs better and with more satisfaction.

For More Information download the Town Hall Flyer or contact Carol Bickford at carol.bickford@ana.org or Mary Jean Schumann at MaryJean.Schumann@ana.org.

ANA Defends the High Standard of Care Advanced Practice Nurses Provide in Retail Based Clinics
07/10/07
The American Nurses Association (ANA) reaffirms its long-standing support for advanced practice nurses to serve as independent providers of health care services, particularly in retail clinics. Recently, the American Medical Association (AMA) called for investigations of ‘potential conflicts of interest posed by joint ventures between store-based health clinics and pharmacy chains’ as it relates to ‘patients’ welfare and risk’. ANA believes nurse practitioners are a critical component to the health care delivery system and opposes any action that creates barriers to their practice or denigrates the standard of care they provide. Read Press Release...

American Nurse Today CE Module Recommends Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest
07/09/07
The latest issue of American Nurse Today features the CE module, Keeping Cardiac Arrest Patients Alive with Therapeutic Hypothermia. Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest are dismal. In 2004, survival rates to hospital discharge were 8.4% for all cardiac arrests and 17.7% for ventricular-arrhythmia cardiac arrests. In December 2005, to improve survival rates, the American Heart Association (AHA) published resuscitation recommendations for using mild hypothermia. These recommendations apply when an unconscious adult has spontaneous circulation after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the initial rhythm is ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT). Cooling may also be beneficial for other arrhythmias and in-hospital cardiac arrests.

Go to the CE catalog...

New ANA Member Discount- Lands’ End Business Outfitters
07/03/07
Introducing an exciting new partnership!
It's Lands' End Business Outfitters privilege to be outfitting members of the American Nurses Association. We look forward to providing quality logo'd apparel and extraordinary customer service. Members will save 10% and there’s NO MINIMUM to buy! Call 800.864.2896 or visit http://ces.landsend.com/ANA to place your order.

Parade Magazine Issues Apology for Including Nurses in “No College Degree Requried” Article
07/02/07
ANA would like to express its appreciation for the nurses who contacted ANA and Parade Magazine to express their outrage at the inclusion of nurses in the April 15th article, “The Hottest Jobs: No College Degree Required”. Due to the significant response from nurses everywhere, the editors of Parade Magazine were compelled to issue an apology and remove registered nurses from the piece. Read Press Release...

ANCC Magnet Designation - June 2007
07/02/07
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. The following are the facilities that received Magnet Designation in June 2007:

• Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, Dallas, TX
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Hutt Valley District Health Board, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

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