2/28/03
On Feb. 27, Jerome Hauer, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Department of Health and Human Services and Alex Azar, II, General Counsel, met with ANA leaders at our headquarters to provide some information about the administration's proposed legislative plan to address concerns about the smallpox immunization plan. ANA is currently evaluating the limited information that was provided about the administration's proposal.

This meeting followed a Feb. 20 meeting between ANA, Hauer and Joseph Henderson, Associate Director of Terrorist Preparedness & Emergency Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ANA asked for this meeting following a letter it sent to President Bush on Jan. 16 seeking specific answers regarding compensation to workers who suffer effects or injury from the vaccination, protection from job discrimination for those workers who refuse to be vaccinated and the availability and use of safe bifurcated needles.

2/28/03
Marion Schumaker, a supervising nurse at the Greenwood Health Center nursing home in Hartford, CT, has been hailed by officials for having rescued patients from a fire that killed 10 people and injured 23 in a deadly fire on Wednesday, February 26.

A veteran nurse who had worked as an emergency technician in Tarrytown, N.Y., was in charge of a staff of 11 that evening. Witnesses recall her pulling patients from the fire despite burns on her hands. "She was a hero -- she didn't want to leave," Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Nolan said.

2/27/03
Time to register AND submit your poster abstract for the Omaha System International Conference: A Key to Practice, Documentation, and Information Management. The preconference day is April 24, 2003; speakers, poster presenters, and exhibitors are scheduled for April 24-26, 2003.

2/26/03
A study of long-term, low-dose warfarin to prevent the recurrence of the blood clotting disorders deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism resulted in such a high degree of benefit to the patients - without significant adverse effects - that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped the study early.

2/25/03
During 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its User Liaison Program (ULP), will sponsor a series of five free Web-assisted audio conference calls designed to share the latest health services research findings, promising practices, and other important information about Bioterrorism with state and local health officials and key health systems decision-makers.

Due to the major snowstorm, the first call - "Addressing the Smallpox Threat: Issues, Strategies, and Tools" - has been rescheduled and will take place Monday, March 3 from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

2/24/03
The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would address many unresolved issues surrounding President Bush's plan to vaccinate 500,000 health care workers against smallpox.

The bill, the Smallpox Vaccine and Compensation and Safety Act (H.R. 865), introduced Feb. 12 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) with original co-sponsors Reps. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Lois Capps (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA), would offer education, medical screening and surveillance to health care workers who volunteer for the smallpox vaccine. In addition, the legislation would provide medical care and a no-fault compensation fund for anyone harmed by the vaccine. Assistance would be administered through state grants.

Meantime, the Bush Administration also said it is finalizing a proposal to extend compensation to volunteers who experience adverse effects following smallpox vaccinations. The coverage may also extend to volunteers' families and patients who are exposed to the vaccine. In addition, the Administration is expected to add provisions further protecting vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits. A similar proposal is being considered in the Senate but a bipartisan agreement has not yet been reached.

2/21/03
A report funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation entitled "Bridging the Health Coverage Gap" outlines state budgets and cost-containment strategies; state approaches to preserving coverage; state efforts to lower drug costs; insurance market reforms and state planning and demonstration efforts.

2/14/03
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) -- a nationally recognized accrediting agency for baccalaureate and graduate-degree programs in nursing -- has appointed a committee to review the existing standards used in the accreditation process. CCNE is conducting a survey to determine whether CCNE's Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education Programs should require that nursing programs use particular sets of national professional nursing standards and guidelines.

The survey is designed to solicit feedback regarding three distinct sets of professional nursing standards and guidelines: The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (1998) and The Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (1996), both published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing; and the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (2002), developed by the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education.

2/12/03
Boston College, with a grant from NIA, will host a conference on End of Life issues on March 17-18, 2003, in Boston. Conference speakers include ethicists and gerontologists.

Topics to be discussed are:

• End of Life Care: Does Age Matter?
• What are the legal aspects of end of life decision making?
• How should the next generation of health care professionals be educated so that they can know when their goal is to heal and when it is to facilitate a peaceful end of life?
• How can clinicians with diverse backgrounds and training collaborate with one another to care for patients at the end of life?
• How should the needs of patients and family members be accommodated at the end of life?
• What roles do religiosity and spirituality play at the end of life?

2/11/03
A doctoral candidate at New York University is currently conducting research on the career transitioning experiences of registered nurses who have for-profit sector experience. Study participants will receive $25.00. Specifically, she is seeking nurses who:

• Have been in their current job for at least a year but no more than two years
• Did not significantly change job responsibilities when they moved
• Made one of these types of transitions:
  • Moved from a for-profit hospital to a not-for-profit hospital or government-run hospital
  • Moved from a for-profit nursing home to a not-for-profit nursing home or government-run nursing home
  • Moved from a for-profit hospital to another for-profit hospital
  • Moved from a for-profit nursing home to a for-profit nursing home
  • Moved from a for-profit HMO to another for-profit HMO
  • Moved from a doctor's office to another doctor's office

2/10/03
Register to attend the 8th International Congress in Nursing Informatics being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20-25, 2003.

This 8th Congress, "E-Health for All," offers over 300 papers. It provides an excellent opportunity to share the latest information on standards and nursing terminologies, review electronic applications and poster presentations, and visit exhibitors from around the world focusing on E-Health for All.

2/07/03
The 51st Annual National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Convention takes place in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center, April 23-27, 2003. The convention theme is "Nursing: The Hottest Profession You'll Ever Love," and the program includes a variety of cutting-edge plenary and focus sessions and workshops, as well as the annual meeting of the House of Delegates.

2/06/03
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently posted a one-page "Refusal to Vaccinate" form on its web site. The AAP web site states that the form is intended for health care providers who "decide it is in their best interest to formally document a parent's refusal to accept vaccination for a minor child."

A portion of the explanatory text describes why a health professional might consider using the form: "All parents and patients should be informed about the risks and benefits of preventive and therapeutic procedures, including vaccination. In the case of vaccination, federal law mandates this discussion. Despite the health care provider's best efforts to explain its importance, some families may refuse one or more vaccinations for their children. The use of this or a similar form may in some instances induce a wavering parent to accept your recommendations because it emphasizes the importance you place on being appropriately immunized."

2/03/03
On December 20, 2002, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) issued a memorandum to its Regional Directors to clarify the requirement for a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to have the foreign educated nurses eligibility considered for a schedule A labor certification. Schedule A is a list of shortage occupations within the U.S. and allows for expedited review of individuals seeking to enter the U.S. within these professions. The only two occupations on this list are Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists.

Nursing has been on the Schedule A list for over two decades. This guidance will allow for the SSN requirement to have been met with the presentation by the applicant of a certified letter from the state of intended employment which confirms that the applicant has passed the NCLEX-RN. This guidance is directed only to the requirements for a nurse to become eligible for a Schedule A Labor Certification. This guidance makes NO change in the requirements for an immigrant visa. Foreign educated nurses must still present a "VisaScreen" certificate from CGFNS certifying the review of education to ensure comparability with U.S. nursing curriculum; English proficiency testing; and a check of the nurse's home country licensure to ensure that it is valid and unencumbered. Because the applicant has already passed the NCLEX-RN, he/she may not be subject to the CGFNS' predictor exam.