Tsunami Relief Effort Supports Nursing Programs
7/29/05
The International Consulting Institute for Nursing (ICIN) reports that another 20 foot shipping container "packed to the rim" with donated medical supplies, equipment, nursing textbooks and teaching supplies will arrive in India July 30, and will be redistributed to pre-screened nursing program sites in Sri Lanka in August. In addition, the United States Air Force is sending 1,000 pounds of textbooks and teaching supplies to India and another 1,000 pounds to Sri Lanka. Both efforts are part of the Nursing Program Tsunami Project.
These latest shipments are expected to meet the needs of area schools of nursing and associated hospital clinical rotation sites for incoming nursing students in the fall, reports ICIN President and Founder Rabi`a Graney, PhD, RN.
"Since the inception of the Nursing Program Tsunami Project in January, we have been committed to establishing two nursing resource centers (in India and Sri Lanka), and I am happy to announce that with the July shipments we will have reached that goal," she said.
In other tsunami-related news, the India Society of Health Administrators (ISHA) in Bangalore will hold a national workshop on disaster planning, emergency treatment and triage science in July. The workshop will rely on materials donated by both Harvard University Press and the Emergency Nurses Association (New York State chapter) as part of the Nursing Program Tsunami Project.
Nurses interested in volunteering in the Program Tsunami Project are encouraged to contact Graney at 914-262-7861 or RabiaGraney@aol.com. However, because this is an unfunded humanitarian project, Graney reminds nurses that any travel would be at their own expense. In addition, ICIN continues to accept sponsors to offset shipping and travel costs; such sponsorships have made it possible for nurses to continue to study and practice in the tsunami-affected areas.
ALERT: Act Now to Urge Congress to Support APRNs in Medicaid Reform
7/28/05
Urge your members of Congress to include the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act (H.R. 2716) in Medicaid reconciliation legislation. H.R. 2716 changes federal Medicaid law to improve the recognition of health care services provided by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). This legislation will increase access to essential health care services while helping to control Medicaid spending.
Contact your Members of Congress
Reach them by phone using the U.S Capitol Switchboard at 202/224-3121 or e-mail them by going to http://vocusgr.vocus.com/grconvert1/webpub/ana/ProfileIssue.asp?
IssueID=2913|JOINT&XSL=ProfileIssue&hidLegislatorIDs=
Final action on the Medicaid reconciliation bill will occur in September. Please make your voice heard before then!
Appropriate Staffing Site Now Updated
7/28/05
NursingWorld's Appropriate Staffing site has now been updated and includes new resources on this vital topic.
Visit the site at www.nursingworld.org/staffing
Joint Commission Issues Alert: Mixups in Administering Chemotherapy Drug
Lead to Deaths
7/28/05
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) reports that patients undergoing chemotherapy to fight leukemia and lymphoma are sometimes being accidentally injected with a powerful cancer-fighting drug (vincristine) in an incorrect way that results in death or permanent paralysis. Read more at www.jcaho.org/news+room/news+release+archives/sea34_nr.htm.
New CE: Nurse's Role in Promoting a Culture of Patient Safety
7/27/05
The true roots of medical errors are found in the combination of workplace environment and in interaction among health care providers. Learn how nurses can help change organizational culture to promote an environment of patient safety by decreasing medical errors. More...
ANA Releases Two Revised Standards on Faith Community Nursing and School Nursing
7/27/05
Nursesbooks.org, the publishing program of the American Nurses Association has revised two popular standards with the Health Ministries Association and the American Association of School Nurses. More...
Responsible Sexual Activity in Adolescents: The Role of Nursing
7/26/05
"Responsible sexual behavior" is an important Healthy People 2010 target and an area where nurses can impact our future public health. Nurses interact daily with teens and/or parent figures and are positioned to offer accurate information and positive decision making. Nurses can assist teens in making healthy and positive decisions by listening and responding in a non-judgmental, supportive manner.
To help nurses help teens, the American Nurses Foundation of the American Nurses Association works with a federally funded program entitled, Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH).
Visit www.nursingworld.org/mods/mod744/sexadofull.htm#overview to take the on-line continuing education about this important topic.
For more information contact the PIPPAH Project Director:
Susan Terwilliger, MS, RNCS, PNP
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 607-777-6252; Fax: 607-565-7478
E-mail: jfolee@aol.com
Draft Legal Nurse Consulting Scope and Standards of Practice
7/25/05
The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) and ANA invite your comments about the draft "Legal Nurse Consulting: Scope and Standards of Practice" available at http://www.nursingworld.org/practice. Please submit your responses electronically by the closing date of September 2, 2005 to yhumes@ana.org or cbickfor@ana.org. Thank you for your thoughtful assessment and recommendations.
Federal Government Announces Effort to Help People Recover from Mental
Illness
7/25/05
The federal government is aligning resources in an unprecedented collaborative effort to help ensure that people with mental illness have every opportunity for recovery. Six cabinet level departments - Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration have detailed 70 specific steps in a mental health action agenda released today. For more information, go to: www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/050722_ActionAgenda.htm
Free ACE Inhibitors for Seniors With Diabetes Would Save Money for Medicare, Study Says
7/22/05
According to a new University of Michigan Health System study, if Medicare made a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors available at no cost to senior citizens over 65 who have diabetes, it would ultimately provide significant savings for the Medicare system and improve health for many seniors by preventing heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. ACE inhibitors have been shown to slow the damage to the kidneys that is often experienced by people with diabetes, and prevent them from entering end-stage renal failure (ESRD) in which the kidneys essentially shut down resulting in the need for dialysis. ACE inhibitors have also been shown to cut the extra-high risk of heart attacks and strokes faced by people with diabetes
Read more on study at www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/uomh-asm071305.php.
CDC Releases Extensive Survey of Americans' Exposure to Environmental Chemicals
7/22/05
The Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, released July 21 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows a significant decline in exposure to secondhand smoke and continued decreases in children's blood lead levels. The report also suggests the need for more research into health effects of exposure to low levels of cadmium. For more information go to www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050721.htm.
Nursing Issues, Trends, and Career Opportunities Highlight NSNA’s 23rd Annual Midyear Conference
7/21/05
The National Student Nurses' Association's (NSNA) 23rd Annual Midyear Conference, known as its "Career Planning Conference," takes place November 10-13, 2005, in Louisville, KY.
It will offer nursing students a unique opportunity to hear nationally-known speakers discuss trends and issues relevant to nursing today, and offers a broad selection of activities, including workshops, panels, exhibits, and an NCLEX® Review, to help prepare them for careers as professional nurses.
Pam Hagan, MSN, RN, Chief Program Officer, American Nurses Association, will participate as speaker in the New Directions in Nursing Panel, an interactive dialogue with the audience about the latest trends and issues in the nursing profession.
For information on how to register, go to www.nsna.org/meetings.
CDC Advisory Group Releases New Flu Vaccine Recommendations
7/20/05
The expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization practices issued its recommendations for flu vaccine administration in the latest issue of MMWR Recommendations and Reports. The 2005 recommendations include changes or updates regarding vaccination of health-care workers and people prone to respiratory complications; use of the live, attenuated vaccine (LAIV) in vaccine shortage situations; and use of antiviral drugs for flu treatment.
Among its recommendations, the advisory committee is urging all health care workers to be vaccinated annually, and health care facilities to use approaches that maximize vaccination rates, such as using standing orders for patients and offering free, on-site flu vaccination to all employees starting in October each year, with particular focus on those who care for patients at high risk for complications. Read more at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr54e713a1.htm.
The Facts About the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans Coming in 2006
7/19/05
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) has advised all nurses and any staff who have contact with Medicare beneficiaries to be familiar with the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans that will be available to in 2006.
Please refer to CMS's Medlearn Matters fact sheet at www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/SE0502.pdf for tips and guidelines.
SOPHE/ATSDR Student Fellowship in Environmental Health Promotion
7/18/05
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is accepting applications for the 2005 SOPHE/ATSDR Student Fellowship in Environmental Health Promotion. This one-year fellowship is designed to recognize, assist and train students working on research or practice-based environmental health education/health promotion or environmental justice from the perspective of health education or behavioral sciences. Included is a $1500 stipend for the student's special project, one-year SOPHE membership, complimentary annual meeting registration, and an opportunity to display a poster about the project at the 2006 SOPHE Annual Meeting. Applications are due July 31, 2005.
For more on announcement, go to www.sophe.org/about/awards/
docs/SOPHE_ATSDRFellowship_Descrip.pdf.
Download application at www.sophe.org/about/awards/
docs/SOPHE_ATSDRFellowship_Applic_121304.pdf
New JCAHO Standards require smoking cessation advice/counseling
7/15/05
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) now requires hospitals and other health care organizations to document adult smoking history and smoking cessation advice/counseling for three specific diagnoses: acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and community acquired pneumonia. One way that nurses can help meet this requirement is to use the new pocket guide: Helping
Smokers Quit: A Guide for Nurses developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in collaboration with Tobacco Free Nurses, the first national program focused on helping nurses and their clients quit smoking.
Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide for Nurses contains:
- Easy access to information based on the “5 A’s” approach to smoking cessation intervention: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist & Arrange
- Fold-out table of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies including dosage, duration, side effects, and availability
- National Quitline # 1-800-QUIT-NOW
Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide for Nurses can be viewed on-line at www.ahrq.gov/path/tobacco.htm or as a pdf file at http://www.ahrq.gov/about/nursing/hlpsmksqt.pdf. Call 1-800-358-9295 and identify yourself as a nurse to receive up to 100 free copies.
Visit http://nursingworld.org/anf/tobacco for more information. If the 2.2 million working nurses in the U.S. each helped just one person per year quit smoking, nurses would triple the U.S. quit rate.
Kent State's Online Nursing Journal Tackles the Impact of HIPAA Regulations
7/14/05
The latest issue of the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) examines the way Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations have impacted health care delivery. The four articles included share insights on the threats and opportunities that have arisen with the regulations, which serve as national standards to protect personal health information. Read more at http://imagine.kent.edu/media/content/press.asp?id=485
U.S. Outspends Other Industrialized Nations on Health Care, Study Shows
7/13/05
The U.S. spent $5,267 per person on health care in 2002, 140% more than the median in 30 industrialized nations including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Japan, according to a study in the July/August 2005 issue of Health Affairs.
The authors cite that two possible reasons for the differential are supply constraints that create waiting lists in other countries and the level of malpractice litigation and defensive medicine in the United States.
Read the July/August 2005 issue of Health Affairs at www.healthaffairs.org.
AWHONN Announces Initiative to Build Awareness of, Improve Care for Near-Term Infants
7/12/05
They're born only a few weeks early and most often they're only slightly
smaller than full-term infants, but infants born between 34 and 7 weeks of
gestation - near-term infants - can have very special health
needs. Despite that, they are all too frequently treated in the same
manner as full-term newborns. Recent studies have found that near-term
infants are at greater risk for potentially serious health problems,
including respiratory distress syndrome, temperature instability, apnea,
sepsis, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia and feeding problems. To address
this critical health care issue, the Association of Women's Health,
Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) today (7/11/05) announced a multi-year
initiative to educate health care practitioners and parents about near-term
infants and improve health care practice for this vulnerable group of newborns.
Read Press Release: http://www.awhonn.org/awhonn/?pg=872-2100-16920-17890
Texas Passes Safe Lifting Law for Hospitals, Nursing Homes
7/11/05
The State of Texas has passed TX SB 1525, the first state legislation signed into law requiring hospitals and nursing homes to implement a safe patient handling and movement program. The legislation, a major priority of the Texas Nurses Association, was signed by Texas Governor Rick Perry June 17, 2005, and will take effect January 1, 2006. More...
More Than One in Four Non-elderly Women Delay or Forgo Medical Care Due to Costs
7/11/05
A substantial percentage of U.S. women cannot afford to go to the doctor or get prescriptions filled, according to a survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
More than two-thirds of uninsured women and one-quarter of non-elderly women report they delayed or went without care they believed they needed in the past year because they could not afford it, compared to 59% and 24% respectively in 2001. In addition, nearly one in five women with private health coverage delayed or went without care, while about one in five women age 18 and older said they did not fill a prescription in the past year because of the cost.
The Kaiser Family Foundation report, Women and Health Care: A National Profile, is based on a national survey of 2,766 women age 18 and older. Summary of report can be found at www.kff.org/womenshealth/7336.cfm.
Fellowship in Nursing Policy and Philanthropy
7/08/05
Applications are sought for a joint fellowship position in Nursing Policy and Philanthropy. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leaders at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and serve as a faculty member at the Center for State Health Policy, a policy research unit of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers. This unique and exciting opportunity offers a fellowship to help RWJF shape a Nursing Workforce Agenda to support a new hospital environment where patient safety and quality of care are assured and nurses are satisfied, supported, and energized to "transform care at the bedside."
The Nurse Policy Fellow will collaborate with senior leaders at the Center on policy-relevant research and write papers for peer-reviewed publication. The Fellow may also conduct independent research and/or collaborative research with the College of Nursing Faculty. The majority of time will be spent working with the RWJF Nursing Team, which is developing and implementing a philanthropic agenda that will have a substantial impact on quality improvement and patient safety through the retention of a committed and empowered nursing workforce.
Candidates for this position should have a strong background in nursing workforce management, research, and/or policy development, with particular focus on the relationship between workforce and quality in hospitals. The successful candidate will possess:
- At least one degree in nursing and a PhD (or equivalent) in nursing, health services research, economics, political science, sociology, or a related discipline.
- A minimum of five years experience in nursing management, research, and/or policy.
- Demonstrated strategic thinking and analytic skills, using quantitative and/or qualitative methods.
- Demonstrated skills in designing and leading innovative programs, research, and/or policies in nursing workforce and health care.
- An outstanding record in communicating innovative concepts and evidence to a broad range of stakeholders in the health care and health policy arenas. This record should include various written formats, such as peer-reviewed research publications, synthesis papers, white papers, policy briefs, or other policy products. This record should also include extensive experience in speaking to small groups and large, diverse audiences about health and health care.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with team members in matrix relationships in complex organizations.
- Prior experience in complex project management and ability to meet deadlines strongly preferred.
- Prior experience in convening small and large group meetings, with appropriate logistical support, preferred.
This position is a grant-funded Rutgers University faculty appointment at a rank commensurate with accomplishments. Support for this position is provided by the Center for State Health Policy through RWJF. The fellowship will be offered as a one-year commitment beginning no later than January 2, 2006, with an option to renew at the end of the year. The successful candidate will be required to locate within close proximity of RWJF and the Center for State Health Policy in central New Jersey.
Please submit your CV and letter of interest addressing the criteria as set forth in the above description. Applications should be submitted no later than September 30, 2005 via both regular mail and e-mail to:
Susan C. Reinhard, RN, PhD, FAAN
Professor and Co-Director
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy
317 George St., Suite 400
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
cshpjobs@ifh.rutgers.edu
Maryland Nurse Vacancies Decline, while Allied Health Shortages Grow
7/07/05
Job vacancies for registered nurses reached a five-year low in Maryland hospitals last year, while shortages of critical allied health personnel continued to grow, the Maryland Hospital Association reports. RN vacancies fell to 9.2% from 10.8% in 2003 and 15.6% in 2001, a reversal the association attributes to individual and collective efforts by hospitals to recruit and retain nurses.
"While this is a promising trend, the gap still reflects the need for an additional 1,500 registered nurses to fully staff Maryland hospitals," said Catherine Crowley, MHA vice president. The shortage is expected to grow to nearly 13,000 RNs by 2010, according to projections from the Center for Health Work Force Development at the University of Maryland Baltimore. For more information and summary of findings, go to www.mdhospitals.org.
ANA Leaders Address the House of Delegates
7/06/05
ANA President Barbara Blakeney and CEO Linda Stierle addressed the House of Delegates in June, highlighting ANA's accomplishments and the ongoing work of the profession. Copies of their speeches to the House are available in the Members Only area.
To read online, ANA Members must create an online account. Registered Members, please go to www.nursingworld.org/member/inside/hod05/speeches.cfm to access speeches.
Task Force Recommends HIV Screening for All Pregnant Women
7/06/05
In new recommendations for HIV screening, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force calls for all pregnant women to be screened for HIV, not just those identified at risk for contracting the infection. The recommendation is based on evidence that currently available tests accurately identify pregnant women who are HIV infected and that recommended treatment strategies can dramatically reduce the chances that an infected mother will transmit HIV to her infant. The new recommendations are published in the July 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. To read more, go to http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/143/1/32.
ASHP Foundation Announces 2005 Recipients of
Pharmacy/Nursing Partnership Medication Safety Research Grant
7/05/05
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Research and Education Foundation has announced the 2005 recipient team of the Pharmacy/Nursing Partnership Medication Safety Research Grant. The research grant program supports the collaboration of pharmacists and nurses in the conduct of research designed to study new processes and design characteristics that will improve the safety and effectiveness of the medication-use system in hospitals and health systems.
The Foundation selected the following team for 2005:
John M. Benson, Pharm.D., and Carrie J. Wallace, R.N., Ph.D.
Intermountain Health Care, Inc.
Salt Lake City, UT
Study Title: “Medication Reconciliation: Evaluating Acute Care Process Change and Medication Prescribing Errors”
Description: To investigate the impact of a collaborative, technology-supported process for medication reconciliation across the health care continuum on medication errors in a community health care setting.
For more information about this research grant program, visit www.ashpfoundation.org/research.
Alert: Act Now to Stop Cuts to Nursing Funding
7/01/05
The Senate is about to begin consideration of the fiscal year 2006 health care appropriation act. ANA needs your help to secure an increase in funding for the nursing education, recruitment, and retention programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The House of Representatives recently approved a $1 million decrease in these Title VIII funds. ANA needs your help to urge the Senate to reject this cut and provide a meaningful investment in nursing.
Make your voice heard before July 21. Contact your senators today...
American Cancer Society Scholarships in Cancer Nursing
7/01/05
The American Cancer Society is pleased to invite applications from master's and doctoral students for support of graduate study.
Master's Degree Scholarships in Cancer Nursing: Awarded to graduate students pursuing master's degrees in cancer nursing. Awards are made for up to two years in the annual amount of $10,000.
Doctoral Degree Scholarships in Cancer Nursing: Awarded to graduate students pursuing doctoral study in the following cancer nursing fields: research, education, administration, or clinical practice. Awards are made for up to four years with a stipend of $15,000 per year.
The annual application deadline is December 1. For a full description of all American Cancer Society grants, including applications, instructions, and policies, go to www.cancer.org/research, or email grants@cancer.org.
Press Releases
