The Nursing Insider: August 2005
Current News Past News

New Grant Application Deadline for Master's Scholarship in Cancer Nursing
8/31/05
The American Cancer Society, the largest not-for-profit funding source for cancer research and training, is pleased to invite applications from master’s students for support of graduate study. Please note the new application deadline: February 1. For more information, please consult www.cancer.org/research or call 404-329-5734 or 404-329-7605.

Katrina and Its Aftermath - Volunteer Nurses Needed for Hurricane Emergency
8/30/05
The American Nurses Association sends its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to our colleagues and citizens in the states impacted by Hurricane Katrina coming ashore. We recognize that in this type of situation registered nurses and other health care providers are impacted as both responders and individuals with family and property. Please know that we stand ready to assist in any way possible. More...

September is National Preparedness Month
8/30/05
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross to promote National Preparedness Month (NPM) in September, encouraging all Americans to become better prepared for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools.

Recommendations for emergency preparedness—including assembling a kit of emergency supplies and developing a family communications plan—can be found on the NPM Web site, www.ready.gov. The Web site also provides information on what to do in the event of a biological or chemical threat, explosion, nuclear blast, radiation threat or natural disaster, and advises using common sense—and whatever you have on hand—to take care of yourself and your loved ones when seconds count.

The ANA encourages all nurses to develop a personal emergency preparedness plan and become advocates for preparedness plans in their communities. The www.ready.gov Web site includes a U.S. map containing points of contact for each state and territorial government.

Public Comment Welcome on "Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice"
8/29/05
The ANA invites your comments about the draft "Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice" available at: http://www.nursingworld.org/practice/#publichealth. Please submit your responses electronically by the closing date of October 10, 2005 to yvonne.humes@ana.org or carol.bickford@ana.org. Thank you for your thoughtful assessment and recommendations.

Blakeney Again Ranked Among Most Powerful in Healthcare
8/26/05
ANA President Barbara A. Blakeney was again voted to Modern Healthcare magazine's list of the "100 Most Power People in Healthcare." Blakeney, who has made the list each year since its inception in 2002, was ranked number 29, the highest ranking of any nursing official on the list. She is among an elite group of 27 individuals who have made the list all four years. To view the whole list, go to http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article.cms?articleId=36777

JCAHO Campaign Gives Patients Tips on Planning Their Recovery
8/25/05
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has launched a new initiative to help patients continue their recovery after leaving the hospital. The new patient education effort is the latest focus in JCAHO's "Speak Up" series, an educational campaign to encourage patients to take an active role in their care. Read complete press release at http://www.jcaho.org/news+room/
news+release+archives/speakup_081705.htm

Nominations for the 2006 Welcome Back Awards
8/24/05
The Welcome Back Awards (WBA) was established in 1998 to fight the stigma associated with depression and to promote the understanding that depression is treatable. Each year the program celebrates advances made in the depression community, and recognizes five individuals for outstanding contributions in the areas of lifetime achievement, destigmatization, community service, primary care and psychiatry. This nationally-recognized awards program celebrates the hard work and achievements of those who've made a positive impact in the depression community.

As part of the award, a donation is made to a not-for-profit organization chosen by the award recipient, with $15,000 awarded for lifetime achievement and $10,000 each for all other categories. Winners are selected by an independent committee of national mental health leaders, and are formally announced during a ceremony in May 2006.

To learn more about the WBA program and request a nomination kit, go to www.lilly.com/about/awards/wba/nomination_form.html.

Safe Staffing in the 21st Century
8/23/05
This important one day seminar focuses on ways to address this critical healthcare issue in your facility as well as give an update on what is being done across the country today. The seminar is part of the American Nurses Association series, "ANA Coming to You," designed to bring the work of ANA to the local level. Seminars will be offered in Charlotte, NC (9/16), Kansas City, MO (9/26), Worcester, MA (10/19), and Las Vegas, NV (10/20). Information and registration

Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing Call For Abstracts
8/22/05
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, is soliciting abstracts for its 17th International Nursing Research Congress, 20-22 July 2006 as well as its Fourth International Evidence-Based Nursing Preconference, 19 July 2006 at the Le Centre Sheraton, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

Suggested topics, criteria for rating submissions and abstract submissions are available at www.nursingsociety.org/events/17_INRC_call.html. Abstracts must be submitted through the online submission system. If you have any questions, please e-mail research @stti.iupui.edu.

Nursing Has Many Rewards - Here's One More
8/19/05
Introducing ANA Nursing Rewards+, the rewards credit card that is designed just for nurses. Developed by the American Nurses Association and National City Bank, the ANA Nursing Rewards+ Visa earns points with every purchase you make - and those points can be redeemed for travel, cash and rewards unique to the nursing profession! Combine that with a low interest rate - 0% for the first six months - and you have a credit card that fits in anyone's wallet. Apply Now

Focus of the 15th Annual National Depression Screening Day is More Than Just Depression
8/19/05
"Fifteen years later, it's not just about depression. It's not just a day. It's not just desirable. It's necessary," is the new campaign slogan for National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) 2005. This new campaign reflects the program's mission to address a variety of mental health issues including depression, bipolar disorder, general anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and for the first time this year, postpartum depression.

NDSD is co-sponsored by American Nurses Association and members are encouraged to register for this year's event held nationwide on October 6. By participating in the program, nurses can provide either their patients or members of the public free and anonymous mood and anxiety disorders screening in an effort to get help for the 54 million Americans affected by mental health disorders.

Nurses working in hospitals and clinics can register for the community kit. Nurses working in a primary care setting can register for a free, downloadable primary care kit. To register for the NDSD, visit www.mentalhealthscreening.org or call (781) 239-0071.

Ninth Annual Magnet Conference
8/18/05
Did you know that four of the top five medical centers in the United States and 48% of the top 50 hospitals for "Heart & Heart Surgery" are Magnet Designated? (US News and World Report, July, 2005)

Join us this fall and find out why the Magnet Journey to Nursing Excellence is so important to these leading hospitals and has become critical in today's healthcare environment. Register now for the Ninth Annual Magnet Conference in sunny Miami Beach, FL – open to magnet hospitals and those interested in the magnet journey. Join your colleagues October 26-28, 2005 for three days of networking, education and inspiration.

This conference has sold out in the past! Register online today at: www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet/conference.html.

FDA Issues Notice on Complications from Metallic Tracheal Stents in Patients with Benign Airway Disorders
8/17/05
This notification focuses on patients with benign airway disorders because use of metallic stents in this patient population may preclude them from receiving future alternative therapies (such as tracheal surgical procedures or placement of silicone stents) after a metallic stent is removed. These patients have a greater risk of serious complications than those with malignant disorders since the metallic tracheal stent is left in place longer. Complications that may occur include obstructive granulation tissue, stenosis at the ends of the stent, migration of the stent, mucous plugging, infection, and stent fracture.

Read more at www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/072905-tracheal.html.

New OJIN Ethics Column
8/16/05
The latest Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) ethics column focuses on the ANA Code of Ethics as it relates to nurses' collaborative efforts. Read this column...

Advanced Practice Nurses Offer Cost-Saving Solution to Medicaid Reform Patient-Access Dilemma
8/15/05
The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Congressional Nurse Caucus will sponsor a luncheon briefing for congressional health staff to highlight the role the nation's 196,279 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can provide to Medicaid by delivering timely, cost-effective, quality health care to underserved populations. More...

ANF Sponsors You in Online Smoking Cessation Program
8/15/05
Peter Jennings' recent death and Dana Reeves' diagnosis of lung cancer reminds us that quitting smoking is the most important thing you can do to protect your health. Tobacco Free Nurses is the first national program focused on helping nurses and student nurses to stop smoking. The American Nurses Association/Foundation is a partner with Tobacco Free Nurses and has sponsored your membership in Nurses Quitnet, an online community of smokers and ex-smokers, delivering personalized quitting plans, expert advice and pharmaceutical product membership. Visit the Nurses Quitnet site at http://nurses.quitnet.com and receive $100 premium smoking cessation services for free!

Free Webcast on Nutrition in Older Adults
8/12/05
So much is at stake when nutritional status is impaired and there are so many interventions that can you can make to reduce this problem that affects quality of life and cost and quality of care for older adults.

• Do you know the half life of serum albumin and how dated its reflection on nutritional status might be compared to other visceral proteins?
• What can you teach families and patients to increase the quality of their nutritional intake in the home setting?
• How many times have you included a can of Ensure with a meal, or an hour or so before a meal, and didn’t think about how that would affect one’s appetite for “real” food?
• Have you ever thought about how your behavior and the eating environment might be adapted to improve mood, prompt appetite and increase food intake?

Reminder: Help Support APRNs in Medicaid Reform
8/11/05
ANA needs your help to expand Medicaid coverage of services provided by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Urge your members of Congress to include the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act (H.R. 2716/S.1515) in Medicaid reconciliation legislation.

In mid-September, Congress will pass Medicaid Legislation. With your support ANA can make sure that this legislation removes barriers to APRN Medicaid practice. ANA is working to:

• Expand fee-for-service Medicaid to include direct payment for services provided by all nurse practitioners (NPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs).
• Recognize all NPs and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) as primary case managers.
• Require inclusion of NPs, CNSs, CNMs, and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) on managed care panels.

Final action on the Medicaid reconciliation bill will occur in September. Please make your voice heard before then!

The Center for Ethics & Human Rights Issues Update
8/11/05
The latest issue of The Center for Ethics online newsletter Issues Update covers the topics of Alzheimer's disease and a patient's decision-making capacity. These topics continue to create situations where health care providers often use a process of ethical decision making in determining appropriate health care. Read newsletter...

ACP Foundation Fourth Annual National Health Communication Conference
8/10/05
The American College of Physicians Foundation’s Fourth Annual National Health Communication Conference, Practical Solutions to the Problems of Low Health Literacy, will be held on November 30, 2005 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. Practical Solutions to the Problems of Low Health Literacy will focus on successful operational models that have been shown to improve health outcomes among patients with low health literacy levels.

For more information, go to http://foundation.acponline.org/healthcom/hcc_reg.htm.

Survey of Bedside Staff Nurses and Other Interdisciplinary Team Members
8/09/05
The Nursing Informatics Taskforce of HIMSS (Health Information Management Systems Society) is conducting a research study to better understand how health information technology affects communication between nurses and the other members of the interdisciplinary team in the acute care setting. This study has been approved by the IRB at Partners Health Care in Boston and is funded by HIMSS. While the researchers are collecting demographic data, they are not asking for personal identifiable data. All data will be reported in aggregate numbers.

The goal is to survey as many bedside staff nurses and other members of the interdisciplinary team as possible. The survey takes 10-20 minutes to complete and ends at midnight on September 30, 2005. Take survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=562291152993.

Seeking Input on The Essential Nursing Competencies for Genetics and Geonomics
8/08/05
The International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) and American Nurses Association (ANA) seek public comment on the current draft of the Essential Nursing Competencies for Genetics and Genomics. Your comments and recommendations will be reviewed and appropriately incorporated during the preparation of the final document. The final document will be reviewed during the fall invitational stakeholders meeting sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute, Office of Rare Diseases, Health Resource and Service Administration, (HRSA), ISONG, and ANA. Review the document

Remaking American Medicine
8/05/05
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has partnered with 40 national organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Hospital Association (AHA) on a public outreach campaign focused on improving health care across the nation. The campaign, Remaking American Medicine...Health Care for the 21st Century, includes a four-part primetime series on PBS premiering in April 2006. The series will tell the stories of individuals and institutions struggling to address the significant problems that now plague our health care system.

A web site created for the campaign, www.RAMcampaign.org, includes a searchable database, "Connect with Others" that provides descriptions and contact information for local and regional coalitions that will be undertaking a wide range of outreach activities such as town hall meetings and local programming initiatives in support of the series. The ANA encourages its members to participate in the community-based activities designed to draw public attention to improving the quality of health care.

Funding for Remaking American Medicine has been provided by lead corporate sponsor, the Amgen Foundation. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundations® is a major underwriter and The Nathan Cummings, Jr. Foundation has also made a substantial grant. Support has also been made available by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Sharon Davies Memorial Awards -- Research Grant Opportunites
8/04/05
The Sharon Davies Memorial Awards Grant was established in 2003 in memory of Sharon Davies a psychiatric nurse, a researcher and a staunch advocate for those who suffer from mental illnesses. In 1985, she became actively involved with Freedom From Fear. She was a primary source of advice and encouragement. The family, friends and colleagues of Sharon created this program to provide grants to individuals to assist them in the area of mental health research.

The program is particularly interested in novice researchers but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. The grant awards $10,000 to a registered nurse or nurse practitioner employed in the mental health field in a research or clinical capacity. The candidate must have a mentor that is an established investigator supporting them in their research. Deadline for submitting applications is October 15, 2005. For more information, go to www.freedomfromfear.org/sharon_appl.pdf.

The Medicare Part D Drug Benefit: Tips for Nurses
8/03/05
A survey of older adults showed that 60% of these individuals reported taking 5 or more medications, and 16% reported taking 10 or more medications. Approximately 20% of older individuals reported that they restricted the use of their medications because of the prohibitive cost of these drugs.

In response to these concerns among others, Congress passed legislation which set up Medicare Part D to help meet the individual needs of the beneficiary. One thousand one hundred sixty two pages of final regulation were published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2005 to describe the details of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit and includes the expectation that private entities (e.g. insurance plans) will form Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs).

A tip sheet by the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations has been created to assist nurses to help older adults make informed decisions about Medicare Part D coverage. Download the tip sheet [PDF].

ANA Applauds Introduction of Legislation Aimed at Expanding Medicaid Coverage of Advanced Practice Nurses
8/03/05
The American Nurses Association (ANA) today commended Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) for his leadership efforts to expand Medicaid coverage of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) through the introduction of the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act (S. 1515). More...

ANCC Solicits Research Grant Applicants
8/03/05
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) is now accepting applications from registered nurses for the 2005 Margretta Madden Styles Credentialing Scholars Grant. To qualify, applicants must hold a registered nurse license and a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing. Additionally, applications must be postmarked by September 30, 2005. More...

Nurses Support Patient Safety Act Over Government-Mandated Staffing Ratios in Massachusetts
8/02/05
Stating that government-mandated, fixed ratios would "tie nurses' hands and make it harder for them to provide high-quality patient care," staff nurses and nursing leaders urged state leaders in Massachusetts to instead support the Massachusetts Patient Safety Act (SB 1260) as an alternative to nurse-to-patient ratios during testimony in Boston, July 13.

Speaking before a Massachusetts State House hearing on patient care, leaders of the American Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses (MARN) and the Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives called the Patient Safety Act the "right approach to ensure safe, high-quality care." In addition, hundreds of nurses attended State House events aimed at supporting the Patient Safety Act.

"The Patient Safety Act is the best way to ensure safe, high quality care," said MARN President Susan Krupnick. "Imposing a government mandate like nurse staffing ratios will deprive nurses of the flexibility we need to make the right patient care decisions and make it harder for us to do our job. Nurses don't want our hands tied by government mandates."

ANA Government Affairs Director Rose Gonzalez noted, "ANA supports nurse-to-patient ratio guidelines that ensure appropriate staffing which supports the delivery of safe, quality nursing care." To meet that goal, "ANA has developed a federal legislative proposal that mandates staffing systems which ensure an appropriate number of RNs on each shift and in each unit of the hospital. These staffing systems reflect the variables outlined in ANA's Principles for Nurse Staffing and require the input of direct-care RNs. That is why ANA also endorsed the Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act in the U.S. Congress."

The Patient Safety Act is widely supported by the public and nurses in Massachusetts. A recent public opinion poll revealed the public favored this approach over mandated ratios by 56 percent to 21 percent.

Oregon Patients Come First With Bill to Improve Nurse Staffing Laws
8/01/05
With a vote of 55 to 0, the Oregon House of Representatives on July 15 passed a bill that will strengthen Oregon's original patient-protection laws by shielding nurses from excessive mandatory overtime and ensuring adequate nurse staffing. Proposed by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), HB 2800 is expected to be signed by Oregon's governor.

"HB 2800 protects patients from an increased risk of errors that can accompany long working hours," said Susan King, ONA executive director. "ONA made a compelling case about the relationship between adequate nurse staffing in hospitals and good patient outcomes."

The bill requires equal representation of direct-care nurses and hospital administrators in developing staffing plans. In addition, a hospital may not require a nurse to work more than 48 hours per week or more than 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period, and staffing plans must reflect nationally recognized, evidence-based specialty standards and guidelines.

Oregon's original landmark patient-protection legislation became law in 2002. Among the law's requirements are a written hospital nurse staffing plan based on individual and aggregate patient needs; civil penalties for hospitals which violate the law; random audits of hospitals by the Oregon Health Division; and whistleblower protection.

For details, contact Debra Feammelli at 503.293.0011, ext. 325 or feammelli@oregonrn.org.

Free Shipping on Back-to-School Book Orders
Valid August 1 thru October 1
8/01/05
This special offer is for nursing schools/universities only ordering 15 or more of the same title for classroom instruction. Orders must be faxed or mailed using special downloadable order form [www.nursingworld.org/books/school.cfm] designed especially for this free shipping offer . If you cannot download form, please call 1-800-637-0323. For current listing of ANA titles, go to www.nursesbooks.org or call the 800 number for a free publications catalog.

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