9/30/03
A web-based continuing education program on the advocacy role of the nurse has been developed by the New England Research Institutes (NERI) with funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health.

The eight-course CE program has been developed for nurses in clinical practice who have limited or no educational preparation in nursing ethics. Following an introductory course on advocacy in nursing practice, remaining courses focus on the advocacy role of the nurse in ethically caring for patient populations, such as: Dying patients; Infants and children; Elderly patients; Patients participating in research; Patients with HIV/AIDS; and Patients receiving life-sustaining treatments.

Each course makes maximum use of web interactive features such as case studies, questions and answers with immediate feedback, photographs and audio, interactive charts and tables, links to cited references and videotaped expert commentaries.

9/26/03

9/25/03
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that the educational level of Registered Nurses (RNs) working in hospitals has a significant impact on whether patients survive common surgeries.

The September 23/30 issue of the JAMA includes the following article: "Educational Levels of Hospital Nurses and Surgical Patient Mortality" by Linda H. Aiken, Sean P. Clarke, Robyn B. Cheung, Douglas M. Sloane, and Jeffrey H. Silber JAMA 2003;290 1617-1623.

To view the abstract of the article, please go to:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/290/12/1617?etoc

9/23/03
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced 12 grants totaling $9.3 million to support state efforts to create "one stop shop" centers to help consumers learn about and access long-term supports ranging from in-home services to nursing facility care.

The Aging and Disability Resource Center Grant Program is part of the President's New Freedom Initiative, which aims at overcoming barriers to community living for people with disabilities of all ages. The program is a joint effort involving HHS' Administration on Aging (AoA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and provides states with an opportunity to effectively integrate their long-term support resources for consumers into a single coordinated system.

9/22/03
Nursing students from the University of Arizona School of Nursing, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and the University of Texas Houston Recovery Campus joined student leaders from medical schools, pharmacy and physician assistant programs throughout the nation in Atlanta last week as part of a two-day meeting aimed at expanding the role of health professionals in the screening, diagnosis, intervention and referral of individuals with alcohol and other drug problems.

"Empowering Healthcare Professional Students to Advocate for More Training in Substance Abuse,", sponsored by The Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy (PLNDP), brought healthcare professional students together to coordinate educational and advocacy activities on their respective campuses, and to develop a student-created, student-run website that will provide resources for training and education.

9/16/03
Researchers have identified key symptoms that may help distinguish inhaled anthrax from the flu and other common respiratory conditions in the event of a bioterrorist attack, according to a new study partially funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and published in the September 2, 2003, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Results of the study are being used to create the first evidence-based pre-hospital screening protocol designed for response to future anthrax attacks. By helping emergency management and public health authorities rapidly and accurately identify both potential cases and likely non-cases, this protocol, once fully tested, will help to preserve scarce hospital capacity while ensuring that patients receive appropriate advanced medical care.

9/15/03
This two-part broadcast will assist healthcare providers in preparing to diagnose and manage patients with SARS should cases be suspected or identified in the coming months. The programs are scheduled for broadcast and webcast on September 23 and 30, 2003, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET.

Part 1 Content (Tuesday, 9/23/03)
Infection Control for Hospitals and Other Healthcare Facilities
Quarantine: Community Response/Community Containment
Legal Challenges of Quarantine and Isolation

Part 2 Content (Tuesday, 9/30/03)
What Every Clinician Should Know: Basic Diagnosis and Patient Management
What's New in SARS Laboratory Diagnostics?
Surveillance: How to Prepare the Clinician for Early Recognition and Diagnosis

9/15/03
The Senate unanimously agreed on Wednesday, September 10, to accept the Mikulski/Collins amendment for nursing education funding. The final amendment would increase funding for the nursing workforce development programs of Title VIII (including the Nurse Reinvestment Act) by $50 million - a 55% increase over FY 2003 funding.

9/12/03
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made available recommendations specifically for health care practitioners providing care to persons living with HIV/AIDS. Titled, "Recommendations for Incorporating HIV Prevention into the Medical Care of Persons Living with HIV," guidance is offered on incorporating risk screening, STD screening, and prevention messages into routine care. The primary objective of these recommendations is to reduce the potential transmission of HIV by integrating prevention interventions during the patient visit. Examples of such measures include screening for behavioral risk, teaching prevention education, and providing partner counseling and referral services.

9/10/03
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) invites leaders of the healthcare community to engage in a second conference on human subject research. "Integrity and Accountability in Clinical Research" will address the issues of balancing benefit and risk in human subjects research, the two recently-released IOM reports and the recommendation on research integrity and on human subjects research. The conference takes place at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C. on November 2-4, 2003.

9/09/03
In 2002, an estimated 22 million Americans suffered from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both, according to the newest results of the Household Survey released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). There were 19.5 million Americans, 8.3 percent of the population ages 12 or older, who currently used illicit drugs, 54 million who participated in binge drinking in the previous 30 days, and 15.9 million who were heavy drinkers.

The annual survey of approximately 70,000 people was released as part of the kick-off for the 14th annual National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) observance.

9/08/03
To mark September 2003 as the fifth annual Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM), the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) is urging women to educate themselves about gynecologic cancers and take four simple steps to maintain their gynecologic health.

"Although we have made great strides in the prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers, each year, approximately 26,000 women still die from these cancers in the U.S." said GCF Chairman Karl C. Podratz, M.D., Ph.D. "These cancers do not have to be fatal - early detection and appropriate treatment of gynecologic cancers are key to lowering this toll. This is why it is so important for women to take charge of their gynecologic health - by having an annual exam, including screening tests."

9/05/03
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA), announced a campaign to help distribute valuable information about improving patient safety to health care providers and patients across the country.

9/04/03
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced that the Department has made available another $1.4 billion to the states, territories and three metropolitan areas to help strengthen their capacity to respond to terrorism and other public health emergencies.

Funds will be used to upgrade infectious disease surveillance and investigation, enhance the readiness of hospitals and the health care system to deal with large numbers of casualties, expand public health laboratory and communications capacities and improve connectivity between hospitals, and city, local and state health departments to enhance disease reporting.