HCPro.com - Strategies for Nurse Managers

Strategies for Nurse Managers December 2010

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Inside:

Measuring the effects of nursing education
New campaign focuses on CAUTI reduction
Study shows surgical teams still at risk for accidental sharps injuries
Multidose vials: Follow the 28-day rule
Hospital nearly doubles medication scanning rates
Effective communication for nurse managers

Measuring the effects of nursing education

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Years ago, while working in nursing professional development and education, consultant Gen Guanci, MEd, RN-BC, CCRN, realized that she was doing herself and her department a great disservice by reporting out “productivity” of the nursing education department.

New campaign focuses on CAUTI reduction

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are the most common hospital-acquired infections (HAI). In fact, CAUTIs account for approximately 36% of HAIs, according to a March/April 2007 Public Health Report. CAUTIs are also associated with high costs, high lengths of stay, and unnecessary antimicrobial use, which can lead to further complications.

Study shows surgical teams still at risk for accidental sharps injuries

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

It’s time for hospitals to adopt preventive measures to protect all the members of surgical teams performing procedures in their operating rooms (OR), says California surgeon Ramon Berguer, MD, FACS.

Multidose vials: Follow the 28-day rule

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

On one hand, multidose vials are a great way to get more for your money with expensive medications. On the other hand, they can cause multiple complications if staff members are not following very precise procedures.

Hospital nearly doubles medication scanning rates

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

In April 2008, Baystate Medical Center (BMC), a 653-bed teaching hospital in Springfield, MA, began implementation of its Bar Code Point of Care technology to positiv

Effective communication for nurse managers

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Often we feel that we should be able to spontaneously make magic by providing the right words for the right person at the right time, but we find ourselves lost for those words. Don’t panic; your job description does not include “must know everything all the time.”

Important notice to subscribers

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Important notice to subscribers

Commitment from senior leadership will help nurses understand just culture

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Prevention of adverse events is a part of working in a hospital environment, and when an event does occur, how it is dealt with can have an effect on patient safety. Ensuring that your hospital’s leadership team and upper management are committed to the just culture philosophy will help the nursing staff understand their role in error prevention.

New York hospital's PICU celebrates one year without central line infections

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:01:00 GMT

On July 7, staff members in the pediatric ICU (PICU) at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York (CCMC) celebrated one full year free of central line infections.

Strategies for Nurse Managers November 2010

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Inside:

Helping nurses climb the clinical ladder
Commitment from senior leadership will help nurses understand just culture
Specialist nurses trained to obtain informed consent
Six steps to ensure new nurse manager success
New York hospital’s PICU celebrates one year without central line infections
Navigating discussion and behavior at staff meetings

Helping nurses climb the clinical ladder

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Does your organization have a process for clinical advancement? Do many nurses pursue advancement, or do they feel there are barriers?

Specialist nurses trained to obtain informed consent

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

If a procedure has been shifted from the physician to the nurse, can informed consent then be obtained by the nurse, or does that responsibility remain with the ordering physician? One facility, by using nurses for the insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), challenged the previous way of thinking in order to enable its specialized nurses to obtain informed consent.

Six steps to ensure new nurse manager success

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

How are vacant nurse manager positions filled at your hospital? Too often, nurses are promoted to managers because they are excellent clinicians and communicators. Once in their new role, they suddenly have to deal with finance and budgeting, patient safety concerns, quality improvement projects, recalcitrant staff, and many other tough topics. And they are expected to achieve a blend of clinical and business management with little to no training.

Navigating discussion and behavior at staff meetings

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Most managers would rather deal with a patient complaint than conduct a staff meeting. But a little bit of preparation can help you hold productive staff meetings.

Strategies for Nurse Managers October 2010

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Inside:

Strategies to include preceptors in charge nurse training
Success in a fall reduction strategy
Strengthen shared governance hospitalwide
Simplifying documentation provides nurses more time at the bedside
Seeing the big picture: Facilitating critical thinking in new nurses
There’s no excuse for not delegating

Strategies to include preceptors in charge nurse training

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Before you can start your new charge nurses on the leadership journey, you will need to assign them a charge nurse preceptor. This is not a common or consistent practice, and I plead with those who are revamping or starting a new charge nurse program to invest the time in adequate training. A charge nurse role is a new role, and nurses require time to develop this skill. It makes it a lot easier to transition charge nurses into this role if they have preceptors solely dedicated to ensuring that the necessary education is provided.

Success in a fall reduction strategy

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Systemic change requires visionary leadership. The board of trustees for our facility established a new three-year strategic plan based on our six indicators of success. One such indicator is Quality & Patient Safety, and the board determined that this indicator should include a vision “to eliminate all preventable harm.”

Strengthen shared governance hospitalwide

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

When Athens (GA) Regional Medical Center (ARMC) implemented shared governance five years ago, the initial drive of the program was met with different levels of success. Unit councils excelled in some areas and struggled in others, leading to inconsistent results.

Simplifying documentation provides nurses more time at the bedside

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Nursing documentation is an overcomplicated process. Although many Joint Commission standards require documentation, hospitals tend to write policies with which they cannot comply.