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Nurse Leader Insider

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Issue 48, November 30, 2012

• Notice: Your subscription will have a new name in the coming weeks!

  Very shortly, Nurse Leader Weekly will be replaced with Nurse Leader Insider.  In addition to...

• Two majors nursing organizations merge into national membership association

  The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners...

• Blog spotlight: Nurse intervention could reduce infection risk of needleless connectors

  Needleless connectors for IV catheters have reduced the risk of needlestick injuries among...

• Website spotlight: Nurses are good at giving flu vaccines, bad at getting them

  Nurses are leading the way in reducing readmissions, improving infection control, and greening...

• Ask the expert: Error prevention education

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, and Barbara A. Brunt, MA, MN, RN-BC, NE-BC, offers a...

Issue 47, November 21, 2012

• Notice: Your subscription will have a new name in the coming weeks!

  Very shortly, Nurse Leader Weekly will be replaced with Nurse Leader Insider.  In addition to...

• APRNs in Michigan seek independent practice

  Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) in Michigan are trying to pass legislation to expand...

• Blog spotlight: Simulations: A safe environment for student training

  How can nursing students effectively learn to manage psychiatric patients without causing patient...

• Website spotlight: New care coordination codes huge win for nurses

  As people gather together to give thanks this week, nurses, hospitals, and patients have something...

• Ask the expert: Developing a code of conduct

  This week, Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN, offers advice to nurse managers on creating effective...

Issue 46, November 15, 2012

• Medical licenses expire as paperwork piles up in Georgia

  A new immigration law in Georgia has led to the expiration of the licenses of approximately 1,300...

• Blog spotlight: Poll results: Using technology to connect with patients

  Last month, I posted about the ways that technology could improve patients’ communication...

• Website spotlight: Rethinking agency nurses

  More states and hospitals are saying no to mandatory nurse overtime, while at the same time...

• Ask the expert: Case management and the revenue cycle

  This week, Paul Arias, RN, BSN, MIS, addresses the role of case management in the revenue cycle of...

Issue 45, November 9, 2012

• Report focuses on healthcare IT hazards

  Mismatched data in electronic health records, failures of medical devices and health information...

• Blog spotlight: Nurse burnout and patient dissatisfaction linked to longer shifts

  The longer a nurse’s shift, the more dissatisfied the patient, according to a recent study...

• Website spotlight: Medicare payments to CRNAs irk anesthesiologists, again

  Another battle in the war between anesthesiologists and advanced practice nurses is under way.

• Ask the expert: Competency checklists

  This week, Barbara A. Brunt, MA, MN, RN, BC, explains the use of checklists in evaluating staff...

Issue 44, November 2, 2012

• Survey of nurses suggests drop in quality of care

  A poll of 3,000 nurses, conducted by the British union Unison, found that 35% of those surveyed...

• Blog spotlight: Emergency preparation in the face of a hurricane

  The anticipated impact of Hurricane Sandy undoubtedly led many hospitals on the east coast to...

• Website spotlight: Narrowing racial disparities in nursing

  Despite ongoing efforts to improve nursing diversity, minorities continue to be underrepresented in...

• Ask the expert: Preparing an executive summary

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, provide tips for...

Issue 43, October 25, 2012

• Hospital rankings vary widely by state

  Hospital quality varies significantly from state to state in key health areas, according to the...

• Blog spotlight: Zombies, witches, and nurses?

  The “naughty nurse” is an image that pervades our culture, and unfortunately detracts...

• Website spotlight: Hospital stands by nurses in harassment trial

  The nurses who were at the center of a maternity ward kerfuffle with Douglas Kennedy are just...

• Ask the expert: Shared governance systems

  This week, Diana Swihart, PhD, Dmin, MSN, CS, APRN, BC, discusses the necessary elements of...

Issue 42, October 19, 2012

• Tool of the month: Sample equipment-related competency

  The tool of the month feature highlights one free downloadable tool each month. Click over to our...

• Blog spotlight: When disrespect becomes a safety issue

  A dysfunctional culture rooted in widespread disrespect is a significant barrier to patient safety...

• Website spotlight: Nurses who teach lead best

  In nursing, news and trends happening in other industries can slip under the radar. It's easy to...

• Ask the expert: Rewarding commitment and accountability

  This week, Eileen Dohmann, RN, BSN, MBA, NEA-BC, clarifies why acknowledgement is an important part...

Issue 41, October 12, 2012

• Infections decrease with hospitals’ coordinated efforts

  Hospitals that coordinate infection-control efforts, regardless of whether or not the organizations...

• Blog spotlight: Heading down the virtual road

  An article on Advance for Nurses this week explores the dynamic between the well-informed patient...

• Website spotlight: For a quality metrics reality check, just ask a nurse

  Nurse leaders, I have a homework assignment for you. Formally survey your staff about their...

• Ask the expert: Virtual learning and staff development

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, D.Ed, RN, explains how a virtual scavenger hunt can help increase...

Issue 40, October 5, 2012

• Bedsores linked to patient mortality rates

  Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, or bedsores, are a risk factor associated with morality in older...

• Blog spotlight: Medicare performance penalties and incentives are in effect

  As of October 1, two provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will impact...

• Website spotlight: Patient safety starts with nurse managers

  It's easier to fix a mistake—and ensure that the mistake doesn't happen again—if you...

• Ask the expert: Tracer process in healthcare

  This week, Jean S. Clark, RHIA, CSHA, and Jodie L. Eisenberg, MHA, CPHQ, CPMSM, CSHA, introduce a...

Issue 39, September 28, 2012

• Nurse leaders’ commitment to safety influences entire nursing team

  Nurses are more likely to report errors when they feel safe doing so, and feel more comfortable...

• Blog spotlight: The practitioner will see you now: Physicians oppose independent nurse practitioners

  The debate about who is qualified to provide primary care rages on this week, following the release...

• Website spotlight: Emergency Physicians’ stance on nurse practitioners is dangerous

  Perhaps it's time to add physicians and advanced practice registered nurses to the list of...

• Ask the expert: Promoting patient safety

  This week, Vivian B. Miller, BA, CPHQ, LHRM, CPHRM, FASHRM, discusses tactics for maintaining...

Issue 38, September 21, 2012

• Tool of the month: Types of grants for health professionals

  The tool of the month feature highlights one free downloadable tool each month. Click over to our...

• Blog spotlight: Discrimination settlement reveals underlying diversity issues

  Earlier this week, a language discrimination settlement–thought to be the largest of its kind...

• Website spotlight: Emergency NPs get portfolio credentialing alternative

  A new program from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Emergency Nurses...

• Ask the expert: Games to educate staff members

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, offer a fun way...

Issue 37, September 14, 2012

• Video conferences help reduce readmissions

  A video-conferencing device that connected discharged patients with hospital nurses reduced...

• Blog spotlight: Live webcast: Onboarding New Graduate Nurses

  Just a reminder that HCPro will present a live, 90-minute webcast on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at...

• Website spotlight: Best help for nurses comes from nurse leaders

  One of the best things about being a nursing columnist is hearing feedback from readers. Every...

• Ask the expert: Adult learners and residency programs

  This week, Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, advises on the difference between children and adult learners...

Issue 36, September 10, 2012

• Tablet app could better detect domestic abuse

  An upcoming study will help determine whether or not a tablet-based application can be used to...

• Blog spotlight: Physician places weight limits on patients in the name of safety

  A physician in Massachusetts gained attention last week when she announced that she would no longer...

• Website spotlight: Supported nurses boost the health of healthcare

  Reading about the perks of working at the Internet search giant Google might cause a serious case...

• Ask the expert: Advanced beginners in staff development

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion defines an advanced beginner in staff development and gives...

Issue 35, August 31, 2012

• A study of nursing environment, error interception, and quality of care

  Working in a supportive practice environment, in which there is teamwork between physicians and...

• Blog spotlight: Bringing diversity to the nursing workforce

  This past month, the George Washington University School of Nursing (GW) received a three-year, $1...

• Website spotlight: Nurse-led clinics battle readmissions

  A nurse practitioner is at the helm of a free healthcare clinic that aims to reduce readmissions...

• Ask the expert: Written guidance for processes and procedures

  This week, Kenneth Rohde explains the reasons for writing down processes and procedures and...

Issue 34, August 24, 2012

• Fewer nurses trust mobile content, medical websites

  Nurses are less likely than physicians to trust the credibility of medical information from mobile...

• Blog spotlight: Live webcast: Onboarding New Graduate Nurses

  HCPro will present a live, 90-minute webcast on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 1:00-2:30 (Eastern...

• Website spotlight: ANF to nurses: Get some sleep

  Running on only a few hours of sleep? Just pump the coffee, right? Wrong, according to the...

• Ask the expert: Bolstering your nursing orientation program

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, provides advises on ways to assess and strengthen your...

Issue 33, August 17, 2012

• EMR system error raises concerns in CA

  Two nurses in California have raised concerns over the implementation of a multimillion-dollar...

• Blog spotlight: Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert on opioid use

  On August 8, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alertregarding specific steps hospitals...

• Website spotlight: Nurse overtime ban a victory for Bay State RNs

  After more than a decade of lobbying for a ban on mandatory overtime, nurses in Massachusetts are...

• Ask the expert: Effective and ineffective corrective actions

  This week, Kenneth Rohde discusses determining whether actions are effective or ineffective, and...

Issue 32, August 10, 2012

• Policies and programs do not eliminate medical student mistreatment

  Mistreatment of medical students by senior physicians and residents persists despite policies and...

• Blog spotlight: Do as I say, and as I do: Setting a healthy example for patients

  More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and...

• Website spotlight: Don?t underestimate damage caused by burned out nurses

  A study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control shows that nurse...

• Ask the expert: Fair use and copyright in staff development

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, D.Ed, RN, explains fair use and provides instances in which...

Issue 31, August 3, 2012

• Weekly cognitive behavioral intervention reduces nurses’ stress and improves vigor

  Participating in cognitive behavioral intervention once a week can increases nurses’ sense of...

• Blog spotlight: Celebrate a nurse through donation of roses for Nurses’ Float

  Bare Root, the nonprofit organization consisting of five California-based nurses who independently...

• Website spotlight: Making nurses into leaders

  Nurse executives wear two hats. Their most obvious role is that of clinical caregiver. But they're...

• Ask the expert: Obstacles to communication

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, address some...

Issue 30, July 27, 2012

• Consumer engagement through health IT a high priority, but strategies lack clarity

  While healthcare providers are placing consumer engagement in health information technology (IT...

• Blog spotlight: Outsourcing healthcare, but at what cost?

  The Los Angeles Times reported this week that healthcare firms are increasingly shifting clinical...

• Website spotlight: Inside an award-winning ED's nursing department

  The ED nurses at Boston Children's Hospital are never satisfied with the status quo. Whether it's...

• Ask the expert: Nurse residency program stakeholders

  This week, Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, explains which members of your organization are the most...

Issue 29, July 20, 2012

• Tool of the month: Charge nurse preceptor evaluation form

  The ARCTIC assessment tool (adapted from Black & Gregersen [2003, p. 84]) can help identify...

• Blog spotlight: Nurses identify barriers and facilitators for clinical practice guideline use

  Nurses’ adoption and use of clinical practice guidelines is largely affected by external...

• Website spotlight: Geriatric care model centers on nurse leadership

  A study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, which examined the early results of the...

• Ask the expert: The tangible and intangible costs of errors

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, outline the...

Issue 28, July 13, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Social media as a healthcare business tool

  American Medical News released a story last month highlighting four ways that social media can be...

• Website spotlight: Time to focus on rural nurse staffing

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• News brief: Tennessee improves CLABSI infection rates by 30%

  An initiative among Tennessee hospitals to reduce infection rates, particularly central...

• Ask the expert: Standards of behavior and staff accountability

  This week, Eileen Dohmann, RN, BSN, MBA, NEA-BC, discusses accountability language and...

Issue 27, July 3, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Core curricula, examinations, and national certification on the horizon for preceptors

  The American Academy for Preceptor Advancement (AAPA) has selected The College Network® and...

• Website spotlight: Infection control on a shoestring budget

  Duct tape and Ziploc bags were two main ingredients in a culture shift that's helped the Martinez...

• News brief: Concerns over weak nursing presence at the WHO

  The percentage of nurses in positions at the World Health Organization (WHO) has dropped from 2.6...

• Ask the expert: Standards of behavior and staff accountability

  This week, Toni Cesta, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Beverly Cunningham, MS, RN, explain the queuing theory...

Issue 26, June 29, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Working while sick: Is it really worth it?

  It happens to everyone at some point: you wake up with a cough, a headache, or a stuffy nose, and...

• Website spotlight: 1 in 5 nurses is depressed

  18% of hospital-employed nurses experience depressive symptoms; that's twice the rate of the...

• News brief: ANA supports Supreme Court decision

  The American Nurses Association (ANA) released a statement this week in support of the U.S...

• Ask the expert: Standards of behavior and staff accountability

  This week, Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN, outlines the reasons for implementing and adhering to...

Issue 25, June 25, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Nurses are twice as likely to experience depression as the general public

  Most nurses would agree that a typical shift requires a high level of focus on tasks, good time...

• Website spotlight: Hospital-to-home program aims to reduce readmissions

  Much is made of successful hand-offs between hospital departments, but a newly implemented program...

• News brief: Healthcare leaders increase focus on collaboration and health IT

  Teamwork is becoming a focus for many healthcare leaders, according to the 2012 HealthLeaders Media...

• Ask the expert: Establishing a CAUTI prevention program

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Issue 24, June 18, 2012

• Blog spotlight: How healthcare reform has already changed the way hospitals think and operate

  In terms of better quality of care (and perception thereof by the patient), healthcare reform is...

• Website spotlight: APRNs have their say in Michigan

  Across the country, APRNs are making strides toward practicing independently. One state currently...

• News brief: OR errors reduced by circulating nurses

  Circulating perioperative nurses have a crucial role in maintaining patient safety, according to a...

• Ask the expert: Staff recognition

  This week, Patty Kubus, RN, MBA, PhD, identifies methods to acknowledge and applaud the efforts of...

Issue 23, June 11, 2012

• Tool of the month: Charge nurse preceptor evaluation form

  You can ease a charge nurse's transition into the new role by assigning a preceptor devoted to...

• Blog spotlight: Murse World keeps men in nursing looking their best

  A couple of months ago we ran a poll on StrategiesforNurseManagers.com to find out how many men...

• Website spotlight: Nurses, hospitals win with transition programs

  It's a no-brainer, really. The more education nurses receive, the better they'll be at their jobs...

• Ask the expert: Process improvement opportunity statements

  This week, Barbara J. Hannon, RN. MSN, CPHQ, and Cynthia Barnard, MBA, MSJS, CPHQ, explain the...

Issue 22, June 4, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Nurses’ float to honor Sally Bixby, RN at 2013 Rose Parade

  2013 will be the first time that a nurse will be president of the Tournament of Roses, and only...

• Website spotlight: Doctor of nursing practice degree programs skyrocketing

  In just a few short years, the number of DNP programs in the country has skyrocketed from 20 in...

• News brief: National Federation of Nurses sues New York State Nurses Association

  The National Federation of Nurses is suing the New York State Nurses Association, seeking more...

• Ask the expert: Mentors for nurse orientation programs

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, D.Ed, RN, and Debbie Buchwach, BSN, RN-BC, define the role of...

Issue 21, May 28, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Perception versus practice in quality of care

  Patients' perceived quality of care varied greatly from the actual quality of care as defined by...

• Website spotlight: Grand-Aides make nursing go further

  When I'm sick, there are a handful of people who I'd want to take care of me, and my grandmother is...

• News brief: Concerns grow for nurses’ safety when handling heavier patients

  The rising weight of the population has hospitals and clinics across the country investing in...

• Ask the expert: Active listening and accountability

  This week, Eileen L. Dohmann, RN, BSM, MBA, NEA-BC, explains the merits of active listening and...

Issue 20, May 21, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Nurse salary survey reveals differences based on experience and region

  Physicians Practice released the results of its 2012 Staff Salary Survey last month, revealing...

• Website spotlight: Grow your own nurse leaders

  Nurse leaders are hard to come by. The solution? Create them yourself. That's the strategy of...

• News brief: Minnesota nurses vote to strike

  Healthcare workers in Minnesota have voted to authorize a strike that will affect eight hospitals...

• Ask the expert: Communicating expectations for quality improvement

  This week, Cynthia Barnard discusses the relationship between communication and quality improvement.

Issue 19, May 14, 2012

• HCPro celebrates Nurses Week: Contest to win a free webcast on preventing CAUTIs!

  We're marking the last day of HCPro's Nurses Week celebration with a fun nursing quiz! Entrants...

• Tool of the month: Plan, do, study, act table

  One of the simplest tools to implement successful change is Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA). You might...

• Website spotlight: VA finds large gaps in RN telemetry training, retraining

  Patient deaths at VA hospitals in Denver and New York City, as well as an overall indictment of...

• News brief: Statement from HHS secretary praises nurses for National Nurses Week

  Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released...

• Ask the expert: Activities to facilitate change efforts

  This week, Vivian B. Miller, BA, CPHQ, LHRM, CPHRM, FASHRM explains the importance of data...

Issue 18, May 7, 2012

• HCPro celebrates National Nurses Week!

  May 6 through May 12 marks the celebration of National Nurses Week, an annual event to recognize...

• Blog spotlight: Nursing uniforms: What do nurses think?

  We recently posted about designated scrub colors to distinguish the various roles of hospital...

• Website spotlight: Oregon medical center uses real-time location solution to track patients and monitor workflow

  A decade ago, Portland's Providence St. Vincent Medical Center surgeons and other surgery staff...

• News brief: Competency assessment review raises concerns at VA hospitals

  An assessment of 29 Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities by the VA inspector general has raised...

• Ask the expert: Activities to facilitate change efforts

  This week, Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN advises on staff behavior and accountability.

Issue 17, April 30, 2012

• Blog spotlight: CAUTIs still a problem

  Bit of a plug, but I think my visitors will find HCPro's webcast on CAUTIs (catheter-associated...

• Website spotlight: Curbing ED dangers requires strong leadership

  Most people in most professions don't feel threatened when they go to work every day. But for...

• News brief: Nursing excellence designation leads to improved neonatal care

  Underweight newborns are less likely to suffer infections and more likely to survive their first...

• Ask the expert: Activities to facilitate change efforts

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSM, MS, DBA, CCRN discuss common...

Issue 16, April 23, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Nurse uniforms: Should nurses be required to wear prescribed colors?

  According to a recent news article, Allina Health System, a Minneapolis-based hospital group, will...

• Website spotlight: Closing the nurse safety gap

  The safety of nurses is always a hot topic, but there is a group that sometimes gets left behind...

• CDC report show national reduction in infection rates

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 32% national reduction of central...

• Ask the expert: Activities to facilitate change efforts

  This week, Patty Kubus, RN, MBA, PhD, offers tips for improve staff readiness in the face of...

Issue 15, April 16, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Men in nursing remain a rare breed

  An article in The New York Times last month reported an apparent trend of men who have lost jobs...

• Website spotlight: Nurse leaders key to hospital sustainability efforts

  But there's often a disconnect between what happens at home and what happens at work, and that...

• Tool of the month: Nurse residency program session evaluation form

  Just like any good nurse would not give IV narcotics to a patient in pain and not reassess the...

• Ask the expert: Engaging nurses in quality improvement

  This week, Cynthia Barnard, MBA, MSJS, CPHQ, and Barbara J. Hannon, RN, MSN, CPHQ, recommend ways...

Issue 14, April 9, 2012

• Does the solution to the nursing shortage start with education?

  There has been a lot of discussion in recent months of a looming nursing shortage caused by the...

• Advanced practice nurses battle for autonomy

  As advanced practice nurses gain ground in their battle for autonomy, the Missouri State Medical...

• Nurse leadership training program from AACN

  The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is introducing a hospital-based nurse...

• Involving all departments in quality improvement

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, offer tips on...

Issue 13, April 2, 2012

• Transparency...are we there yet?

  Public reporting of surgical site infections is required in only eight states. That fact was...

• Don’t take low nurse turnover rates for granted

  The nursing shortage is over and a survey published in the American Journal of Nursing shows that...

• ANA president testifies on need for investment in nursing

  Karen Daley, president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), testified before Congress on the...

• Involving all departments in quality improvement

  This week, Cynthia Barnard, MBA, MSJS, CPHQ, and Barbara J. Hannon, RN, MSN, CPHQ, recommend steps...

Issue 12, March 26, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Board membership and the role of nurses in healthcare decision making

  Nurses hold leadership roles in healthcare organizations, yet nurses are not perceived as leaders...

• Live program: Time-saving tips for nursing professional development

  Join Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, and Barb Brunt, MA, MN, RN-BC, NE-BC, for a live program on...

• Website spotlight: Errors and error prevention: A look at recent developments

  Fatigue has recently been recognized in the medical literature to increase the incidence of...

• News brief: Correlation between nurses’ work environment and quality ratings

  Improved work environments and smaller ratios of patients to staff led to increased  quality...

• Ask the expert: Engaging in accountability conversations with the nursing staff

  This week, Eileen Lavin Dohmann, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, discusses the three levels of conversation...

Issue 11, March 19, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Room for improvement remains in preventing sharps injuries

  Although there has been substantial progress in reducing needlestick injuries in U.S. healthcare...

• Live program: Time-saving tips for nursing professional development

  Join Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, and Barb Brunt, MA, MN, RN-BC, NE-BC, for a live program on...

• Website spotlight: IV catheter risks to nurses frequent, unreported

  Over the past decade, needlestick safety has become de rigueur, but according to a new study...

• News Brief: Healthcare jobs grow in February

  A report from the Bureau of Labor statistics revealed that the healthcare industry added 49,000...

• Ask the expert: Giving specific and timely feedback to reinforce positive behaviors

  This week, Patty Kubus, RN, MBA, PhD, advises on ways to structure feedback so as to reinforce...

Issue 10, March 12, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Can you head off nurse burnout by hosting a nursing salon?

  Communication is a key part of the nursing profession, and successful nurses must effectively...

• Live program: Time-saving tips for nursing professional development

  The 90-minute webcast will help you conquer four of the biggest challenges in nursing education...

• Nursing borrows a trick from manufacturing

  It can take a lot of courage to do the right thing. To speak up when something's wrong or to...

• Tool of the month: Example of a breakeven analysis

  A breakeven analysis or return on investment allows you to determine the point at which your...

• Ask the expert: Meeting the challenges of on-demand training and inservices

  This week, Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, suggests several ways to meet training needs such as...

Issue 9, March 5, 2012

• Ask your staff: How can we earn your trust?

  Every time I explore a quality improvement initiative with a hospital for Patient Safety Monitor...

• Nurses get pushed around, again

  Aggression involving nurses is at the center of a he-said-she-said dispute that pits Douglas...

• Nurses essential in helping new cancer patients cope

  Nurses can help newly diagnosed cancer patients come to terms with the impact of their disease on...

• Nurse residency programs and self-directed learning activities

  This week, Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, explains the need for self-directed learning as part of a nurse...

Issue 8, February 27, 2012

• All I’m asking is for a little respect

  It's no secret that nurses and physicians do not always maintain the friendliest interactions, and...

• CMS 30-minute rule: How does this affect your facility?

  In late 2011, CMS issued a memo to its state survey agency directors regarding updated guidance on...

• Nurse practitioners key to healthcare reform

  Nurse practitioners could play an essential role in minimizing the impact of a shortage in primary...

• Discussing financial topics with department staff members

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN, and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, advise on the...

Issue 7, February 20, 2012

• Blog spotlight: Technology and healthcare: Nurses’ use of mobile devices

  New technology has been steadily working its way into all aspects of daily life, and healthcare is...

• How to sidestep hospital flu shot mandates

  Should vaccinations against influenza be mandatory for healthcare workers? A debate is currently...

• Study explores nurses’ views on patient rounding

  Nurses identify rounding as a useful and valuable process, but find the documentation aspect of...

• Ask the expert: Structuring nurse residency programs for new graduate nurses

  This week, Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, gives advice on developing a nurse residency program that uses...

Issue 6, February 13, 2012

• Tool of the month: Sample summary tool supporting capital justification

  This month's tool will help you develop the justification you need for purchasing new equipment...

• Designing a hospital? Ask nurses first

  When the nurses at Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville, Missouri, got to pitch in on the...

• Nursing poised for largest increase among U.S. occupations

  Registered nursing will add more than 700,000 new jobs by 2020, representing the largest growth...

• How can I help my staff nurses achieve a greater level of clinical expertise?

  This week, Tammy L. Berbarie, BA, RN, RN-BC, discusses the benefits of a clinical ladder program...

Issue 5, February 6, 2012

• Does being a nurse make you fat?

  Is being a nurse bad for your health? A new survey indicates that this might be the case, and...

• Stop requiring nurses to work overtime

  When one of your nurses calls in sick, or if your organization is experiencing a staffing crunch...

• Nursing pilot program focuses on patient engagement

  Horizon Healthcare Solutions (HHI), Duke University School of Nursing, and Rutgers University...

• What should a good orientation for new staff development employees include?

  There are some basic elements of any good orientation. These do not revolve around competencies or...

Issue 4, January 30, 2012

• How to retain nurses by focusing on the reasons they entered the profession

  Recognizing and building upon nurses' dedication to their line of work could be essential to...

• Real value of credentialing lies in the journey

  How much does designation as an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program(r...

• ANA honors six hospitals for outstanding quality

  The American Nursing Association (ANA) has recognized six hospitals for outstanding nursing...

• Ask the expert: What should be considered when utilizing a ratio staffing structure?

  This week, Pamela Hunt, BS, MSN, RN and Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, DBA, CCRN, discuss ratio...

Issue 3, January 23, 2012

• Nurse donates kidney to patient

  Medical News Today reports that Allison Batson, a nurse at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta...

• Nurses key to care coordination

  It seems each new study that examines a particular facet of nursing also reinforces the notion that...

• Another nursing strike possible in California

  Thousands of nurses belonging to the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) could stage a...

• How do the eight essentials of the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program(R) relate to shared governance?

  This week, Diana Swihart, PhD, DMin, MSN, CS, RN-BC, explains the connection between shared...

Issue 2, January 16, 2012

• You can't improve without knowing what's wrong

  In the healthcare quality improvement field, there has been much talk about reporting errors, about...

• Suicide risk: Solutions to rapid assessment and documentation

  In November 2010, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert requiring all hospitals to...

• Healthcare created 314K jobs in 2011

  Healthcare created 22,600 jobs in December, finishing a strong year for job growth that saw 314,700...

• Curb disruptive behavior between nurses and physicians

  This week, Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN shares strategies for collaboration and communication...

Issue 1, January 9, 2012

• Top 10 most read blogs posts from 2011

  Here's a rundown of the most-read posts from 2011: 1. Analyzing nurse staffing: Understanding...

• Nurses key to making healthcare better

  Nurses made a strong showing in this year's HealthLeaders 20, our annual profile of individuals who...

• CMS' proposed hospital staffing revisions get cool reception

  A rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow changes in the...

• Including policies and procedures in charge nurse orientation

  Q: My organization is developing a charge nurse orientation this year and we are having difficulty...

Issue 1, July 19, 2012

• Geriatric care model centers on nurse leadership

    The Nurses Improving Care to Healthsystem Elders program, which aims to add...