The American Nurses Association recently elected Rebecca Patton to a second two-year term as the organization’s president. Patton currently is on leave from her position as director of perioperative services for EMH Regional Healthcare System in Elyria, OH. She previously served as an ANA treasurer and delegate.
In recent times, nurses have begun to draw more attention to the often-dangerous conditions in which they work - though the going has been slow. There's no question that nurses face big risks: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses and other personal care workers suffer 25 injuries annually resulting in days off from work for every 10,000 full-time workers. That's 12 times the rate of the overall private sector.
The American Hospital Association says executives are very aware of the problem and are taking steps to address it, including expanding security staffing, increasing the use of surveillance cameras and providing training on how to deal with violent situations.
To learn more about this issue, read this piece from The New York Times.
Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, an American Hospital Association subsidiary, has been named chair of the National Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors. Thompson has served on the NPSF board since 2002 and is the first registered nurse to serve as chair.
“We’re delighted with the appointment of Pam to chair of the NPSF Board,” said NPSF President Diane Pinakiewicz. “Her deep professional experience and passionate commitment to patient safety brings valuable perspective to our Board. We’re grateful for her staunch support and look forward to her contribution in this new role.”
Founded in 1997, the NPSF is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving patient safety and reducing medical errors through research, education and dissemination of programs.
[ via AHA News Now ]
The first two years of a nurse's career are tenuous ones. Recent estimates from the Journal of Nursing Administration show that the average turnover rate for first-year nurses ranges between 35 percent and 60 percent. This creates a tremendous cost burden for hospitals. Given wages for temporary nurses, overtime, orientation and lost productivity, the actual cost of turnover approximates a nurse's annual salary, according to Nursing Economics.
For the full story, click here.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have joined efforts to develop a new patient safety and quality resource for nurses. The manual, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, analyzes the broad topics involved in providing excellent quality and safe care across the health care industry. This resource manual contains contributions that represent the work of a broad range of nurses and other patient safety researchers throughout the nation.
Please click here to view the publication. You may obtain the print or CD-ROM manual by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) last week introduced H.R. 5878, a House companion to the Troops to Nurse Teachers Act. Backed by the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the bill would ease the critical shortage of nursing school faculty by encouraging active and retired military nurses to become nurse educators. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Senate version (S. 2705) last month.
Nurses, policy-makers, and healthcare vendors are calling on health information technology (IT) to alleviate workforce shortages and improve patient safety. The American Academy of Nursing's (AAN) Workforce Commission, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, conducted a survey among nurses and healthcare providers at 25 sites across the country, evaluating their work environments and processes, and determining which IT tools would be most useful to them. The survey spotted a trend, with nurses' wish list including a desire for health IT to assist with care coordination and delivery, communications, discharge processes, documentation, medication administration, patient movement, and supplies and equipment management. Nurses specified a need for computerized order entry systems to thwart handwriting legibility issues, and touch-screen or voice-activated technology for documentation. They also wanted more hands-free tools to track people, supplies, and equipment, and even expressed an interest in the use of robotics for supply delivery. [ via Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ]
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN) will hold its annual Symposium & Expo from April 25 to May 1, in Salt Lake City, Utah. With more than 1,600 occupational and environmental health nurses and more than 100 exhibitors attending, AAOHN’s Symposium & Expo is the premier educational and networking event for all occupational and environmental health professionals.
This year's event will cover a variety of relevant topics such as, emergency action planning, medical surveillance tools and nanotechnology with industry-recognized speakers such as Jennifer Jordan, BA, Kathleen D. Pagana, PhD, RN, Kimberly A. Olszewski, RN, MSN, CRNP, COHN-S/CM, FAAOHN, and Linda A. McCauley, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAOHN.
“Businesses continue to be affected by rising employee health care benefits and work and safety costs, prompting top management executives to realize the importance of developing sound health and safety programs that protect their employees," said AAOHN President Richard Kowalski. "It's our job to keep occupational health nurses current on the latest trends and information in the industry to help businesses reduce these costs."
The Symposium will include the AAOHN Annual Business/Recognition Meeting and the Catherine Dempsey Lecture, presented this year by Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., JD, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, John Izzo, PH.D., critically-acclaimed author and speaker, will speak at the closing session as well as conduct a concurrent session entitled, “Awakening the Spirit of Your Work and Life – Finding Balance.”
Pre-Symposium Certificate Programs & Workshops also are available and will be held Saturday, April 26 to Monday, April 28. Topics include "Safety Management”, “Physical Assessment: Putting It All Together” and “Practical Ergonomic$." The programs are open to AAOHN members and non-members.
Participants choosing to attend all pre-Symposium, Lunch & Learn and concurrent educational sessions, can earn 34.2 continuing nursing education contact hours. The cost for the Symposium Proper for AAOHN members is $350 before March 7 and $400 after March 7. Cost for non-members is $625 before March 7 and $675 after March 7. Registration deadline is April 11. Pre-symposium certificate programs, workshops and Lunch & Learn sessions are an additional cost. One-day registration is also available. For registration information and complete details on the 2008 Symposium & Expo, please visit www.aaohn.org.
To view pictures from the 2008 MHA Organization of Nurse Executives Board Retreat, click here.
The American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses on Jan. 31 announced plans to develop a certification exam exclusively for nurse managers, according to AHA News Now. They said the program will enable nurse managers to validate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills essential to their leadership role.
The organizations previously have collaborated on an e-learning program, and partnered with the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses on a framework and assessment tool for developing nurse leaders. AONE is an American Hospital Association subsidiary.
