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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Prescription Medications Take on Leading Role in Illegal Drug Trade - Nursing Link

Brian Freskos | Star-News, Wilmington, N.C.

February 22, 2011

Feb. 17—When Lt. J.A. LeBlanc arrived at the New Hanover County Vice and Narcotics Unit in 2001, one detective could handle the volume of prescription drug cases. Now, he said, all 16 detectives investigate them.

Street drugs such as cocaine and heroin have long been the targets of authorities seeking to root out illicit substances. But in recent years, growing prescription drug abuse has shifted law enforcement’s focus to stemming the flow of dangerous medications onto the black market.

Abuse of prescription medications, particularly narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, is rising precipitously, leading White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske last June to call it the “nation’s fastest-growing drug problem.” Between 1998 and 2008, treatment admissions for prescription pill addicts posted a 400 percent increase, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Southeastern North Carolina has not escaped what many law enforcement officials call an epidemic. Between 2004 and 2010, the New Hanover County Vice and Narcotics Unit seized nearly 15,100 pills — 3,749 of them in 2010 alone, the largest county pill haul in four years.

via nursinglink.monster.com

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Women and the Affordable Care Act - Health Care for You | HealthCare.gov

Health Care for You

Women have unique health care needs, and often make health care decisions for their families. The law offers important benefits for women and their families.

The Affordable Care Act ensures that:

Insurance Companies Can’t Deny Coverage to Women. Before the Affordable Care Act became law, insurance companies selling individual policies could deny coverage to women due to pre-existing conditions, such as cancer and having been pregnant. Under the law, insurance companies are already banned from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition. In 2014, it will be illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition.

Women Have a Choice of Doctor. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, all Americans joining new insurance plans have the freedom to choose from any primary care provider, OB-GYN, or pediatrician in their health plan’s network, or emergency care outside of the plan’s network, without a referral.

Women Can Receive Preventive Care Without Copays. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, all Americans joining a new health care plan can receive recommended preventive services, like mammograms, new baby care and well-child visits, with no out-of-pocket costs. See a list of preventive services for women. (Preventive services benefits apply if you’re in a new health plan that you joined after March 23, 2010.)

Women Pay Lower Health Care Costs. Before the law, women could be charged more for individual insurance policies simply because of their gender. A 22-year-old woman could be charged 150% the premium that a 22-year-old man paid. In 2014, insurers will not be able to charge women higher premiums than they charge men. The law takes strong action to control health care costs, including helping states crack down on excessive premium increases and making sure most of your premium dollars go for your health care.

next page >>

via healthcare.gov

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Emergency Nurses Launch Workplace Violence Toolkit on ADVANCE for Nurses

A recent ENA study found more than half of emergency nurses surveyed reported experiencing such verbal or physical abuse within the previous 7 days. Of more concern, according to ENA, was the finding that in almost half of the cases of physical violence, nurses said no action was taken against the perpetrator; and in three out of four cases, hospitals did not respond to nurses' reports of violence.

"Research has shown hospitals that have policies and plans for addressing workplace violence have lower rates of violence than hospitals that don't," said ENA President Ann Marie Papa, DNP, RN, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN. "Hospitals with policies are far safer for the healthcare professionals working in them and for the patients they care for. We have a responsibility to our colleagues and our patients to make our hospitals - and our emergency departments - as safe as possible. I strongly urge all [ED] managers and hospital administrators to download and use this invaluable, important and free resource."

via nursing.advanceweb.com

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On February 23rd blow the whistle on bullying, BC Nurses Union

Wednesday February 23rd is Anti-Bullying Day also known as Pink Shirt Day. The goal is to raise awareness of the harmful impacts of workplace bullying. BCNU members and stewards will be taking action to highlight this important day at worksites throughout the province.

Bullying and horizontal violence in nursing

In 2005 Statistics Canada reported that bullying and horizontal violence affects many Canadian nurses:

Almost 50 percent of nurses report emotional abuse at work

46 percent of nurses report they were exposed to hostility or conflict from co-workers

Bullying is aggressive, persistent and intentional behaviour where any reasonable person should know their behaviour is unwelcome by the victim.

Bullying isn't normal rudeness or properly discharged managerial activities. Bullying is more than normal workplace conflict – it creates toxic workplaces that are often difficult to change. If you believe bullying is an issue at your worksite, contact your BCNU steward.

To make a difference in your workplace, know your "Respect in the Workplace" policy and procedures. To learn more about bullying:

bullyonline.org

workplacebullying.org

bullyinginstitute.org

pinkshirtday.ca

via bcnu.org

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B.C. nurses to train in gang awareness - British Columbia - CBC News

The health authority in Prince George, B.C., plans to teach nurses how to deal with gang members who arrive at a hospital's emergency ward.

Northern Health Authority spokeswoman Eryn Collins said RCMP members will be invited to speak to staff about gang awareness and other safety issues.

"I couldn't definitively say whether the gang perspective on it has ever been raised before," said Collins. "It would be logical in terms of being aware of who you're dealing with."

via cbc.ca

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Diet - High Fiber Intake Linked With Longer Life - NYTimes.com

A study of almost 400,000 people aged 50 to 71 has found a strong link between a high-fiber diet and a longer life.

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Specifically, subjects who ate a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables (adding up to 29 grams of fiber per day for men, 26 grams for women) were 22 percent less likely to die after nine years than those who ate the least fiber (13 and 11 grams per day), according to the study, in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Those in the high-fiber group were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease, infectious disease and respiratory disease; a high-fiber diet was also associated with fewer cancer deaths in men, though not in women.
The lower death rates were associated with dietary fiber from whole grains, said the lead author, Dr. Yikyung Park, a staff scientist at the National Cancer Institute.
“One of our findings was that fiber has anti-inflammatory properties,” Dr. Park said, adding that grains are also rich in beneficial vitamins, minerals and chemicals.
People who ate more fiber were generally healthier, more educated and more physically active to begin with, the authors noted. But the study adjusted for these differences.
At the start of the study, all participants filled out 124-item food frequency questionnaires. Nine years later, 20,126 men and 11,330 women had died.

via nytimes.com

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Are 12-hour shifts safe? Donna Cardillo, MA, RN - American Nurse Today

Are 12-hour shifts safe?

Donna Cardillo, MA, RN

12-hour shifts have become the norm in hospitals and most nurses love them. One can work 3 days and have 4 days off, there is one less major shift change to contend with, and patients have fewer names and faces to get acclimated to in a 24-hour period. It all makes sense on the surface.

But is working 12 consecutive hours in a fast-paced, high stress, physically and mentally demanding environment a good idea? Does it support the clear judgment, quick thinking and reflexes, and life and death decisions that we must make in the acute care setting?

I know a few nurses who do three 12-hour shifts a week, at least two of the shifts on two consecutive days. Some nurses do three consecutive 12s. Factor in commuting time, shift transition (it can sometimes take 1-2 extra hours to actually finish up), time to get ready for work—never mind making time (if at all) for family or self and they’re lucky to get 5-6 hours of sleep if that. Compound that with the fact that many nurses no longer take meal breaks or even short breaks during their shift to rest and refresh because they believe they don’t have the time or they don’t make the time. This is a recipe for disaster.

via americannursetoday.com

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Can a nurse be too old to work at the bedside? Donna Cardillo, MA, RN - American Nurse Today

Let’s consider the facts: Many nurses are still working at the bedside in their 70s and a few even in their 80s. Granted, every nurse is different and age alone is not an indictor of ability. But the inevitable truth is that the older we get the more we are prone to age-related ailments ,such as Parkinson’s and dementia, which are often undiagnosed. And since nurses, like the rest of the population, are living and working longer (many out of sheer necessity), will those nurses be able to recognize when they are no longer able to do their bedside job to the best of their ability? Can we even see in ourselves when our slowed reflexes, diminished critical thinking skills, and lessened agility hamper our practice and potentially endanger our patients and ourselves?

This does not imply that all nurses should stop working at the bedside at a certain age or that they should stop working at all. It simply raises the question about one’s own ability to continue competent and safe bedside practice indefinitely. This concern comes at a time when 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 each day — that’s right, each day. And many of them are in the current bedside nursing workforce and are being required to work 12-hour shifts. (See post dated 10/26/10 “Are 12-hour shifts safe?”)

via americannursetoday.com

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Men's Health: MedlinePlus

While the life-expectancy gap between men and women has decreased, it's no secret that men still need to pay more attention to their bodies. Several things work against men. They tend to smoke and drink more than women. They don't seek medical help as often as women. Some men define themselves by their work, which can add to stress.

There are also health conditions that only affect men, such as prostate cancer and low testosterone. Many of the major health risks that men face – like colon cancer or heart disease - can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis. Screening tests can find diseases early, when they are easier to treat. It's important to have regular checkups and screenings.

Get Men's Health updates by email What's this?

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Stay Healthy(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

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When the Nurse Is a Bully - By Theresa Brown, R.N. - NYTimes.com

By THERESA BROWN, R.N.

It was the end of my shift, and I listened as one of my co-workers was being hassled over the phone for the second time that day. The computer wouldn’t release a patient record, and a nurse in another department was blaming her.

“Why are nurses so mean to each other?” I blurted out.

“Well yeah,” my co-worker said, “It’s that whole ‘Nurses eat their young’ thing.”

Nurses eat their young. The expression is standard lore among nurses, and it means bullying, harassment, whatever you want to call it. It’s that harsh, sometimes abusive treatment of new nurses that is entrenched on some hospital floors and schools of nursing. It’s the dirty little secret of nursing, and it needs to be publicly acknowledged, and just as publicly discussed, because it’s keeping us down.

via well.blogs.nytimes.com

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Prescription Medications Take on Leading Role in Illegal Drug Trade - Nursing Link

Women and the Affordable Care Act - Health Care for You | HealthCare.gov

Health Care for You

Monday, February 21, 2011

Emergency Nurses Launch Workplace Violence Toolkit on ADVANCE for Nurses

On February 23rd blow the whistle on bullying, BC Nurses Union

B.C. nurses to train in gang awareness - British Columbia - CBC News

Diet - High Fiber Intake Linked With Longer Life - NYTimes.com

Related

More Vital Signs Columns

Are 12-hour shifts safe? Donna Cardillo, MA, RN - American Nurse Today

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Can a nurse be too old to work at the bedside? Donna Cardillo, MA, RN - American Nurse Today

Men's Health: MedlinePlus

Start Here

When the Nurse Is a Bully - By Theresa Brown, R.N. - NYTimes.com

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