Nursefriendly.com: staff nursing

Showing posts with label staff nursing. Show all posts

Monday, March 21, 2011

When Nurse Staffing Drops, Mortality Rates Rise: Study

When nurse staffing levels fell below target levels in a large hospital, more patients died, a new study discovered.

The finding may provide guidance in an era of nursing shortages and cost-cutting, in that the focus should shift from cost to patient safety, said the authors of the research, appearing in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Hospitals need to know what their nursing needs are for their patients, and they need to bring staffing into line," said study senior author Jack Needleman, a professor of health services at the School of Public Health of the University of California Los Angeles.

"Patients are entitled to be safe in the hospital and to have care delivered reliably and to have nurses with enough time to make sure they aren't developing avoidable complications with permanent consequences," Needleman said.

via businessweek.com

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

How to Give an IM Injection, Kathy Quan RN BSN

When it is necessary to inject medication, the route is determined by the chemical make up and viscosity of the medication. Many times the route will be intramuscular (into the muscle) known as an IM injection or "shot' as opposed to subcutaneous or intradermal injection.

The injection site will be determined by the volume of medication to be injected. Other considerations are the age of the patient, the size and weight of the patient and mobility issues. The patient’s ability to relax and cooperate can also play a role in determining a safe injection site. Needle size depends on factors such as the site, medication and size/weight of the patient.

via thenursingsite.com

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101 Blog Posts Every New Nurse Should Read Nurse Practitioner Schools

Nursing requires almost superhuman strength, stamina, and compassion. And due to its nature, none involved in the profession practice in a vacuum. Both students and recent graduates preparing to enter into their studies or career should look to the experiences of their predecessors for information and inspiration. Some have plenty to say about the profession and their particular specializations. Others prefer discussing the education and exams that lead into a nursing career. And still others take to activism and patient advocacy to ensure the needs of the community and their patients are met. All of them have valuable perspectives to offer those starting to dip their comfortable shoe-clad toes into the field.

1. “Uh oh” at code blog

One nurse shares her very first professional experience after graduating, which involves how she dealt with a patient’s relentless requests for excessive pain medication. Those new to nursing ought to ponder over the myriad different patients they will encounter in their careers.

2. “Flight Nurse: A Life of Training and Trauma” at CRZEGRL, FLIGHT NURSE

This guest post by John C. Lee, Jr., SRN reflects upon the responsibilities and experiences of working as a nurse on Lifeflight helicopters. It is one possible career path for nursing students and recent graduates to consider.

3. “The Travel Nursing Cost of Living Calculator” at TravelNursingBlogs.com

All careers – not just nurses – can benefit from this extremely valuable tool, which helps people understand how much they need to make in order to maintain a certain standard of living when transitioning from one city to another.

via nursepractitionerschools.org

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

The #1 stressful thing about being a nurse, Scrubsmag.com

So, we all know there are a million things that ‘stress’ us out during our shifts. Do I really need to list them? Here are just a few that come to mind:
Causes of Stress
Inadequate staffing
Nurse-to-staff ratio overload (does the word unsafe come to mind)
Lack of teamwork
Lack of effective and fair management
Coworker strain
Paperwork
Endless charting – repeating information on multiple forms
Miscommunication or the lack of communication
Census overload and strain (revolving door of admissions and discharges)
No time to even use the bathroom

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Nursing Retirements Have Critical Implications - Blogs - Nurse.Com Forums

terri_g An article in the today’s Washington Post, written by Darryl Fears, states, “Health-care economists and other experts say retirements in that group [nurses] over the next 10 to 15 years will greatly weaken the health-care workforce...” I am glad to see more attention being paid to the implications of losing our most experienced nurses.

Several years ago, I heard David DeLong, an expert on the aging workforce; speak about the notion of lost knowledge. He remarked that as highly experienced workers retire, companies lose critical information that resides deep within their minds. This concept resonated with me and I set out to learn how it applied to the aging nursing workforce.

via forums.nurse.com

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Don't bring stress home with you, Scrubsmag.com

As a nurse, I don’t think we will ever be able to eliminate stress. I think a certain amount of stress is expected in our line of work. I mean, let’s get real. We’re in the business of saving, and improving the quality of lives here. Stress is just part of the game.
But, just like an athlete playing a ‘game’, we need to leave it all on the field. Yeah, it’s a loose analogy, but it goes a long way. Athletes leave it all on the field and we nurses should leave it all at work.
Bringing stress-related issues home with you just compounds the original problem(s). We have a tendency to take that high-octane paced environment and just keep on driving until we drive it on home. Then you’re ‘wired for sound’ for your significant other or family member. You end up being unpleasant and short-fused with persons who really have nothing to do with your stress. Yet, these are the people that usually have to figure out how to deal with it? So then your level of stress gets even higher since you have no solution.

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Safe Staffing Saves Lives - ANA's National Campaign to Solve the Nurse Staffing Crisis

Nurses everywhere rank staffing as their biggest problem. Research shows it is a problem – for patients: Insufficient nurse staffing is linked with poorer patient outcomes, lengthened hospital stays and increased chance of patient death.

ANA’s Solution to Staffing

ANA advocates solving the problem by requiring hospitals to set nurse staffing plans for each hospital unit based on changing conditions:

Patient acuity (severity of illness)

Patient numbers

Nurse skills and experience

Support staff

Technology

via safestaffingsaveslives.org.

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

6 Things Male Nurses Should Know to Survive - Nursing Link

How does a man survive in a woman’s world? Here are some down-and-dirty survival tips that every ‘male nurse’ needs to know in order to survive in the wilderness of women.

Learn the ways of the Venutians

Men are truly from Mars, and yes Women are from Venus. We live on two different worlds, but we do occupy the same solar system. We speak different languages (spoken and bodily language). Social habits are on opposite ends of the pole. And we of course can’t agree on much other than the fact we are different. But, I guarantee you can all find commonality -which is being a nurse.

Never, ever, ever under any circumstances be that ‘typical’ man

OK guys. We have all heard the stereotype stories. Learn to not be THAT guy while at work. Even if you are, or can be, don’t be that guy at work of all places. If you’re not sure look around you? Are you always left high and dry? Little to no teamwork from the team? Always eating your meals alone? (hmm.. You might need to re-evaluate). If all else fails, simply ask a Venutian, they love to tell it like it is.

Learn to love the color pink (oh.. and candles too)

I’m not sure why, it just is. Never question, just assimilate – it’s safer that way.

Emotions are not what they seem

Crying is a form of trickery. Just because someone smiles and laughs at your jokes, does not mean they like you. When you hear them whispering, be sure to never look them in the eye. On the playground, guys will punch you in the face if they don’t like you, or have a dispute. After the punch, and the dust settles respect is exchanged and then call it even. In the wilderness women will find a way to extend their torture and mayhem over months at a time, redirecting their havoc to everything that affects you and then never fully admit their angst. Be careful, be very careful.

Being invisible is a good thing

Hypothetically speaking of course. When you become invisible, you are no longer viewed as the ‘male nurse’ or the ‘guy’ they work with. Now you’re just a fellow co-worker, or colleague. Camouflage is your best defense.

Always put the toilet seat down!

In most cases you are usually one of the few men working that shift, so when the seat is left up, the blame game gets REAL easy. Oh yeah, and if you fail to even move the seat during your ‘visit’, you better leave things in the same condition you found them. (Do I really need to explain the dribble effect??) Don’t ever let an angry wet-bottomed women corner you – you will not survive.

Disclaimer: Yes, once again this is all in fun. Anyone who is a ‘male nurse’ or works with them can take some humor from this post. In the end we are all part of the same awesome team. Gender is never an issue, until you make it an issue. All in fun…

Next: The Role of Men in Nursing Today >>

More on ScrubsMag.com:

• In Myths & Misconceptions: Male Nurse Introductory Course 101
• In Mind & Mood: Gift Ideas for the Nurse
• In Nursing Blog: The Safest and Healthiest Ways to Vent at Work

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

10 ways you know there's a male nurse on the unit, Scrubsmag.com

So, how can you tell when there’s a male nurse in the house?
10. The Hoyer lift is thought of as the backup option.
9. Someone at the nurses’ station isn’t wearing a print top.
8. You no longer call Dr. Strong at the first sign of need.
7. You find yourself with a box of gigantic gloves and wonder where the smaller ones went.
6. Conversations based on sports have somehow infiltrated the unit.
5. Somebody left a burger and fries on the table, where you struggle to convince yourself a salad is fulfilling.
4. Patient assignments are frequently changed after you have taken report and made your first round.
3. A patient keeps calling your co-worker “Doctor” regardless of how many times she is corrected.
2. This complaint becomes familiar: “There are no XL gloves here and they were ordered just for me.”
1. Someone left the toilet seat up in the nurses’ lounge restroom.
This list, by Jeffrey Bodurka, RN

via scrubsmag.com

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Massachusetts Nurses, Massachusetts Nursing

ShareThis Buzz up!8 votes

Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
239 Causeway Street Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 727-9961 FAX: (617) 727-1630
http://www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/rn/
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Massachusetts Nurse Entrepreneurs, Nurse-Owned Businesses:
Time for Nurses:"Time for Nurses is here to help spark a public conversation about improving the work-life balance of nurses nationwide. The site is run by OnCall Scheduling Solutions of Westborough, Mass., and we encourage contributions by nurses and medical professionals about how to improve scheduling and make life better for nurses everywhere. OnCall Scheduling provides an advanced, affordable, easy-to-use Web 2.0 service to help nurses manage their work lives better and to help hospitals reduce the unnecessary costs of hiring last-minute temp workers. See the For nurses or For administrators pages for descriptions of how OnCall benefits nurses and hospitals while reducing costs.
Twitter: Time for Nurses @timefornurses, Marybeth Mills, RN, Boston & San Francisco:"We help nurses find work-life balance & hospitals get Web 2.0 & save $. Tweeting: Marybeth Mills (20 years as nurse), JD & Stephen for OnCall. We follow back."
69 Milk St., Suite 216
Westborough, MA 01581
p: 866.512.0413
m: 508.259.1209
http://twitter.com/#!/timefornurses
http://timefornurses.com/ or http://www.oncallscheduling.com
Categories: Massachusetts Nurses, Nursing Agencies, Staffing Resources. Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurse-Owned Businesses, Twitter Nurses
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Ann M. Peterson, EdD,MSN,RN,FNP-C,CLNC, Massachusetts, Medical Legal Nurse Consulting, Nursing home litigation
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Elizabeth Silverberg, RN, SANE, CLNC, Massachusetts
Open Heart, Intensive Care Unit, ICU
http://www.nursefriendly.com/silverberg/
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Lou Torres BSN, RN, RRT, Legal Nurse Consultant, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Massachusetts,
Emergency Department Nurses, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
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Wendy L. Wright, MS, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP Certified ANP, FNP, Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc.:"Wendy L. Wright is a Senior Lecturer with Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc., a national provider of NP Certification Preparation and ongoing continuing education for healthcare providers. She presents the Fitzgerald NP Certification Exam Review and Advanced Practice Update Course for Adult and Family. Ms. Wright is certified as both a Family and Adult Nurse Practitioner and is the owner of a family practice located in Amherst, NH. She is the recipient of Excellence in Research and Excellence in Clinical Practice awards, both from Simmons College, Boston, MA. She was chosen by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to receive the New Hampshire Excellence in Practice award and by her peers as the NH Nurse Practitioner of the Year. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and a member of the New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association and Sigma Theta Tau."
Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc.
85 Flagship Drive North Andover, MA 01845-6154
Voice: 800.927.5380 Fax: 978.794.2455 E-mail: home@fhea.com
http://fhea.com/faculty/w_wright.shtml
Categories:

Masters Prepared Nurses, MSN, MA, MS, MN, http://www.4nursing.com/masters
Massachusetts Legal Nurse Consultants
Massachusetts Nurse Entrepreneurs
Massachusetts Nurses, Massachusetts Nursing, http://www.4nursing.com/massachusetts/
Nurse Practitioner NP Owned Businesses
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioner NP Owned Businesses, Nursing Entrepreneurs, http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/np/
Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurse-Owned Businesses, http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
Nursing Online Continuing Education (CEUs), http://www.nursefriendly.com/ceu/
Testifying Expert Witness Location, http://www.nursingexperts.com/witness/
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Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses:"MARN is dedicated to advancing the profession of nursing in Massachusetts through advocacy, leadership development, enhanced diversity, education and mentorship. The functions of this association shall be to: Develop collaborative relationships with nursing and other health care related groups to explore common interests;"
MARN ~ P.O. Box 285 ~ Milton, MA 02186
617-990-2856 ~ info@MARNonline.org
http://www.marnonline.org/
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Massachusetts Center for Nursing (MCN):"The Massachusetts Center for Nursing (MCN) - our Commonwealth's proactive pledge to secure nursing's Mass Appeal for generations to come, welcomes you. Does becoming a nurse interest you? Need advice on how to Become A Nurse? Are you looking for ways to Advance Your Nursing Career? Perhaps you are interested in Becoming Nursing Faculty? Whether you are a nurse relocating from the next town over or from across the ocean, Nursing in Massachusetts provides many links to make your relocation easier. The site is rich with up-to-date nursing information on retention, recruitment, nursing faculty opportunities, Massachusetts nursing workforce development initiatives, National nursing workforce development initiatives, beginning or advancing your nursing career."
Massachusetts Center For Nursing
P.O. Box 532
Norton, MA 02766-0532
http://www.nursema.org
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Massachusetts Nurses Association:"The MNA makes it possible for nurses to take an active role in decisions made in the practice, health care reform, legislative and economic arenas - decisions that directly influence the profession of nursing. The MNA is directed and run by the membership with an elected board of directors and a grassroots organizational structure. With districts in five different regions of the state, members have an opportunity to become involved in the MNA on local issues and concerns. The MNA also provides members with an opportunity to influence nursing issues on a national level. At the MNA diversity does make a difference. In this rapidly evolving health care environment, it is the MNA that speaks for the profession of nursing."
Massachusetts Nurses Association
340 Turnpike Street
Canton, Massachusetts 02021
Phone: 781.821.4625
Fax: 781.821.4445
http://www.massnurses.org
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Massachusetts School Nurse Organization:"We are delighted to have you browse our site and hope to keep you informed of the many current events which influence today's practice of school nursing. Our organization's mission is to promote and advance quality school health services throughout the Commonwealth and promote the rights, interests and professional growth of our members. We hope that you will bookmark our site and continue to watch our evolving growth."
MSNO
P.O. Box 1287
Marblehead, MA. 01945-5287
http://www.msno.org
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Constance A. Morrison MS, CNS, APRN, BC, PMH - NP, JD:"Attorney Constance A. Morrison is a health care consultant and trial lawyer. Her areas of law are personal injury, which includes medical and nursing malpractice; mental health litigation; and, defense of nurses in disciplinary hearings before the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Combined with her Doctorate in Law, her Master's Degree in Forensic Nursing, She received her Post Master's Certificate in teaching Nursing Education and received her Advanced Post Master's Degree as a Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatry. Dr. Morrison is also a Nursing Educator."
E-Mail: camorrison@camorrison.com ~ or ~ Phone: 603.536.5016
http://www.camorrison.com/
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See also:
Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc.:"Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. is an NP-owned company dedicated to helping nurse practitioners, advanced practice and ambulatory care nurses achieve certification and to maintain professional competence by providing live continuing education seminars, web and computer based learning courses, audio/video learning modules and books."
85 Flagship Drive North Andover, MA 01845-6154
Voice: 800.927.5380 Fax: 978.794.2455 E-mail: home@fhea.com
http://www.fhea.com/
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Health Literacy Consulting:"Communication can be a challenge -- especially with people who have poor reading skills, are older, speak little or no English, come from other cultures, or have hearing, visual, emotional, or cognitive disabilities. Health Literacy Consulting can help. Through its many programs and services, Health Literacy Consulting provides training and support to help you communicate in ways patients, families, and employees can truly understand."
Health Literacy Consulting
31 Highland Street, Suite 201 Natick, MA 01760
Phone: (508) 653-1199 Fax: (508) 650-9492
E-mail: Helen@healthliteracy.com
http://www.healthliteracy.com/
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Medical-Legal Resources, Inc.:"Medical-Legal Resources, Inc. was founded by Erin E. Murray, RN, BSN, MHA, CLNC. Ms. Murray, who is also the President of Medical-Legal Resources, Inc. has over 20 years of professional nursing experience. Ms. Murray is a Registered Nurse (RN) who received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) from Boston College. Additionally, she has a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration (MHA) from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts and a Certification in Legal Nurse Consulting (CLNC) from the Medical-Legal Consulting Institute."
A Legal Nurse Consulting Firm
5 Crestview Avenue
Medway, MA 02053
Telephone: 508-533-7705
Email: info@medical-legalresources.com
http://www.medical-legalresources.com/
Category: Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurse-Owned Businesses, http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Do You Have a Work Spouse? - Nursing Link

Mark Swartz | Monster Senior Contributing Writer

February 22, 2011

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. George Bush and Condoleezza Rice. Stacy and Clinton. Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy.

Whether in real life or reel life, work spouses are out there. You’ve seen them, right? Or maybe you’re in such a relationship: Two people who spend most of their working hours together, behaving like a married couple. But despite subtle overtones of intimacy and affection, this relationship at work is strictly nonphysical and non-romantic.

Having a work spouse is not uncommon. Surveys indicate that an increasing number of employees report being involved in platonic work “marriages,” and in many cases, the work wife or work husband is already romantically partnered outside the workplace. Although such relationships may boost productivity and personal motivation, it’s essential to maintain a chaste and professional bond. Knowing what works and what doesn’t will keep you both on track.

The Benefits of Work Spouses

Unfettered by the usual entanglements of an amorous relationship, these partnered colleagues can work together seamlessly and accomplish more, often faster. In addition, work spouses enjoy these benefits

via nursinglink.monster.com

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Monday, February 21, 2011

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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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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Thursday, January 13, 2011

CMS 30-minute rule for drug administration needs revision, ISMP.org

In our June 17, 2010 newsletter, we covered a precarious topic best known as the “30-minute rule”—a requirement in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation Interpretive Guidelines to administer scheduled medications within 30 minutes before or after the scheduled time (see pages 174-175 at: www.cms.gov/manuals/Downloads/som107ap_a_hospitals.pdf). In our July 2010 nursing newsletter, Nurse Advise-ERR, we asked frontline nurses who are most directly affected by the 30-minute rule to weigh in on the issue by completing a short survey. And WOW, did they ever! More than 17,500 nurses responded to our survey, providing more than 8,000 additional comments (see Table 1 on page 2 of the PDF version of the newsletter), making it very clear that the issue is of great significance to nurses.
Respondent profile and compliance rates
Almost half of the responding nurses work on medical/surgical units, and the other half work in critical care, telemetry, or specialty inpatient units. Most nurses feel that the 30-minute rule is unsafe, unrealistic, impractical, and virtually impossible to follow. Approximately three out of four respondents (70%) told us their organization enforces such a policy. Of these nurses, only five of every 100 (5%) were always able to comply with the policy, while more than half (59%) were infrequently or only sometimes compliant (see Graph 1 on page 6 of the PDF version of the newsletter). Why nurses find it difficult to comply with the 30-minute rule was expressed by many (see Table 2 on page 3 of the PDF version of the newsletter), including a nurse who sent a pragmatic yet eloquent account of a Day in the Life of a Nurse (see Sidebar that follows this article).

via ismp.org

Click on the link above to read the full article:

See also http://www.nursefriendly.com/addictions

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Monday, January 3, 2011

5 retired VA nurses sue federal agency - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Five retired, part-time government nurses claim in a class-action federal lawsuit that the Office of Personnel Management refuses to properly calculate benefits for former Veterans Affairs nurses unless they hire lawyers.

Sylvia Wigton, 79, of Butler and Gail G. Hudson, 73, of West Grove, Chester County, filed the lawsuit along with Audrey L. Gorgonzola, 75, of Boise, Idaho, Kathryn Daane, 75, of Sturgis, S.D., and Dolores Vassalluzzo, 69, of Oceanside, Calif.

The VA started offering an incentive in the 1950s that gave part-time nurses credit for full-time work on their pensions, the lawsuit says. The agency needed the incentive to get enough skilled nurses willing to work part-time hours on irregular schedules so that veterans hospitals around the country could maintain full nursing staffs, the lawsuit says.

When the nurses retired, however, the Office of Personnel Management refused to give them full-time credit for the years they worked part-time, the lawsuit says.

A federal administrative law judge in 2008 upheld a claim by 160 retired VA nurses and the agency recalculated those retirees’ benefits as well as another 215 who hired lawyers to press their claims, but it has made no attempt to identify and recalculate the benefits for other retired VA nurses and has ignored claims some retirees filed on their own behalf without a lawyer, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the agency to identify and recalculate the benefits for each retired VA nurse that was promised the incentive.

via pittsburghlive.com

So to get your promised retirements benefits, you have to sue after decades of faithful service to our veterans?

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

In Praise of Nurses - NYTimes.com

I love and admire nurses.

Oncology nurses and ostomy nurses. Radiation nurses and post-op nurses. And those essential, always-there-when-you-need-them, round-the-clock nurses. (And though most of my experience is with female nurses, I admire male nurses, too.)

Now this isn’t some abstract infatuation, based on seeing “South Pacific” one too many times. I’ve been hospitalized six times in my life, and the medical personnel I came to know best — and like best — were the nurses.

To generalize: Nurses are warm, whereas doctors are cool. Nurses act like real people; doctors often act like aristocrats. Nurses look you in the eye; doctors stare slightly above and to the right of your shoulder. (Maybe they’re taught to do that in medical school?)

My most recent dependence on nurses came in 2008 and early 2009 as I was treated for an aggressive Stage 3 prostate cancer. But more about that later.

via well.blogs.nytimes.com

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Food workers, nurses forced to work sick - CNN.com

A group of leaders in the food service industry gathered in Washington, D.C., recently to discuss the alarming findings of a new survey. The study, conducted by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United -- a national organization that represents and supports restaurant workers -- found that two-thirds of restaurant workers go to work when sick.

The study sheds light on some serious underlying issues in the food service industry: Nearly 90 percent of workers reported they get no paid sick days and 60 percent said they did not receive any form of health insurance. But the study also highlights an obvious problem for diners who eat the food handled by sick workers.

June Lindsey, a Detroit woman with more than 30 years of experience in the food service industry, knows a lot about going in to work sick. She shared the following story in the study:

"[One day] I had a really bad cold. My nose was running, I was sneezing, [and] I had a bad cough and a fever. I could not call in sick because no work meant no money and I couldn't afford it at that time. My kids were very young, so I went to work to see if I can make it through the day.

CareerBuilder.com: Have an incompetent boss? You're not alone

"Halfway through the day, the sneezing, coughing and runny nose got worse. I asked the manager, 'I am really sick and need to go because I could make others sick and I am dealing with food.' She laughed and told me, 'Try not to cough, then.' So I had to work that day sick, and who knows how many customers I got sick because I couldn't go to the back and leave the counter to wash my hands after every sneeze or nose wipe. Later on, all of us got sick one by one, and all this came from another worker that came to work sick like me, but was not allowed to leave work."

While food service is the most recent industry to address the problem, it's not exclusively theirs. According to the website for MomsRising, a group that pushes for reform on issues like maternity leave, fair wages and paid family illness days, 55 percent of workers in the retail industry and 48 percent of workers employed in the general private sector don't receive paid sick days.

If you come in sick, there's a good chance your co-workers and customers will get sick, too -- and in some cases, passing on your illness can cause potentially life-threatening situations.

Take the case of Amy, for example. As the mother of a young son who is being treated for a blood disease -- his recovery from which depends on his avoidance of illness -- Amy pays vigilant attention to those who enter her son's room at the renowned children's hospital where he is staying.

CareerBuilder.com: Conflicting career advice: Which is right

Recently, the poor health of one of the hospital's staff members compromised the well-being of Amy's son: "On Saturday, as I woke up, I noticed that our nurse was sick," she says. "No one is supposed to be allowed on our floor if they are sick and definitely not in our rooms. This is a nurse whom we really like and who has been with us from the beginning.

"When I wouldn't allow him back in the room, he explained that the hospital does have a policy that the nurses have to call in if they are sick. Unfortunately, the hospital has another policy that causes nurses to be written up if they call in sick. It's a Catch-22 that puts kids at risk." Amy and her family are trying to get the hospital policy changed, since she says it caused "a good nurse to make a poor choice."

While Amy's incident may seem like it would be an isolated one in the health care field, a recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association says otherwise. This summer, the AMA published the findings of a survey of 537 medical residents from around the country, in which 57 percent of residents said they'd worked while sick, the Kansas City Star reports.

With the advent of flu season, it can be tough to know what to do when you know you are too sick to go to work, but are worried about the repercussions of skipping a day. Here are a few ideas to help you find a better alternative to working while you're sick:

CareerBuilder.com: How to self-promote without being obnoxious

1. Switch shifts: If you work in a restaurant, hospital or retail environment where workers are scheduled in shifts, try switching hours with a co-worker. Create a list of all your co-workers' phone numbers and keep it at home. That way, if you're feeling too sick to work, you can call a colleague and ask if she can cover your shift. Just make sure that you offer to cover one of hers in return, or to repay the favor when she isn't feeling well.

2. Get a doctor's note: Though asking your doctor for a note may make you feel like you're back in the fifth grade, doing so will lessen your chances of being reprimanded -- and provide you proof of your illness should your employer think you were playing hooky.

3. Work from home: If you have a desk job or another occupation that doesn't necessarily require your physical presence, working from home can be a good alternative for those who don't want to -- or can't -- take a sick day. It will prevent you from spreading your condition to colleagues and clients, and will also allow you to get your work done while you recuperate.

4. Check out the legalities: While the Healthy Families Act -- which would require employers to provide employees with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked -- has recently been reintroduced in Congress, it has yet to pass. In the meantime, many employers do have guidelines when it comes to working while sick, which means you might have the right to -- or might be required to -- take the day off if you're not feeling well. Most large employers, for instance, must legally allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid sick leave per year, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

5. Ask for a substitute duty: If you think you must go to work while sick, talk to your employer about alternative duties. Instead of working directly with customers at a retail store, for example, ask if you can work in the stockroom instead. If you work at a hospital, ask to cover a floor that won't put you in contact with patients that have compromised immune systems.

via cnn.com

It is a scary situation when you are intimidated into working sick when you know it may result in you passing along what you have to others, or getting what your patients are being treated for.

Any questions, please drop me a line.

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Food workers, nurses forced to work sick - CNN.com

A group of leaders in the food service industry gathered in Washington, D.C., recently to discuss the alarming findings of a new survey. The study, conducted by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United -- a national organization that represents and supports restaurant workers -- found that two-thirds of restaurant workers go to work when sick.

The study sheds light on some serious underlying issues in the food service industry: Nearly 90 percent of workers reported they get no paid sick days and 60 percent said they did not receive any form of health insurance. But the study also highlights an obvious problem for diners who eat the food handled by sick workers.

June Lindsey, a Detroit woman with more than 30 years of experience in the food service industry, knows a lot about going in to work sick. She shared the following story in the study:

"[One day] I had a really bad cold. My nose was running, I was sneezing, [and] I had a bad cough and a fever. I could not call in sick because no work meant no money and I couldn't afford it at that time. My kids were very young, so I went to work to see if I can make it through the day.

CareerBuilder.com: Have an incompetent boss? You're not alone

"Halfway through the day, the sneezing, coughing and runny nose got worse. I asked the manager, 'I am really sick and need to go because I could make others sick and I am dealing with food.' She laughed and told me, 'Try not to cough, then.' So I had to work that day sick, and who knows how many customers I got sick because I couldn't go to the back and leave the counter to wash my hands after every sneeze or nose wipe. Later on, all of us got sick one by one, and all this came from another worker that came to work sick like me, but was not allowed to leave work."

While food service is the most recent industry to address the problem, it's not exclusively theirs. According to the website for MomsRising, a group that pushes for reform on issues like maternity leave, fair wages and paid family illness days, 55 percent of workers in the retail industry and 48 percent of workers employed in the general private sector don't receive paid sick days.

If you come in sick, there's a good chance your co-workers and customers will get sick, too -- and in some cases, passing on your illness can cause potentially life-threatening situations.

Take the case of Amy, for example. As the mother of a young son who is being treated for a blood disease -- his recovery from which depends on his avoidance of illness -- Amy pays vigilant attention to those who enter her son's room at the renowned children's hospital where he is staying.

CareerBuilder.com: Conflicting career advice: Which is right

Recently, the poor health of one of the hospital's staff members compromised the well-being of Amy's son: "On Saturday, as I woke up, I noticed that our nurse was sick," she says. "No one is supposed to be allowed on our floor if they are sick and definitely not in our rooms. This is a nurse whom we really like and who has been with us from the beginning.

"When I wouldn't allow him back in the room, he explained that the hospital does have a policy that the nurses have to call in if they are sick. Unfortunately, the hospital has another policy that causes nurses to be written up if they call in sick. It's a Catch-22 that puts kids at risk." Amy and her family are trying to get the hospital policy changed, since she says it caused "a good nurse to make a poor choice."

While Amy's incident may seem like it would be an isolated one in the health care field, a recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association says otherwise. This summer, the AMA published the findings of a survey of 537 medical residents from around the country, in which 57 percent of residents said they'd worked while sick, the Kansas City Star reports.

With the advent of flu season, it can be tough to know what to do when you know you are too sick to go to work, but are worried about the repercussions of skipping a day. Here are a few ideas to help you find a better alternative to working while you're sick:

CareerBuilder.com: How to self-promote without being obnoxious

1. Switch shifts: If you work in a restaurant, hospital or retail environment where workers are scheduled in shifts, try switching hours with a co-worker. Create a list of all your co-workers' phone numbers and keep it at home. That way, if you're feeling too sick to work, you can call a colleague and ask if she can cover your shift. Just make sure that you offer to cover one of hers in return, or to repay the favor when she isn't feeling well.

2. Get a doctor's note: Though asking your doctor for a note may make you feel like you're back in the fifth grade, doing so will lessen your chances of being reprimanded -- and provide you proof of your illness should your employer think you were playing hooky.

3. Work from home: If you have a desk job or another occupation that doesn't necessarily require your physical presence, working from home can be a good alternative for those who don't want to -- or can't -- take a sick day. It will prevent you from spreading your condition to colleagues and clients, and will also allow you to get your work done while you recuperate.

4. Check out the legalities: While the Healthy Families Act -- which would require employers to provide employees with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked -- has recently been reintroduced in Congress, it has yet to pass. In the meantime, many employers do have guidelines when it comes to working while sick, which means you might have the right to -- or might be required to -- take the day off if you're not feeling well. Most large employers, for instance, must legally allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid sick leave per year, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

5. Ask for a substitute duty: If you think you must go to work while sick, talk to your employer about alternative duties. Instead of working directly with customers at a retail store, for example, ask if you can work in the stockroom instead. If you work at a hospital, ask to cover a floor that won't put you in contact with patients that have compromised immune systems.

via cnn.com

It is a scary situation when you are intimidated into working sick when you know it may result in you passing along what you have to others, or getting what you patients are being treated for.

Any questions, please drop me a line.

******************************************************
Follow us on:

Blogger:
http://4nursing.blogspot.com/

Facebook:
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Linked In:
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Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurses In Business
http://nursingentrepreneurs.ning.com/

Twitter!
http://www.nursefriendly.com/twitter

StumbleUpon,
http://www.nursefriendly.com/stumbleupon
******************************************************

Sincerely,

150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links

Monday, March 21, 2011

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Next: The Role of Men in Nursing Today >>

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Benefits of Work Spouses

Monday, February 21, 2011

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Monday, January 3, 2011

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

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