October 2012 Vol. 7 No. 10 Archives

October 2012 Vol. 7 No. 10

ANA participates in International Panel on Safe Patient Handling

October 11, 2012

Recognized as a champion of safe patient handling on a national level, the American Nurses Association (ANA) contributed expertise to support nurses and other health care workers globally…

Carefronting: An innovative approach to managing conflict

October 11, 2012

Nick Chase is an emergency department (ED) charge nurse. He and Michelle Stanley have worked together for the past 3 years. Their relationship has always been what Nick…

Carrots and sticks

October 11, 2012

The Stick—penalties for excess readmissions Is your hospital on the list? Starting this month, over 2,200 hospitals are forfeiting up to 1% of their base Medicare payments as…

FDA approves first subcutaneous cardiac defibrillator

October 11, 2012

On Sept. 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first subcutaneously inserted cardiac defibrillator: Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator (S-ICD) System. Read more.

FDA approves Synribo for chronic myelogenous leukemia

October 11, 2012

On Oct. 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Synribo (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) for the treatment of adults with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Synribo blocks certain proteins that…

For once, ethics and the ‘bottom line’ agree

October 11, 2012

Author Leah Curtin discusses the dangers of bottom-line thinking.

From our readers: The art of self-disclosure

October 11, 2012

One aspect of the “art” of nursing is appropriate self-disclosure. Nurses and other healthcare providers often have an opportunity to share information about their own health to help…

From our readers: The making of a newsletter

October 11, 2012

When I was working as an ICU nurse on the evening shift, I could tell you what was happening on my unit and with my ICU colleagues. We…

Future of Nursing Campaign launches new website

October 11, 2012

As it begins its third year, the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action is launching a new website . A joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood…

Getting straight on low back pain treatment

October 11, 2012

Be sure you’re up to date on this common problem.

Have we lost our ability (and our sensitivity) to communicate in healthcare?

October 11, 2012

Read Donna Cardillo’s October blog here.

Long-term health outcomes of childhood sexual abuse

October 11, 2012

The consequences of childhood sexual abuse continue into adulthood. Here’s what can occur and how you can help these patients.

New survey on family caregivers released

October 11, 2012

The AARP Public Policy Institute and the United Hospital Fund have released the report “Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care,” a survey of 1,677 family caregivers.…

Patient satisfaction now factors into Medicare reimbursement

October 11, 2012

Starting Oct. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began withholding hospital’s Medicare reimbursement based on their quality performance; 30% of the decision is derived from how…

Putting Evidence Into Practice: Cognitive impairment

October 11, 2012

The latest in a series of articles on managing cancer-related symptoms from the Oncology Nursing Society.

Quiz Time

October 11, 2012

A goal of the induction phase of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest is to: a. quickly warm the patient to target body temperature. b. slowly cool the patient…

Readers Respond

October 11, 2012

Is it syncope—or something worse? “A nice article on vasovagal syncope. Unfortunately the author omitted an important trigger—food sensitivities. I know very well because I have this problem…

Reading and critiquing a research article

October 11, 2012

Nurses use research to answer questions about their practice, solve problems, improve the quality of patient care, generate new research questions, and shape health policy. Nurses who confront…

Shiftwork Sleep Disorder: The Role of the Nurse

October 11, 2012

Do you work the night shift or rotating shifts? Do some of your patients struggle with sleep problems? If so, access an on-demand webinar on shiftwork sleep disorder…

Speak to be heard: Effective nurse advocacy

October 11, 2012

Learn how to be a more effective advocate.

Special Supplement to American Nurse Today – Best Practices for Falls Reduction: A Practical Guide

October 11, 2012

Learn the facts about patient falls and find out how to overcome obstacles to creating safer care environments.

Study: Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve memory, executive function, or attention in healthy people

October 11, 2012

Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve memory, executive function, or attention in healthy individuals, according to “Is Ginkgo biloba a cognitive enhancer in healthy individuals? A meta-analysis,” published by Human…

Study: Kidney transplant patients prone to early readmission

October 11, 2012

According to a study in the American Journal of Transplantation, 31% of kidney transplant patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Factors increasing the…

Study: Online prostate cancer information may be hard for patients to understand

October 11, 2012

Although experts recommend that patient-education materials be written at the fourth-through-sixth grade level, a study published online by the Journal of Urology found that only 4.8% of websites…

Study: Reporting medical errors may help reduce them in multi-site clinical practices

October 11, 2012

Documenting adverse events improves perceptions of safety and may decrease incidents in multi-site clinical practices, according to a study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more.

Walgreens partners with hospitals to provide pharmacists to coordinate medications for patients

October 11, 2012

Walgreens’ new WellTransitions program uses pharmacists to help coordinate patients’ medications during admission to and discharge from a hospital. Pharmacists would go to the hospital when patients are…