3 Ways a Coordinated Approach Can Solve the Nursing Shortage
Though COVID-19 narrowed the focus on the nursing shortage, other conditions have contributed to it far longer than the pandemic: a higher education system that is training too few nurses; workforce conditions; and demographic factors, such as aging Baby Boomers and increased life expectancy, the report notes.
Urgent Call Made to Improve Patient Safety
Patient safety has been a pressing issue in healthcare since 1999, with the publication of the landmark report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Despite two decades of attention, estimates of annual patient deaths due to medical errors have risen steadily to as many as 440,000 lives, a figure that was reported in the Journal of Patient Safety in 2013.
Monkeypox: Take Standard, Airborne, and Droplet Precautions
While the primary risk is from close contact with bodily fluids, including contaminated linens, “because of the theoretical risk of airborne transmission of monkeypox virus, airborne precautions should be applied whenever possible,” said the CDC. “If a patient presenting for care at a hospital or other health care facility is suspected of having monkeypox, infection control personnel should be notified immediately.”
Healthcare Executives Plot a Long-Term Strategy for Hospital at Home Concept
The Acute Hospital Care at Home program was developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reduce expensive hospitalizations and give patients the opportunity to receive care at home. Healthcare organizations were encouraged to launch these programs by CMS waivers enacted during the COVID-19 public health emergency that boost reimbursements and reduce barriers on the use of telehealth and other services.
Hospitals More Inclined to Offer $$$ Incentives to Fill RN Openings
Some 67% of chief nursing officers and other hospital senior leaders surveyed are offering sign-on bonuses and 57% said they have improved their pay packages. Those percentages are significantly higher than in 2019, before COVID-19, when just 28% said improved pay packages were part of their recruitment and retention strategy.
New TJC FAQ Addresses Shortage in Imaging Contrast
As a critical shortage in imaging contrast continues to impact healthcare organizations across the nation, The Joint Commission (TJC) has issued guidance about shortage management and conservation.
Quarter of Physicians Report Experiencing Mistreatment at Work
The new research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, reports the results of a survey of nearly 1,400 physicians conducted from September to October 2020.
Probation, Not Jail Time, for Former Nurse RaDonda Vaught
Under Tennessee’s sentencing guidelines, Vaught could have been ordered to serve three to six years in prison for neglect and one to two years for negligent homicide. Instead, Vaught received a diverted sentence, which means that if she successfully completes her probation, the charges will be expunged from the record.
National Nurses Week Resources From PSQH
As National Nurses Week wraps up, we want to salute the valuable and courageous work done by nurses at all levels of care. We highlighted the efforts of nurses this week and will continue to do so.
Leapfrog Group: 33% of U.S. Hospitals Earn “A” Grade for Patient Safety
The Leapfrog Group released its latest grades for hospital patient safety. The analysis utilizes more than 30 measures, including the PSI 90 Patient Safety and Adverse Events composite, which features 10 component measures. The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers of healthcare. The nonprofit group publishes reports on hospital patient safety in the fall and the spring.