Web Roundup: Changing Specialties, Measuring Quality, Caring and Freeloading, More

by Ramon Peco/via Flickr

Here are a few things worth noting on the Web today. At Code Blog, “Rookie Mistake” is illuminating on the subject of switching nursing specialties. Here’s a short excerpt:

My new hospice job is going pretty well.  I really like it.  It’s been an adjustment, but worth the stress of change.

Overall, I’ve been pretty surprised at how little I know/knew about how people die naturally.

In ICU, if you are actively dying, you look terrible.  In most cases, people dying in the ICU are there because we were or are trying to save their life.  This requires some treatments that cause other problems. . . . That is what dying looked like to me for 14 years.  Turns out it’s a pretty exaggerated version of how it is when people naturally die without life-saving interventions.

Also notable: a short post that many may relate to about paperwork and burnout, at The Nurse Practitioner’s Place.

In other news, Kaiser Health News reports that the Joint Commission is releasing its annual list of hospitals that have done well in following certain crucial procedures and protocols:

The commission is recognizing 620 hospitals (download list as PDF or .xls file) – 18 percent of those it accredits — as “top performers” for following recommended protocols at least 95 percent of the time.

Congrats to those who made the list. But a caveat: The article does […]

2016-11-21T13:09:14-05:00September 19th, 2012|Nursing|1 Comment

AJN’s September Issue: Bariatric Surgery, Biomarkers, Mobile Technology for Nurses, More

AJN’s September issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss, including two continuing education (CE) articles, which you can access for free.

It’s no surprise that obesity and overweight are on the rise in this country, and nurses will likely find themselves caring for patients who have undergone bariatric surgery at some point in their career. “Outcomes and Complications after Bariatric Surgery” reviews the five most common procedures, outcomes and complications of surgery, and pre- and postoperative patient care. This CE article is open access and can earn you 2.5 CE credits.

Nearly 40% of all surgeries in the United States are performed on adults ages 65 and older. A common complication of surgery in this population is postoperative delirium, which is associated with extended lengths of stay, higher patient care costs, increased morbidity, and greater risk of death. “Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients” evaluates risk factors for postoperative delirium in elderly patients and examines potential intervention strategies. This CE article is open access and can earn you 2.5 CE credits.

Smartphones, e-readers, and tablets are everywhere, including at the bedside. In “Tablet Technology for Nurses,” Megen Duffy provides a guided tour of the potential uses and pitfalls of mobile technology for nurses—plus a comparison of the iPad and Kindle Fire.

Whether to predict, diagnose, or monitor disease, biomarkers are useful in every step of patient care. “Biomarkers: […]

2016-11-21T13:09:24-05:00August 31st, 2012|Nursing|0 Comments
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