Propose Our Next Poll Question
What kinds of poll questions would you like us to ask? Our first one (still active) was about nursing and the economy. Too boring? Too depressing? Too obvious? What kinds of questions matter to you? We’d like to know.
Postcard from Cardiff, Pt. 2: Diana Mason Wins the Impact Factor Debate
We won! To follow up on my last post: At a debate today at the Royal College of Nursing’s so-called “fringe session” at its annual International Nursing Research Conference, Elizabeth Anionwu, emeritus professor of nursing at Thames Valley University in Middlesex (near London), joined me in arguing in opposition to the statement, “research should be published in the highest impact journals available.” […]
Are Nurses to Blame for Failures in Infection Control?
In early 2008 the largest hepatitis C outbreak in U.S. history resulted from nurse anesthetists reusing syringes and medication vials at an outpatient endoscopy clinic, as Carol Potera reports in the April issue of AJN. Five of the nurses relinquished their licenses a year ago when the investigation began, as did two physicians, and the clinic was fined $500,000. Now, Nevada lawmakers are considering new legislation that might prevent another such crisis.
An excellent graphic in the Las Vegas Review-Journal illustrates just how the reuse of medication vials, even with the use of sterile syringes, could contribute to such an outbreak. But a year after the hepatitis C outbreak, a nagging question remains: how and why did five nurse anesthetists violate the basics of infection-control protocols? When they reused syringes and medication vials, were they following orders out of fear of losing their jobs? Or were they unfairly scapegoated in a system without sufficient safeguards?
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Postcard from Cardiff: Diana Mason Takes the Pulse of Nursing in the UK
I’m in the UK, preparing to present at a debate tomorrow sponsored by the Royal College of Nursing for its annual International Nursing Research Conference in Cardiff, Wales. The debate will focus on the statement, ”This house believes that research should be published in the highest impact journals available.” (Here’s Wikipedia on the meaning of “impact factor,” if you want a rough idea of what’s involved.) I’m joining Elizabeth Anionwu, Emeritus Professor of Nursing at Thames Valley University, in arguing the opposing position. We intend to win this debate! Attendees do vote. I’ll report the outcome tomorrow.
But this morning, I was stunned by a story in London’s Daily Telegraph reporting that […]
Risk of Mortality: 100 percent!
I’m ranting. That’s what a word curmudgeon does. I am curmudgeon, hear me rant:
I’m begging anyone who edits or writes for a scientific publication not to use the word “mortality” when a simple death would do the job. […]