AJN’s monthly news section covers timely and important research and policy stories that are relevant to the nursing world. Here are some of the stories you’ll find in our current issue:

A hospital nurse prepares toxic medication using a biological safety cabinet. Photo © Horizon International Images Limited / Alamy Stock Photo.

How Does RN Perception of Workplace Safety Relate to Patient Care?

A new report by health care consulting firm Press Ganey found that higher nurse-rated scores for workplace safety and surveillance capacity were associated with higher nurse ratings of quality of care, lower rates of missed-care events, and lower rates of pressure ulcers and patient falls.

Bipartisan Bills Propose Assistance for Caregivers

Two bills currently before Congress would reduce burdens of care for family members, if passed: one would establish a national strategy to support caregivers from the community to the federal levels, and the other proposes a tax credit of up to $3,000 for family caregivers who meet certain income thresholds. Both bills have bipartisan support.

A nurse works with a patient at a long-term care facility. Photo © Istock.

Proposed Regulations for Long-Term Care Omit Nurse Staffing Mandates

In its newly revised regulations for long-term care facilities, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services calls for nurse staffing to be determined not by mandatory staffing ratios—as some nurse leaders and organizations have urged—but by factors like the number of residents, their diagnoses, and staff competencies.

Updated Recommendations for Preventing CVD with Statins

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, statin use is recommended for healthy adults ages 40 to 75 years without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) who have at least one CVD risk factor and a calculated 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event of 10% or greater. The benefit of statin therapy is likely to be smaller for people in the same age group who meet the same criteria but have a 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event of 7.5% to 10%, and for those older than 76 years.

In addition, click here and scroll down to “In the News” for this month’s NewsCAPs (brief takes on hot health-related topics) as well as a recap of announcements from health agencies.