Drawing Attention to Lax Oversight of Problem Nurses, Plus One Caution

ProPublica storyBy Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

New York does not require applicants for nursing licenses to undergo simple background checks or submit fingerprints, tools that can identify those with criminal histories and flag subsequent legal problems. And it often takes years for New York to discipline nurses who provide inept care, steal drugs or physically abuse patients.

That’s from a recent ProPublica story on lax oversight of New York State nurses. Back in 2008, the same independent investigative journalism organization, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, investigated lax policies of the California Board of Nursing that allowed nurses (both RNs and LPNs) with serious criminal convictions to continue to be licensed. (See our report on this and the editorial by then-editor-in-chief Diana Mason in the March 2009 issue.)

In this month’s story, ProPublica reporters Daniela Porat and colleagues turn their sights on New York State’s nurses. They detail the policy issues and systemic gaps that lead to poor oversight by the state education department’s Office of Health Professions, such as lack of background checks, relying on self-report of infractions, and no requirement for fingerprinting. Many other states have adopted more rigorous approaches. The report offers several compelling cases to drive home the point that investigations are often inadequate and disciplinary action often not taken, allowing many nurses who should not be practicing to […]

2017-07-12T18:22:28-04:00April 18th, 2016|career, Nursing|3 Comments
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‘Do You Consider Yourself Healthy?’ Study Sheds Light on RNs’ Lifestyle Practices

By Sylvia Foley, AJN senior editor

Over the past decade, the lifestyle practices of nurses and their connection to quality of care and patient outcomes have been gaining attention. Indeed, according to the patient-centered, relationship-based care model, one of the main conditions for optimal care is that providers engage in healthy self-care behaviors. Yet there is some evidence suggesting that RNs don’t consistently do so, especially when it comes to exercise and stress reduction—even when they believe they should.

Nurse researchers Karen Thacker and colleagues recently conducted a study to learn more. They report their findings in this month’s CE–Original Research feature, “An Investigation into the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Practices of RNs.” Here’s a brief summary:

Purpose: To gather baseline data on the health-promoting lifestyle practices of RNs working in six major health care and educational institutions in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Methods: The 52-item Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II instrument was used to explore participants’ self-reported health-promoting behaviors and measure six dimensions: health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and stress management.
Results: Findings revealed that physical activity and stress management scores were low for the entire group of RNs. There were statistically significant differences between nurses 50 years of age and older and those 30 to 39 years of age for the subscales of health responsibility, nutrition, and stress management, suggesting that older nurses are more concerned about their health. […]

2016-11-21T13:01:18-05:00April 15th, 2016|Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing research, personal health practices|0 Comments
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A Room with A View: Physical Environments and Healing

By Betsy Todd, clinical editor, MPH, RN, CIC

Illustration by Janet Hamlin for AJN. All rights reserved. Illustration by Janet Hamlin for AJN. All rights reserved.

Computers, alarms, automated drug dispensing, complex medical protocols—the ways in which we provide care have changed a lot over the past 30 years. Has forced multitasking made us forget that, buried beneath the printouts and data, there is a human being in need of support?

In this month’s AJN, author Joy Washburn shares the story of David, a man with advanced Parkinson’s disease whose medical condition results in his transfer from a cheerful rehab setting to a long-term care bed in the same facility. While his old room in rehab overlooked gardens and a children’s play area, the new room faces a parking lot. To make matters worse, no one seems to have prepared David for the move, and many nurses erroneously assume that his advanced physical disability means that he is also cognitively impaired.   […]

2016-11-21T13:01:18-05:00April 13th, 2016|Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing stories, nursing students, patient engagement, Patients|1 Comment
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Alerting Nurses to Late Effects of Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment

“As of January 2010, there were an estimated 379,112 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers, of whom 35,253 (9.3%) had been treated for Hodgkin lymphoma,” according the American Cancer Society—as summarized in “Cardiotoxicity and Breast Cancer as Late Effects of Pediatric Hodgkin Lympoma (HL) Treatment,” a CE feature in the April issue of AJN.

Author Joanne Lee Candela, an adult NP in the survivorship program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, hopes to raise awareness among all nurses of “residual risks associated with the various HL treatments, thereby promoting appropriate screening and, as needed, referral for specialty care.” The below table, from the article, depicts selected potential late effects of Hodgkin lymphoma treatment. Click to enlarge.

Table1HLlateeffectsThe article points out that “two of the most prevalent and life-threatening late effects are female breast cancer, secondary to chest radiation as well as to any underlying genetic tendencies, and cardiotoxicity and its sequelae, which are related to chest radiation that encompasses the heart and to the anthracycline component of chemotherapy.” […]

2016-11-21T13:01:18-05:00April 12th, 2016|Nursing, Patients|0 Comments
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The National Student Nurses Association: Always a Kick

By Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, AJN editor-in-chief

IMG_2262Once again, the annual National Student Nurses Association (NSNA, www.nsna.org) convention was packed—full of high-energy, engaged nurses-to-be.  Approximately 3,000 attended this year’s meeting in Orlando from March 31 to April 3.

The NSNA meeting easily rivals those of other associations, with seemingly round-the-clock House of Delegates and state chapter caucuses (one could observe LOTS of pizza cartons moving between hotel and meeting rooms), a guidebook app, a daily convention newspaper, an impressive exhibit hall, professional motivational speakers (though motivation does not seem to be an issue with this group), award presentations, and a full slate of educational and career information sessions.

Nursing leaders and representatives from most major nursing organizations, including the ANA, National League for Nursing, American Red Cross, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, were there to meet students and talk about initiatives to get these future nurses ready for the real world. They received lots of practical advice, including sessions on interprofessional collaboration, disaster nursing, how they can get involved on boards, legal aspects of licensure, tips and practice for taking the licensing exam . . . even one session on how to get started writing, led by yours truly! […]

2016-11-21T13:01:18-05:00April 8th, 2016|career, Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing students|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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