career Archives - Page 53 of 68

Health Care Reform: What’s In It for Nurses?

A relaxing and safe Fourth of July weekend from the AJN editors to all nurses in the U.S., whether you’re taking it easy or on the job!

A recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows rising popularity for the health care reform law. Many hard decisions still need to be made; innovation is more crucial than ever. Nurses who’d like a clearer sense of how the health care reform law may affect them in the coming years should have a look at “Health Care Reform: What’s In It for Nursing?” in our July edition. Written by AJN‘s emeritus editor-in-chief Diana Mason, it points out some of the new models of care the law promotes, models in which nurses play an increasingly important and vital role at every level. As often in the dynamic history of this country, there will be new kinds of opportunities for those who are ready for them.—JM, blog editor

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:16:55-05:00July 2nd, 2010|career, health care policy, nursing perspective|1 Comment

Nurses Under the Influence of Pharma—Not Just an NP Problem

The danger of an NP succumbing to influence is obvious—she or he may prescribe for reasons (which may be on an unconscious level) other than clinical ones. The issues for nurses who do not prescribe medications are subtle and different. AJN's ethics columnist Doug Olsen did a two-part series exploring this last year—in January and February 2009. And AJN's editor-in-chief emeritus Diana Mason wrote on this even earlier, in an editorial in December 2000, noting, among other concerns, that "it's not unusual to see drug company underwriting of speakers at nursing conferences; of course, the topic addressed is almost always related to one of the company's top drugs."

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2017-02-02T12:17:38-05:00July 1st, 2010|career, Ethics, Public health|1 Comment

You Call This a Promotion? The Return of Nurse Hawthorne

With James River Hospital facing possible shutdown because of its below average patient care, Hawthorne is expected to improve the quality of care of the hospital in just three months.

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:17:06-05:00June 24th, 2010|career|1 Comment

Nurses Change Presidents and Go Home

Wrapping up the 2010 ANA House of Delegates

By Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, AJN interim editor-in-chief. See Shawn’s other blog posts from the ANA House of Delegates meeting here and here.

The ANA House of Delegates, the governing body of the American Nurses Association, ended its 2010 meeting on Saturday, June 21, saying goodbye to outgoing president Becky Patton and welcoming new president Karen Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, from Massachusetts.

Daley, who’s held various state and national offices, is probably best known for her advocacy and leadership in working to pass federal legislation for safer needles and needlestick injury prevention programs. The next day, the first full day of her presidency, she made a trip to the White House (not her first visit—she was there in 2000 when President Bill Clinton signed the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act). (See the ANA press release with the full list of newly elected officers; other House of Delegate actions are listed here.)

This year, the atmosphere was markedly different from past years—no angry delegates walked out; no groups plotted disruptive strategies; there was even little word-smithing of resolutions. Everyone seemed to be working together. Maybe the cooperative atmosphere came about because there were no really controversial issues relating to organizational structure or dues or bylaws (perhaps the most controversial was whether to change terms of office from two years to four—it didn’t pass); or because the President of the United States […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:17:07-05:00June 23rd, 2010|career, nursing perspective|0 Comments

Nursing Education and Collective Bargaining: ANA Nurses Look Back to the Future

By Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, AJN interim editor-in-chief. (She e-mailed Off the Charts this post at the end of the day yesterday.)

There were no surprise guests today at the American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates meeting here in Washington, DC. Today the House got down to business—Rebecca Patton addressed the House, reminding attendees that current accomplishments were built on work that began long before her presidency. This segued nicely into the insightful panel presentation by past presidents of the ANA, from Jo Eleanor Eliot through to Barbara Blakeny (Beverly Malone was absent). These past presidents reviewed their accomplishments with candor, noting accomplishments as well as regrets. For instance, Eliot noted that in retrospect, she wished that the ANA had developed an implementation plan to go with the proposal for basic educational preparation at the baccalaureate level. Barbara Nichols noted that the “elephant in the room” was collective bargaining, and that the ANA’s work in this area, whether one agreed with it or not, “forced the discussion” on what role and rights and influence nurses should have in their workplaces.

The threads of basic nursing education and collective bargaining ran through all the presidencies. After the distinguished panel and the standing ovation accorded to them, the House turned to resolutions and bylaws changes and clarifications of procedure . . . and this reporter was very grateful for the chocolate distributed by some of the candidates for ANA president.