International Health, Nurse Staffing, the Power of Social Media

I previously posted on this blog in anticipation of attending my first international nursing meeting—the  2017 International Council of Nurses Congress in Barcelona—and wrote about it later in a joint post with AJN‘s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy. There will also be a full report in the August issue of AJN.

Based on subsequent reflection, here are some lasting takeaways:

International health is an American nursing problem.

“Shamian asked what American nurses do for their fellow nurses around the world.”

There was a lot I didn’t know about global health. I was thankful that I’d taken some time to study a few key concepts, especially the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

In the opening session, ICN president Judith Shamian charged all nurses to take seats at policy tables and draw upon their expertise. Through her passion, I began to see a part I could play in policy making simply by keeping abreast of issues and sharpening my nursing voice.

From the plenary speech by former Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, Mary Wakefield, I began to see the necessity of grounding policy work with reliable, relevant evidence. And in our interview with Shamian, policy and evidence met collaboration as […]

2023-01-30T10:35:53-05:00June 30th, 2017|Conference reports, Nursing|7 Comments
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AJN February Issue News: Linking RN Perception of Workplace Safety and Patient Care, Aid for Family Caregivers, More

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 […]

2017-02-21T10:16:42-05:00February 21st, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
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AJN December Issue News: Prescription Drug Costs, Infant Simulators and Teen Pregnancy, More

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:

Frank Scavo refused to pay exorbitant prices for an EpiPen, and was hospitalized in August following a severe allergic reaction. Photo © Associated Press.

The High Cost of Prescription Drugs in America

In the past year, the prices of some prescription drugs have skyrocketed–the cost of an EpiPen two-pack, for example, jumped from $100 to more than $600. The reasons for the price hikes are complex, but major culprits include market exclusivity and the ability of drug companies to set prices.

New Patient Safety Requirements Toughen Nurse Licensure Compact

The National […]

2016-12-09T09:11:41-05:00December 9th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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One Nursing Wish for the New Year

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

ShawnKennedyIf there’s one universal complaint by nurses, it’s that there aren’t enough of them on a shift to provide the care their patients need. We have a lot of data linking nurse staffing to patient outcomes and revealing the deleterious effects of missed care because of insufficient staffing. Yet, according to many hospital nurses I’ve spoken with, they still find themselves stretched to the breaking point by high patient acuity, rapid patient turnover, and increasing documentation requirements.

These nurses see no end in sight to this situation as hospitals argue that they have insufficient reimbursements and revenues to increase staffing. Ironically, as hospitals invest in pricey, cutting-edge new technologies that haven’t been shown to improve patient outcomes, the evidence about nurse staffing continues to be ignored.

In November, the ANA released a white paper, “Optimal Nurse Staffing to Improve Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes.” The paper summarizes and updates the research on staffing and outcomes, linking staffing to Medicare initiatives to reduce costs, adverse events, and readmissions. The report notes:

“Existing nurse staffing systems are often antiquated and inflexible. Greater benefit can be derived from staffing models that consider the number of nurses and/or the nurse-to-patient ratios and can be adjusted to account for unit and shift level factors. Factors that influence nurse staffing needs include: patient […]

2016-11-21T13:01:37-05:00January 4th, 2016|career, Nursing, nursing perspective|1 Comment
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Top Health Story Picks of AJN Contributing Editors for 2015

By Diane Szulecki, AJN associate editor

Kelley Johnson by Disney | ABC Television Group via Flickr Nurse and Miss America contestant Kelley Johnson by Disney | ABC Television Group via Flickr

With the end of the year steadily approaching, AJN asked its contributing editors, editorial board members, and staff to share what they consider to be the most significant health care and nursing-related headlines of 2015 so far. Now it’s readers’ turn. See the top picks below and feel free to leave a comment to share your thoughts and additions to the list.

Clinical/Care Issues

  • The growing patient experience movement and the limitations of patient satisfaction measurements
  • The rise in chronic diseases due to lack of prevention efforts and unhealthy lifestyles
  • Substance abuse, including alcohol, prescription drugs, heroin
  • Vaccinations and issues regarding public trust of vaccines

Professional Issues

  • Nurses’ responses to critical comments made on The View and related ongoing discussion about the nursing profession’s image
  • Challenges and trends in nursing education: the shift toward advanced practice as a career path for many nurses and rapid growth in the number of DNP programs and applicants
  • Workplace stresses: staffing issues, moral distress, strain caused by an aging population with multiple comorbidities, plus an increase in the number of insured due to the Affordable Care Act

U.S Health Care and Health System Issues

2016-11-21T13:01:46-05:00November 19th, 2015|career, infectious diseases, Nursing, nursing perspective, Patients|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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