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allnurses

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  1. allnurses

    You Help Us Breathe Easier

    allnurses posted a topic in General Nursing

    A message of heartfelt thanks to our front line healthcare workers.
  2. allnurses
    Looking for another COPD treatment option? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment plans are not universal. Choice of treatment device should be based on patient preference and abilities, or device errors and nonadherence may become more prevalent.1,2 Here’s another option for your COPD patients. Please see Important Safety Information featured in the video above and full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for LONHALA MAGNAIR at http://www.sunovionprofile.com/lonhala-magnair. References: Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). 2020:1-125. Restrepo RD, Alvarez MT, Wittenbel LD, et al. Medication adherence issues in patients treated for COPD. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2008;3(3):371-384.
  3. allnurses
    A quick survey about COPD patients and devices There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To help healthcare providers consider each patient’s individual needs when formulating their treatment regimen, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) recommends continual evaluation and management of therapy based on assessment of device technique, reviews of the patient’s symptoms and exacerbations, and any adjustments necessary to meet other outstanding patient needs.1 Matching the right device to the right patient can help adherence to a treatment plan.2 Take this quick survey to see how your peers assess a patient’s satisfaction and ability to use their devices. Matching the right device to the right patient could make all the difference in managing their COPD symptoms.1,2 Managing COPD requires consistent revaluation and reassessment of patient ability and preference.1 For patients who may need another option, consider twice-daily LONHALA® MAGNAIR® (glycopyrrolate). LONHALA MAGNAIR is an anticholinergic indicated for the long-term maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. LONHALA MAGNAIR is not a rescue medication. References: 1. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). 2020:1-125. 2. Amin AN, Ganapathy V, Roughley A, Small M. Confidence in correct inhaler technique and its association with treatment adherence and health status among US patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2017;11:1205-1212. To learn more about LONHALA MAGNAIR, visit www.sunovionprofile.com/lonhala-magnair. This survey is sponsored by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION LONHALA MAGNAIR is contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to glycopyrrolate or to any of the ingredients. LONHALA MAGNAIR should not be initiated in patients with acutely deteriorating or potentially life-threatening episodes of COPD or used as rescue therapy for acute episodes of bronchospasm. Acute symptoms should be treated with an inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist. As with other inhaled medicines, LONHALA MAGNAIR can produce paradoxical bronchospasm that may be life-threatening. If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs following dosing with LONHALA MAGNAIR, it should be treated immediately with an inhaled, short-acting bronchodilator; LONHALA MAGNAIR should be discontinued immediately and alternative therapy instituted. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with LONHALA MAGNAIR. If signs occur, discontinue LONHALA MAGNAIR immediately and institute alternative therapy. LONHALA MAGNAIR should be used with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma and in patients with urinary retention. Prescribers and patients should be alert for signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma (e.g., eye pain or discomfort, blurred vision, visual halos or colored images in association with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and corneal edema) and of urinary retention (e.g., difficulty passing urine, painful urination), especially in patients with prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction. Patients should be instructed to consult a physician immediately should any of these signs or symptoms develop. The most common adverse events reported in ≥2% of patients taking LONHALA MAGNAIR, and occurring more frequently than in patients taking placebo, were dyspnea (4.9% vs 3.0%) and urinary tract infection (2.1% vs 1.4%). LONHALA solution is for oral inhalation only and should not be injected or swallowed. LONHALA vials should only be administered with MAGNAIR. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. For additional information, please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for LONHALA MAGNAIR at www.sunovionprofile.com/lonhala-magnair. INDICATION LONHALA® MAGNAIR® (glycopyrrolate) is an anticholinergic indicated for the long-term maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. LONHALA and are registered trademarks of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. MAGNAIR is a registered trademark of PARI Pharma GmbH, used under license. SUNOVION and are registered trademarks of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. ©2020 Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. All rights reserved. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., 84 Waterford Drive, Marlborough, MA 01752. 5/20 LON-US-00043-20
  4. allnurses
    COPD by the numbers—let’s see how you do! Education and demonstration of device use can help offset some of the mistakes patients face, but it might not be enough.2 One device doesn’t fit all. It’s time to rethink how we treat COPD and use the right device for the right patient.2 References: Cho-Reyes S, Celli BR, Dembek C, Yeh K, Navaie M. Inhalation technique errors with metered-dose inhalers among patients with obstructive lung diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of U.S. studies. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. 2019;6(3):267-280. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Global Iniative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. 2020:1-125. Amin A, Ganapathy V, Roughley A, Small M. Confidence incorrect inhaler technique and its association with treatment adherence and health status among US patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2017;11:1205-1212. The more you know, the better equipped you are to help your patients with their COPD treatment! Continuing your education is the best way to provide optimal treatment for your patients. Share with a friend to see what they know about treating COPD.
  5. allnurses

    We Did Not Sign Up For This

    allnurses posted a topic in Disasters

    This article was written by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. Due to the topic and emotionally charged nature of the article, the member wanted the topic out in the open so nurses could discuss it. Because she is afraid of retribution if any of her hospital administrative staff should read this article and link it back to her, we offered to publish it for her anonymously. Please add your comments regarding this issue negatively impacting nurses and the healthcare system. COVID-19 is here and it is terrifying. People are scared. People are panicking. I have seen posts that criticize nurses who choose not to work right now because they are afraid. “This is what YOU signed up for!” people say. That is not true. This is NOT what we signed up for. NOBODY has signed up for this. Unlike what you might have seen on TV, there are many different types of nurses and we all have different skills. We specialize in our own fields. The Renal nurse knows how to educate patients who are in renal failure about fluid and dietary restrictions, so they do no overload their systems. She understands shunts and dialysis equipment. For the patient in renal failure, she is an expert. The Cardiac nurse knows how to take care of patients who have just had open-heart surgery. She can read an EKG expertly. She may not know how to connect a patient to a dialysis machine, but for cardiac patients, she is an expert. The Labor and Delivery nurse can check your cervix to tell when it’s time to push. She can read fetal monitoring strips to make sure your baby is not in distress during labor. She may not be an expert at reading EKGs, but for a laboring mom, she is an expert. The ICU nurse takes care of the most fragile patients. She understands ventilator settings, arterial pressure readings, blood gas readings. Drugs that most wards will never see – like Levophed are used here. She cannot check your cervix, but for a critical patient, she is a lifesaver. Each of these nurses (and oh so many more different types of nurses!) are experts in their fields. They “signed up” to care for those patients. They have trained and educated themselves to care for their specific patients. That is why if you are in labor, you want a labor nurse, not a renal nurse, at your bedside. Right now, ALL NURSES, regardless of specialty, are being called to care for COVID patients. Please bear in mind that not ALL nurses have been trained to deal with highly infectious patients who have the potential to go into acute respiratory distress quickly. We are NOT being offered additional training. This is part of the reason nurses are terrified. This is why some nurses are leaving nursing right now. This is definitely NOT what they “signed up for.” For the most part, nurses take care of people who are ill or injured with non-communicable illnesses or injuries like cancer, heart disease, strokes, car accidents, etc. This means we can help without the risk of catching our patient’s illness or injury. We do take care of patients with infectious illnesses as well – the flu, pneumonia, etc. Because these patients do not take up a large part of our hospital normally, we have the appropriate respirators, reverse-air flow rooms, and PPE we need to take care of these patients. These patients are usually on appropriate wards with nurses who have been trained to care for them. Although there is a risk when we take care of these patients, there are also vaccines and known treatments to help us fight if we get infected. COVID-19 IS DIFFERENT. IT IS A HIGHLY INFECTIOUS, POTENTIALLY FATAL VIRUS WITH NO KNOWN CURE OR TREATMENT. Because it is a PANDEMIC, many people are sick at the same time. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Patients are being sent to wards where nurses do not have the correct expertise to care for them. Hospitals do not have the appropriate equipment to help keep their nurses SAFE while we are caring for patients. There are not enough masks. Nurses are being asked to wear bandanas or sew their own masks at home! Would YOU walk into a potentially infected person’s room and care for them with a bandana? So please. STOP. STOP saying “Nurses signed up for this.” We did not. We did not sign up to sacrifice ourselves because hospitals won’t provide us with the proper equipment and training we need. We did not sign up to die of an infectious disease just because “it’s your job!” Do you want a labor nurse trying her best to ‘figure out’ how to operate a ventilator for your child? Do you want a cardiac nurse delivering your daughter’s baby? Do you want a wound care nurse to try and figure out your dialysis settings? No. I promise - you don’t. We understand you need us, but our families need us too. If we are scared right now, it’s because we have every damned reason to be terrified. If some nurses choose to stay home and protect their families, that is their priority. They have a right to protect their own life. No JOB is worth anyone’s life
  6. allnurses

    COVID-19 Health & Safety Tips

    allnurses posted a topic in Disasters

    COVID-19 is here and it is not going away anytime soon. As this story continues to unfold, the media coverage is permeating our lives. As nurses who are on the front line, we need to take care of ourselves. But the buck doesn’t stop with nurses and healthcare providers. Everyone has an obligation to do their part to help flatten the curve of what is yet to come. There has been much information out there, but as this is constantly evolving, you need to keep up to date with information, recommendations, and mandates from reputable sources. We have created this simple visual to answer the question: WHAT CAN I DO? allnurses.com covid-19 health and safety tips.pdf
  7. allnurses
    The 2018 Marguerite Rodgers Kinney Award for a Distinguished Career was awarded to Beth Tamplet Ulrich, EdD, RN, FACHE, FAAN at the 2018 American Association of Critical Care - National Teaching Institute annual conference. While at the NTI conference, Mary Watts, BSN, RN, allnurses.com Community Director interviewed Dr. Ulrich and discussed her career and some of her accomplishments. Dr. Ulrich received her bachelor’s degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, her master’s degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and her doctorate from the University of Houston in a collaborative program with Baylor College of Medicine. When she moved to El Paso, Texas; due to her husband’s job, she started in dialysis and learned from the ground up as dialysis was in infancy. She worked to set standards of care and is a past president of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA). While earning her doctorate, she worked in hospital administration developing nursing simulations and nurse residency programs. She became interested in the healthy work environment and began her work with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). She assisted with development of the first Healthy Work Standards survey in 2005. Dr. Ulrich stated that AACN brought together “an expert panel to create the standards.” In 2006, it was decided to “obtain opinions from those nurses with boots on the ground; the staff nurses who do the doing every day.” She further explained that AACN is “absolutely committed” to obtaining information to help the bedside nurse work in the safest environment possible. The 2005 survey was a snapshot. By the 2008 survey, AACN began to assemble comparisons of data which expanded when the 2013 survey data was added and AACN was able to took at trends. Now in 2018, AACN has received over 8000 responses to their current survey. Every time the survey is done, there are more and more nurses responding. Mary stated, “nurses see the value in these surveys because they want changes” via the published results. Dr. Ulrich continued, “When we first looked at this, we were looking for a baseline. In 2013, we saw the down turn of the economy: nurses were returning to work, they were changing from part time to full time, or for those who were working full time, they were looking for overtime.” In this scenario where the economy dictated how much you needed to work, there were not a lot of changes in the work environment regarding safety as income was the number one reason to work. Mary asked, “What contributes to an unhealthy work environment?” Dr. Ulrich answered that inappropriate staffing - results showed that 39% of the respondents reported they had appropriate staffing. Another more concerning result was that 32% stated that <50% of the time, they had adequate staffing. “This is pretty scary for the patients and the nurses". Dr. Ulrich pointed out that "staffing isn't just about the patients; it's about the nurses too, because when staffing isn't adequate, nurses don’t practice at the top of their license. They get done what they have to get done. They don't get to do the things only nurses can do - the critical thinking things, the discharge planning, comforting, teaching patients and families. They have to do tasks and then nurses aren’t satisfied with their jobs.” This results in decreased job satisfaction. Staffing is more than just about enough nurses to take care of the patients. It reflects on everything in the work environment. “I was surprised at the high number of incidents of discrimination with the 2018 survey.” This included verbal and physical abuse experiences. “We capped it at 200 incidents in the survey.” Nurses aren’t leaving nursing, they are leaving the hospitals - they have many options. They aren’t limited to work in the hospitals. “Once a nurse, always a nurse,” stated both Mary and Dr. Ulrich in unison. The survey results are published in Critical Care Nurse, AACN's clinical practice journal. Link to study Allnurses.com extends their gratitude to Dr. Ulrich and AACN for continued support in disseminating vital information for nurses.
  8. allnurses
    As nurses move into new positions, there are many choices and aspects to consider before saying yes to the job. Mary Watts, BSN, RN and Maureen Bishop, MSN, CNS discussed ICU orientation and how to be a successful ICU nurse. They met at the 2018 NTI Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. They talked about the changing face of nursing employment. Nurses on the Move A recent study found that millennials will change jobs an average of four times in their first decade out of college, compared to about two job changes by Gen Xers their first ten years out of college. Ms. Bishop explained that the expectation of employment at her institution is two years. Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) Ms. Bishop has been hiring new grads into the ICU for the past 10 years. "Mostly we look for passion. We do what is called a blended orientation concept. They do online modules, classroom time where they learn basic critical thinking skills and they take an 8-week arrhythmia course." In addition, they are required to take and pass ACLS and "of course the most important part is to spend time bedside." Ms. Bishop attributes her facility's orientation success to utilizing AACN's ICU Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO). According to the AACN, "ECCO's up-to-date, interactive evidence-based education easily blends into your existing orientation plans. AACN's 24/7 customer support, comprehensive reports, and progress tracking tools make implementation straightforward." The ECCO program has earned accolades for its content: "American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), a leader in providing standard-setting education and expertise that nurses and healthcare organizations can trust, recently won two prestigious Brandon Hall Group silver awards for excellence in the Best Learning Team and Best Advance in Custom Content categories." Even after the 4-6 month official orientation, there is a mentorship program too; where new grads and seasoned have added support for an extended period of time. They also have follow up with Ms. Bishop as well as the unit manager. Mary asked about whether orientation is customized for the experienced nurse and Ms. Bishop assured her that the orientation must be flexible in order to meet the needs of everyone. Customized orientation is also important to AACN and their ECCO program. Ms. Bishop also emphasized that they welcome nurses who apply from out of state, both new grads and experienced nurses. Evaluation Evaluating the end product of orientation is extremely important. Ms. Bishop states that the criteria she uses to evaluate orientees consists of their ability to grasp the concepts of ECCO and put them into practice. She also emphasizes the need to utilize solid critical thinking skills when confronting complex patient care. Other important aspects of a successful new ICU nurse are that they are able to coordinate all the aspects of care including physical assessment into a solid plan of care. This includes understanding lab results, medications and how they affect the overall care of the patient. She concludes, "so for me, it's really how they are doing on the job. Are they putting that knowledge into practice?" Nurses want to be successful in their chosen career. There are many barriers to a successful orientation but using a known product to facilitate this process will increase the odds of retaining ICU nurses.
  9. allnurses
    This past May allnurses.com caught up with Danielle LeVeck, DNP CVICU NP/CNS more commonly known by her Instagram name "Nurse Abnormalities," at the 2018 NTI AACN Critical Care Conference in Boston. Danielle is an acute care nurse practitioner and has been a cardiovascular surgical ICU nurse for seven years. She began her first blog in 2015 after the controversial media coverage on "The View" of Kelly Johnson, Miss America candidate, who wore a stethoscope as she presented a monologue on nurses. She's grown her Instagram to more than 85,000 followers and is regarded as a top nurse influencer. In the following interview, Danielle talks to us about the ups and downs of nursing and how to navigate the cross section of nursing and social media. She shares some of the tips she has learned about how to build an effective social media presence. Keep your vibes positive as much as you can Be very real and willing to be positive Never post a picture of a patient Be careful about what you post in the hospital. Be honest with your employers about your social media presence. n=https%3A%2F%2Fallnurses.com&widgetid=1
  10. allnurses
    The opioid epidemic is a hot topic in today's headlines affecting more than 1 million people across the United States. As part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, the nurse plays an important role in providing safe pain management using a multimodal approach. Catherine Ewing, BSN, RN shares strategies for optimal outcomes for pain control including safe prescribing and follow-ups as needed. At NTI 2018, allnurses.com's Community Director Mary Watts interviewed Catherine Ewing, BSN, RN who addressed the nurses' role in the opioid epidemic. She discussed the recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations. She stated, "The purpose of these guidelines is not to deny people pain medications but to prescribe safely and have prescribers practice follow-up." Catherine Ewing holds a BSN from the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, Minnesota. She works in the Department of Anesthesia Inpatient Pain Service at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester. As a member of this consult service, she triages and manages epidural and peripheral nerve catheters for both inpatient and outpatient populations. Catherine and Mary discussed the importance of individual pain assessment relative to several factors: Type of pain Reason for pain - is it due to recent surgery or trauma? Patient's previous experience with narcotics Does the patient have a history of addiction? Patients who have addiction issues need pain control also. The American Pain Society has guidelines to help clinicians provide adequate pain relief for those patients who have opioid addiction issues. Some of the points include: Use of methadone, dosing, initiation and titration Conduct a thorough pre-op pain medication assessment in a non-judgemental manner Use a validated pain management tool Provide close monitoring of respiratory status Surgeons should consider local blocks during surgery utilizing long-acting analgesia Catherine went on to state, Consistent nursing assessment and documentation is key to successful pain management. Nurses should also consider nonpharmacological means of pain management too, for instance, ice, elevation, guided imagery, and massage. This is a national problem and one many nurses face each shift they work. Pain Management and the Opioid Crisis - Conversation with Catherine Ewing Catherine's session was very popular and widely attended. One of the comments from the audience, "this is such an important topic given the current state of our healthcare system! I find this particularly relevant to the Cardiothoracic Surgery patients I typically encounter - in the facility in which I work a major issue is that generalized "pain management" policies do not take in to account the nature of the operation itself and the importance of pain control in preventing complications and improving outcomes. Pulmonary hygiene and early mobilization are paramount, however often difficult to achieve without adequate pain control. Unfortunately, it seems the corporate-minded aspect of many healthcare institutions is becoming a barrier to optimizing patient outcomes. I believe wholeheartedly that bedside critical-care nurses should be included by administrators in the development of methods to manage pain in postoperative recovery given the concerns of the opioid crisis. Great topic, glad to see it being discussed!" Pain control is an important element of patient care and one that deserves all nurses' attention. What is your hospital doing to ensure patients have adequate pain control? Reference: American Pain Society, Guidelines on the Management of Post-Op Pain
  11. allnurses
    AllNurses.com's Content and Community Director, Mary Watts recently interviewed Karen Kesten, DNP, APRN at NTI 2018 on the subject of nursing certification. Dr. Kesten is the past chair of the national board of directors for the AACN Certification Corporation, as well as an associate professor George Washington University School of Nursing. Many nursing certifications are available from AACN Certification Corp. for both RNs and APRNs. Dr. Kesten recommends certification for all nurses as a "mark of excellence and distinction." She went on to state that this proves credibility of knowledge and leads to higher patient and nurse satisfaction. New Certifications Two new certifications; CCRN-K and PCCN-K are now available. These certifications are for nurses who do not currently deliver direct bedside care but who indirectly affect patient care thru management, instruction or staff development. The "K" stands for "knowledge." This is a way for nurses to continue to use their knowledge even though they are no longer bedside. Other new certifications include palliative care, and forensics nursing. These specialties show patients and colleagues that the nurse has attained a level of expertise in their specialty. Dr Kesten foresees possible future certifications for nurse navigators and nurses who are involved in transitions of care. APRNs and the Consensus Model Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) also need to consider the Consensus Model when choosing their educational pathway. The APRN roles are: Nurse Practitioner Clinical Nurse Specialist Certified Nurse Midwife Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist "To help take APRN practice to the next level, AACN collaborated with over 40 nursing organizations to address the inconsistency in APRN regulatory requirements throughout the United States. The result was the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE)." The Consensus Model sought to improve patient access to APRNs, support nurses to work more easily across different states, and enhance the certification process by preserving the highest standards of nursing excellence. Through consistency and clarity of APRN Consensus Model criteria, APRNs were empowered to work together to improve health care for all." LACE also determines what patient population and focus the APRN certifications cover. This is an effort to delineate out each APRN specialty and to develop more consistency. Dr. Kesten encourages nurses to consider a primary care APRN role as nurse practitioners are in great demand especially in underserved and more rural communities. With the current physician shortage, nurse practitioners are filling many provider roles. More and more nurse practitioners are seeking roles in specialty care, which extends the availability of providers. Why Certification is Needed Dr. Kesten encourages nurses to obtain certifications. She emphasized that nurses are in a life-long learning pattern and with certification, they have more options. There are many faces of nurses so there are many certifications and she expects that nurses will have many more opportunities in the future. Dr. Kesten advocates for nurses having a louder voice in order to advocate for their patients. Overall there are many more opportunities available for certified nurses. Consider certification! References: AACN Certification Corporation APRN Consensus Model
  12. allnurses
    As a nurse, you speak with the public daily. You educate patients, support families, and provide information to community resources to get your patients the care they need. When our country experiences disasters, nurses are at the bedsides, providing care, and advocating for their patients. But, when a journalist covers a story about the latest flu epidemic, acute flaccid myelitis, or another violent attack, who do they interview? Do they look for the nurse at the bedside who cared for these patients, or the doctor overseeing the care? We're quite sure you just said "doctor" in your head, right? But, do you know why? A recent study conducted by Diana Mason and Barbara Glickstein replicated the original Woodhull Study that was done in 1997 to explore how often nurses were identified or interviewed in the media for general healthcare stories. The study was reproduced to determine if there have been any advancements of nurses in the media. At a recent AACN-NTI Conference, we sat down with Diana, who is the Senior Policy Service Professor for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University School of Nursing during the American Association of Critical Care Nurses meeting. She provided an overview of the original findings, new data, and the future of nurses in the media. You can watch/listen to the full intervew below. The Original Woodhull Study In 1997, the "Woodhull Study on Nursing and Media" was published, and was the first of it's kind to explore the representation of nurses in the media as sources of health-related stories. Dianna explained that the original study found that nurses were sources in quotes less than 4% of the time in newspapers, and about 1% of the time in newsweeklies. During the interview, she explored the notion that even when nurses were at the heart of the story, such as with HIV/AIDS care in the mid-90's, they were nowhere to be found in print publications. Even rarer was to find nurses being interviewed about nursing policy or actually photographed for news stories. Following the release of the original findings, Sigma Theta Tau raised awareness of the need for nurses in the news. Then in 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the Future of Nursing Report in which the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the IOM conducted a two-year initiative to assess and transform the profession of nursing. The study concluded that nurses played a vital role in the advancements of the healthcare industry, but that barriers existed that prevented them from being well-positioned to lead change and advance health. Have We Progressed? According to the preliminary results released by The George Washington University, the new study examined 365 randomly sampled health news stories published in September 2017. They looked at the type and subject of the article, the profession, and gender of the speakers, and how many times nurses were references without being quoted. The researchers found that nurses were identified as sources in just 2% of the health news coverage and mentioned in 13% of health news coverage overall. While this is a decrease in the representation, Dianna explained that it's not statistically significant, so the conclusion has been made that nothing has changed. She acknowledged that this might not be accurate because nurses might be cited in stories, but not recognized for their role. It's normal to see stories where Dr. Smith is quoted, even if he or she isn't in a hands-on provider. However, when a nurse holds an executive level position, their credentials aren't always given. Other findings included that females are less represented that males in the media, even though the profession is predominately made up of women. There were also preconceptions in the news media about positions of authority and journalists admitted that they weren't sure what nurses do and when nurses would add to a story unless it was explicitly about nursing. How Do We Make Change? Nurses provide more hands-on care than any other healthcare professional. Yet, they aren't equally represented in the media. Is this because nurses are not comfortable with being in the spotlight? Could it be that when journalists request an interview for a story nurses are not the ones provided by healthcare systems? Or, maybe journalists aren't even sure how to access nurses for stories. Actually, all of these were found to be true. So, how do we ensure that this won't be the same 20 years from today? Here are a few things you can do to help progress nursing representation in the media: Support movements like Show Me Your Stethoscope (SMYS) that advocate for positive cultural changes within the nursing profession and the healthcare community. They strive to provide a united voice for nurses on issues facing our communities. SMYS was founded in response to a public attack on the nursing profession and has ultimately led to the #NursesUnite concept. Talk about your credentials. Diana points out that you don't need to include all 7 of the certifications you hold, but identifying yourself as a nurse with a hard-earned degree and license is paramount to the required changes in media. Improve media competence by training journalists and offering media training to nurses. If you want to be a presence in your local community, seek out the media relations department at your facility and request to be trained on how to speak to the media. This training can teach you how to talk with journalists, stay on your message, and just be yourself. Anticipate healthcare happenings and identify nurses who should be at the forefront of stories. This should be accomplished on a local, state, and national level by healthcare facilities, organizations, universities, and government agencies. Our time with Diana was eye-opening and empowering. Have you been in the media as a nurse? Were you well-represented in print? Or, maybe you have ideas on how to empower nurses to be in the press? Whatever your thoughts are about this study, we want to know. Comment below and get the conversation started.
  13. allnurses
    Unsafe nurse staffing is a problem that occurs in hospitals across the United States. Decades of research shows that when nurses have too many patients, outcomes are worse and mortality is higher.[1] Some states have staffing legislation in place requiring hospitals to staff their units according to a staffing plan developed by a committee made up of at least 50% direct care staff nurses. States with this legislation include Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Connecticut. Other states have regulations that address nurse staffing in some other manner; these include California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York. Many states have no legislation or guidelines on nurse staffing.[2] Some hospitals use staffing committees or acuity systems. Others use nurse-to-patient ratios for different units, with limits on the number of patients any nurse can have. Some hospitals use a combination of staffing methods. You can help us find out what type, if any, of staffing methods or plans exist in the nation's hospitals. As to date there is no research that shows the effectiveness or compliance of staffing by acuity plans in hospitals. Despite that factor, professional organizations only recommend this approach to staffing. We are doing a survey of nurses to determine what bedside nurses are experiencing in their hospitals and to see whether nurses feel that staffing is safe where they work. Please help us by completing this short survey to help us collect data that will help indicate compliance, effectiveness and safeness of the working conditions that you the bedside nurse experience. SURVEY LINK: If you are a direct care staff nurse who holds an active RN license, work in the U.S. and wish to participate in the survey, click the following link to help determine How is your staffing determined and do you feel it is safe? Participate In Our Survey Please share your stories in the comments below as we look forward to hearing what you the working bedside nurse have to say. References 1. Curtin LL. A conversation about the ethics of staffing. 2016;11. Accessed August 29, 2018. 2. Buppert C. What's being done about nurse staffing? Accessed August 29, 2018.
  14. allnurses
    The #1 digital stethoscope for nurses. 40x sound amplification Reduced ambient noise 7 volume levels for listening comfort Adult & pediatric diaphragms Rechargeable battery with 9 hour life with continuous use Bluetooth connectivity to free mobile app Connecting the CORE to the free Eko App gives clinicians the ability to visualize, record, save, and share heart sounds. These functions are useful for hearing low grade heart murmurs, getting a second opinion on irregular sounds, education, and telemedicine. The Eko CORE is available in two models. $299, the Eko CORE Digital Stethoscope is a complete stethoscope $199, the Eko CORE Digital Attachment can digitize a traditional stethoscope from manufacturers such as 3M Littman, ADC, and Medline Who uses Eko Stethoscopes? The Eko CORE is used by over 10,000 clinicians at 1,000 institutions around the world. The sound amplification and bluetooth connectivity are helpful for clinicians with hearing loss or patients that are difficult to auscultate. Medical and nursing schools are adopting Eko as an intuitive learning tool. Finally, Eko is expanding telemedicine programs with cardiology-grade live streaming of heart and lung sounds. FLASH SALE This special 30% off offer - only available to allnurses.com readers - expires September 30th, 2018. Use the promo code allnurses to get 30% off your order today! Click Here to Purchase
  15. allnurses
    Disposable gloves have long been a mainstay of required equipment for the protection of healthcare workers and patients. In many perioperative areas, surgical tasks require the use of double-gloving. Ansell developed the GAMMEX® PI Glove-in-Glove System, the world's first pre-donned double-gloving system featuring pre-donned outer and inner gloves allowing quick and easy double gloving with a single don. Features and benefits include: Semi-transparent outer glove over a green under glove allows quick and easy breach detection Ability to don 2 pairs of gloves with one don in half the time of the traditional double gloving with 2 dons Non-latex Saves time Cuts down on waste For more information see the GAMMEX® PI Glove-in-Glove System Product Overview in the allnurses Product Directory. If you have used this product, please leave a review in the Directory.
  16. allnurses
    Pam Robbins graduated in 1978 from the St. Joseph School of Nursing. She went on to work at Provena St. Joseph Hospital from 1979 until 2002 when she was unlawfully terminated from her position there. Pam, who states that she has always been interested in nursing policy and political activism, was elected as co-chair and then chair of the Illinois Nurses Association and served as the collective bargaining unit, developing contract language, for registered nurses at the Medical Center. During that time, Pam utilized her opportunity to complain about inadequate staffing numbers which lead to delayed treatment of patients. She asked fellow nurses to record staffing shortages and delay in treatment as well. During the investigation process, Pam helped to organize nurses and their stories in discussions with Administration at the Medical Center, The Illinois Nurses Association union, and legal personnel. As a direct result, the Medical Center terminated several nurses including Pam herself. She filed a lawsuit against the Medical Center in violation of the anti-retaliation provision of the False Claims Act. Pam won this lawsuit and then began to follow a different career path which allowed her to focus on her passion. Pam Robbins has made it her mission to educate and encourage nurses to become politically active as "nurse constituents advising their legislators on how to vote regarding healthcare policy". In following this mission Pam remained active in her local and state Nurses Association. She has been lobbying legislation in support of nurses for decades. She was elected President of the Illinois State Nurses Association. She was hired by the Illinois Nurses Association as Practice Director and Lobbyist. She went on to obtain her Master's Degree in Nursing in 2013 from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. She works as adjunct faculty for Millikin University educating graduate nurse anesthetist students on Healthcare Policy and Politics. Pam has a passion for nurse political advocacy and notes that nurses are not educated until the Master's Degree level on this. She believes it should be taught at a much earlier stage in our education. She has been a consummate force to educate nurses about safe staffing and creation of protocols to maintain staff and patient safety. Pam encourages nurses to become political advocates using 3 steps. 1. Know this Issue at hand. Educate yourself on safe staffing ratios, if that is the problem in your state or hospital. Know what the laws say and dictate. Know what hospital policy and the Board of Nursing in your state dictates. 2. Know your state legislator. Find out who your state legislator or running official is. 3. Know how to educate your state legislator through sharing what happens during your workday. Educate regarding problems and perceived threats to the safety of nurses or patients. Understand that legislators do not know what we know. They are not at the bedside and do not provide the care of patients. We are responsible to educate others about our profession and its gaps. In promoting this, Pam has partnered with the Show Me Your Stethoscope Foundation in supporting several rallies for safe staffing and nurse safety. She was an active organizer and Keynote speaker in the NursesTakeDC 2018 Rally in Washington DC and has teamed up with several nursing "forces" to empower nurses to put their "white caps" in the political advocacy arena. So, how does one voice become the strength and voice for so many of us? Educate yourself and others! Spread the word! Be heard! Be strong in supporting what is right for ourselves and our patients! Know that nurses matter! Thank you, Pam, for all that you have done for our profession over the past 3 decades! The allnurses team was very happy to meet and talk with you at the 2018 NursesTakeDC Rally. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge at the Legislative Educational Session you led to help empower nurses to become political advocates and take action that will promote changes for the betterment of the nursing profession. Thank you for your driving force...thank you for your passion and perseverance! Pam used this as part of her session... [video=youtube_share;RWzl2goKo8c]
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