Steve Mullett

 are among those pushing for better protections against the H1N1 influenza. In an open letter to the state commissioner of health, the New York State Nurses Association recently called for N95 respirators to be made mandatory at all hospitals in the state after the Institute of Medicine determined they were up to 12 times more effective than surgical masks against airborne H1N1 germs, according to a 

 article. And the California Nurses Association is challenging the practice at many hospitals of reusing respirators that nurses and other medical staff wear when treating patients who have H1N1, according to a recent article in 

. Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations allow for respirators to be reused when there is a shortage, as long as the device has not been soiled or damaged. 



 teamwork between nurses and physicians to deliver “proactive, evidence-based, comprehensive healthcare” to patients with chronic conditions makes a measurable difference in a facility’s bottom line. More than 400 patients enrolled in a program called Guided Care in eight practices around Baltimore and Washington averaged 24% fewer hospital days, 37% fewer days in nursing homes, and 15% fewer emergency department visits, according to a report published in the August 2009 issue of the 

. Based on current Medicare rates, the program saved $1,364 per patient, or about $75,000 per nurse. The program, administered by practices affiliated with Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, and Medstar Physician Partners, assigns each nurse to two to five physicians, providing clinical services ranging from home assessments to coordination of all medical services for the patient. 



 considering banding together to form a nationwide “super union” for RNs, but some dissent in one of the unions may jeopardize the deal, according to a recent article in the 

. The California Nurses Association (CNA) voted unanimously September 10 to join the proposed union, and is waiting for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and the United American Nurses (UAN) to vote on the matter. The article quotes Barbara Norton, RN, an MNA regional director, as saying the “overwhelming majority” of the nurses she’d spoken to were against joining a national union. CNA officials say large delegations from MNA and UAN have reaffirmed their commitment to creating the new union. A founding conference for the National Nurses United has been scheduled for December 7-8 in Scottsdale, AZ, presuming all three unions agree to join. 



 to use health Web sites, and the average nurse spends about eight hours a week online for professional purposes, about the same as physicians, according to a recent study. The Taking the Pulse Nurses v9.0 study from healthcare research company Manhattan Research LLC found about three of four nurses recommend sites to patients, as reported by the site ePharmaceuticals. The survey also found that almost all nurses spend time online between patient consultations, and more than 80% have visited a pharmaceutical, biotech, or device company Web site in the last year.

Articles

CA and NY nurses seek H1N1 protection; nurse-doctor teamwork shown to save money; formation of national nursing union faces obstacles; nurses' Internet use studied

Professional Update: Nurse H1N1 protection

is suing her hospital, alleging that she was forced to assist in an abortion against her will. Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, RN, claims she would have risked losing her job at Mount Sinai Hospital if she didn't participate in the procedure involving a woman who was 22 weeks pregnant, according to a report in 

. Her lawsuit claims the hospital has been aware of her aversion to abortion since she interviewed for the position in 2004, but supervisors nonetheless refused to assign the procedure to another nurse when she requested it. The suit also claims she was told the patient's preeclampsia was life-threatening, but she later found out hospital records stated it was a "Category II" procedure, meaning the woman's life was not in immediate danger.

has begun a "laughter therapy" program for its patients with developmental, physical, or emotional disabilities and/or mental illness, led by a nurse. Kathy O'Brien, RN, conducts regular laughter therapy sessions at the Sertoma Centre in Alsip, IL, which serves more than 600 individuals, according to a news release from the facility. The idea behind it is that laughter can help patients forget about their pain for a little while. "I just think that everyone needs to laugh, to have fun, no matter what their physical or mental abilities," O'Brien said.

are protesting after two nurses who filed a complaint about a physician to the Texas Medical Board were indicted on charges of misuse of official information. Vicki Galle, RN, and Anne Mitchell, RN, each face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges, according to an Associated Press report. The charges stem from a complaint the nurses made claiming that Rolando Arafiles, MD, improperly encouraged his patients at Winkler County Memorial Hospital, Kermit, TX, to buy herbal medicines from him, and that he wanted to use hospital supplies to perform a procedure at a patient's home. Galle and Mitchell are accused of improperly using confidential medical records and filing the complaint in bad faith. The Texas Medical Board itself has opposed the prosecution in writing, and the Texas Nurses Association has established a legal defense fund for them.

A Catholic nurse in New York City is suing her hospital over allegations that she was forced to assist in an abortion; a Chicago-area facility has begun a nurse-led "laughter therapy" program for its disabled and mentally ill patients; nursing organizations are protesting the indictment of two Texas nurse whistleblowers.

Nurses in the News

who responded to a recent survey have been physically assaulted on the job, according to a study by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). More than 3,000 nurses completed a 69-question survey, according to an ENA news release. One in four said they had been spit on, hit, pushed or shoved, scratched, and kicked more than 20 times in the last three years. The study indicated the risk of violence was lower in facilities that had policies for reporting violence and facility responses to violent incidents.

Over half of emergency department nurses who responded to a recent Emergency Nurses Association survey reported having been the victims of physical assault.

Emergency room nurses frequently assaulted: ENA

and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) launched a new initiative in July to study the future of nursing in America in light of the growing shortage. Between now and May 2010, members of a newly formed committee will meet with nurses and the public, review various care models, and assemble a report in hopes of laying out a plan of action to address the shortage. Committee leaders are Donna Shalala, PhD, secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton and the current president of the University of Miami; and Linda Burnes Bolton, RN, PhD, FAAN, who is vice president of nursing, chief nursing officer, and director of nursing research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

A joint Institute of Medicine–Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative will study the future of nursing in light of the growing shortage.

Author | Steve Mullett

Articles

Professional Update: Nurse H1N1 protection

Nurses in the News

Emergency room nurses frequently assaulted: ENA

10-month study begun to address nursing shortage