Clinical

Self-Care in Nursing: The Sky's The Limit When You Know How to "FLY"
Guest blog
05/05/17
If you have ever traveled in an airplane, then you’ve heard the safety instructions provided by the flight crew before takeoff, reminding you to put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting other passengers. This is an essential part of the survival chain because if you run out of oxygen, you won’t be able to assist anyone else. more...
Hours and Nurses and Patient Days, Oh My!
Part two in a two-part blog series
04/20/17
The increased pressure on nursing leadership to manage budget and productivity continues to add to the sometimes overwhelming mountain of responsibilities of this group of former caregivers. I think it’s often forgotten that nurse leaders are just that: nurses. Nowhere in our education on pharmacology, pathophysiology and anatomy did they sneak in studying the ins and outs of productivity. And yet it has arguably become one of the most critical aspects of a nursing leadership position...more...
Four Things Bedside RNs Must Know about the Future of the Nursing Workforce
Part one in a two-part blog series
04/10/17
Socrates once said, “I know that I know nothing,” which may ring true when trying to predict the long-term future of an industry. But in the case of the nursing industry, here’s what we do know…and here’s why you need to know it. 1. The BSN requirement isn’t going away.more...
Patients and Families: The Most Underutilized Patient Safety Resource
03/23/17
I can’t remember who said it first, and it’s been said many times now, patients and families are the most underutilized patient safety resource in health care today. Health care organizations are always looking for tools and resources to provide patient-centered, safe, high-quality care and the best resources are abundantly available right in front of us. Patients and families are the only constant across the care continuum. They see and experience the good, the bad and the ugly in...more...
How the Wrong Data Can Put Patient Safety Work Product Protections at Risk
03/16/17
A key component of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 was the collection of data related to patient safety events for accountability and learning. Fast forward to 2017 and what we often see are organizations placing all quality and safety data into their Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES), reporting it to the Patient Safety Organization (PSO) and calling it Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP). If only it were that simple.more...
Why Monitor a Problem If You Don't Fix It?
03/14/17
When I think about how most hospitals audit their work processes, a favorite commercial comes to mind: the LifeLock™‘Bank’ TV spot. It begins with several armed robbers entering a bank filled with people. The robbers tell bank customers and employees to drop to the floor, but the security “monitor” remains standing. One of the customers looks up and whispers, “Hey, do something.” He responds, “Oh, I’m not a security guard, I’m a...more...
From the Ground Up: Meeting the Standards Sets the Stage for Safe Care
03/03/17
Saturdays around my house are spent taking care of routine tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping and laundry. The television is usually on in the background with whatever is on HGTV. My favorite is Fixer Upper. While it inspires projects in my own home, it also reminds me of that 1980s movie, Money Pit. Just moments after the dream house that needed a little fixing up was purchased, it began completely falling apart. While “good bones” are important, inevitably it’s the basic...more...
Five Ways to Tame the Contract Labor Beast
01/04/17
In December 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a study stating that by 2025 the supply of registered nurses would outpace the demand by approximately 240,000 full-time equivalents. Regardless of your opinion of this analysis, I think we can all agree that as we kick off 2017, we are in the midst of a nurse staffing shortage.more...
MSPB: Could It Be the Golden Thread of Health Care?
12/12/16
Everyone has points in their career that they recall with great clarity. One of those moments for me was in the fall of 2013 with the addition of the Medicare Spend per Beneficiary (MSPB) measure. As a nurse and quality professional, MSPB was like a golden thread that brings everything together: quality, safety, patient experience, inpatient and outpatient care, provider revenue and payer spend. Care delivery was finally becoming connected in a way that had the potential to engage everyone...more...
CMS’ Latest Update to Overall Hospital Star Ratings Doesn’t Fix Methodology Issues
11/15/16
As a certified data junkie, I have spent a considerable amount of time studying the composition of the CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating program. While I understand and appreciate what CMS is trying to provide patients and the public at large, I am not a fan of the current methodology, which I feel doesn’t result in an accurate reflection of the quality of care hospitals are delivering across our country.more...

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