Allowing Corpsman to Become Nurses

Watching the Presidential debate tonight and a statement by Obama made my head turn. He was relating a story when a corpsman was stating that he has treated wounded soldiers but when he became a civilian he could not use his training or experience to count towards becoming a nurse (unknown which kind). The corpsman was upset that he had to start his education/training from the beginning.

Obama stated that the requirements to be a nurse (assumed licensure/NCLEX requirements) should be changed to allow corpsman to become nurses (did not state which kind). Any thoughts? Read

Nurse Dracula overqualified

Can you imagine interviewing Dracula for a nurse position? Read

CASH PRIZES - Participate to Win

CASH PRIZES AND allnurses.com MERCHANDISE UP FOR GRABS! To win, all you have to do is participate often on allnurses.com. The more you participate the better your chances of WINNING! All members are automatically entered to win. Read

Advice or Ideas Regarding Patient Compliance...

Just looking for some insight about how things run at my clinic, and what tools or methods I can implement to have the desired effects. We have a sign on the door that plainly states "Do NOT stand and wait at this door. Wait in your car. If the door is locked, DO NOT rattle, shake, knock, or yell through the door. Violating this policy is grounds for immediate dismissal. If the door is locked, anyone caught coming through the back door will be considered a trespasser and dealt with accordingly." So far, it's not done a lick of good. Short of dismissal from the practice, how can I get my patients to comply to a sign on the door? Most are not bad, and I love them dearly, but these chosen few, as we call them, just think it shouldn't apply to them. Read

The Healthcare Bubble and How to Survive It

Why can't new nurses get jobs? Why are my insurance premiums rocketing up? Why is U.S. healthcare so much more expensive than healthcare anywhere else? Why is my hospital adding two new wings during a recession? The answer: the healthcare bubble. What it is and how to survive the "pop." Read.

How can we make the process of report from ER to floor better?

I was wondering how your facilities give report to the floors/ICU/CCU. Currently our process isn't working and we are getting a lot of inappropriate admits to our med/surg floors. I have had a ton of rapid responses where the pt ends up in stepdown ICU/CCU, ICU/CCU, or life flighted out or transferred by EMS to our larger sister hospital. Read

Confused and scared...I need advice...

I am currently an on call RN for a large nation wide for profit company. I have experienced burnout and have taken one LOA earlier this year. At that time I was a case manager for the same hospice company.

I sought counseling and he pointed out some very scary things that I really never thought of. I have been doing as they say...whenever I questioned it have been shunned and treated terribly and rudely in front of co-workers...He says it smells like fraud...billing for medically unnecessary nursing visits to SNF's...now I'm so confused, in hindsight soooooo many things make sense now! And let me tell you I'm terrified.

I asked my supervisor..."why is it that I have to attend all these calls and deaths in the SNF's but the case managers on weekends don't?" she replied "you don't need to worry about what is expected of everyone else, you worry about your job expectations! And next time you have a question like this you come to me!" so I reply " I am asking you now"...she says scoffingly "yea after you went and talked to everyone else!" Read

New Customer Service Initiative

Has anybody out there tried a similar system? Any thoughts on improvements/modifications?

In an effort to boost customer satisfaction, we are posting online “door to narcs” times. We are also considering posting provider stats, much like a baseball players stats. This will provide the customer the information they need to make an informed decision.

For example, a customer has a headache, and know the only thing that will work is Dilaudid. Bottom line is the only thing that will satisfy this customer is narcotics. The customer can check the website, and see that Provider A has a Narcs For Headaches average of .125, Provider B has an average of .275. The chance of getting narcs on that visit is 1 in 5. Lousy odds. Read

AAP: Little Evidence Supporting Health Benefits of Organic Food

Organic foods expose consumers to fewer pesticides associated with disease, but current evidence does not demonstrate nutritional benefits or deficits compared with conventionally farmed foods, according to a study published online Oct. 22 in Pediatrics to coincide with presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Oct. 20 to 23 in New Orleans. Read

Health Care Law vs Patient Outcomes

As Nurses our priority isnt cost, profit, or politics; it is and always will be our patients. So my question is; Which system shows better Patient Outcomes, and why? Has there been a study done compairing them that I am not aware of? I want to better understand what is best for this country, and more importantly my patients. Read

Pulled to other floors?

Are you pulled to other floors to work? At my facility, we are, once we are three months off of orientation. The only nurses in the hospital who are not pulled are ER nurses. I think ICU is at least just as specialized as ER, and I don't think we should be pulled. I am newer to ICU and have spent the last six months trying to think like a critical care nurse. Totally messed with my chi the other night to be pulled to a telemetry floor and have eight patients (for the first time in my career). I am feeling a bit dejected because I feel like I didn't give great nursing care to any one of them. Just hoping for some encouragement or advice. I love my job but a steady diet of this would make me look for a different one... Read