Assessing and Addressing Health Literacy

A new CE module has been made available from the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) called "Assessing and Addressing Health Literacy".
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is freely offering this course online to it's members. Non-members may still read the article and take the post-test.

"The ability to communicate effectively with patients who have low health literacy depends on our ability to recognize this problem and to create a patient-centered and shame-free healthcare environment."

New Report Points to Some Possible Benefits of Caribbean Nurse Migration

Much has been said about the impact of nurse migration in the Caribbean. Now a new report by UWI (Jamaica) Research Fellow, Natasha Mortley, presented to the Global Development Network, provides us with further insight and analsysis with which to approach and tackle this situation.
In this blog post I have provided links to the report itself, as well as to a commentary on the report published in Panos London magazine entitled "Nursing exodus could benefit Caribbean in long term." [quote below taken from this commentary].

"The migration of nurses to wealthier countries could potentially benefit Caribbean healthcare systems if managed properly, a report claims. The report, written by Natasha Mortley, a research fellow at the University of West Indies in Jamaica, estimates it costs Caribbean governments US$ 35,000 to train a nurse – an investment that is lost when nurses leave to work abroad. However, the report argues that as many nurses eventually return to their original counties, there can also be important gains as a result of migration." by Tania Ghosh

International Cost of Living Ranking

Looking to expand your horizons and let your nursing career take YOU places?
The Xpatulator website will help you with the research and decision making process of finding employment around the globe.
The January 2010 cost of living figures are published here for 276 global locations based on calculations using the prices of goods and services, and expatriate spending patterns. Included for each location is a relative hardship comparison as well. For a fee further calculations and comparisons made be had, but much information is freely provided.

Cochrane Nursing Care Network

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit, independent organisation dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. It produces and disseminates systematic reviews of healthcare interventions and promotes the search for evidence. Free access in the Caribbean is provided through the Virtual Health Library [PAHO ~ BIREME].

"The Cochrane Nursing Care Network is one of 16 Fields and Networks within the Cochrane Collaboration. The purpose of a Field or Network is to support the conduct, dissemination and utilization of the systematic reviews relevant to the field."

The core functions of this newly formed Cochrane Nursing Care Network:

(1) support Cochrane Review Groups in the preparation of reviews relevant to nursing.
(2) introduce cross-cutting, non-specialised perspectives relevant to all those providing nursing care (nurses and others).
(3) improve health outcomes through increasing the use of the Cochrane Library by nurses and others, engaging them with the Cochrane Collaboration, and supporting its role in providing an evidence base for nursing care.

To become a member click here...

The Cochrane Nursing Care Network is also developing a number of important resources over the next year and invites members to assist in developing review summaries, podcasts and other materials. To become involved, please click here to register your interest.