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New Web Site Launched on US Health Reform

HHS issues special report on health reform and launches new web site ~ "Americans expressed serious concerns regarding health care in a new report released today by the Depart of Health and Human Services.

The report, Americans Speak on Health Reform: Report on Health Care Community Discussions, summarizes comments from the thousands of Americans who hosted and participated in Health Care Community Discussions across the United States."

Top Concerns of Community Discussion Participants:
Cost of health insurance ~31%
Cost of health care services ~24%
Lack of emphasis on prevention ~20%
Difficulty finding insurance due to pre-existing conditions ~13%
Quality of care ~12%

The report is available on the new US government web site dedicated to health reform ~ www.healthreform.gov .

NLN DataView

Now "you can search for and download graphs in various formats that cast a wide lens on all types of pre-licensure nursing programs, including the 1000-plus programs offering diploma and associate nursing degrees. The graphs illustrate essential data about applications, admissions, enrollment, retention, and graduation rates; and provide a comprehensive demographic profile of the current student population documenting ethnic-racial identity, gender, and age, are also available."

The Grange Facility at Ottley's, St. Kitts

Our local SKN-Vibes takes a look at the history of the Grange Facility and the work of Dr. Patricia Richards-Leader. The Grange Health Care Facility was the first of it's kind in St. Kitts to offer nursing, residential and convalescent care to the elderly.
Our IUON student body have many a fine memory of their placements at the Grange!
Click on the title to read the full article.

Nurses' Higher Education & Loan Repayment Act

Turn-Key Legislation Lauded by National Nursing Groups
"The Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act would establish a federal student loan repayment program for nurses who agree to teach full-time at an accredited school of nursing for at least four years in a six-year period."
Reuters ~ Washington ~ March 12, 2009
Click to listen to an mp3 of Congressman Latham
answering questions about this bill.

The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program [NELRP]

Application Deadline Extended to March 16!
"On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“Recovery Act”) of 2009. The Recovery Act provides substantial additional funding for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP)."

Therefore the deadline for submission of this years applications has been extended to 5:00 pm ET March 16, 2009. Supplemental forms and documentation must be received or postmarked by March 16, 2009.
Click on the title for more information and how to apply!
Read the Applicant Information Bulletin.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)

Dear Colleagues,
I am encouraging you to open and view this video documentary today. It will only take a few minutes and will (I believe) impact your teaching—whether you are basic science or clinically oriented, it has pertinence. It involves a type of breast cancer that even the experts have been failing to notice to the extent of contributing to patient deaths. I, myself, where I teach breast self-exam for men as well as women…have always emphasized looking for LUMPS…newly inverted nipples…breast discharge ~ Inflammatory Breast Cancer however, can present looking like a localized skin infection. If it is treated as such, it can be missed and lead to death, the cancer can be that aggressive! I was impressed enough to send it along. Hope you can take the time to get informed! We teach the people who can make a difference in so many lives even now.
Thanks! Making a difference in healthcare begins with us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Jo Cannon MD
Prof. of Clinical Medicine
UMHS-SK
Click on the title link to the Mayo Clinic site for more information.

Alcohol and surgery: Don't miss the risk

"..approximately one-half of all hospital beds are filled with patients with medical conditions related to alcohol or drug dependence.." Geraldine Birch Hurst
[OR Nurse 2009, July/August 2008,Vol2(7);pp.30-5.]

"Because alcohol remains the major drug of abuse in this country [United States], nurses must be able to identify withdrawal symptoms and medicate patients appropriately within the first 24 hours to prevent complications.."
"It benefits both the patient and the nursing staff to treat alcohol withdrawal early. Unanticipated alcohol withdrawal in hospitalized patients can add to the risks and costs of the hospitalization."
"The first step in treating patients who abuse alcohol is detecting the potential for withdrawal."

Hospital Pioneers Multidisciplinary Leadership Model

by Debra Wood RN
"Aiming to create a more respectful and healthy workplace, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) in Philadelphia has developed a new clinical leadership model, charging teams of nurses, physicians and quality coordinators with improving outcomes...It is an egalitarian model...Units have clamored to take part.
"We are bonded at the hip," said Victoria L. Rich, chief nursing executive, "We are not going to change this model. This model is what has to happen for the furture."
Title link takes you to the article published at NurseZone.com .

Educating Patients Before They Leave the Hospital Reduces Readmissions, Emergency Department Visits and Saves Money

"Patients who have a clear understanding of their after-hospital care instructions, including how to take their medicines and when to make follow-up appointments, are 30 percent less likely to be readmitted or visit the emergency department than patients who lack this information, according to a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)." Press Release Date: February 2, 2009
~ study published February 3, 2009 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Leading Change: Building Healthier Nations

The ICN 24th Quadrennial Congress, its first in Africa, will showcase the key role nursing plays in leading the way to healthier nations. The Congress will permit access to and dissemination of nursing knowledge and leadership across specialities, cultures and countries.
The three ICN pillars [International Council of Nurses]- Professional Practice, Regulation and Socio-economic Welfare - will frame the Congress sessions and programmes.

The main objectives of the Congress are:
1. To lead informed and sustainable improvement in policy and nursing practice
2. To demonstrate nursing's contribution to building healthier nations
3. To encourage leadership development in the health sector

27 June – 4 July 2009 Durban, South Africa

Immune Readiness CE Courses for Nurses

Need information and/or continuing nursing education re: vaccines?
The American Nurses Association's (ANA) Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development is pleased to provide the following courses available from the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network. Access more than 30 free, annually updated Immune Readiness Courses on immunology and vaccines, including such topics as Anaphylaxis, Botulism, Tuberculosis, Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, and Rotavirus Vaccine.
Click for a complete list of available courses.

Assessments and Best Practices in Care of Older Adults

Why is assessment of older adults so important?.
Illnesses in older people often look different than in younger ones.

In an effort to provide age appropriate assessment resources that will help to fill the gap between knowledge and practice in the care of older adults, the John A. Hartford Foundation has funded the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (HIGN) at New York University's College of Nursing for a project called How to Try This.
This initiative that will provide web access to evidence-based geriatric assessment tools free of charge along with demonstration videos. A corresponding print series will be published in the AJN.

UPDATE: Check out the online access to the videos and the print articles . [Mar 18, 2010]

Day One in the Life of a Nursing Student

"Standing at the nursing station, alone, my first day at the hospital, I silently planned my escape...." Read this great post and comments on allnurses.com [Jan 5, 2009].

The 1st Interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation Symposium

Join us at the St. Kitts Marriot Resort on February 13 ~ 15, 2009, for the 1st Interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation Symposium!
Hosted by the University of Medicine & Health Sciences ~ St. Kitts and the International University of Nursing, this symposium will hold workshops designed for nurses, physicians and medical faculty.
Check out the ICSS website for further details and online registration.