Hospital restructuring and the work of registered nurses.

American hospitals have undergone three waves of organizational restructuring in the past two decades. These changes have had direct effects on a key set of employees--nurses. A review of the relevant literature to identify the ways in which hospital restructuring affects the work of registered nurses focuses on three important structural characteristics of nursing work: nurses' work roles, workload, and control of work.

A prolonged outbreak of exfoliative toxin A-producing Staphylococcus aureus in a newborn nursery.

An outbreak of erythromycin-resistant, exfoliative toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus infection in a neonatal unit is described. The organism was coagulase positive but staphyloslide negative, and this unusual phenotype facilitated early recognition of the organism in the routine laboratory. In the initial outbreak there were 77 probable or confirmed cases, with a peak attack rate of 66%.

Campylobacter enterocolitis in a neonatal nursery.

During a five-day period, four neonates in a neonatal nursery developed Campylobacter entercolitis. Investigations suggested that cross-infection or common-source infection were unlikely and that the neonates acquired their infection during delivery from their respective mothers, three of whom were also found to harbour Campylobacter jejuni in their stools. This suggestion was confirmed with use of the Lior serotyping system in a blind fashion.