From October 2008 through 2010, journalists Charles Ornstein and Tracey Weber produced for the and a series of investigative reports on the performance of the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), finding that it took an average of 3.5 years to act on complaints of professional misconduct by registered nurses, including sexual assault of patients, substance use, and repeat medication errors that resulted in patients dying. In June 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he was firing members of the BRN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent research has increasingly documented the adverse effects of ADHD on physical health in addition to its well-known effects on emotional health. Responding to this concern, CHADD organized a summit meeting of health care providers, governmental and other health-related organizations, and health care payers. A White Paper generated from the meeting reviewed the adverse health outcomes, economic burden and public health implications of unmanaged ADHD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA policy brief is a document that provides a succinct explanation and analysis of a policy issue or problem, together with policy options and recommendations for addressing that issue or problem. This article provides an explanation of what a policy brief is, how it is used, and how it is developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to an ongoing recent evolution in practice, sleep medicine as a discipline has been compelled to respond to the converging pressures to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and demonstrate value. Patient "researchers" are uniquely placed to participate in initiatives that address the specific needs and priorities of patients and facilitate the identification of interventions with high likelihood of acceptance by the "customer." To date, however, the "patient voice" largely has been lacking in processes affecting relevant policies and practice guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Representation of Health Professionals on Governing Boards of Health Care Organizations in New York City. The heightened importance of processes and outcomes of care-including their impact on health care organizations' (HCOs) financial health-translate into greater accountability for clinical performance on the part of HCO leaders, including their boards, during an era of health care reform. Quality and safety of care are now fiduciary responsibilities of HCO board members.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFANS Adv Nurs Sci
October 2011
In a recent article, Eliason et al raise important questions regarding the need for nursing to focus greater attention on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. The present article discusses aspects of the profession's record on issues related to LGBT health and equality in the United States, focusing on civil rights, military discrimination, and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS. It suggests an initial agenda focusing on public policy, nursing practice, education, and research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known about RNs who drop their licenses and their potential re-entry into the nursing workforce. The results of this study provide insight into reasons nurses leave their careers and the barriers to re-entry, all important indicators of the current professional climate for nursing. While representing only one state, these findings suggest that RNs who allow their licenses to expire do so because they have reached retirement age or, among those who do not cite age as a factor, because many are unable or unwilling to work in the field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResponses of 2369 newly licensed registered nurses from 3 generational cohorts-Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y-were studied to identify differences in their characteristics, work-related experiences, and attitudes. These responses revealed significant differences among generations in: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work motivation, work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, distributive justice, promotional opportunities, supervisory support, mentor support, procedural justice, and perceptions of local job opportunities. Health organizations and their leaders need to anticipate intergenerational differences among newly licensed nurses and should provide for supportive working environments that recognize those differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF