Health Coaching for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus to Decrease 30-Day Hospital Readmissions.

Purpose/objectives: The purpose of this program was to provide health coaching to patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to increase self-management skills and reduce 30-day readmissions.

Primary Practice Setting: The setting was a 273-bed, acute care not-for-profit hospital in the southern region of the United States.

Findings/conclusions: Health coaching that emphasized self-management, empowered patients to set healthy goals, and provided support through weekly reminders to improve self-management for patients with T2DM in this pilot program.

Process-Improvement Cost Model for the Emergency Department.

The objective of this report is to present a simplified, activity-based costing approach for hospital emergency departments (EDs) to use with Lean Six Sigma cost-benefit analyses. The cost model complexity is reduced by removing diagnostic and condition-specific costs, thereby revealing the underlying process activities' cost inefficiencies. Examples are provided for evaluating the cost savings from reducing discharge delays and the cost impact of keeping patients in the ED (boarding) after the decision to admit has been made.

A weekend and a lifetime: a linkage to empathy.

Introducing the complexities of today's health care environment to nursing students is challenging. This article relates an event-changing experience that led me to teach nursing students through storytelling. With instructors teaching from personal clinical experiences, students develop greater empathy and deliver more holistic nursing care, which is valued by all.

A dramaturgical analysis of shift report patterns with cost implications: a case study.

This secondary analysis uses Goffman's stage drama to explore the roles of registered nurses in videotaped reports in a hospital. Each report was a performance by the charge nurse which affected the climate, interactions, and duration of the report.

Writing for self-discovery: a semester-long journey at the graduate level.

Writing for self-discovery begins on the first day of class and continues throughout the semester. Class introduction compares this journey to flying an airplane, requiring adjustments to successfully reach the destination. A systems framework promotes writing-to-learn and writing as a self-discovery tool for graduate nursing administration students in this clinical preceptorship.

The phenomenal shift report: a paradox.

The shift report, a seemingly routine event, presents a paradox of contradictions for nursing staff. Beyond the acknowledged purpose of information exchange and socialization, intershift reports also include elements of cultural disarray and powerlessness among the nursing staff. This literature review explores the implications for staff development at the unit level and for management.