Mary Alexander

Infusion Nurses Society Position Paper.

The Infusion Nurses Society (INS) recognizes the right of patients to appropriate assessment and management of pain. All patients, regardless of practice setting, should have their pain adequately assessed and effectively managed by competently trained nurses. Infusion nurse specialists often provide or maintain the avenue for access and have the skill and expertise to assess and administer pain therapies as prescribed.

Establishing research priorities for the infusion nurses society

As the leader in the infusion nursing community, the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) recognizes the critical need for research to support the specialty practice. The purpose of this project was to gain input from INS members to establish research priorities for the organization. In partnership with Wayne State University College of Nursing, INS surveyed its members by using the Delphi approach. The qualitative responses received supported a theoretical framework on which to base an agenda. Respondents identified more problem areas in their practice than in research topics needing further exploration. Four themes, all falling under the overarching domain of patient safety, were identified. By identifying research priorities, INS will be able to guide the direction for research, focus the use of limited financial resources toward the most needed research, and use research to develop and support best practices for the infusion nursing specialty.

Infusion teams: a critical element of patient care.

I NS has been informing you about the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule on healthcare-associated infections for more than a year now. CMS has ordered that hospitals no longer be reimbursed for infections acquired in the course of a patient’s hospitalization. Given this challenge, hospital administrators are now reviewing their budgets and developing solutions for improving patient outcomes. But this rule also presents new opportunities for infusion nurses to build Infusion Teams, whose skill and expertise can reduce the number of catheter-associated infections and increase positive patient outcomes. As we know, nearly all hospitalized patients receive some form of infusion therapy during their stay. Some patients continue receiving infusion therapy after discharge, either at home or in an alternate care setting. The most effective way to maximize a patient’s ability to receive infusion therapy for the length of the prescribed treatment is to implement Infusion Teams in healthcare organizations. Infusion Teams employ expert infusion nurses who perform procedures efficiently, thereby reducing labor and material costs while decreasing the average length of stay and the incidence of infusionrelated complications. The generalist nurse spends more time and uses more materials than the infusion nurse performing similar procedures. Therefore, the infusion nurse is more resourceful and productive in performing these procedures, leaving more time for the generalist nurse to attend to other aspects of patient care. Because the infusion nurse is considered a clinical expert, the healthcare organization is seen as adhering to professional and legally recognized standards of practice. Cost is an obvious and critical element in implementing and maintaining an Infusion Team. The Infusion Team must be established as an important and essential asset to the healthcare organization. It must be well-managed, have documented advantages, provide cost-effective services, thereby increasing revenues, and improve patient care outcomes. Infusion Teams also take on a number of responsibilities beyond basic venipuncture. While each healthcare organization will determine the precise role and responsibilities of the Infusion Team, such duties should include:

Research: You Can Do It.

70 Copyright

Shared Commitments Offer Endless Opportunities to Affect Patient Care

Copyright

A Culture of Safety: It Starts With You.

Days Since Last Non-Injurious Fall 42 Upcoming Quality Events Date Time Where What February 14 9:30-1:30 Board Room COPIC Review with Patti Gould February 21 2:00-2:30 Hansen A &B Capture Falls Quarterly Collaborative Call February 28 12:15-4:30 Hansen A &B Combined Quality Meetings TBD TBD TBD Lee Elliot presentation to be rescheduled Nurses are often called the “gatekeepers” of patient safety. They arguably spend more time with the patient than anyone else in healthcare and have the most crucial impact on a patient’s experience and outcomes. What they do every day, keeps patients safe.

There is an "i" in team.

Find loads of the there is an i in team book catalogues in this site as the choice of you visiting this page. You can also join to the website book library that will show you numerous books from any types. Literature, science, politics, and many more catalogues are presented to offer you the best book to find. The book that really makes you feels satisfied. Or thats the book that will save you from your job deadline.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERʼS REPORT

BUSINESS OVERVIEW The business, with all its social and environmental qualities, can be difficult at times due to the inherent higher production costs of RNG, as compared to fossil fuel-based energy producers. Factors such as climate, feedstock and biogas composition all impact production of RNG and renewable electricity. Additionally, the process to recover and convert raw biogas into RNG or renewable electricity is capital intensive.

Quality nursing care on the line.

Two healthcare topics that are constantly being discussed are the nursing shortage and quality of care. Although separately each has its own specific discussion points, one can hardly discuss one without including the other. Added to these issues is the cost of today’s healthcare. In an effort to address these concerns, some healthcare organizations are looking to other providers, such as respiratory and radiology technicians and Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAPs) to provide infusion-related services that historically have been administered by licensed professional nurses. With variations in education, licensing, and scope of practice, the organizations must consider any unintended consequences that can occur when others provide these services. UAPs—those healthcare workers who are not licensed to perform nursing tasks— have long contributed to successful outcomes in healthcare. They provide muchneeded assistance to licensed nurses by helping patients with tasks such as bathing, ambulating, feeding, and taking vital signs. But changes in the healthcare environment, such as the nursing shortage and budget cuts, have caused many healthcare facilities to seek alternative ways to provide nursing care with more UAPs and fewer registered nurses. Nurses have an obligation to ensure that high-quality, safe nursing care is delivered to their patients. With that obligation comes the responsibility to delegate tasks to unlicensed personnel that will ultimately help achieve the best outcomes for their patients. Historically, RNs have used their judgment to determine the jobs that UAPs could perform under their supervision, on a case-by-case basis. After assessing a patient’s needs, the licensed nurse, who is legally responsible for the performance of the UAP, delegates tasks in accordance with the UAP’s training and experience. In recent years, however, this compact has been breached by healthcare administrators who are redefining nursing care in the interest of the bottom line. Licensed nursing professionals have specialized knowledge, judgment, and skills that cannot be duplicated by a UAP. Infusion nurses are expert in placing catheters, yet our specialized nursing practice is in danger of being devalued because of a disturbing trend toward allowing UAPs to practice infusion therapy. More worrisome, of course, is that patients are not receiving the high-quality care to which they are entitled. New rules by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have targeted preventable medical mistakes and allow CMS to refuse to reimburse healthcare facilities for such errors. Why, then, would any facility choose to substitute UAPs for licensed nurses? The probability of catheter-related infections greatly increases when personnel placing catheters lack the appropriate education and skill of an infusion nurse. Patients risk serious infection and even death if infusion care is not delivered by competent providers. While some healthcare organizations are looking to broaden the base of providers, others are redefining the roles of those in acute care settings. For instance, California’s Kaiser E D I T O R I A L

A 21st-century nursing model: mutual recognition of nursing licenses.

I n a society that is increasingly mobile and technology driven, the old rules governing nurse licensure are failing to keep up with current patient needs and nursing employment opportunities. With the growth of distance learning programs, increasing numbers of patients who receive homecare, and medical advice dispensed online and on the phone (telehealth), the healthcare profession must come to grips with new and different approaches to nursing. Most states currently require nurses to be licensed in the state in which they work. However, this regulation can be onerous for traveling nurses; nurses who provide homecare across state lines; and those who use phones, satellites, or computers for teaching, consulting, or advising because they must be licensed in more than one state. In addition, multiple license fees can be costly, and the time it takes to earn a license can delay employment, particularly for traveling nurses. One solution for multiple nursing licenses, already enacted in 23 states as of July 1, is the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC is an agreement among state Boards of Nursing that could alleviate some of the burdens on nurses who seek licenses in multiple states in order to practice. The compact acts in much the same way as a driver’s license—all states agree to recognize the driver’s license from the licensee’s home state. For the purposes of the NLC, “home state” is defined as the state in which the nurse declares residency and receives the license that allows participation in the NLC. Any disciplinary action may be taken by the state where the patient is located at the time an incident occurred as well as the nurse’s home state. Any nurse living in an NLC state can practice across state lines without acquiring another license. A nurse practicing under the NLC saves money on licensing fees, has more job opportunities, and can make better use of new technology. The NLC also makes it easier to track information, thus increasing patient safety. When nurses can easily work across state lines, more of them are readily available to assist in emergencies and disasters, such Hurricane Katrina. Under the NLC, all nurses practicing in a “party” state will have to comply with the state practice laws of the state in which the patient is located at the time care is provided. The nurse must be familiar with and practice within the scope of the nurse practice act in the state where services are delivered. Some of the arguments against the NLC include decreased job security for some nurses, since there will be increased competition for jobs. There could be some confusion about states’ standards of practice, and some patients may lose continuity of care as nurses move about more frequently.