Updated

February 23, 2012 08:49:19

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At a meeting yesterday the nurses threatened to impose rolling stoppages from Friday. (Ryan Sheales)

The State Opposition is urging the Government to return to talks with the state’s nurses, to avoid rolling stoppages from Friday.

Nurses are threatening to reduce the number of staff on some wards to night-shift levels, if the Government does not agree to allow an independent umpire to resolve the long-running industrial dispute.

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says the staffing levels would be in line with the nurse-to-patient ratio supported by the Government.

The ANF has given the Government until 5:00pm (AEDT) this evening to agree to the proposal, which has the support of the Federal Government.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews says the Baillieu Government should accept the proposal and end the stand-off.

“David Davis and Ted Baillieu need to come back to the negotiating table, discuss these issues, work through these issues in the interests of patients, nurses and our health system,” he said.

“Simply going on, stonewalling and refusing to negotiate in good faith is no answer.”

Mr Andrews says if the Government refuses to return to talks, the impact on hospitals could be serious.

“If these bans go ahead, if the Government refuses to negotiate in good faith then I think patients will see a very real difference between the proposed number of nurses per shift that Ted Baillieu thinks is the appropriate way to go and the current nurse-to-patient ratios,” he said.

Mr Davis says the nurses should return to conciliation talks if they want to resolve their long-running industrial dispute.

He says nurses have other avenues they can use to get a settlement.

“The ANF could at any point, work with the conciliator to restore conciliation programs that were underway through January,” he said.

“The Government and the Victorian hospitals the 86 Victorian health services remain prepared to work through Fair Work Australia processes including conciliation.”

The ANF says it will call off the stoppages if the Government agrees to its proposal.

If the bans do go ahead, three hospitals will be affected from tomorrow morning and the action will increase by three more each day.

The ANF says the Royal Children’s Hospital, Royal Women’s Hospital and specialist cancer hospitals will not be affected by stoppages and staff will only take part in the action if it is deemed safe to do so.

Topics:
unions,
doctors-and-medical-professionals,
state-parliament,
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First posted

February 23, 2012 07:31:02

Contact Alison Savage

More
stories from Victoria

Article source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-23/government-told-to-end-nursing-stand-off/3846630

Terri Dancy and Linda Woods filed the negligence lawsuit Tuesday in St. Clair County against Midwest Rehabilitation and Respiratory Center of Belleville and its management company, Senior Healthcare Management.

Authorities say Aubrey Giles suffered from dementia and heart disease and wandered away from the home two other times in the months leading up to his death.

Giles went missing Jan. 14 and was found two days later in a creek one block from the nursing home. A preliminary investigation by the coroner determined hypothermia was the cause of death.

The nursing home and Senior Healthcare Management didn’t return messages seeking comment.

Article source: http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1793845009/Illinois-nursing-home-sued-over-walk-away-residents-death

Initiative helps measure and improve quality, says AHCA Chair Pruitt

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Long term and post-acute care leadership from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced a multi-year initiative this week to meet new quality goals, including reducing hospital readmission rates and improving staff retention.

At the Association’s 4th Annual Quality Symposium this week AHCA/NCAL announced its Quality Initiative focusing on four goals designed to improve quality of care in America’s skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities.

“We’re looking at the future of how our care delivery system will evolve and we’re making the most of this enormous opportunity to affect how individuals are cared for in this country,” said Neil Pruitt, Jr., Chairman of AHCA’s Board of Governors. “This is an effort that builds upon existing work our profession is doing to advance quality by setting specific, measurable targets to further improve care.”The four main goals of the Quality Initiative are:

1. Reduce Hospital Readmissions: By March 2015, reduce the number of hospital readmissions within 30 days during a SNF stay by 15 percent.
2. Increase Staff Stability: By March 2015, reduce turnover among nursing staff (RN, LVN, CNA) by 15 percent.
3. Reduce the Off-Label Use of Antipsychotics: By December 2012, reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent.
4. Increase Customer Satisfaction: By March 2015, increase the number of customers who would recommend the facility to others up to 90 percent.

Please note: NCAL is currently developing its specific measures and targets.

The Quality Initiative goals have been defined for the next three years to foster sustainable change and set specific benchmarks for the long term and post-acute care profession to build upon. AHCA/NCAL is challenging its membership to hold itself accountable in ensuring a higher quality, lower cost health care system.

“We have a responsibility to serve our nation’s growing senior population and individuals with disabilities,” said Governor Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The Quality Initiative is focusing on four areas that will meaningfully affect the lives of the residents in our facilities. If we can accomplish this, what we will have done as a sector is improve the lives of millions of people.”

Reaching the targets set in each goal in the Quality Initiative will improve the health of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities, while at the same time driving down health care costs. When AHCA members achieve the goal of reducing hospital readmissions by 15 percent, 26,000 fewer people will go back to the hospital each year. Improving staff satisfaction will result in more consistent staffing in long term and post-acute care settings, keeping more than 615,000 in their jobs.  Less off-label use of antipsychotic medications will help patients avoid the health complications that come with the drugs. More satisfied residents and families means that AHCA member facilities are fulfilling the mission of providing quality care.

“By spreading this commitment over three years, we are encouraging sustainable change and empowering facilities to adopt these modifications as permanent commitments to their residents, families and employees,” said Pruitt.

AHCA/NCAL has created a volunteer-led Quality Cabinet to coordinate and monitor the progress of the Quality Initiative. More information about the Initiative is available online at www.ahcancal.org/QUALITY_IMPROVEMENT/QUALITYINITIATIVE/Pages/default.aspx.

SOURCE American Health Care Association

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/22/4283068/skilled-nursing-and-assisted-living.html

Initiative helps measure and improve quality, says AHCA Chair Pruitt

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Long term and post-acute care leadership from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced a multi-year initiative this week to meet new quality goals, including reducing hospital readmission rates and improving staff retention.

At the Association‘s 4th Annual Quality Symposium this week AHCA/NCAL announced its Quality Initiative focusing on four goals designed to improve quality of care in America’s skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities.

“We’re looking at the future of how our care delivery system will evolve and we’re making the most of this enormous opportunity to affect how individuals are cared for in this country,” said Neil Pruitt, Jr., Chairman of AHCA’s Board of Governors. “This is an effort that builds upon existing work our profession is doing to advance quality by setting specific, measurable targets to further improve care.”

The four main goals of the Quality Initiative are:

  1. Reduce Hospital Readmissions: By March 2015, reduce the number of
     hospital readmissions within 30 days during a SNF stay by 15
     percent.
  2. Increase Staff Stability: By March 2015, reduce turnover among
     nursing staff (RN, LVN, CNA) by 15 percent.
  3. Reduce the Off-Label Use of Antipsychotics: By December 2012,
     reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent.
  4. Increase Customer Satisfaction: By March 2015, increase the number
     of customers who would recommend the facility to others up to 90
     percent.

Please note: NCAL is currently developing its specific measures and targets.

The Quality Initiative goals have been defined for the next three years to foster sustainable change and set specific benchmarks for the long term and post-acute care profession to build upon. AHCA/NCAL is challenging its membership to hold itself accountable in ensuring a higher quality, lower cost health care system.

“We have a responsibility to serve our nation’s growing senior population and individuals with disabilities,” said Governor Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The Quality Initiative is focusing on four areas that will meaningfully affect the lives of the residents in our facilities. If we can accomplish this, what we will have done as a sector is improve the lives of millions of people.”

Reaching the targets set in each goal in the Quality Initiative will improve the health of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities, while at the same time driving down health care costs. When AHCA members achieve the goal of reducing hospital readmissions by 15 percent, 26,000 fewer people will go back to the hospital each year. Improving staff satisfaction will result in more consistent staffing in long term and post-acute care settings, keeping more than 615,000 in their jobs. Less off-label use of antipsychotic medications will help patients avoid the health complications that come with the drugs. More satisfied residents and families means that AHCA member facilities are fulfilling the mission of providing quality care.

“By spreading this commitment over three years, we are encouraging sustainable change and empowering facilities to adopt these modifications as permanent commitments to their residents, families and employees,” said Pruitt.

AHCA/NCAL has created a volunteer-led Quality Cabinet to coordinate and monitor the progress of the Quality Initiative. More information about the Initiative is available online at www.ahcancal.org/QUALITY_IMPROVEMENT/QUALITYINITIATIVE/Pages/default.aspx.

SOURCE American Health Care Association

-0-

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/skilled-nursing-assisted-living-profession-announces-bold-multi-184410117.html

That moratorium could be lifted if lawmakers pass Senate Bill
196, which authorizes an annual review of the need for nursing home
facilities. If a shortage is found, the Health and Social Services
departments would be authorized to invite existing facilities to
apply to expand.

The bill is supported by Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s administration
and passed the Senate on a 28-2 vote.

The moratorium sets a limit of 8,130 nursing home beds in the
state, and currently about 6,154 of the licensed beds are occupied.
About 57 percent of nursing home residents are supported by
Medicaid, costing the state about $145 million annually.

SB 196 would require nursing home facilities that expand to
maintain their current Medicaid participation rate.

A 2006 study found that the demand for nursing home care will
increase in South Dakota as the state’s population ages. By 2025,
about one-fourth of the state’s residents will be over 65.

The study by Abt Associates also found that nursing home beds
were unevenly distributed across the state, and that the demand for
nursing home services were greater in western South Dakota than
east of the Missouri River.

Earlier in the session, lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to
repeal the sunset provision on a 2010 law that allows construction
of nursing home facilities on Native American reservations.

The moratorium on licensed nursing home facilities may have
served its purpose of saving Medicaid funds, of which the state
must pay a portion, but the number and location of nursing home
beds should not be limited by a 24-year-old law.

If there is a need for more nursing home beds in the state or
the beds are located away from our graying population centers,
there needs to be a means to build nursing home facilities in
locations where they are needed the most.

The Legislature should pass SB 196.

Article source: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/editorial-lift-moratorium-on-nursing-homes/article_3c00099a-5cdb-11e1-8b4b-001871e3ce6c.html

PERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.
 —
THE PITTSBURGH CHANNEL.com

Two Waynesburg University nursing students and a crash victim who jumped off an overpass to avoid being hit by traffic on Interstate 79 were all in fair condition on Tuesday.

Alissa Boyle and Cami Abernethy were among several students and a professor who stopped to help Derek Hartzog, a 21-year-old Washington man who rolled his Jeep at about 6 a.m. Monday in Perry Township, Greene County.

“We’re very proud of our students. They were quite courageous,” Waynesburg spokeswoman Robin King said. “They were heroes assisting someone in an accident.”

State police said the 22-year-old Boyle and the 21-year-old Abernethy were forced to avoid an oncoming tractor-trailer by jumping from the edge of the overpass — falling about 40 or 50 feet to the ground.

“The courage, it was amazing,” student Eric Conrad said. “Just like a typical nursing student — you see somebody that’s hurt, you’re going to go right over to them, help them out. It’s just unfortunate that, as they were trying to help somebody, they actually became the victims themselves, but it was amazing.”

Another student — who didn’t want to be identified — told Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo that he also jumped but held onto the edge of the overpass until others could pull him to safety.

Boyle and Hartzog remain at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., where they’ve been upgraded from critical condition.

A friend in Abernethy’s hometown of Sewickley said she crushed four vertebrae in the fall and will need a steel rod implanted in her back. She was upgraded from serious condition.

“I just ask everybody to keep the families in your prayers, if you would,” King said. “Wonderful young people today — we’re quite proud of them, but we want everybody to come out of this healthy and strong.”

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Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46455682

Nursing students Jacqueline Loose and Natalie Taylor-Rose settle in at UQ Ipswich during Orientation Week.

HIGH demand for nursing and midwifery courses at the University of Queensland Ipswich campus has pushed up entry scores to the highest level in the state.

Over the past two years, the UQ School of Nursing and Midwifery Overall Position scores across all programs rose between two and three points.

The hardest to enter dual degree in nursing and midwifery now has an OP cut-off of 8, followed by the Bachelor of Nursing OP9 cut-off.

The Ipswich campus welcomed more than 200 new students into undergraduate programs this week, including 17-year-old Natalie Taylor-Rose and 18-year-old Jacqueline Loose.

Ms Loose transferred in to the dual degree nursing and midwifery program after spending a year studying an unrelated course.

“I wanted to get into an area that I was interested in and felt passionate about,” Ms Loose said.

“I chose the dual degree because I didn’t want to work in aged care. I really like babies and want to work in that field.

“My grade point average was high enough to get into the dual degree.”

Ms Taylor-Rose studied a university subject while completing Year 12 at West Moreton Anglican College last year, and said that, combined with her OP10, earned her a spot in the Bachelor of Nursing program.

“The reason I chose nursing was because I really wanted to do something that I could come home from and say, ‘That was tough, but I feel like I really helped someone’,” Ms Taylor-Rose said.

“My first preference was the dual degree, and I’m hoping to transfer into it as soon as I can.”

Head of School Professor Catherine Turner said the demand for the program was pleasing.

“I feel this achievement is a direct indication of the quality and strength of our programs, teaching and clinical school model,” Prof Turner said.

Both first-year students praised the structure of their programs, which place a strong focus on early clinical placement.

Article source: http://www.qt.com.au/story/2012/02/23/nursing-students-a-very-bright-bunch/

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Contact: Christopher James
christopher.james@nyu.edu
212-998-6876
New York University

High-tech, high-fidelity human patient simulation is being used at NYU to bolster faculty teaching capacity and enhance clinical learning; faculty capacity to teach increases 30 percent

To address the faculty shortage problem, schools of nursing are reexamining how they provide clinical education to undergraduate students to find ways to use faculty resources more efficiently so they can maintain student enrollment and meet the future need for nurses.

To this end, researchers from the New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), funded with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education Program, have just published a description of an evaluation study, “Shifting the Clinical Teaching Paradigm in Undergraduate Nursing Education to Address the Nursing Faculty Shortage,” in the on-line edition Journal of Nursing Education.

The NYUCN researchers, in collaboration with the National Development Research Institute, USA and the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, are evaluating a new and unique clinical teaching model, using high-fidelity human patient simulation to partially substitute for traditional clinical teaching approaches.

The new clinical teaching model increased faculty capacity by increasing student-to-teacher ratios per semester, but actually decreases student to teacher ratios in each individual teaching session, .

The previous traditional laboratory and hospital based instruction model required 4.5 faculty instructors for 24 students. With the incorporation of this model using high-fidelity human patient simulation, now only three faculty instructors are needed for the same 24 students. Additionally, with the NYUCN model, student group sizes decreased by 25% for both hospital-based clinical and classroom-based laboratory sessions.

“This model gives us a win-win during the current faculty shortage– by reducing the demand for high quality clinical instructors while simultaneously reducing the number of students an instructor teaches each simulation lab or clinical session,” said Dr. Hila Richardson, Principal Investigator for the evaluation and Clinical Professor for the NYUCN. “We feel more confident that patient safety is protected by allowing closer supervision of students on the clinical unit and preparing them for ‘real-life’ clinical practice in the safety of the simulation lab,” Dr. Richardson said.

The educational advantage of using high-fidelity simulation in conjunction with or as a substitute for hospital-based clinical education is that it provides a safe learning environment where errors can be made and students have time for self-reflection and learning.

“In a typical high-fidelity clinical experience, students can reason through a clinical situation, make decisions about interventions, and make mistakes without harming a patient,” said Dr. Mattia J. Gilmartin, the study’s co-author and NYUCN senior research fellow. “At the end of the simulation session, an opportunity for students to reflect on their performance occurs during a guided debriefing, and our students frequently commented that they appreciated the opportunity to practice skills and critical thinking in a controlled environment,” Dr. Gilmartin said.

Students who have had the high-fidelity clinical experience often feel more confident to work with patients and ensure their safety when they are in the hospital setting. Additionally, faculty can feel more confident that students have experiences across the range of common clinical situations rather than relying on the ad hoc nature of a hospital day to provide the needed experiences to meet learning objectives.

“Our support for evaluation of NYU’s use of clinical simulation reflects our belief that the findings will provide critical evidence of the impact on teaching productivity and faculty work-life,” said Dr. Michael Yedidia, director of the Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education, a National Program Office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We eagerly await the results from the controlled evaluation. In the interim, the recently published article on the model provides useful guidance to those nursing programs considering replication of this model,” Dr. Yedieia said.

With the new model, students spend half of their clinical days in a simulated clinical learning experience. The simulation and hospital-based days are scheduled for alternate weeks. For example, a clinical group of students would be in simulation on week 1 of the semester and in a hospital or health care agency setting on week 2, rotating back to the simulation laboratory on week 3, and so on. The clinical faculty remains in the hospital setting alternating clinical groups of six students each week, thus supervising a total of twelve students per semester, Before the model was implemented, the hospital-based faculty supervised 8-10 students each week for the semester.

To reinforce the integration of the two experiences, the simulation experience is called an “on-campus” clinical day and the hospital or health care agency experience is called an “off-campus” clinical day. Students must follow the same policies for uniform, attendance, preparation, and professional behavior in both on-campus and off-campus clinical experiences. To the extent possible, the off-campus instructors are asked to find patient care experiences that align with both the lecture and the simulation content.

“This evaluation of a new clinical teaching model will directly contribute and positively enhance the current evidence-base of the effects of using clinical simulations in nursing education,” said Dr. Pamela R. Jeffries, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. “I see the integration of clinical simulations to combat the nursing faculty shortage as one of most impactful new models on the forefront of addressing the Future of Nursing Education report,” Dr. Jeffries said.

This evaluation will provide the information needed to better understand how this model can assist in mitigating the nursing faculty shortage and simultaneously allows nursing school enrollment to keep pace with future needs. Further, the evaluation should show that when this model is used as an equally sound and valued educational approach, it can enhance the traditional model of clinical learning to prepare new nurses for increasingly complex health settings.

About the researchers: Hila Richardson, DrPH, RN, FAAN is Clinical Professor, and Mattia J. Gilmartin, PhD, RN is Senior Research Fellow, New York University, College of Nursing, New York, New York; Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN is Dean, Northeastern University, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts. Support for this study was provided to Dr. Richardson and the New York University College of Nursing in the form of grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education Program.

About NYUCN: The New York University College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Arts and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs; a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development. For more information, visit www.nyu.edu/nursing

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful, and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. www.rwjf.org

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Article source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/nyu-stc022212.php

The former Liberal government had announced the Saint-Louis-de-Kent nursing home would be replaced. But when the Progressive Conservative government came to power in 2010, the Villa Maria and several other nursing home projects in the province were put on hold pending an internal government review.

Lucienne and Vital Richard, in the meantime, are living in a small room at the Villa Maria and sharing a bathroom with three other people.

“We’d rather have a bathroom for sure, because we’re two in this room. And the other room they’re three. We have to have our turn. So it’s not a very good thing really,” Lucienne Richard said.

Nicole Richard, the couple’s daughter, said her father takes his bath once a week at 6 a.m.

“I don’t think it’s fair for them. They’ve been working all their lives. They’ve been giving a lot to society. And they deserve a lot better than that,” she said.

Richard said the nursing home is so crowded that items are being stored in the hallways, making it difficult for staff and residents to move around.

“The personnel have carts that … carry medicine, all of that, the laundry and all of that and additional wheelchairs of the residents are in the corridor. What if there was a fire?” she said.

The former Liberal government had pledged a five-year, $400-million infrastructure plan that would have built two new nursing homes, replaced 11 nursing homes and renovated 31 buildings.

That 2009 plan would have created 700 new nursing home spots.

Mark Barbour, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, said the provincial government reviewed the nursing home plan in the best interest of taxpayers.

He said that review is complete and once it’s finalized, an announcement on individual homes will be made.

But he said at this point, the department doesn’t have a timeline for releasing the document.

Social Development Minister Sue Stultz said last fall the report had been completed and would be announced before the legislature returned in November. But the social development minister missed that deadline.

The Liberals have been calling for Stultz to release the new list for nursing home infrastructure upgrades.

There are other nursing homes, such as one in Mill Cove, that were expecting new facilities and are eagerly awaiting the provincial government’s new nursing home plan.

Rogersville-Kouchibouguac Liberal MLA Bertrand LeBlanc said the situation at Villa Maria in Saint-Louis-de-Kent is unacceptable for both residents and staff.

“I mean, you’ve got a humanitarian case here. The minister needs to come over here and see for herself that sometimes you need to spend the money for the people who need it the most,” LeBlanc said.

Article source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/nursing-home-strained-73-seniors-share-1-tub-103854009.html

Police say an unloaded gun has been found inside a piano that was donated to a southeast Michigan nursing home years ago.

AnnArbor.com reports ( http://bit.ly/xWHdtA) that staff at Whitehall Healthcare Center in Pittsfield Township, 5 miles south of Ann Arbor, found the gun Friday in a case inside the piano.

Pittsfield Township deputy police chief Gordy Schick says he suspects the Ruger .22 caliber pistol was hidden long before the musical instrument was donated to the home.

Article source: http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-21/news/31084019_1_nursing-home-gun-piano