Four American Red Cross volunteer nurses have been selected by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal, nursing’s highest international honor.

Those honored with the 43rd Florence Nightingale Medal are Cheryl Schmidt of Benton, Arkansas; Debra Williams of Edmond, Oklahoma; Janice Lufkin of Abington, Pennsylvania; and John Mark Burton of Covington, Georgia.

“These Red Cross nurse volunteers have helped bring food, shelter, comfort and hope during countless large and small disasters,” said Vivian Littlefield, American Red Cross National Chair of Nursing. “They have worked tirelessly to teach people what they should do before, during and after an emergency, and have formally trained scores of nurses and nursing students in basic disaster response.”

All four medal recipients serve as American Red Cross disaster health services volunteers. Together they have responded to some of the most catastrophic disasters the nation has faced, as well as countless community emergencies ranging from house fires to airline crashes to ice storms.

Medal recipients’ volunteer service goes beyond disasters. Debra Williams, for example, brings Red Cross services to members of the military and their families. Cheryl Schmidt has served as a CPR instructor, and on Bloodmobiles. Janice Lufkin spends weekends at community events, telling people about the Red Cross.

The 2011 Florence Nightingale Medal recipients are leaders. College professor Cheryl Schmidt is changing the education of student nurses to include disaster training. Janice Lufkin leads the largest Red Cross Disaster Action Team in Greater Philadelphia. John Mark Burton served on his local Red Cross chapter Board of Directors. Debra Williams heads the American Red Cross State Nurse Liaison Network, with its 43 members spread from Maine to Hawaii.

The International Committee of the Red Cross awarded 39 medals this year, to nurses and nursing aides from 18 nations. Medal recipients were active in public health, conflict situations, disaster situations and nursing education.

Around the globe, this elite cadre exhibited courage and active compassion, and conducted practical activities on behalf of injured, sick or otherwise vulnerable people.

U. S. recipients of the prestigious 2011 Florence Nightingale Medal will receive the engraved silver and enamel medal during a ceremony at American Red Cross national headquarters.

Medal Recipient Service Sketches

- Debra Williams
- Cheryl Schmidt
- Janice Lufkin
- John Mark Burton

Source:
American Red Cross

Red Cross Volunteer Nurses Selected For Florence Nightingale Medal, Nursing Resource Admin

“We want to show support for candidates who recognize nursing’s role in the delivery of care and the importance of educating, recruiting and retaining, RNs,” said ANA-PAC Chair Mary Behrens, RN, MSN, FNP-C. “With issues such as the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, patients’ rights, and access to care on the political agenda, getting nurses’ voices heard has never been more important.”

ANA-PAC makes their decisions through candidate interviews, communicating with the Constituent Member Associations, gathering information on the campaign, and assessing a candidate’s voting record on ANA priority issues. For more information on ANA-PAC’s endorsement process please visit, http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/ANAPAC/Endorsement Process.aspx

2010 ANA-PAC Endorsements

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-07)
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA-Senate)
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-06)
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08)
Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA-11)
Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA-13)
*Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA-23)
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA-30)
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-34)
Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-CA-37)
Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA-51)
Andrew Romanoff (D -CO – Senate Challenger)
Congressman John Salazar (D-CO-03)
Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-07)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT-Senate Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03)
Chris Coons (D-DE-Senate Open Seat Challenger)
*Yolly Roberson (D-FL-17-Open Seat Challenger)
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-FL-20)
Joe Garcia (D-FL-25-Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman John Lewis (D-GA-05)
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI-Senate)
Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI-01-Challenger)
Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL-01)
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-IL-11)
Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL-17)
Congressman Andre Carson (D-IN-07)
Congressman Bruce Braley (D-IA-01)
Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02)
Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA-03)
*Stephene Moore (D-KS-03-Open Seat Challenger)
Jack Conway (D-KY-Senate Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman John Yarmuth (D-KY-03)
Cedrick Richmond (D-LA-02-Challenger)
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD-Senate)
Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-06)
Congressman John Olver (D-MA-01)
Congressman Richard Neal (D-MA-02)
Congressman James McGovern (D-MA-03)
Congressman Dale Kildee (D-MI-05)
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI-14)
Congressman John Dingell (D-MI-15)
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV-Senate)
Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-03)
Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ-02)
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ-04)
Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06)
Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ-07)
Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ-12)
Congressman Martin Heinrich (D-NM-01)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY-Senate)
Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY-01)
*Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-04)
Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY-07)
Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY-09)
Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY-10)
Congressman Mike McMahon (D-NY-13)
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17)
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22)
Congressman Mike Arcuri (D-NY-24)
Congressman Dan Maffei (D-NY-25)
Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND-AL)
Congressman Steve Driehaus (D-OH-01)
Congressman Patrick Tiberi (R-OH-12)
Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-OH-14)
Congressman John Boccieri (D-OH-16)
Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH-17)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR-Senate)
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03)
Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05)
Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA-Senate Challenger)
Congressman Robert Brady (D-PA-01)
Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA-08)
Congressman Chris Carney (D-PA-10)
Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13)
David Cicilline (D-RI-01-Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman James Langevin (D-RI-02)
Congressman Charles Gonzalez (D-TX-20)
Congressman Gene Green (D-TX-29)
*Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30)
Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11)
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA-Senate)
Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA-01)
Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA-02)
Denny Heck (D-WA-03-Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA-07)
Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA-08)
Governor Joe Manchin (D-WV-Senate Open Seat Challenger)
Mike Oliverio (D-WV-01-Open Seat Challenger)
Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV-03)
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI-Senate)
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-02)
Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI-04)
Julie Lassa (D-WI-07-Open Seat Challenger)

*Denotes Nurse Candidate or Member of Congress

Source:
American Nurses Association

2010 ANA-PAC Election Endorsements, Nursing Resource Admin

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) applauds the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their visionary report on the Future of the Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which includes among its recommendations removing regulatory barriers to nursing practice, raising the education level of the nursing workforce, enhancing nursing’s leadership role in healthcare redesign, and strengthening data collection efforts. The IOM is calling for policymakers, educators, and leaders across the profession to take collective action to reform education, strengthen nursing roles, and amplify nursing’s voice in transforming the healthcare system.

“The IOM’s focus on the future of nursing comes at a time when healthcare reform presents new challenges and opportunities for the nursing workforce,” said AACN President Kathleen Potempa. “AACN stands ready to work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other stakeholders to ensure the report’s recommendations are implemented to enhance patient safety and the quality of care available to our nation’s diverse patient population.”

The four key messages that structure the recommendations in the Future of Nursing report include:

- Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training.

- Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.

- Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other healthcare professionals, in redesigning healthcare in the United States.

- Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure.

Specific action steps requiring a collaborative response include:

- Increasing the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees from 50% to 80% by 2020 and encouraging nurses with associate degrees and diplomas to enter baccalaureate programs within five years of graduation.

- Doubling the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.

- Addressing the faculty shortage by creating salary and benefits packages that are market competitive.

- Moving to have at least 10% of baccalaureate program graduates enter master’s or doctoral degree programs within five years of graduation.

- Removing scope of practice barriers that inhibit Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) from practicing to the full extent of their education and training and serving in primary care roles.

- Enhancing new nurse retention by implementing transition-into-practice nurse residency programs.

- Embedding leadership development into nursing education programs and increasing the emphasis on interdisciplinary education.

- Ensuring that nurses engage in lifelong learning to gain the competencies needed to provide care for diverse populations across the lifespan.

“Implementing these recommendations will propel the nursing profession forward and better position nurses to become full partners in reforming our healthcare delivery system,” added Dr. Potempa. “AACN is committed to leveraging our influence, data resources, and extensive network of nurse educators to advance these recommendations to better meet the health needs of the nation.”

The new report is the product of a study convened under the auspices of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine, and is the result of the committee’s review of scientific literature on the nursing profession and a series of public forums to gather insights and evidence from a range of experts. The expert committee leading this work was chaired by Dr. Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, and included among its members Dr. Michael Bleich, dean of the Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing. AACN was pleased to provide testimony, consultation, and assistance with data requests to the IOM Committee while the report was in development.

Source:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

AACN Applauds The New Institute Of Medicine Report Calling For Transformational Change In Nursing Education And Practice, Nursing Resource Admin

Orlando Sentinel: “Thousands more health-care workers, from doctors to nurses to physical therapists, will be needed in the coming decade in Florida and across the country to treat the increasing number of older Americans – particularly the enormous baby boom generation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care is expected to generate 3.2 million new jobs through 2018, more than any other industry and mainly because of the increasing number of elderly. In Florida alone, U.S. Census data shows, the population of persons 65 and older is projected to increase by nearly 82 percent through 2020 to 5.1 million. Add to that scenario the game-changing effects of federal health-care reform and the rapid evolution of medical technology in diagnosing and treating disease and it’s easy to see why job-growth projections in health care are so robust” (Zaragoza, 9/12).

Still, Nurse.com offers a different perspective on immediate job prospects for nursing students: “Despite a widely held belief that nursing was a ‘recession-proof’ profession, new graduates in many areas of the country report difficulty finding jobs. Surveys by the National Student Nurses Association of 2009 and 2010 new graduates show more than 40% of respondents had not found a nursing job by midsummer. The American Hospital Association reports an RN vacancy rate of 4% in March, down from 11.4% in 2006. Some nursing school deans say their students are having a much more difficult time finding jobs than in the past. … Analysts say most of the hiring slowdown is because of the economy, with older RNs deciding to stay in the workforce because their retirement funds have not recovered from a stock-market drop in 2008, or a spouse was laid off, or they are just nervous about the economy” (Domrose, 9/12).

Kaiser Health News: “One of the groups most affected by the changes in the new health law are medical school students. When they graduate – and complete the hospital residencies that follow – they will begin practice under a system that will be significantly different than when they began college. With millions more people expected to have health insurance, demand for primary care physicians is expected to go way up. Allison Fero, of Kaiser Health News, recently sat down individually with four medical students to discuss their career expectations, their concerns about the changing environment for doctors and their assessments of how the new law will affect the practice of medicine” (Fero, 9/13).

The Wall Street Journal: “Thirteen of Lenox Hill Hospital’s doctors-in-training gather for one more class at the end of another long day of lectures and rounds: How to peel onions and chop garlic. It’s a cooking class, and the organizers hope that it helps teach young doctors how to plan and cook nutritious meals so they can better advise patients on healthy eating. … The program – which organizers say is the first of its kind in the city – includes six seminars on everything from nutrition, to weight management to exercise and a cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. It is based loosely on a joint project of the Culinary Institute of America and Harvard Medical School called Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives” (West, 9/11).

The Wall Street Journal, in a separate story: “There’s a lot more to health care than doctors, lab results and complex reform bills. … Dynamic and rapidly growing, the health care field offers young professionals the opportunity to explore emerging technologies while getting hands-on scientific and medical experience” (Cheney, 9/12).

The Boston Globe: “A new master’s degree program at Dartmouth College is intended to bring more of the business of safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency into medicine. The program – launched by the college’s new president, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a longtime activist for better, less expensive medical care worldwide – is a response to the health care crisis. By training doctors and hospital administrators to think more strategically about the success rate of a particular type of surgery, for example, or ways to reduce waiting times in emergency rooms, medical care will get safer and more affordable, school officials say. The interdisciplinary master of health care delivery science program, which will be launched next summer, is a collaborative effort between the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, the group that produces the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, which documents regional and hospital-by-hospital differences in how US medical resources are distributed and used” (Weintraub, 9/13).

Source:
MedicalNewsToday

Health Care Expected To Help Fuel Job Growth Yet New Nurses Having Difficulties Finding Jobs, Nursing Resource Admin

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that five new Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars have been selected through a national scholarship program funded by the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future. Launched to address the faculty shortage and enhance diversity among nurse educators, this AACN-administered program provides generous financial support, mentoring, and leadership development to graduate students from minority backgrounds with aspirations to teach in our nation’s schools of nursing.

Joining the 38 scholars previously selected for this prestigious honor (and a similar program offered by AACN and The California Endowment) are the following students who are all enrolled in doctoral nursing programs:

- Willie Mae Abel, PhD candidate, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

- Lisa Carter-Harris, PhD candidate, University of Louisville

- Carolyn Hickman, PhD candidate, Arizona State University

- Jimmy Andres Reyes, DNP and PhD candidate, University of Iowa

- Beverly Waller, PhD candidate, University of Michigan

“AACN extends a hearty ‘congratulations’ to this year’s faculty scholars whose impressive academic and professional backgrounds will make them excellent nursing leaders and inspirational role models for the next generation of nurses,” said AACN President Kathleen Potempa. “We are grateful to the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for joining with AACN and taking decisive action to help diversify the nurse faculty population.”

The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future – AACN Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars Program was launched in September 2007 to support full-time minority students with an interest in teaching. This program invites applications from students in doctoral and master’s programs who will serve as nurse faculty after completing their degree programs. Scholarship recipients were selected by an application review committee, and awards in the amount of $18,000 each will be disbursed this fall. All scholarship recipients are expected to attend an annual faculty development program and meet regularly with an identified mentor who will assist in preparing Scholars to assume leadership roles in academia.

Leading Efforts to Diversify Nursing Education

As a central component of AACN’s core values and strategic plan, enhancing diversity in nursing faculty and student populations has been at the forefront of the organization’s advocacy work and programming for more than 10 years. AACN has effectively leveraged its resources to address this national priority given the strong connection between a diverse healthcare workforce and the ability to offer quality, culturally competent patient care. By providing scholarships and leadership development opportunities to minority students pursuing graduate degrees, AACN is creating a cadre of future nurse educators and leaders of the profession. The organization’s work to embed new standards related to cultural competency in the Baccalaureate and Master’s Essentials will help to better equip future nurses to care for an increasingly diverse patient population. Additionally, AACN’s work as program administrator for The Robert Wood Johnson New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program has opened the door for nearly 2,000 new nurses to enter the profession, all of whom come from ethnically diverse and/or disadvantaged backgrounds.

“AACN’s work to change the face of nursing is having a real impact, and we are proud that our collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships have resulted in more than $20 million in scholarship funding for minority nursing students since 2006,” added Dr. Potempa. “As the recognized voice for professional nursing education, AACN will continue to use its national platform to advocate for more programs and federal resources to assist schools of nursing with their efforts to remove financial barriers to nursing education and faculty careers for all populations in need.”

Source:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)

AACN Selects New Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars Through Joint Program With The Johnson & Johnson Campaign For Nursing’s Future, Nursing Resource Admin

The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds the introduction of federal legislation that empowers registered nurses (RNs) to drive staffing decisions in hospitals and, as a result, protect patients and improve the quality of care.

On the heels of the introduction of the Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2010 (S. 3491/H.R. 5527), hundreds of registered nurses from across the country flocked to Capitol Hill last month to meet with their congressional representatives, emphasizing that insufficient nurse staffing can be a life-or-death issue for patients and that federal legislation is needed to ensure that hospitals don’t limit resources in a way that harms patient outcomes.

The RN Safe Staffing Act, crafted with input from ANA, has sponsors from both political parties – Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Reps. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) and Lois Capps (D-CA), a nurse.

“We know that nurses across the country are deeply concerned about unsafe staffing because it puts patients at risk, as well as puts nurses’ careers on the line,” said ANA President Karen Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN. “Nurses observe all the time how insufficient nurse staffing diminishes the quality of care for patients. We won’t stop advocating on this issue until federal legislation is enacted to increase protections for patients and ensure fair working conditions for nurses.”

Research has shown that higher staffing levels by experienced RNs are linked to lower rates of patient falls, infections, medication errors, and even death. And when unanticipated events happen in a hospital resulting in patient death, injury or permanent loss of function, inadequate nurse staffing often is cited as a contributing factor.

The bill would require hospitals to establish committees that would create unit-by-unit nurse staffing plans based on multiple factors, such as the number of patients on the unit, severity of the patients’ conditions, experience and skill level of the RNs, availability of support staff and technological resources.

ANA backed a similar staffing bill in the last Congress. This version includes new requirements that a hospital’s staffing committee be comprised of at least 55 percent direct care nurses or their representatives, and that the staffing plans must establish adjustable minimum numbers of RNs per unit.

ANA has a long track record of advocating for safe staffing conditions for the nation’s registered nurses, through development of ANA’s Principles for Nurse Staffing in 1999, work with legislators and implementation of a national nursing quality database program that correlates staffing to patient outcomes. In 2007, the association launched its “Safe Staffing Saves Lives” grass-roots campaign, calling on nurses to become advocates. Nearly 1,000 RNs have sent their personal stories to ANA, describing how insufficient staffing on their units has put their patients in jeopardy, overwhelmed them with unmanageable patient loads, and, in some cases, driven them from their jobs.

The safe staffing bill would require hospitals that participate in Medicare to publicly report nurse staffing plans for each unit. It would place limits on the practice of “floating” nurses by ensuring that RNs are not forced to work on units if they lack the education and experience in that specialty. It also would hold hospitals accountable for safe nurse staffing by requiring the development of procedures for receiving and investigating complaints; allowing imposition of civil monetary penalties for knowing violations; and providing whistle-blower protections for those who file a complaint about staffing.

To date, seven states have passed nurse safe staffing legislation that closely resembles ANA’s national approach to ensure safe staffing. Those states are Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

Source:
American Nurses Association

Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Bill Introduced In Congress, Nursing Resource Admin

The Associated Press: “More than 12,000 nurses launched a one-day strike last Thursday at 14 Minnesota hospitals in a dispute over nurse-patient ratios levels and pension benefits. Nurses say they are being asked to care for too many patients at a time, and strict ratios are necessary to protect patient safety. The hospitals, all in the Minneapolis area, counter that patients are safe and that the walkout is a headline-grabbing stunt to build membership and clout for a national nurses union. About the same number of nurses had planned a simultaneous strike in California over the same issues, but were blocked temporarily earlier this week by a San Francisco judge. … Hospitals hired 2,800 replacement nurses, called in extra non-unionized staff, reduced patient levels and some hospitals rescheduled elective surgeries.” Staff members from two of the area’s largest hospitals weren’t involved in the strike (Williams, 6/10).

NPR: Gary Chaison, a professor of labor relations at Clark University in Worchester, Mass., “says nurses are becoming more militant at a time when unions in other industries are losing influence. As health care reform forces hospitals to cut costs, nurses are feeling the squeeze.’” Chaison says the striking nurses have the advantage of being well liked and respected amongst patients and he predicted other nursing strikes could follow this (Yuen, 6/10).

Minnesota Public Radio: “Hospital officials said Thursday that surgeries, childbirths and other procedures were taking place as expected at 14 Twin Cities hospitals while their nurses picketed outside. … The hospitals and nurses union have been negotiating for weeks on a new contract. But it became clear in recent days that no progress was being made, and that the strike the union scheduled two weeks ago would happen” (Benson and Yuen, 6/10).

Minneapolis Tribune: “Late Thursday, both sides claimed to have achieved their goals on a tense and complicated day — the hospitals treating patients with generally little disruption, the union staging a spirited and cohesive walkout that called public attention to their concerns over patient care and nurse staffing levels. No new talks are scheduled, however, leaving each side to weigh the impact of the one-day walkout and consider whether to escalate the dispute” (Brown, Marcotty and Yee, 6/11).

Twin Cities Pioneer Press: “The dividing contract issue has been nurse staffing levels. The union wants the hospitals to abide by strict nurse-to-patient ratios as a way to ensure patient care. The hospitals want flexibility to deal with staffing issues by calling in nurses on busy days and sending them home on slow ones” (Olson, 6/10).

Source:
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/ via MedicalNewsToday

Thousands Of Minnesota Nurses Strike For One Day, Nursing Resource Admin

These are important nursing resource links related to working abroad or overseas. They span from government agencies, consultancy firms, information sites, and more.

Note: Nursing-Resource.com is not affiliated to these sites. They are third-party websites, and we cannot 100% assure their significance. If you suspect that a site listed here is a scam, please inform us promptly.

Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Resource Sites

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/
Description: This is the Canadian government’s Citizenship and Immigration website. If you plan to work on Canada, this is the site to go to.

Nursing Work Aboad, Nursing Resource Admin

ANA sponsored the briefing to highlight the nursing profession’s concerns over chemical exposure and its impact on health care professionals and the patients we serve. “In keeping with this year’s National Nurses Week theme, Nurses: Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow, ANA came to Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers about the potential health risks of chemical exposures and the need for real environmental reform. ANA has been a leader in the formation of public policy that affects human health, and as nurses, will continue to advocate for laws that counteract potential threats to human health,” said ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR.

Nurses, as the largest group of health care providers, recognize the serious impact chemical exposure has on the public’s health. Studies continue to demonstrate a link between chemical exposure and serious illnesses, including cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, neurological diseases and asthma. Exposure in the workplace puts nurses and other health care professionals at an even greater risk. To illustrate the dangers of chemical exposure, ANA, in partnership with Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), took part in a first of its kind biomonitoring study of physicians and nurses in October 2009. The findings showed each study participant had at least 24 individual chemicals present in their systems, four of which are on the recently released EPA list of priority chemicals for regulation. These chemicals are all associated with chronic illness and physical disorders.

Among the speakers at Tuesday’s event was Donna Yancey, RN, BSN, CRRN, a retired nurse and one of the biomonitoring study participants. Other speakers included Nancy Hughes, MS, RN, and director of ANA’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Andy Igrejas, campaign director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, and Joyce Martin, the director of Environmental Health Policy for the American Association on Individual and Developmental Disabilities.

National Nurses Week, first founded by ANA, focuses on giving thanks, recognition and acknowledgment for all nurses do for patients. Today’s nurses must have the strength to care for patients during times of disaster and crisis, and the compassion to provide hands-on patient care at the bedside – as they have done throughout the centuries. Moreover, at 3.1 million strong, nurses represent the largest group of health care workers in America, and have the power to achieve much-needed reform in health care and in nursing.

Source
American Nurses Association

ANA Advocates For Chemical Reform During Capitol Hill Nurses Week Event, Nursing Resource Admin

Alzheimer’s Society is today calling for all nursing staff to receive mandatory training in dementia care as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) close their consultation.

Alzheimer’s Society has made recommendations on how dementia should be included in NMC standards.

‘People with dementia occupy up to a quarter of hospital beds at any one time yet many are receiving inappropriate care and leaving hospital far worse than when they arrived. Nurses regularly tell us they’re not receiving enough training in dementia. This needs to end. The NMC must recommend that all student nurses receive training that equips them to provide the best dementia care possible. The draft standards can also be strengthened to help ensure that dementia training is in all university curriculums.’

Andrew Chidgey
Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Source
Alzheimer’s Society

All Nurses Need To Be Trained In Dementia Care, UK, Nursing Resource Admin