A couple of items worth bringing to your attention:
Behavior Affects Patient Safety
JCAHO recently issued a Sentinel Alert calling for all JCAHO accredited institutions to take note of findings hat patient safety is being undermined by inappropriate and unprofessional behavior exhibited by health care professionals.
Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, therapists and support staff who demonstrate intimidating and disruptive behavior toward other health care professionals, patients and others will need to be dealt with if facilities wish to comply with JCAHO standards as of January 1, 2009.
For far too long, inappropriate behavior has been ignored, unreported and never addressed for fear of reprisal or being labeled as a “whistle blower.” Research has shown that patient safety is being compromised and JCAHO has taken the lead to put an end to such issues.
You can read more about this in my post at Ultimate Nurse.com
Will More Foreign Trained Nurses Ease Shortage?
The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act (H.R. 5924) is being considered by several subcommittees in the House of Representatives. On Friday, August 1, 2008, the Judiciary Committee voted 7-2 to pass this bill.
The bill was introduced to the U.S. House of Representative on April 29, 2008, by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL). This legislation would increase the number of visas to 20,000 each year for three years allowing foreign born nurses to help ease the current shortage in the U.S. The bill would also authorize grants to help increase enrollment in U.S. nursing schools and develop new nursing education programs.
For more information, and to track this bill see: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-5924
