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Nursing leaders modeling positive communication
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationHealthcare and nursing are built upon communication. Whether collaborating on patient care, research or education, we use communication in the course of our work. Practicing positive communication is paramount, and nurse leaders are no exception.
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Rip-and-replace EHRs are often no better than the originals
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationJust the facts, please. And the facts show those organizations that have ripped and replaced their electronic health records have gained little in the way of productivity or satisfaction for doing so. Thus says a new report from Florida-based research firm Black Book.
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Nurses rally in DC to address staffing issues with Congress
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationHundreds of nurses from around the county gathered on May 12 at the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of the staffing crisis in our nation's hospitals and the need for solutions. The goal was to bring attention to two current bills before Congress — the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act (S. 864) and the Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2015 (H.R. 1602). The bills mandate national nurse-to-patient ratios that are similar to those that have been successfully in effect in California since 2004.
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Bad attitudes lead to bad medicine
Mark Huber Healthcare AdministrationA friend had been suffering with abdominal pain and related gastrointestinal issues for weeks. He tried to work through the issue with his family doctor, but when that brought no joy he was referred to a specialist. When he called for an appointment, he explained his symptoms and was stunned. Not only was the first available appointment not for six weeks, but the scheduler was also wholly unsympathetic, even downright surly.
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ATA to Congress: Expand telemedicine to rural communities
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationIf you haven't yet settled into the telemedicine drama playing out in the American healthcare landscape, you may be missing a bit of a good show. This latest prognostication by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is not game-changing, but it is enough of a play for fans to take notice, and to signal we're far from settled on where this movement will ultimately come to some finality.
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Workplace safety in healthcare: Identifying the problem
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationThe healthcare industry has one of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illness, and the impact is great. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the number of days healthcare workers are away from work is higher than both construction and manufacturing — industries traditionally believed to be more hazardous. OSHA also reports workers' compensation losses result in a total annual expense of $2 billion for hospitals alone.
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Inspired nursing career development
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationNursing careers can become stale when nurses feel uninspired and disempowered. Our positions and specialties can feel like straightjackets, and we can feel beset by ennui, malaise and professional claustrophobia. When nurses feel stuck in a box or painted into a corner, it's time for inspiration and empowerment, but where can they be found?
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The increasing costs of a cyberattack
Cassie Phillips Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAfter hearing about some of the dangers within the healthcare industry concerning cybersecurity and patient information, we can only expect the trend to continue. Whether it is an inside job, ransomware or a kind of social engineering, the risks are too high for businesses and organizations to ignore the potential fallout of a data breach. The negative media coverage and financial costs are simply too high (and rising).
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AHIMA toolkit makes patient portal conversation relevant again
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationIn news we have not heard of in some time (at least publicly), patient portals are back in the headlines. This is primarily because the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has released a new patient portal toolkit for health information management professionals. The toolkit provides guidance on related topics, the latest regulatory requirements, opportunities and challenges, for their use.
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Why is customer service so difficult in the hospital?
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationOn April 20, popular consumer reporter John Stossel wrote an opinion piece on the lack of customer service he received while in the hospital. Stossel was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, for which he was admitted to prestigious New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
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