Nurse burnout is linked to infection rates Nurse burnout leads to higher health care-associated infection rates and costs hospitals millions of dollars annually, new research finds. The study of more than 7,000 RNs in 161 Pennsylvania hospitals found more than one-third were suffering from burnout. Multivariate analysis showed a significant…

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NSQIP—you see those initials more and more in studies on surgical quality. NSQIP stands for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). NSQIP is gathering momentum, with 475 hospitals enrolled. Benefits are credible data for improving surgical outcomes and the buy-in from surgeons. By…

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  Readmission of patients who develop surgical site infections (SSIs) after total knee and hip replacement is common, adding more than $65 million to health care costs annually, in a new study. “We found that the impact of these infections is not only significant and profound in the immediate diagnosis…

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The rate of depression in hospital–employed nurses, at 18%, is twice the rate of the general population, finds a study. Body mass index, job satisfaction, number of health problems, mental well-being, and health-related productivity were significantly related to depression in the survey of 1,171 RNs. Advanced practice nurses and nurse…

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The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare announced its new Hand-off Communications Targeted Solutions Tool in June 2012. The tool will assist organizations with the process of passing patient care information from one caregiver to another to prevent miscommunication. Organizations piloting the tool reduced readmissions by 50% and reduced by…

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Regional anesthesia better for hip fracture Regional anesthesia was linked with a significant reduction in major pulmonary complications and death after hip fracture surgery in a study. Of patients having hip fracture surgery in 126 New York State hospitals, those who had regional rather than general anesthesia had 29% lower…

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Third of 3 articles on applying Lean management to turnover time.   Creating a “visual workplace” is a principle in Lean management. Visual cues have been one solution for improving turnover time at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. In a visual workplace, the goal is to make waste, problems,…

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Who should be giving sedation to low-risk patients having colonoscopies and upper GI endoscopies? This question may get a new look with a large new study in the March 21, 2012, JAMA. Researchers found use of anesthesia services for these cases has more than doubled over 7 years, jumping from…

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There’s general agreement that keeping unused pharmaceuticals out of the nation’s water supply is a good idea. But figuring out how to comply with the tangle of regulations governing unused pharmaceuticals isn’t easy. How intensely your facility is involved in managing pharmaceutical waste likely depends on how active US Environmental…

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When its instrument repair contract was up for review last year, the University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center decided to look at the bigger picture. Rather than evaluating vendors solely on price, it looked for a company that was willing to partner in meeting its goals. The evaluation of 6…

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