Impact of California Mandated Acute Care Hospital Nurse Staffing Ratios: A Literature Synthesis
This is part seven of the Nursing Research Challenge. The Article: Donaldson, N. & Shapiro, S. (2010). Impact of California mandated acute care hospital nurse staffing ratios: A literature synthesis. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 11(3): 184-201. Big Idea: “California... Read More
Resourced: DIY Color-Coded State & National Maps
Need to create a custom color-coded map of your state? No problem-o. Check out Texas A & M University System’s Do-It-Yourself Color-Coded State Maps. What started out as a Texas-specific resource has grown to include all states and even... Read More
In Need of Innovation: Hospital Admission & Discharge Paperwork
Too much. Too much paper. Too much information that I may never use. Signed papers. Photocopied papers. Brochures. Folders. Prescriptions. X-rays. Referral forms. And I only had one trip to the ER and an outpatient procedure. As I woke up... Read More
In Desperate Need of Redesign – Pre-Op Holding
There’s nothing like seeing room for improvement when you’re looking at the issue from the other side. Case in point: Unfortunately, I had to have lithotripsy last week, which gave me quite a bit of time viewing healthcare from the... Read More
World Record Set. Prepare to Break It.
Last week I challenged others to help set a world record. Well, we did. We will actually try to break the record in a major way on the first day of National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week, which starts April... Read More
Certified Nurses Rock!
Happy Certified Nurses Day to all the OCN®, AOCN®, APHN, APRN-BC, RN-BC, CCRN®, and all the many other certified nurses who rock healthcare! I have held my certification (OCN®) for five years now, and I have enjoyed the sense of... Read More
Rapid Cycle Change Projects Improve Quality of Care
This is part six of the Nursing Research Challenge. The Article: Valente, S. (2011). Rapid cycle change projects improve quality of care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 26(1): 54-60. Big Idea: Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) is a national... Read More
Book Knowledge vs. Experiential Knowledge
As a nurse, I have a lot of book knowledge about health, pathophysiology, pharmacotherapies, diagnostic tests, blah, blah, blah. I do not have a lot of personal experiential knowledge with these things. Yes, I have taken care of many patients,... Read More
Bitter Pain. Sweet Relief.
Bitter pain. Should be asleep. Left lower quadrant. Sirens nearing in. Stabbing. Stabbing. Burning. Make it stop. Neighbors take the kids. Family close by. Paramedics asking questions. Pressing. Pressing. Rocking. Make it stop. Fentanyl. Bright lights of the ER. Others... Read More