Nursing Continuing Education Courses

Nurse to Patient Ratio Issues

Job Burnout and Quality Patient Care

HealthCMI will feature important nursing continuing education courses on quality of life factors for nurses. Nursing continuing education will focus on important roles that nurses can empower themselves with in the working environment. Look forward to nursing continuing education online at HealthCMI!

In one of the most interesting studies concerning the nursing profession (JAMA. 2002 Oct 23-30;288(16):1987-93), important results were tabulated concerning nurse to patient ratios. Research articles are often dry. Not this one. The opening description of the abstract notes, “The worsening hospital nurse shortage and recent California legislation mandating minimum hospital patient-to-nurse ratios demand an understanding of how nurse staffing levels affect patient outcomes and nurse retention in hospital practice.” The research was conducted by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania. The results showed, “each additional patient per nurse was associated with a 7% increase in the likelihood of dying within 30 days of admission and a 7% increase in the odds of failure-to-rescue. After adjusting for nurse and hospital characteristics, each additional patient per nurse was associated with a 23% increase in the odds of burnout and a 15% increase in the odds of job dissatisfaction.” The study was conclusive that the mortality rate for surgical patients is higher with fewer nurses per patient and job burnout for nurses increases as well.

Nursing Employment Figures

 

Registered nurses represent the largest number of healthcare providers in the United States.  There are 2.5 million nurses and over 50 percent of them work in the hospital setting.  The educational preparation for a career in nursing may include a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, or a diploma from a dedicated nursing program.  There is an increasing demand for nurses in the US and over a 500,000 new nursing positions are expected to be created by the year 2015. 

Registered nurses (RN’s) work with both patients and the general public in an effort to educate people about treatment paths for medical conditions.  Nurses treat patients, perform and analyze diagnostic tests, and administer medications.  Nurses also perform record keeping responsibilities and work with patient rehabilitation.  Very importantly, nurses provide emotional support to patients and their families. 

Nurses are essentially on the “front lines” of medicine.  They may be responsible for reviewing and explaining issues concerning post-operative recovery, dietetics, and for helping patients to understand their responsibilities regarding recovery from illness and also how to maintain wellness.  Many nurses operate in a public health capacity in an effort to education the public concerning the signs and symptoms regarding disease processes.  Other efforts include working at immunization clinics, physical therapy centers, blood drives, and the operation of important medical equipment for diagnostic, analytic, and treatment purposes. 

Nurses provide an important role in monitoring and administering medications including the checking of dosages.  Other nurses may be charged with administering intravenous (IV) fluids including pharmacological agents and blood.  Nurses may also oversee and manage nursing aids.  Nurses with advanced certifications may have the power to prescribe medications.

Specialization in nursing takes several directions.  Many nurses perform perioperative procedures for work in operating rooms and act as assistants to surgeons.  Other nurses manage long term cases of illness involving the careful monitoring of lifestyle, medications, and follow-up visits.  Nursing specialties can be quite specific to a particular demographic, organ, or disease type.  There are several major categories of nursing specialties.  They include perioperative nurses, rehabilitation nurses, long-term care nurses, ambulatory care nurses, emergency nurses, hospice care nurses, infusion nurses, home health care nurses, transport nurses, critical care nurses, palliative care nurses, radiology nurses, perianesthesia nurses, mental healthcare nurses, transplant nurses, and more.  The income for nurses ranges from approximately $40,000 to over $80,000.

The University of California, San Francisco's Center for California Health Workforce Studies, notes that nursing school graduates have increased 73 percent during the last five years.  In California, nurses average a 9.6 hour workday and 45 percent of nurses in California are over 50 years old according to the Board of Registered Nurses.  The average nurse in California is estimated at a salary of approximately $73,500.

The ANA (American Nurses Association) has issued a new publication featuring the importance of home health care.  The publication, Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, covers the issues of working in home health care in the private home, assisted living, and personal care facilities.  A special focus is given to community health nursing and its relation to the treatment of acute and chronic illness.  The book is 92 pages and retails for $16.95 but is only $13.45 for ANA members.