Don’t Change Policies Yet on Masking Inside Your Facility
The CDC’s recent new guidance to the general public that fully vaccinated people do not have to wear masks indoors does not apply to healthcare settings, warns the American Hospital Association (AHA).
Clean Hands, Clear Communication: How Nurse Leaders Ushered in Hand Hygiene Tech Tools
Initiating culture change that comes with new technology—even one as small as hand sanitizing—requires engagement and buy-in by nurse leaders, Cox says. Leaders need to be fully engaged in and believe in the project in order to fully support it. It also requires clear communication.
National Nurses Week Resources From PSQH
As National Nurses Week wraps up, we want to salute the valuable and courageous work done by nurses at all levels of care. We highlighted the efforts of nurses this week and will continue to do so.
Nurses Key to Achieving Health Equity Over Next Decade
By 2022, all state and federal policy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that expanded scope of practice should be made permanent, along with telehealth eligibility, insurance coverage, and equal payment for services provided by nurses, says The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.
PSQH Quick Poll: Nursing’s Impact on Patient Safety and Quality
As part of National Nurses Week, PSQH reached out to our readers with a few questions about how nursing impacts patient safety and healthcare quality.
Use of Evidence-Based Practice in Administration of Intravenous Push Medications
IV Push medications can be particularly dangerous given their immediate bioavailability, the narrow therapeutic dose range, and the difficulty in reversing systemic effects after IV administration (ISMP, 2015). The use of evidence-based practice is especially important in IVP administration because of the potential for harm.
New CMS Vaccines Rule Soon May Apply to More Facilities
The changes to the Conditions of Participation (CoP) for those facilities primarily require vaccines to be offered to residents, clients, and staff when available. They also set education and CDC reporting requirements. While the rule covers only those two types of facilities so far, CMS notes in the rule it may want to expand those requirements to other healthcare organizations, including psychiatric hospitals and inpatient hospice facilities.
Check Your State’s Pandemic Plan to Ensure No Conflicts With 1135 Waivers
If your healthcare organization has taken advantage of federal 1135 blanket waivers during the national public health emergency (PHE), be sure to review those waivers as you prepare for survey to check if any were inconsistent with requirements under your state emergency or pandemic plan.
PSQH: The Podcast, Episode 28 – Nursing’s Role In Patient Safety and Quality
On episode 28 of PSQH: The Podcast, Lori Armstrong, CEO and chief clinical officer of Inspire Nurse Leaders, talks about the role of nursing in patient safety. This episode is presented as part of National Nurses Week in partnership with Capella, Fresenius Kabi, symplr, and Vocera.
3 Ways You Can Empower Your Nurses
By Strategic Education, Inc. and Capella University In the field of nursing, self-empowerment is more than just a feel-good concept. While empowerment in other occupations can result in greater job satisfaction and a heightened sense of professional worth, in nursing it’s a different matter. For the nurses on your staff, it can be a matter … Continued