Study Finds Overworked Nurses Can Lead to 40% Increase in Patient Death Risk
When the workload was above the optimal level, the study found the risk of a patient safety incident grew by 8% to 32%, while the risk of patient mortality increased by 43%.
Task Force Weighs in on Bouffant Hat vs. Skull Cap Debate
The task force wrote in a joint statement: “Over the past two years, as recommendations were implemented, it became increasingly apparent that in practice, covering the ears is not practical for surgeons and anesthesiologists and in many cases counterproductive to their ability to perform optimally in the OR.”
Colorado Nurses Face Jail Time After Pleading Guilty to Drug Thefts
Lisa Marie Jones, 43, was sentenced last Friday to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to thefts of fentanyl, morphine, and hydromorphone from Denver’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center and UCHealth in Aurora in 2016 and 2017. Marlene Gilmore, 28, was given a four-month prison term after pleading guilty on April 20 to stealing the same drugs in 2016 from North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.
Study Calls for New Look at Hospital Readmissions
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine this week, the study led by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center looked at readmission records for 822 patients treated at 10 academic medical centers in the U.S.
New NFPA Standard Focuses on Responding to Active-Shooter Incidents
Designed as a roadmap for the multidisciplinary response needed in the aftermath of an active-shooter incident, there is a separate chapter for “Hospital Preparedness and Response for Out-of-Hospital ASHER Incidents.” The chapter outlines minimum expectations for hospitals in preparing for, reacting to, and receiving patients from an active-shooter event in the area.
Washington State Hospital Warns Patients of Possible Hep C Exposure
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Wash., is notifying patients treated in its emergency room from August 4, 2017 to March 23, 2018 of the potential exposure and advising them to get tested.
Study: 71% of Reusable Scopes Tested Positive for Bacteria
The study found problems in scopes used for routine operations such as colonoscopies and kidney stone removal.
‘Orangeworm’ Virus Targets Healthcare Sector
Kwampirs was found on software used for X-Rays and MRIs, and the malware also targets systems used to assist patients in completing consent forms for required procedures.
Orangeworm’s motives with the Kwampirs malware are not clear, but Symantec says it is likely the work of an individual or a small group of hackers, and the goal is corporate espionage.
Leapfrog Report Card Finds Improvement in Errors, Accidents, Infections
Leapfrog issues the report cards twice a year, grading hospitals on an “A through F” scale based on their patient safety efforts.
Study Questions Effectiveness of Performance Measures
The study notes that a recent survey found that 63% of physicians said that current performance measures do not capture the quality of the care physicians provide.