There are many, many people with stressful jobs, but it is difficult to compare a Corporate CEO's stress with that of a Registered Nurse. Yes, the stress is different, as one deals with money and the other deals with life and death. The real contrast? That CEO may need the assistance of the nurse to save his life at some point in the future, whereas the nurse will never have the same sort of need for the CEO. Yes, our nurses are vital to our well being. They hold our hands through procedures, they assist in the delivering of our babies, and they take over completely in lieu of a doctor's presence. Unfortunately for the CEO, and for many patients in hospitals right now, nurses are pulled in so many different directions that it has become impossible for them to keep up. Job stress, long hours, and unmanageable constraints on their time have resulted in a major nursing shortage and a high turnover rate. A complete restructuring of the nursing profession is long overdue. It is obvious that the RN career path must change, and Transforming Care at the Bedside is the solution.

Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) is attempting to change the current state of nursing today. TCAB is a three-year training program that will be undertaken by nurses around the country. Through training and support, RNs will focus more time on their patients and work to maintain job satisfaction over a long period of time.

The nursing shortage has reached critical levels due to many factors. The aging population of nurses is larger than the influx of new recruits, as the inhibiting costs and high enrollment rates in schools outweighs the ability to take in students interested in earning their nursing degree. Once on the job, long hours and an overwhelming work load can take its toll. TCAB began as an initial brainstorming project in a medical-surgical unit. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the goal was to find and implement different ways for nurses to do their jobs. The eventual hope was that the unit could increase job satisfaction to the point that there would not be such a high turn over rate. What began in 2003 as an initial one-unit project has expanded to over 200 units across the USA.

TCAB uses a multi-tiered approach to finding new and innovative solutions in health care. Taking ideas from nurses, educators, and administrators, TCAB's focus is on change. Rapid test cycles, discussions as to what works and what doesn't, and involving the entire staff is what creates a new work environment.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant of $732,000 funds the initial changes, and allows for the freedom of implementing new policies and procedures in hospitals. A massive retraining and overhaul would cost a great deal of money to each individual hospital, and the grant puts much-needed funds to good work. Nurses that are currently in residence are retrained and encouraged to voice their opinions. New recruits are then given tools and information to begin their career as a nurse, learning to do things the new way and not fall into old traps.

TCAB may be the key to turning the current nursing shortage around and providing all RNs with a better work environment. It is the hope that a patient focused approach will increase the satisfaction of both the nurse and the patient.

Labels: In the Hospital, Nursing Career, Nursing Jobs, Patient Advocate, Recruit Nurses

The word Swine Flu, or H1N1: Mention the name and you will strike fear in the hearts of people around the world. More frightening to some than the worldwide recession, H1N1 is known to be quick to spread, is extremely contagious, and on occasion, deadly in otherwise healthy individuals. In the midst of vaccines being distributed and panic over a vaccination shortage, many are asking themselves whether or not they should get the shot at all. One thing is for certain; it's difficult to find straight answers unless you look in the right places.

If there is a flu shot available each year, why is the H1N1 vaccine so controversial? For one, the regular flu is not considered to be a pandemic. Although thousands of people are said to die from the regular strains of flu each year, there are many more dying from H1N1. When an illness strikes the general public as hard as this one has, controversy and speculation run rampant.

Vaccinations are a hot subject to begin with, but few have met with the resistance that has the H1N1 vaccine has. Medical experts state that it is similar to the regular flu shot in that it was created the same way, but it has come under fire due to the quick production of vaccine. Conspiracy theories have run rampant, and if you look Swine Flu Vaccines up on the Internet you will find people discussing outlandish tales as to how the government is trying to kill off the weak and those with medical conditions in order to ramp up for the new health care programs. Misinformation has bred hysteria.

One of the reasons that there is such a level of anxiousness with regard to this vaccine is that until H1N1, the Government has always charged the general public for a regular flu shot. Due to the spread and higher rate of complications, this vaccine is offered for free. Yet another reason is that the elderly have always been the focus on the flu shot, whereas the H1N1 vaccine is being given to the young as a high priority group.

Is this vaccine for you? The Government is urging people, especially those in high-risk categories, to get the vaccination. There are many though, who are passing this vaccine by in favor of taking their chances with the disease. To make an informed decision, you must do your own research. Visit reputable web sites, not blogs or sites posting people's opinions. Sites such as the Mayo clinic and your local Public Health portals will give you the most up to date and accurate information. Ask your doctor or registered nurse for advice. Up until recently, some doctors were on the fence as to whether the shot was necessary. As the vaccine has become available, most are urging their patients to get the shot.

The bottom line is this: Young, healthy people have died from H1N1. Not all of these people, children included, have had underlying conditions that would make them susceptible. It is difficult to know how hard H1N1 will hit you, as the majority of cases have been mild. Only you can make the decision as to which risk is greater: the Vaccination or the Swine Flu itself?

Labels: Flu, H1N1, Healthcare, Healthcare Advocate, In the Hospital, Nursing Career, Patient Advocate, Vaccine

Healthcare in modern times can be confusing even for those trained in the medical field. To this end, Betty Long founded the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates, in order to provide support to patients in need of a knowledgeable nurse to explain insurance claims and provide information about better treatments.

Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates assist their communities with health care plans and the health care system. Advocates are available to patients of all ages and races, regardless of the patient's condition. These advocates do their part to help those who need help most find affordable care, great resources and good insurance.

The Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates was founded in 2003 by Betty Long, RN, MHA. A few months later, her advocacy grew with the addition of three nurses assisting ten clients. This group was tested in 2005 by 7,500 police officers with a pilot program through Law Enforcement Health Benefits in order to determine the effect of nursing advocacy on health care costs.

Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates were publicized in 2006 by their inclusion in the Pennsylvania Small Business Centers' Client Exposition entitled, We Mean Business, applauded as one of Pennsylvania's best small businesses. The same year, the Law Enforcement Health Benefits group expanded their relationship with the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates as a result of almost two million dollars in claims' savings during the pilot program.

Since 2006, a number of Pennsylvania based businesses and unions have signed on to take advantage of the know-how provided by Betty Long's advocacy group. Guardian Nurses has become a certified Women's Business Enterprise. Long herself has been praised for her good deeds and effective business management, nominated for Small Business Association's annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award and honored by Glamour Magazine and Tag Heuer North America for her good works in the community.

Patient advocates sit in on doctor's appointments, and can help confused patients sift through the medical jargon and insurance lingo to find the best course of treatment. Most of these patient advocates are former nurses and health care workers. Former nurses and health care workers are perfect applicants for patient advocacy positions, with the experience needed to understand physician instructions and help figure out insurance claims.

Because of their health care experience and nursing degrees, the patient advocates working with the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates often have resources not available to members of the lay community. With connections to insurance companies and knowledge of nearby specialists, the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates can provide information and more that can't be found anywhere else.

Patient advocacy is not a new concept. More and more people every year look to patient advocates for more ease in health care. Because of groups like Guardian Nurses and the complexity of the medical field in modern America, patient advocacy continues to develop. Advocates aid in the paperwork side of recuperation, helping their patients get better faster and easier.

Labels: Healthcare, Healthcare Advocate, Patient Advocate