Top 10 Nursing Stories of 2011

5. 3 Obstacles to Higher Education Levels in Nursing
Evidence shows that patient outcomes improve when nurses have baccalaureate degrees. But most nurses don't have them, and increasing the numbers with BSNs is tough. Nurse leaders must get fired up and overcome three things that stand in their way.

6. 5 Ways to Reduce Nursing Turnover in Year One
Turnover among first-year nurses remains a huge cost driver and source of frustration for hospital managers. It's hard enough to find these skilled clinicians, and even more annoying that they quit, just when they should be settling into their new careers. That leaves harried HR staff to start the process anew and with no more assurances of retaining the next new recruit.

7. Nurse Executives Focus on Complexity of Care Delivery

The average nurse is in cognitive overload, completing about 100 tasks per shift with an interruption every three minutes. At its annual meeting in last spring, the American Organization of Nurse Executives' put the spotlight on the current nature of nursing work to see how care delivery can be reshaped.

8. 10 Ways to Help Nurses Improve Patient Satisfaction
Nurses can make or break the patient experience. So why do we make it so hard for them to have positive interactions with patients? Here are 10 changes to nurse procedures and working conditions that would improve patient experience.