Massachusetts hospitals are facing off against the state's top nurses' union over a bill that would lower nurse-patient ratios. The bill is likely headed for the November ballot if the state legislature doesn't act. Hospital officials claim boosting the number of nurses to patients would add expenses, without improving the quality of care. Steven Bradley is head of government relations at Baystate Health. He says the bill would add $500 million to annual health care costs statewide. He says for Baystate, "it's $20 million in extra costs, and we would have to find an additional, say, 200 nurses to meet those requirements."
A Florida hospital says electronic tracking of nursing personnel is helping it refine their workflow and work habits and lay the groundwork to replace the obsolete "midnight census" method of determining staffing requirements. Florida Hospital Celebration Health is using Real Time Locating System (RTLS) tags and sensors from Stanley Healthcare, a division of Stanley Black & Decker that provides inventory, security, and safety products for the healthcare industry. Like GPS, RTLS is location tracking technology, but with greater precision for tracking movements within a building rather than across the globe.
Legislation to regulate nonprofit hospital charity care, one of the most hotly debated issues before California lawmakers last year, is back in 2014. Nonprofit hospitals give millions back each year to the communities they serve. But there's no standard definition of what's applicable and not — or how much should be given back in exchange for tax-exempt status. Over the years, unions and others have bristled at what they see as excess profits and high executive pay by nonprofit hospital chains.
The next time you need a medication, a doctor may not be the one prescribing it. With a massive shortage of primary care physicians across Florida, state lawmakers are pushing a bill to expand the powers of nurse practitioners, allowing them to prescribe controlled substances like painkillers and work without supervision from a doctor. The bill's champion, Rep. Cary Pigman, is an emergency room physician who has supervised nurse practitioners for most of his career. He says Florida has thousands of trained nurse practitioners who can help fill the gap. But the Florida Medical Association and many independent doctors have spoken out against the bill, saying even nurses with advanced training need a doctor's supervision.
Despite opposition from physician groups, a House select committee Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposal that would give additional power to nurse practitioners, including allowing them to provide care without doctor supervision. House Republican leaders have pushed the proposal, at least in part because they say it would help address a shortage of primary-care physicians in the state. Senate leaders have shown less enthusiasm, but Tuesday's vote was a milestone for the group of health providers technically known as "advanced registered nurse practitioners," who have long sought more authority.
Hospitals are putting patients at risk by forcing nurses to care for too many people at once, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said Saturday. More than 100 NYSNA members marched on the concourse level of Empire State Plaza before rallying at the underground entrance to the state Department of Health (DOH). "We don't have enough nurses to be on each shift, and that causes problems with our patients," said Lisa Blodgett, an emergency department nurse at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. "How can you give great health care?" Blodgett asked. "How can you take care of your patients when you don't have enough nurses?"