Talk about your double-edged sword, Pennsylvania is ranked in the top 5 states for job opportunities for nurses.
In the time of a bad recession that's good news for those looking for work or thinking of a career change. Nursing has proved to be a fairly good recession proof job and offers not only job security, but a career that is a very well paying profession.
The downside is that this statistic also reflects Pennsylvania's desperate need for nurses and nurse educators. This need has gone unfulfilled for a few years and only looks to get worse as the baby boomers are set to retire or slow down.
There is an estimated need for 128,100 RNs, 43,350 LPNs and 37,500 CNAs by the end of 2016. That is a total of 208,950 nursing-related jobs that will need filling in the next eight years.
If you are interested in a career in nursing or you are a current nurse looking to become a nurse educator, visit futuresinnursing.org and find out how the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation can help you afford your education.
Showing posts with label Careers in 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Careers in 2009. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Avoid Malpractice Lawsuit By Upholding Appropriate Nursing Documentation
In nursing practice, there should be no room for errors. Everything must be well accounted for and documented in order to provide the necessary treatment and care for patients. If nursing documentation isn’t done the right way, the nurse can be in real trouble. All the nurses are well aware of the standard for nursing practice, which require every one of them to document appropriate and accurate reports of significant observations including conclusions obtained from those observations.
A truthful and precise nursing documentation can help nurses defend themselves in the case of malpractice lawsuit, not to mention keeping them of court or possible imprisonment. There will never be any lawsuit due to malpractice if only proper nursing documentation is being followed. Besides, it is not something that nurses learn only during the first day of their job. They were trained to do it while they were still studying. They will never become nurses in the first place had they not learned how to chart everything affecting patient’s care, will they?
In nursing documentation, there are certain things that nurses can do and cannot do in order for them to avoid mistakes. Again, there’s no room for mistakes when it comes to nursing practice. Let us first take a look at the things nurses can do. Before doing any nursing documentation, make sure you have the right chart. It may sound very basic, but it is important, in case there’s an error, the investigation starts here. Also, make your writing readable, because you won’t be the only one to read the documentation.
Make sure that your documentation reflects the nursing process and your professional skills. The times when you give medications, the administration route, and the patients’ responses should be correctly charted. Any precautions or preventive measure used must be recorded, as well as phone calls to a physician with exact time message and response. If there’s an important point you remember after the completion of nursing documentation, record the information with a note that it’s a late entry.
Now, let’s go to the things nurses cannot do. In a nursing documentation, bear in mind that you cannot change or modify any patient’s record as it is a criminal offense, but of course nurses knew this already. You cannot document what other people said or observed, unless the information is serious and important. You cannot and should not document care ahead of time as something may happen and you may not be able to five the care you have documented beforehand. Besides, charting care that wasn’t done is fraud, so think about it!
Be specific on your descriptions, you cannot just describe something vaguely, like large amount or bed soaked. In order to uphold accurate nursing documentation, you cannot use abbreviations, or shorthand that are not widely accepted or better yet, don’t use them at all. That way, you can provide nursing documentation that is legible for anyone to read.
As you may have noticed, nursing documentation is a serious procedure that should be done the right way without any errors at all. The reminder is worth repeating, considering what you may end up with in case something goes wrong in you documentation. So, be very careful!
A truthful and precise nursing documentation can help nurses defend themselves in the case of malpractice lawsuit, not to mention keeping them of court or possible imprisonment. There will never be any lawsuit due to malpractice if only proper nursing documentation is being followed. Besides, it is not something that nurses learn only during the first day of their job. They were trained to do it while they were still studying. They will never become nurses in the first place had they not learned how to chart everything affecting patient’s care, will they?
In nursing documentation, there are certain things that nurses can do and cannot do in order for them to avoid mistakes. Again, there’s no room for mistakes when it comes to nursing practice. Let us first take a look at the things nurses can do. Before doing any nursing documentation, make sure you have the right chart. It may sound very basic, but it is important, in case there’s an error, the investigation starts here. Also, make your writing readable, because you won’t be the only one to read the documentation.
Make sure that your documentation reflects the nursing process and your professional skills. The times when you give medications, the administration route, and the patients’ responses should be correctly charted. Any precautions or preventive measure used must be recorded, as well as phone calls to a physician with exact time message and response. If there’s an important point you remember after the completion of nursing documentation, record the information with a note that it’s a late entry.
Now, let’s go to the things nurses cannot do. In a nursing documentation, bear in mind that you cannot change or modify any patient’s record as it is a criminal offense, but of course nurses knew this already. You cannot document what other people said or observed, unless the information is serious and important. You cannot and should not document care ahead of time as something may happen and you may not be able to five the care you have documented beforehand. Besides, charting care that wasn’t done is fraud, so think about it!
Be specific on your descriptions, you cannot just describe something vaguely, like large amount or bed soaked. In order to uphold accurate nursing documentation, you cannot use abbreviations, or shorthand that are not widely accepted or better yet, don’t use them at all. That way, you can provide nursing documentation that is legible for anyone to read.
As you may have noticed, nursing documentation is a serious procedure that should be done the right way without any errors at all. The reminder is worth repeating, considering what you may end up with in case something goes wrong in you documentation. So, be very careful!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
U.S. News Adds Registered Nurse as Strong Careers in 2009
U.S. News lists Registered Nurses as one of the top careers in 2009 for a strong outlook and high in job satisfaction.
FROM U.S. NEWS.COM
Overview. There's great unmet demand for nurses, and you'll have lots of options. If you want to work directly with patients, you can specialize in everything from neonatology to hospice care. You can work in a hospital, a doctor's office, or a patient's home. Outside of patient care, options range from nurse informatics (helping nurses get access to computerized information) to legal nurse consulting (helping lawyers assess a claim's validity.)
On the downside, many registered nurses must work nights and weekends, and burnout is a factor, especially in medical/surgical wards, and in critical-care specialties such as surgery, oncology, and emergency medicine. There are potential hazards, too: exposure to people with communicable diseases and back injuries from moving patients.
Something to think about: Studies report large numbers of errors by healthcare providers that endanger or kill patients. This is a career for people who are both caring and extremely attentive to detail—even when stressed.
The article also sites the salary data as well as training information with additional links to other sources of information.
For complete article, visit the link below:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2008/12/11/best-careers-2009-registered-nurse.html
FROM U.S. NEWS.COM
Overview. There's great unmet demand for nurses, and you'll have lots of options. If you want to work directly with patients, you can specialize in everything from neonatology to hospice care. You can work in a hospital, a doctor's office, or a patient's home. Outside of patient care, options range from nurse informatics (helping nurses get access to computerized information) to legal nurse consulting (helping lawyers assess a claim's validity.)
On the downside, many registered nurses must work nights and weekends, and burnout is a factor, especially in medical/surgical wards, and in critical-care specialties such as surgery, oncology, and emergency medicine. There are potential hazards, too: exposure to people with communicable diseases and back injuries from moving patients.
Something to think about: Studies report large numbers of errors by healthcare providers that endanger or kill patients. This is a career for people who are both caring and extremely attentive to detail—even when stressed.
The article also sites the salary data as well as training information with additional links to other sources of information.
For complete article, visit the link below:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2008/12/11/best-careers-2009-registered-nurse.html
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