MNA NewsScan, January 14, 2013: More Nurses Mean Fewer Readmissions (Page 86)

NOTES ON NURSING

Improving Nurses’ Work Environment Can Help Reduce Readmissions    The study, led by Matthew McHugh, PhD , JD, MPH, RN, FAAN, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, found that  increased nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and a good work environment for nurses were associated with reduced 30-day readmission rates for Medicare patients with heart failure, myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. Funding for the study came from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholars program.

New Grads Finding Rough Road to Employment    Since the recession, health care has been the single biggest sector for job growth, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get hired.

Debate Continues on Mandatory Flu Vaccine    “Where does it say that I am no longer a patient if I’m a nurse,” wondered Carrie Calhoun, a longtime critical care nurse in suburban Chicago who was fired last month after she refused a flu shot.

HEALTH CARE

Who Knew?  Patients’ Share of Health Spending is Shrinking    But sooner or later, households’ share of the medical-cost pie will start to get bigger, analysts say. The declines have been getting smaller, suggesting the trend will reverse.

North Memorial Closes Eagan Clinic   “The Eagan clinic was outside of North Memorial’s primary service area which provides care to patients in the Northwest metro,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Medical Device Tax is Here to Stay    The medical device industry says its fight to kill a new tax on its products is not over, but public policy experts say chances of winning an outright repeal have all but disappeared.