Review: APRNs, doctors achieve comparable health outcomes
A review of 69 published studies indicates that advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners, reach care outcomes equal to or better than those of physicians. The study "reinforces that APRNs provide effective, high-quality patient care and play an important role in improving the quality of care in the United States," researchers wrote in Nursing Economics. Nurse.com (7/28)
Families see hospice care as beneficial, but timing is crucial
Families of nursing home patients with dementia who received hospice care were at least 49% less likely than families of those who didn't have hospice care to say their needs and concerns regarding quality of care, pain management and emotional support for loved ones were unmet, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers noted that families of patients who were given hospice care "too late" became more concerned about care and support and felt worse off than those whose loved ones didn't get hospice care at all. Nurse.com (7/31)
Why the lack of nursing IT funds is "a missed opportunity"
The HHS is providing $71.3 million to broaden nursing education, but Bonnie Westra of the Alliance of Nursing Informatics and the University of Minnesota's Center for Nursing Informatics said the lack of federal funds to train nurses in health IT is "a missed opportunity." The government should not shortchange "the need to educate nurses in advanced informatics positions, given the investment that HHS is making in health IT," she said. InformationWeek
Patients' perceptions don't always reflect quality of hospital care
An analysis of Medicare data conducted by USA TODAY found that more than 120 hospitals that received high ratings from patients also had high rates of death from heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. This finding sheds light on the differences between patients' perceptions and more objective measures of quality of care, according to experts. USA TODAY (8/5)
Health care industry hired 31,300 in July
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the health care industry gained 31,300 new jobs in July, with hospitals hiring 14,000 employees, doctor's offices hiring 6,300 and home health care services hiring 3,100. According to the report, nursing and residential care facilities had 3,200 additional staff, but at nursing homes alone 500 jobs were lost. The total gain was higher than the pre-recession monthly average of 2007. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Health Blog (8/5)
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