Press Releases

AHA News Now 9/4/08 - Group moves to prevent unethical recruitment of foreign-educated nurses

A task force representing a diverse group of stakeholders, including hospitals and health systems, today released a first-of-its-kind Voluntary Code of Ethical Conduct for the Recruitment of Foreign-Educated Nurses to the United States. The AHA and American Organization of Nurse Executives helped develop the code, which responds to concerns about unfair labor practices, questionable contract practices and threats related to the nurses’ immigration status. At a press event, AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock said the code “reaffirms hospitals’ commitment to fair, transparent and responsible efforts to fill critical nursing positions with qualified foreign professionals.” Employers and recruiters who subscribe to the code commit to protect the rights of foreign-educated nurses, provide adequate clinical and cultural orientation programs, and ensure the practice of recruitment is not harmful to source countries. There are an estimated 300 foreign-nurse recruitment firms, and roughly 100,000 foreign-educated nurses resided in the U.S. as of 2004. For more on the code of conduct, visit www.fairinternationalrecruitment.org. AONE is an AHA subsidiary.

Cross Country Healthcare's Chief Nursing Officer Awarded
2006 R. Louise McManus Medal

BOCA RATON, Fla. – October 13, 2006 – Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) announced today that Dr. Franklin A. Shaffer, EdD, RN, FAAN, the Company’s Chief Nursing Officer, was awarded the distinguished R. Louise McManus Medal at a ceremony held in New York City on October 5, 2006. read more...

US Healthcare News

CDC report says U.S. infant death rate drops 2%. –  A new CDC report says U.S. infant deaths declined by 2% in 2006, but the rate is still one of the highest among industrialized countries. Experts said preterm births are a major risk factor for infant death and caution that the rise in premature births has been linked to Caesarean sections, some of which may be performed for convenience rather than medical reasons. read more...

Genetics becoming a more integral component of nursing. –  Genetics is becoming more important in diagnosing and treating many common diseases so nurses should keep current on genetics and genomics issues to better educate their patients, says Jean Jenkins, a nurse and senior clinical adviser at the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute. Experts say it also is important to include genetics curriculum in nursing education programs. read more...

Med/surg nursing more than stepping stone to specialization. –  Beloit, Wis., med/surg nurse Marge Seaverson disputes the perception her job is just a stepping stone to specialized nursing care. She says med/surg is a "fascinating clinical area where you expect the unexpected and life is never boring," adding, "You need a very wide range of knowledge and skills -- to master a little bit of everything." read more...

Hypnosis helps breast cancer patients cool down hot flashes. –  A small study of hypnosis for breast cancer survivors found 68% reported a reduction in the frequency and severity of their hot flashes. Researchers say the hypnosis sessions help women to relax and they inject imagery -- such as walking down a cool mountain path -- that may help them feel better. read more...

Study: Poor diets may signal the brain to eat even more. –  When mice were given a high-fat, high-sugar diet, a protein appeared to be switched on that seemed to make them eat more. When the protein was blocked, the mice maintained normal weight. read more...

CDC: More than 1 million in U.S. have HIV/AIDS. –  A CDC report, based on 2006 data, said about 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV/AIDS, a figure that is increasing as more people become infected and as patients survive longer. The report also estimated about 20% of that group were not aware they have the disease.

Study links phthalate exposure to genital changes in baby boys. –  U.S. researchers say new study results suggest pregnant women exposed to high levels of commonly found chemicals called phthalates are more likely to have baby boys with genitals issues, including undescended testicles and smaller penises. The study finds phthalates interfere with testosterone and impact genital development, but one expert said most of the problems are not serious. read more...

Hospitals Implement Programs to Help Nurses Overcome 'Compassion Fatigue'. – In an effort to help nurses deal with the physical and emotional fatigue associated with providing care, many hospitals are implementing programs designed to reinforce healthy habits and eliminate bad ones, the Chicago Tribune reports.. read more...

Texas Nursing College Adds New Program. – Galen College of Nursing plans to add an associate degree program for licensed vocational nurses who want to become R.N.s at its San Antonio campus, Business First of Louisville reports. read more...

California Awards Funding to Improve Nursing School Transitions. – Recognizing the need for more highly skilled nurses in California, the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the Kaiser Permanente Fund for Health Education have awarded a series of grants to nursing partnerships for efforts to improve the quality of nursing education in the region, the East Bay Business Times reports. read more...

Delaware Universities Offer Cultural Competency Programs for Nurses. – In an effort to meet the medical needs of Delaware's increasingly diverse population, a number of Delaware nursing schools are offering cultural competency programs, the Wilmington News Journal reports. read more...

Arizona College to Launch Nursing Degree Program. – The Pima Medical Institute has announced plans to launch a nursing program at its Tucson, Ariz. campus, the Arizona Daily Star reports. read more...

Kentucky Health Care System Providing Student Loan Repayment for R.N.s. – Norton Healthcare, Kentucky's largest not-for-profit health system, has announced plans to offer a student loan repayment program for its nurses, Business First of Louisville
reports. read more...

New California Hospital Incorporates Green, Healing Design Elements. – Kaiser Permanente is expected to open a new hospital in Modesto, Calif. that emphasizes a "soothing" design along with state-of-the-art emergency room and maternity facilities, the Stockton Record reports. read more...

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – August 18, 2006 - A new study from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations finds that hospitals ranked as the “best” for heart care by U.S. News & World Report are, in fact, among hundreds of hospitals across the country where patients can receive care that measures up to or exceeds the care provided in those facilities, as determined by measuring performance for specific evidence-based care processes. read more...

Articles

New PBDS Article from CCU in HT Magazine!
Cross Country Staffing takes travel nurse concerns about PBDS seriously. View the article by going to www.healthcaretraveler.com, under Perspectives select By the Numbers, then select The Performance Based Development System assessment tool affects travel nurses. read more...

Have questions about travel nursing? Our expert has answers - A number of readers have written us with questions about travel nursing. For answers to these questions, we turned to an expert in the field—Dr. Franklin Shaffer, EdD, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer at Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. read more...

Minnesota Health System Adds Quality Comparison Data to Web Site - Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis added a quality comparison component to its Web site to help patients make more informed care decisions, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reports. read more...

top

Articles in PDF format

Buyers Guide to Effective Management - Nurse Leader - April 07 - As one travels the country, it is hard to determine which is the greater problem for hospital chief nursing officers: the shortage of nurses or the cost of staffing. Download pdf ...

Linda Aiken - Nurse Labor Market Dynamics - The United States plays a pivotal role in the global migration of nurses. It has the largest professional nurse workforce of any country in the world, num- bering almost 3 million in 2004. Download pdf ...

Preparing Nurse Managers for a New World Order - Nurse Leader August 03 - Nurse managers of today are the linchpins to retaining nurses, and ultimately to the success of any healthcare organization. Download pdf ...

Staffing Alternatives Research vs Perception - Nurse Leader - June 06 - The most difficult thing in the world to change is an attitude, even when—most particularly when—the facts do not support it. Download pdf ...

In order to view the articles, you will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™, a plugin available from Adobe Systems, Inc.

top

Archived

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Dean named to NIH Directors adviser group.
Click here!

Drexel University to Honor Innovation Click here!

Cross Country attends the 2008 APTA Sections Meeting. Click here!

CMS Details Proposal for Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program Click here!

Study Finds Patients Often Uninvolved in Decisions About Where to
Undergo Surgery Click here!

HHS Outlines Plans for Fostering Personalized Health Care Click here!

Harvard Official Says Generation Gap Slowing Adoption of
Health Technology Click here!

Hispanic Health Web Portal Offers Resources for
Physicians, Patients Click here!

Delaware Launches First Phase of Statewide Information Network Click here!

Hospitals Increase Efforts to Prevent Nosocomial Infections Click here!

UnitedHealthcare Launches Cardiac Quality Rating Program Click here!

Minnesota Health System Adds Quality Comparison Data to Web Site Click here!

top