This news article, by FrontLine and Washington Post foreign correspondent T.R. Reid compares the American Healthcare system with 5 other democratic countries. I very worthwhile, and eye opening report. There are some great systems out there that greatly benefit health care consumers.
I would love to see this report expanded on to delve more in to how these systems affect nurses' quality of workplace as well as lifestyle. Do they pay enough? It was obvious that in most systems doctors can not "get rich" like in North America, but they do manage a descent living (I believe). But do nurses?
If you have not seen this program yet, aired on PBS this month, I strongly recommend you take 30 minutes and have a listen
Sick around the World>
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Nurse to Patient ratios in long-term care
Acute care settings are starting to get serious about safe staffing ratios, with some push from registering bodies. But my concern is that extended / long term care residents are not getting the same consideration and care...and that is dangerous. Not everyone in these facilities is set to pass from this world in the near future. Many still have quite a few years left to live. See, long term care facilities are not just for older folk. Accident victims who end up paraplegic, perhaps even requiring a ventilator to assist breathing, can spend 5, 10 or more years in long term care.
I have worked in several nursing homes/extended care facilities and it seems (at present) that the normal staffing ratio is one (1) licensed nurse (RN or LPN) for 30 or more residents. That one licensed nurse is responsible for medications and treatments for all those residents. I have also worked with ventilated patients/residents where nurse/patient ratios seem to show that the lives of those in long term care are not as sacred as those in an acute care setting. In hospital, each nurse has no more than 2 ventilated patients. In long term care, on night shifts particularly, each licensed nurse has 3, and far to often 5, residents to themselves PLUS another 10 (or more) non-ventilated residents.
I said earlier this is dangerous and I stand by that. Dangerous for the lives and quality of life for the residents as well as the professional and personal life of the nurse.
I have worked in several nursing homes/extended care facilities and it seems (at present) that the normal staffing ratio is one (1) licensed nurse (RN or LPN) for 30 or more residents. That one licensed nurse is responsible for medications and treatments for all those residents. I have also worked with ventilated patients/residents where nurse/patient ratios seem to show that the lives of those in long term care are not as sacred as those in an acute care setting. In hospital, each nurse has no more than 2 ventilated patients. In long term care, on night shifts particularly, each licensed nurse has 3, and far to often 5, residents to themselves PLUS another 10 (or more) non-ventilated residents.
I said earlier this is dangerous and I stand by that. Dangerous for the lives and quality of life for the residents as well as the professional and personal life of the nurse.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Licensure costs
Every year when I renew, or apply for license in a new province, I am astounded at the amount of money I must put out. A yearly subscription to the federal magazine can't cost that much to create surely. And does having someone look up your previous information in the computer, fill in a form and place a stamp on the envelop really equal the cost of verifications or reinstatements? I have had to nearly turn down job offers because I could not find these funds (my husband came through with a credit card, but should that be so necessary?).
More recently I faced a different cost put out by a provincial licensing body. I am supposed to trust and pit faith in my professional nursing bodies, I follow their guidelines and rules for being licensed so I do not practice nursing without a license. And I have done so in the past. Recently however, after having sent in all appropriate documents and fees I made a simple phone call to my registering body to find out why I had not yet (after 3 weeks) received my certificate in the mail. The person at the registers office looked up my information on their computer and merely said..."oh". I'm too scared to ask what that meant exactly. She then put me on hold and later came back with "we'll mail that out right away". Three days later I still can't log in the their member page on the web site...it does not recognize my registration number.....Now what?
More recently I faced a different cost put out by a provincial licensing body. I am supposed to trust and pit faith in my professional nursing bodies, I follow their guidelines and rules for being licensed so I do not practice nursing without a license. And I have done so in the past. Recently however, after having sent in all appropriate documents and fees I made a simple phone call to my registering body to find out why I had not yet (after 3 weeks) received my certificate in the mail. The person at the registers office looked up my information on their computer and merely said..."oh". I'm too scared to ask what that meant exactly. She then put me on hold and later came back with "we'll mail that out right away". Three days later I still can't log in the their member page on the web site...it does not recognize my registration number.....Now what?
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