Monday
Feb232009
Nursing in Critical Condition
Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, for Talk Radio News Service
Susan Reinhard, of AARP’s Public Policy Institute helped found the new Champion Nursing Coalition in response a critical and worsening shortage. Thousands of qualified prospective students are being turned away from nursing programs for lack of enrollment capacity, she said. At the same time, she continued, there will be a deficit of 500,000 to a million nurses by 2025.
John Lumpkin, MD, MPH, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation described a few of the many roles nurses fill, clinical, social, chronic care, and administrative. He called the shortage unprecedented.
There is some good news, however, according to Nancy LeaMond Ex. VP at AARP. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) polls show overwhelming positive ratings and public support for the profession. AHRQ is a federal agency tasked with studies of healthcare improvement.
Citing Institute of Medicine Studies, Nancy Reller, representing Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, said that understaffing of nurses is associated with worse outcomes.
Jerald Newberry, for the National Education Association, said that asthma, obesity, and diabetes are so common in elementary schools that every one of them should have a nurse, but that many do not.
The panel recommends that funds be used to expand nursing programs, which would require about twice as many instructors as now. As it stands, about half of current instructors are expected to retire over the next decade.
Susan Reinhard, of AARP’s Public Policy Institute helped found the new Champion Nursing Coalition in response a critical and worsening shortage. Thousands of qualified prospective students are being turned away from nursing programs for lack of enrollment capacity, she said. At the same time, she continued, there will be a deficit of 500,000 to a million nurses by 2025.
John Lumpkin, MD, MPH, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation described a few of the many roles nurses fill, clinical, social, chronic care, and administrative. He called the shortage unprecedented.
There is some good news, however, according to Nancy LeaMond Ex. VP at AARP. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) polls show overwhelming positive ratings and public support for the profession. AHRQ is a federal agency tasked with studies of healthcare improvement.
Citing Institute of Medicine Studies, Nancy Reller, representing Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, said that understaffing of nurses is associated with worse outcomes.
Jerald Newberry, for the National Education Association, said that asthma, obesity, and diabetes are so common in elementary schools that every one of them should have a nurse, but that many do not.
The panel recommends that funds be used to expand nursing programs, which would require about twice as many instructors as now. As it stands, about half of current instructors are expected to retire over the next decade.
tagged 
AARP, AHRQ, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Champion Nursing Coalition, Coffee Brown, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, Institute of Medicine, Jerald Newberry, John Lumpki, Nancy LeaMond, Nancy Relle, Nancy Reller, National Education Association, Public Policy Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, School Nurses, Susan Reinhard, University of New Mexico, healthcare, nursing programs, nursing shortage, talk radio news service in News/Commentary
AARP, AHRQ, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Champion Nursing Coalition, Coffee Brown, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, Institute of Medicine, Jerald Newberry, John Lumpki, Nancy LeaMond, Nancy Relle, Nancy Reller, National Education Association, Public Policy Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, School Nurses, Susan Reinhard, University of New Mexico, healthcare, nursing programs, nursing shortage, talk radio news service in News/Commentary
Health Reform Experts Team Up To Praise Workplace Wellness Programs
The Alliance for Health Reform joined forces Monday with the AARP and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to promote workplace wellness programs.
The wellness programs are aimed at encouraging employees to live healthier lives, which should lower premiums and overall costs.
AARP supports workplace wellness with “Policies and services at the worksite to adress: Tobacco use, nutrition in cafeterias and vending machines, minimizing stress and promoting positive mental health and encouragement, physical activity before, during and after work hours,” said Vice President of Social Impact for AARP Nancy LeaMond.
Johnson & Johnson’s programs include online risk assessment, lifestyle and disease management counseling, mental health and well-being and health education awareness. Johnson & Johnson also doesn’t allow smoking on premises world-wide.
‘‘Johnson & Johnson’s credo is to have the world’s healthiest workforce,” said Vice President of health policy at Johnson & Johnson Kathy Buto.
“Firms want a healthier and more productive work force and they want lower health insurance costs and they think these programs can accomplish both of these goals,” said Board Member of the Alliance for Health Reform Ed Howard Howard.