Gestational diabetes: Caring for women during and after pregnancy

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality released guidelines focusing on gestational diabetes. The guide summarizes clinical evidence about prenatal treatment and delivery management for women who have gestational diabetes and also summarizes evidence about follow-up for the development of type 2 diabetes among women who have had the disorder, about which there are very few high-quality studies focusing on the treatment and appropriate follow-up.

RWJ Foundation releases two resources on the future of nursing

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has just released two publications on safety and quality as part of its Charting Nursing’s Future series. The first of the two reports, part one of “Addressing the Quality and Safety Gap,” provides case studies in transforming hospital nursing and building cultures of safety. The study explores the five tenets of highly reliable organizations and includes an expert commentary by the Agency for Health Research and Quality’s Kerm Henriksen. Part two of the report provides promising models of nursing-related health information technologies in several categories: electronic health records, tele-nursing, and bar code medication administration (BCMA). The report also offers news about current educational efforts to bring nursing faculty online and build awareness about how to engage practicing nurses in shaping policy.

Study supports taking cardiac patients to specialty centers

Taking cardiac arrest patients to a hospital specializing in cardiac care may be a better choice than heading to the nearest facility, researchers report. The study found the extra time it takes an ambulance to transport a patient to a cardiac center had no significant effect on survival, but an accompanying editorial noted the times were fairly short.

Nurse survey gauges hospital cleanliness, medication safety and care coordination

A survey of more than 700 hospital nurses by Consumer Reports found that 28 percent had seen problems with cleanliness in the past week, while 26 percent reported that hospital staff didn’t always properly wash their hands. Eleven percent of nurses also said they had seen incorrect administration of medications during the previous week.

Canada weighs in on health care reform

The President of the Canadian Public Employees Union sent this very moving letter to President Obama, HHS Secretary Sibelius, and all members of the U.S. Congress, stating that “the overheated rhetoric and outright falsehoods that you’ve heard about the quality and viability of Canada’s system simply do not stand up to scrutiny.” [PDF]

Public comment period for revisions to CMSA Standards of Practice ends August 31, 2009

CMSA invites you to review and comment on the draft versions of the CMSA Standards of Practice. CMSA, along with industry professionals and other members of the Standards of Practice Task Force, is pleased to present these revisions, which establish formal written standards of practice from a variety of disciplines.

Taking the mystery out of strategy

Business strategy is badly understood because the term is often poorly defined, writes John Roulet in the SmartBlog on Workforce. “Strategy is the competitive thinking and action required to achieve a desired position or status,” he writes. Roulet shares tips for determining your strategic position and finding a way forward.

Knowing when to walk away

Dealing with conflict is an essential part of leadership, but sometimes those internal squabbles seem like more trouble than they’re worth. Steve Tobak provides tips for coping with long-term office feuds, with the caveat that when all else fails, it’s probably better to leave the company than stay and fight it out. “If you’ve tried everything and still feel the relationship is unworkable and, more importantly, you’re miserable, then bolt,” he writes.