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☀️ Happy FriYAY, Readers!
I’ve been reflecting on nurse staffing considerations, as it remains one of the most pressing topics in the news. There’s heated debates on unions and ratios but I argue that long term patient safety requires a more global view where a diverse set of professionals are brought into conversation including ancillary staff, who remain vital to the healthcare infrastructure. Today on the blog, I write about my
experience as a Major League Baseball First Aid nurse, one of the best jobs that I ever had, with a nurse to patient ratio of 1:400,000.
Stay safe. Be healthy. Be kind.
Tamara AL-Yassin (aka Nurse T)
CEO | The Nursing Beat
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Have you ever been given a patient ratio that seemed a little overwhelming? Well, our CEO Tamara AL-Yassin was routinely given a ratio of 1:40,000. Read about her experience and why she thinks other changes need to accompany safe staffing ratios to help nurses in “Insights From A Nurse With A 1:40,000 Patient Ratio” on the blog today.
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How a Teen Was Able to Pose as a PA at Two Texas Hospitals for a Month
For nearly a month, teenager Zachry Bailey posed as a physician assistant at Corpus Christi Medical Center’s Bay Area and Doctors Regional hospitals in Texas. And it wasn’t very difficult. When he walked into the Bay Area hospital one day, its primary human resources staff were out of the office, so he asked for a badge from the volunteer coordinator, who has since been let go. He said he was a traveling
physician assistant, and the coordinator obliged despite reservations.
Bailey was seen at the hospitals between March 31 and April 28. He was sometimes seen changing into other people’s clothes or scrubs in the dressing rooms. Still, nobody became suspicious until he started hanging around the ICU one night and hinting that he needed computer access. He reportedly didn’t have any patient interactions. Nurses learned of his deceit after checking out Bailey’s social media.
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New Jersey Becomes Safe Haven for Gender-Affirming Care
New Jersey’s Democratic governor Phil Murphy has declared the state a “safe haven” for those seeking gender-affirming care, including those from out of state. His new executive order instructs all state departments and agencies to have measures to protect those seeking gender-affirming healthcare and their providers. The order states that gender-affirming healthcare providers and recipients cannot be
extradited to another state. It also prohibits the executive branch from cooperating with investigations (including other states) seeking to penalize people participating in gender-affirming care.
Shortly before NJ’s executive order was issued, the state launched an informational website for NJ transgender youth. Unfortunately, youth in many other states aren’t so lucky. About a quarter of US trans youth aged 13 to 17 live in states that have laws banning gender-affirming care, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Another quarter live in states considering similar bills and policies.
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Minnesota Slow to Investigate Complaints Against Nurses
ProPublica has discovered that investigations conducted by the Minnesota Board of Nursing frequently drag on for months or even years. This allows some nurses to continue practicing despite misconduct allegations, including serious activities such as stealing narcotics from elderly nursing home residents. Since 2018, the average investigation time for complaints has ballooned to 11 months, with hundreds of
complaints being untouched for more than a year.
The reasons for the delay are multifaceted and include bureaucratic issues such as reducing the frequency of meetings to resolve cases. The board is also frequently shorthanded, sometimes with barely enough members to make up a quorum. In addition, some investigative lags stem from a “dysfunctional office environment” and member resignations. However, the board’s executive director Kimberly Miller blames the case backlog on the transition to remote work due to the pandemic and a difficult-to-use case management system. See ProPublica’s in-depth analysis to learn
more.
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COMMUNITY PICKS 🌼
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Show your support of global health with these t-shirts featuring the World Health Organization!
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💸 FINANCE FRIDAY powered
by
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We Challenge You!
Are you up for a money challenge? April is Financial Literacy Month, so what better way to celebrate? Below we linked to three different resources, each varying in difficulty. Some may take longer than a month, but the reward will be much larger! The challenge is to pick one of these three resources, implement the recommendations, and watch your money and confidence grow.
Easy: Daily Expense Challenge
At the end of each day this month, mark on this spreadsheet what you spent money on and how much. This will help you know where your money is going!
Medium: 30-Day Money Challenge
There’s a different money task to complete each day. Some are a little difficult; reach out to us if we can help!
Hard: Clipboard Challenge
Okay, this may take all year, but I promise it will be worth it! So, for the best way to implement this challenge, you may be interested in our course!
Reach out anytime; we’d love to hear from you!
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DAILY DIVERSION 💊
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Now a fertile land used for agriculture, Tranquille Farm Fresh in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, has a checkered history. It was initially Tranquille Sanatorium, built in 1907 to treat tuberculosis, and is considered by some to be one of Canada’s most haunted locations.
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🤯 ONE BIG NUMBER
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53%
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Of Kansas’ 105 rural hospitals, 56 of them (53%) are at risk of closing. See the financial status of the rural hospital nearest you here
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Show us your Swag!