A study on 8,000 nurses and healthcare assistants working under the NHS revealed that a very few number of nurses considered their future secure in their nursing career. The study conducted by the Royal College of Nursing seemed to reinforce the ongoing controversies on increased harassment and pressure that nurses reportedly suffer from work.

This was in sharp contrast to results of a study made two years ago in 2009 that showed 74% of the nurses looked at nursing as the best career for them.

This year, a significant 70% of the total number of participants complained about work pressure while about 3 out 10 admitted to maltreatment from patients or their family members while doing their job. As if that’s not enough, half of the participants expressed plans to leave their present occupation.

The results of the latest survey prompted the association to plan for a meeting, to discuss among other issues, improving the pension policy of the NHS. This move came after the study showed that one-third of the participants said they will stay on if pension rates get better by at least 3percent.

RCN Chief Executive Peter Carter was quoted saying, “This is completely unacceptable and all NHS staff should be able to care for patients, while feeling safe and properly supported by employers and without the threat of bullying, harassment and violence”.

Following the death a patient at In the Alta Bates Summit Hospital due to a medication error committed by a replacement nurse. The costly mistake happened while a labor dispute was ongoing and regular nurses were locked out after their first day of strike.

Regular nurses said it would never have happened under their care. When it comes to administering medications, locked-out staff nurses say there is a strict process that involves at least three checks and they say this protocol might not have been followed.  It’s an avoidable mistake that’s made them angry, adding tension to the bargaining situation, UC Berkeley labor relations expert Harley Shaiken said.

They will be back on duty Tuesday, but highly doubtful if business will be as usual.

Alta Bates Summit released a statement accusing the nurses’ unions of trying to exploit a tragic accident for their own gain.

Multiple investigations by the hospital, the state Department of Public Health and Oakland police are being conducted.

A post from the Paris Post Intelligencer reports that Tennessee is moving strongly toward increased legal protection of nursing homes, and that has many families of home residents uneasy.

A new law goes into effect this week setting strict limits on the rights of patients and their families to sue nursing homes on claims of poor care. The law also limits the amount of damages a jury can award in such cases.
Two years ago, the legislature eliminated a rule that said when adverse events affect health care, nursing home operators must file detailed reports and the state must investigate. State officials said that gave them more time to investigate more serious complaints.
Those changes were defended as removing some burdensome requirements of the law.

That wouldn’t be of too much public concern, except for government reports that rank Tennessee near the bottom in its quality of nursing home care:
• The U.S. Government Accountability Office gave the state Health Department a failing grade for how well it investigated serious complaints. It cited a backlog of cases that had not been investigated, and said one factor was the shortage of department staff to handle investigations.
• The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rank Tennessee fourth worst among states in the number of hours per patient per day given by certified nurse assistants and seventh worst for registered nurse hours per patient per day. There again, the primary problem is staffing.
• In 2009, a GAO audit ranked Tennessee worst in the nation in accurately reporting the number of poorly performing nursing homes.
Nursing homes, like other businesses, deserve a fair break from government and should not be loaded with regulations that amount to busy work. But because they shelter some of the most vulnerable people in our society, the law must give even more protection to the patient, not less.

Source : http://www.parispi.net/articles/2011/09/26/opinion/editorials/doc4e809ccc08dd3789424691.txt

A news report from the San Francisco Chronicle: A former student midwife who delivered a baby without supervision has been sentenced in Los Angeles to three years of probation.

A Superior Court judge said Friday that while the 37-year-old Katharine McCall exercised poor judgment, she shouldn’t be sent to prison.

McCall also must complete 280 hours of community service and pay $10,000 in restitution. Now a licensed midwife, she’s prohibited from practicing her profession under the judge’s terms.

McCall had faced up to three years in prison after being convicted last month of practicing medicine without a license in connection with a birth in November 2007. Authorities say the baby’s shoulder got stuck during the delivery and the mother suffered a vaginal tear.

Both the woman and her baby recovered fully.