Nurses

This article proposes an innovative, theoretically-driven intervention to reduce risk from human papillomavirus (HPV). This lessening of HPV risk would lead to a reduction in the rate of cervical cancer. Aims of this article are to introduce a culturally appropriate model (PEN-3) that may facilitate vaccine uptake among vulnerable populations and to ascertain whether culturally appropriate health education delivered by nurses could be included in vaccine education programs.

Read additional coverage of this publication by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by clicking here. 

The Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalizes hospitals based on excess readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries. The aim of the program is to reduce readmissions while aligning hospitals’ financial incentives with payers’ and patients’ quality goals. Many evidence-based interventions that reduce readmissions, such as discharge preparation, care coordination, and patient education, are grounded in the fundamentals of basic nursing care.

In the past three decades, the shortage of nurses willing to work in hospitals has been a persistent challenge in the United States. Hiring supplemental registered nurses—nurses on short-term contracts obtained through an external staffing agency—has been common to fill gaps in nurse staffing. But there has been insufficient evidence about supplemental nurse workforce trends to inform workforce policy. To address this concern, we compared qualifications and characteristics of supplemental nurses with those of permanent nurses during 1984–2008.