Nursing News and Research

Latest Nursing News and Research

Porter surgeon first in the U.S. to perform single-incision cholecystectomy

Taking advantage of another breakthrough in robotic surgery, a surgeon at Porter Adventist Hospital is among the first in the country and is the first in the Rocky Mountain Region to perform a robotically-assisted removal of the gallbladder through a single small incision.

23 Feb 2012

AHCA, NCAL announce multi-year Quality Initiative

Long term and post-acute care leadership from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced a multi-year initiative this week to meet new quality goals, including reducing hospital readmission rates and improving staff retention.

23 Feb 2012

Elevated levels of two TLRs can trigger heart disease and diabetes

UC Davis scientists have uncovered a key suspect in the destructive inflammation that underlies heart disease and diabetes. The new research shows elevated levels of a receptor present on leucocytes of the innate immune response in people at risk for these chronic diseases.

23 Feb 2012

Varenicline improves walking ability in patients with SCA3

A nicotinic drug approved for smoking cessation significantly improved the walking ability of patients suffering from an inherited form of ataxia, reports a new clinical study led by University of South Florida researchers.

23 Feb 2012

New Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai to be dedicated on March 1

The new Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai will be dedicated on Thursday, March 1. The 23,200-square-foot facility features 26 all-private rooms that support the very heart of the family-centered care philosophy. This method of care embraces the family as an integral part of the child's treatment and recovery. The family works alongside the clinical team to ensure the best outcomes for their sick child.

23 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. HMO report cards, Ore. family planning bills challenged, Texas managed care

Gov. Corbett's new budget proposal would cost the city $42 million in mostly mental health and addiction treatment funding, but city officials say the impact will be worsened by ensuing needs for emergency shelter, child welfare, and other services. … The city Health Department faces an additional $7 million in state cuts. That would reduce the number of beds in the city nursing home and cost hospice beds for AIDS victims, officials said.

23 Feb 2012

Candida albicans can sense immune status of host cells and evade them

Glen Palmer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, was part of an international research team led by Luigina Romani, MD, at the University of Perugia, that discovered opportunistic fungi like Candida albicans can sense the immune status of host cells and adapt, evading immune system defenses.

23 Feb 2012

Lent offers a great opportunity to get started on a track to better health

For many people Lent is a time to take a step back, evaluate what is important and think about sacrifice. People of the Catholic faith refrain from eating meat on Fridays. In addition, Catholics and people from other Christian faiths also "give up" something such as eating high-calorie desserts or kicking a bad habit such as smoking.

22 Feb 2012

Viewpoints: Medicare mudslinging, 'pound-foolish' doc fix and unrealistic death attitudes

For all its technological sophistication and hefty price tag, modern medicine may be doing more to complicate the end of life than to prolong or improve it. ... When families talk about letting their loved ones die "naturally," they often mean "in their sleep" - not from a treatable illness such as a stroke, cancer or an infection. ... While it's easy to empathize with these family members' wishes, what they don't appreciate is that very few elderly patients are lucky enough to die in their sleep.

22 Feb 2012

Telomeres - the indicators of aging - are highly susceptible to stress and depression

Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go 'unseen', one of which is shortening of telomere length.

22 Feb 2012

ICA reports a year full of achievements

ICA announced today that 2011 saw strong growth in hospitals and clinics under contract for its CareAlign Solutions suite, as well as significant product upgrades among its current client base. In addition, ICA's employee base again nearly doubled in 2011 to meet growing demand and critical partnerships were formalized.

20 Feb 2012

Screening events to find out risk for heart attack or stroke

If you could find out if you had an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, wouldn't you want to know? Even if you are fit and healthy, coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD) are conditions with little to no symptoms and can put you at an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

20 Feb 2012

A pediatric version of Rothman Index

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is partnering with Rothman Healthcare Corporation in their development of a pediatric version of the Rothman Index. The Rothman Index, currently in use in adult patient populations, quantifies a patient's condition (based on vital signs, nursing assessments and lab results) displayed in a user-friendly graphical format.

20 Feb 2012

Novel feeding device may decrease risk of FTT in newborns with congenital heart defects

A novel feeding device developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing may decrease the risk of failure to thrive (FTT), which currently affects half of all newborns with congenital heart defects even after their surgical lesions are corrected.

18 Feb 2012

Cardinal Health Canada's offer for Futuremed common shares expires

Cardinal Health Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health, Inc., announced today that the offer by Cardinal Health Canada to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Futuremed Healthcare Products Corporation for CAD $8.15 per Common Share in cash has expired.

18 Feb 2012

Evergreen receives Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes from The Joint Commission

Evergreen Healthcare has earned Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes from The Joint Commission for its comprehensive diabetes treatment program, establishing it as Washington state's only program to currently hold the distinction.

18 Feb 2012

Adherence rates for hypertension medications lower among African-American patients

Racial disparities in hypertension control account for nearly 8,000 preventable deaths annually among African-Americans, making increased blood pressure control among African-Americans a "compelling goal," reported Lisa M. Lewis, PhD, RN, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

18 Feb 2012

DMVA to restructure workforce at veterans homes

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs today announced that it will begin restructuring its workforce at its veterans homes as part of an efficiency initiative, while maintaining quality care for its residents.

18 Feb 2012

Ventas 2011 normalized FFO increases 71.1% to $777.0 million

Ventas, Inc. said today that normalized Funds From Operations for the year ended December 31, 2011 increased approximately 71.1 percent to $777.0 million, from $454.0 million for the comparable 2010 period.

18 Feb 2012

Study examines mercury exposure in pregnant women

A new study published by researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health assesses mercury levels in pregnant women and examines dietary and environmental sources of exposure to mercury. The research, which focuses on an urban immigrant community, examined risk factors that may be associated with elevated mercury levels, measured through urine and cord blood samples.

18 Feb 2012