The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the National Center for Assisted Living recently asked Congress to investigate the fees that agencies are charging for the services of travel nurses. The two entities say that fees for travel nurses have doubled, and they believe that the travel nurse agencies are engaging in “price gouging.” I found it interesting that the AHA spent over $24,000,000.00 for lobbying efforts and have made significant contributions to Politicians totaling almost … [Read more...]

The Indiana legislature has proposed regulations to address the state’s nursing shortage.  [Story]. Because of the resultant loss of staff due to COVID, there are thousands of nursing jobs open not only across the Hoosier state but around the country.  According to Community Network, there are some 4,000 nursing jobs open in Indiana alone.  This shortage is resting on top of the shortage that was there prior to the pandemic. The bill pending, before the legislature in Indianapolis, would … [Read more...]

Recently, health authorities around the United States are now allowing nurses and others infected with the COVID virus to work provided they are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms of the disease.  Previously, infected healthcare workers had been quarantined regardless of symptoms. It is absolutely crazy that hospitals would allow people who test positive for COVID to return to work only because the facilities are short-staffed!  Nurses must remove their masks to eat or drink and should … [Read more...]

There is a new trend sweeping the nation called “hospital-at-home” which are hospital organizations that provide hospital level care in the patient’s home as a full substitute for acute hospital care. Nurses are up in arms about this because they believe that this will decrease the need for nurses in the hospital setting while putting those getting the home care at risk.  Proponents say this provides more nurses in facilities where the hospital-at-home solution will not work. According to … [Read more...]