Latest News On Nurses

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Mining A New Data Set To Pinpoint Critical Staffing Issues In Skilled Nursing Facilities

KFF Health News Original

Low staffing is a root cause of many injuries in nursing homes. Kaiser Health News senior correspondent Jordan Rau explains how he connected the dots between manpower and risk at facilities nationwide, using a federal tool known as the Payroll-Based Journal.

1,400 Nursing Homes Get Lower Medicare Ratings Because Of Staffing Concerns

KFF Health News Original

Medicare said those homes either lacked a registered nurse for “a high number of days” over three months, provided data the government couldn’t verify or didn’t supply their payroll data at all.

‘Like A Ghost Town’: Erratic Nursing Home Staffing Revealed Through New Records

KFF Health News Original

Daily nursing home payroll records just released by the federal government show the number of nurses and aides dips far below average on some days and consistently plummets on weekends.

Doling Out Pain Pills Post-Surgery: An Ingrown Toenail Not The Same As A Bypass

KFF Health News Original

As the opioid epidemic rages, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and researcher is leading an effort to curb overprescribing by offering procedure-specific guidelines to ensure that post-surgical patients leave the hospital with enough, but not too much, pain medication.

Reducen la burocracia para facilitar el trabajo de las enfermeras viajeras

KFF Health News Original

La Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), se lanzó en el año 2000 para abordar la escasez de enfermeras y permitir que más practiquen telemedicina. Esta licencia permite que ejerzan en varios estados. Voces a favor y en contra.

Reducing Red Tape For Traveling Nurses

KFF Health News Original

A multistate nursing agreement allows nurses to work in numerous states without the hassle and expense of obtaining licenses in each one. More than half of states have signed onto an upgraded version of the agreement — but not California.

One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement

KFF Health News Original

School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.

Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns

KFF Health News Original

ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.

Laughing Gas For Labor Pain? It’s Poised For A Comeback

KFF Health News Original

Nitrous oxide for laboring women was popular in the U.S. until the mid-20th century when it went out of favor when birth became more medicalized. Now, midwives are putting it back on the “menu” of pain relief options for childbirth.

Licensing Logjam For California Nurses

KFF Health News Original

A big backlog of applications at the state’s licensing board is holding up hiring by hospitals and making it difficult for recent nurse graduates — and experienced nurses from out of state — to work.