Schiavo’s Job Application for Nurse Could be Prosecutable
Empire Journal
When Michael Schiavo applied for employment with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department in July, 2004, he signed the application certifying that the information he gave was true and complete. It wasn’t. And according to the provisions of Florida Statutes, in that allegedly false statements have been given by Michael Schiavo on that application, not only could he be prosecuted but according to the terms of the agreement he signed, any misrepresentation or omission by him is sufficient cause for his dismissal. His statements on his employment application in 2004 also indicate great discrepancies in sworn testimony that he gave in 1992-93 in the medical malpractice case and other proceedings involving his late wife. Schiavo,42, was hired as a registered nurse for the county jail by former Sheriff Rice, long time friend of Sixth Circuit Court probate judge George W. Greer.
Doctors, Nurse Thrown in Jail for Aggravated Neglect
Palm Beach Post
The arrests of two Boca Raton doctors on aggravated neglect charges marked a rare event in medicine — the transformation of negligence accusations from lawsuit fodder into a criminal matter. Doctors care for patients with the constant knowledge that anything they do, or don't do, could leave them susceptible to being sued. But being thrown in jail, as the two doctors and a nurse were Tuesday, is an issue few in the medical field ordinarily have to contemplate. The two doctors, Joseph Merendino, 40, and Donald Freedlander, 79, and nurse Barbara Barry, 57, were arrested on charges of aggravated neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult after state investigators say they neglected to care for the elderly resident's foot for so long that it became infected by gangrene and maggots. Two of the 96-year-old's toes had to be amputated.
Bill for Reporting Medical Errors Cleared
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- A national system designed to increase reporting of medical errors won final congressional approval Wednesday and was sent to President Bush. It is estimated that more than 250 Americans die every day as a result of preventable medical errors. Health care officials say increased reporting of such errors would make it easier to spot harmful trends and find solutions, but the current environment punishes openness because reporting such errors could lead to the loss of credentials or a lawsuit (and even jail).
Overwork Cited in Job-Hopping;
Nurse-To-Patient Standard Sought
NorthJersey.com
Nearly half of nurses polled by the Internet Web site CareerBuilder.com said they plan to leave their jobs in the next two years because of their dissatisfaction at work. More than 30 percent say they will change jobs in a year. The poll of 130 nurses was conducted from June 24 to 29, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 9 percentage points. There are 2.3 million nurses in the United States. Many respondents cited unmanageable workloads as the reason for leaving, and said understaffing was the main problem. The nurses weren't planning to leave the profession altogether, but intended to switch jobs.
Scholarship Program to Help
Alleviate Nurse Faculty Shortage
U.S. Newswire
WASHINGTON -- Monster Healthcare and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) today announced the creation of a new scholarship program to address the growing shortage of nurse educators. The Monster Healthcare-AACN Nursing Faculty Scholarship is designed to increase the number of nurse educators needed to expand student capacity in entry-level nursing programs. "All efforts to address the shortage of nurses in the U.S. will fail unless we focus on increasing the supply of faculty needed to prepare new nurses," said AACN President Jean E. Bartels. "AACN applauds Monster Healthcare for recognizing one of the root causes of our nation's current nursing shortage and taking decisive action to address this concern."
Congress Calls for Paperless Health Records
ZDNet
WASHINGTON -- The United States needs to get moving on a nationwide shift to paperless medical record-keeping, politicians said at a hearing Wednesday. "Greater use of IT has the potential to dramatically improve the safety and quality of health care for Americans," Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., said at a hearing convened by the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee's health subcommitee.
Are Our Hospitals Making Us Sick?
Care facilities across the nation are focused
on reducing infections inside their walls
Houston Chronicle
No Texas hospital is required to tell the public how many infections its patients get each year. A new state law may ultimately lead to that requirement. Meanwhile, hospital administrators nationwide are stepping up efforts to reduce them.
Nurse Anesthetists Bill Clears Committee
WXii 12.com
RALEIGH, N.C. -- After weeks of debate in a packed conference room, a state House committee finally moved legislation forward that has divided medical groups over the role and scope of nurse anesthetists. Medical boards, the attorney general, and state Court of Appeals have all weighed in on the issue over the past decade. Doctor groups contend that the legislation moved out of a House health committee Tuesday simply "confirms and reiterates" the state mandate that physicians supervise certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs.
