1. Hospitals Push to Improve Intensive Care.
- Author
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Landro, Laura
- Subjects
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INTENSIVE care units , *HOSPITAL wards , *WORKFORCE planning , *WORK environment , *HUMAN capital , *PERSONNEL management , *EMPLOYEE retention , *EMPLOYEE empowerment , *EMPLOYEE participation in management , *IN-service training of nurses , *NURSING education , *MEDICAL personnel in-service training , *JOB satisfaction of nurses , *NURSE stress - Abstract
Reports that hospitals are re-designing almost every aspect of their intensive care units (ICU) in an effort to save more lives and operate more efficiently. Details of changes being implemented, including improving nurse-staffing ratios and putting pharmacists right in the unit; Impact of the changes on family member, who will be able to visit 24 hours a day and increased involvement in medical rounds; Mortality rate in ICUs, which can be attributed to understaffing; Working conditions of ICUs, suggesting an overworked staff and no systemic training to help staff respond; Comments from Stuart Baker, executive vice president of VHA Inc., an alliance of several nonprofit hospitals from around the country, regarding the chaotic nature and potential hazards of ICUs.
- Published
- 2003