Nursing Law & Order

Are You Pro Se? The Pros and Cons of Self-Representation before the State Nursing Board

Nursing Law & Order is offering a 60 minute webinar for nurses and nursing students to learn more about the pros and cons of self-representation before the State Nursing Board. The webinar will review the following topics: 

What is Pro Se? 

Why do the majority of nurses represent themselves before the State Nursing Board in disciplinary investigations and complaints? 

What are the benefits and risks of representing yourself before the State Nursing Board?

What are the benefits and risk of retaining an attorney to represent you before the State Nursing Board?

What type of attorney should I retain to assist me before the State Nursing Board?

What is a flat fee vs. a evergreen retainer in reference to legal services? 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 6p.m. EDT

The cost of the webinar is $20.00.

There will be plenty of time also questions and answers.

You can register online at:

Registration Link: http://nursinglaw.enterthemeeting.com/m/XT5H1MNR

No continuing education is provided however you can receive a certificate of attendance to include in your nursing portfolio.  

An Attorney, Two Paralegals and Jack: The Roof is on Fire!

I want to jump up like the man did in the Toyota commercials from fifteen years ago. I finally figured out the staffing for my law practice. It only took 3 years of hiring and firing before it clicked. No, my law firm is not set-up like a traditional law firm. I established my law firm in 2001 and I worked then and still now primarily from home. But that is changing also starting new month because of the new me. 

Okay first things first. I am the only attorney in the law practice. Therefore if you retain me or if I am lucky enough to be your lawyer;) then you will be working with me as the only attorney on your case. Sorry, I don't have any plans to partner with or hire an attorneys to work for me or with me. It is hard enough dealing with my own ego, pride, and shortcoming; I don't want to deal with the same with another attorney. You may not know it; in general it can be difficult to work attorneys for whatever reason. 

I have two paralegals working with me. 

Dani works Monday-Thursday 10am to 2pm. Her direct office dial is 513-655-6191. 

Emi works Monday-Thursday 1pm to 5pm and Friday 9am to 3pm. Her dial is 513-655-7986.

If you are interested in contacting my law firm for your legal needs, please call 888-571-1110. 

For over flow work, I work with Tina, who owns a virtual paralegal company in Indiana. Tina did my scheduling and calendaring over the summer before passing out from exhaustion. Most of my clients already know and have spoke with Tina. 

Then there is of course, Jack. Everyone knows Jack. 

I am excited because I have went back and forth whether or not I was going to keep my traditional office in Blue Ash, Ohio and still work primarily from my home office location. However when you have multiple staff coming to your home it can be difficult to maintain a sense of privacy. 

Therefore, starting December 1, 2011, I am FINALLY transitioning out of my large home office. I will maintain a small home office however I am going to for the first time in 10 years of solo practice work primarily in a stand alone office. I need to better divide home and work and this is the final step for me. This is a big step for me however I decided to do everything the opposite of what I have done with some things in the past post-divorce and the strategy works, for me.

I am so happy because my new office space is very nice and a lot larger. I will finally have room for the large conference desk I want and a "I Declare War" Hearing Room. 

I am looking forward to the holidays and the New Year. It is on and popping in 2012: onward and forward! The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire and we don't need no water! 

 

 

 

 

 

Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ is a Risk Management, Workplace, and Career Guidance Tool & Service I am offering for Nursing Students, NCLEX-Applicants,LPNs, RNs, and APRNs

Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™

The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ is Your Nursing Care Plan

I know you still remember nursing care plans even though the NCPs are generated by software these days.

 http://www1.us.elsevierhealth.com/MERLIN/Gulanick/Constructor/

I graduated from my ASN program in 1993 and my BSN program in 1994 so NCPs were done the old fashioned way: by hand.

The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan ™is similiar to the nursing care plans we developed in our entry level nursing programs.

What is included in your Legal Audit:Nursing Career Plan™ depends on where you are with your nursing career whether its pre-licensure, post-discipline with the State Nursing Board, in an alternative to discipline program, in graduate school, going up (or down) the clinical ladder in a particular institution, etc.

Why do you need a Legal Audit:Nursing Career Plan™? Every nurse needs a Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ because it takes into the risks and liabilities and specifics of your education, licensure, practice area, specialization, certifications, and assists you with the self-regulation of your nursing practice. Essentially you are caring for yourself, your license, your practice, and your career by being your own risk manager and advocate. The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ involves you reflecting and assessing your practice with the assistance, advice, and counsel of a nursing law attorney.  

What is self-regulation of nursing practice?

http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/NN_Understanding_Self_Regulation_e.pdf

http://www.cna-nurses.ca/cna/documents/pdf/publications/SelfregulationFeb2001_e.pdf

I have wanted for sometime to offer a risk management product and service for individual nurses regardless of the state of licensure and the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ is it.

For nurses who are of course, in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ offered by my law firm can of course include legal advice and counseling.

For nurses in other states, the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ offered provides workforce and worplace counseling but no legal advice. Sorry, no legal advice but I can offer workplace and career counseling.

How will you benefit from a Legal Audit:Nursing Career Plan?

1. Let's say you are probation and monitoring with the State Nursing Board. The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ will review with you the strategies to work through this process establish goals, interventions, and tasks, address common issues, and review legal concerns.

2. Let's say you are in a State Board alternative to discipline program. The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ will review with your the strategies to work through this process, establish goals, interventions, and tasks, address common issues, and review legal concerns.

3. I hear alot, do I need my own professional liability insurance policy? This would be part of your Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ and along with reviewing your practice area, certifications, employment, licensure, and case law in your state to determine the necessary coverage offered by various nursing insurer if you identify this as an issue.

4. Let's say you are ARNP and you have an employment agreement and collaborative physician and a collaborative agreement. Your Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ could entail of a review of these agreements and with plans to review and discuss your areas of concern.

5. Let's say you are planning to start your own nurse owned business. Your Plan could review the basics and address some of the liabilities and legal issues presented.

6. You are a home health RN and you are also self-employed as an Independent Provider in Ohio. Your Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ could focus on the legal issues facing nurses practicing dually as home health nurses and as a IPs. Are you working as nurse for multiple facilities? Are working as a RN here and as a APRN elsewhere? Same for ICU, ER, Telemetry, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Ambulatory Care, Clinic, Self-Employed, Private Practice, etc.

7. Let's say you are work primarily as a charge nurse in a hospital, your Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™, will be different from a charge nurse in a nursing home or from unit manager or middle manager in a hospital.

8. The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ for APRNs will different from LPNs and RNs and certainly the same can be said based on roles such as Clinical Nurse, Nurse Educator, Nurse Manager, or Nurse Expert Clinician.

9. New graduates, Nursing Students, and NCLEX-Applicants. Your transition into professional nursing practice can be alot smoother with a plan because you don't know what you don't know until you know it and its usually the hard way. Why not start your nursing practice with a Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ that identifies the risks associated with your practice area, takes into account your strengths and weaknesses as a new nurse, and assists you with the transition to professional nursing practice and developing your career.

Every Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ will be different and there is no standard plan because the audit is based on the three issues and concerns you identify and is tailored to meet your specific licensure, education, certification, practice areas, etc. and the documents you provide me to review.

The Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ focuses on the three issues you identify and I assist you with addressing, reviewing, identifying, and mitigating legal, licensure, career, and other pitfalls in a 30 minute conference call.

This is a basic risk management service offered to nurses because the majority of nurses don't have a nursing practice counsel or nursing law attorney on retainer to assist the individual nurse with law, legal, workplace, career, or the legalities associated with nursing practice.

Also most nurses don't belong to a professional association which may or may not offer this type of service which is combination of licensure, career, employment, legal, workplace, labor, and "as otherwise identified" issues specific for RNs, LPNs, and APRNs.

Please don't send me hundreds of pages of documents and expect that this can be covered in a 30 minute consultation and video or conference call because I will refund the fee and cancel the appt. Sorry. You need to retain me if you have hundreds of pages of documents you need to be reviewed:)

We can skype your Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ as a video conference call or a just plain conference call.

My law office skype name is: nursinglawattorney

My law office skype number is 513-729-6989.

I am offering the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ service FREE to my law office clients. Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to my law office clients.

If interested:

1. Pay for and schedule a date and time for the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ at  http://www.bookfresh.com/profile/157503739.

2. The cost is $250 for a 30 minute Skype video call or telephone conference call.

3. I will need an updated CV/resume and work history. You will receive an email listing the information and documents I need from you prior to the consultation based on the issues and concerns you identify.

4. If you have legal documents, contracts, or agreement for me to review. Scan/email, mail, or fax to me prior to the consultation please. My fax number is 888-580-1119.

5. Once you pay for and schedule the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™, you will review a packet of information for you to complete and return to my office.

6. Based on the issues/concerns you identified, you will also receive a packet or a package of informational and educational materials and documents by mail and information via email. Yes, there is homework because you will have to "stay the course" after the consultation. I want you to suceed (this isn't a scheme just to take your money) and I am going to provide you the materials to assist you with this process. I will be your Legal Cheerleader!!!

7. After the Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™ video call or conference call, you will receive your "plan" as a PDF file from me.

Take charge and grab "self-regulation of nursing practice" by its horns by identifying, managing, and mitigating the legal risks of nursing practice  while plotting the trajectory of your nursing career with your very own Legal Audit: Nursing Career Plan™.  I love it! This sounds so sales like; I am also selling a used car and a tattered blood pressure cuff if you are interested:) Just kidding!

 

 

 

 

Returning to Practice: Appropriate for All Recovering Nurses? December 20, 2010 @ 4pm webinar

The Law Office of LaTonia Denise Wright, LLC is pleased to present a series of webinars September-December 2010 focusing on substance use, abuse, and recovery in nursing.

Join us for this webinar presented by Jack Stem with Peer Advocacy for Impaired Nurses. See http://www.peeradvocacyforimpairednurses.com/.

The moderator for the webinar is LaTonia Denise Wright, RN, BSN, JD.

The cost of the 60 minute webinar is $20.00.

For additional information and to pay online see http://nursing-jurisprudence.com/substanceusewebinars.html.

Returning to Practice: Appropriate for All Recovering Nurses?

Join us for a Webinar on December 20 One of the first questions asked by a nurse who is in recovery from substance use and abuse is "When can I return to practice?" This webinar will review the return to work issues faced by nurses in recovery including: 1. State Nursing Board alternative to discipline program monitoring; 2. State Nursing Board discipline of a license; 3. Finding employment as as nurse in recovery; and 4. Whether returning to practice is appropriate for all recoverying nurses. The presenter for this webinar is Jack Stem. Jack whose professional and personal life came crashing down when his addiction surfaced after years of treating a chronic pain condition, is a former health care professional. With a career which began as an orderly in a busy emergency room 38 years ago, he went on to become a Registered Nurse in that same ER, and later became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Today, clean and sober over 15 years, he acts as a peer advisor for Ohio's nurse anesthetists and consults with attorneys practicing in nursing license defense. Mr. Stem is the Founder and CEO of Peer Advocacy for Impaired Nurses, LLC, which provides assistance to nurses with substance use disorders. The one-on-one personal recovery assistance which he delivers to professionals who want to take their recovery to the next level is held in high regard by his clients and colleagues. The webinar is moderated by LaTonia Denise Wright, RN, BSN, JD. The cost of the 60 minute webinar is $20.00. See http://nursing-jurisprudence.com/substanceusewebinars.html. Title:   Returning to Practice: Appropriate for All Recovering Nurses? Date: Monday, December 20, 2010 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/245278256

Shared Governance vs. Collective Bargaining vs. Employment Contracts vs. Nursing Staff Bylaws: Which is better IYO?

Is shared governance "the" model for nursing practice in the future? What do you think?

I personally think Nursing Staff Bylaws are the key, not shared governance, collective bargaining, individual employment contracts, and certainly not at-will employment which is where the majority of nurses are in the spectrum.

At-will employment is cold, harsh and arbitrary. HR and lower and middle nursing management wield "at-will employment" like a Young Jedi with a new lightsaber. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber.

Do you know how many nurses are terminated and then usually reported to the State Nursing Board? Alot. The number of State Nursing Board complaints across the county is increasing.

See http://www.nursetogether.com/tabid/102/itemid/889/Worried-About-a-Malpractice-Lawsuit-The-Board-of.aspx 

http://advocatefornurses.typepad.com/my2cents/2009/01/state-nursing-board-complaint-vs-nursing-negligencemalpractice-complaint.html 

 http://www.camorrison.com/.

See also http://www.leichterlaw.com/ld_license_defense.php.

 Its not nursing negligence or nursing malpractice you have to worry about, baby, its being reported to the State Nursing Board or suitability for licensure in you are applying for a license. This is one of the reasons why nurse license defense attorneys like myself are so busy.

One of my clients who is an excellent RN was terminated from her employment with an Indiana hospital after 20 years of solid employment. She was terminated to send a message to other nurses on the unit who have been there longer than most if not all of the nurse managers and nurse executives at the facility. She was also reported to the State Nursing Board. A two-fer, fired and reported which is more and more common these days.

Some (I didn't say all okay but some) nurses in positions of power (lower and middle nursing management) have "blood lust" similiar to newbie vampires, are worse than docs and lawyers (because we are and can be overly power and money hungry; I know I am), and certainly more manipulative and fem fatale with the passive-aggressive routine. Maybe this stems from nursing being primarily a women-dominated occupation. I went to see the new Twilight movie yesterday again, can you tell? What did you think of the newbie vampires?

I am attending a few webcasts on shared governance in nursing this summer to gain a broader perspective on the future of shared governance. Maybe I am wrong about shared governance but nursing staff bylaws that afford nurses the same rights and due process as physicians governed by medical staff bylaws IMO are the ideal for hospital-based nurses.

Nurses Retirement Decision Making Guide from the Center for American Nurses

See http://centerforamericannurses.org/associations/9102/files/wiserNursesDecisionMkingGuideFINAL.pdf

Greater Cincinnati Nurses Networking Group via Meetup

What's one of my surprises for July? I launched this meetup in July 2009. My timing was off with me getting married and all in July and a new legal assistant starting in July. But guess what? Its back!

If you are a RN, LPN, APRN, or nursing student in the Greater Cincinati, Ohio area join the Greater Cincinnati Nurses Networking Group. See www.meetup.com/nursinglawandorder. Spread the word!

We have three activities planned for the upcoming month already. If you have any ideas or suggestions for CE, professional development, or networking activities for RNs, LPN, nursing students, and APRNs please let me know. If you would like to host a meeting or present a topic, let me know. If you want to get involved join and then call or email me. I would really like to have one or two meetups a month for nurses in the Greater Cincinnati area. We are starting small but who knows where it will go!

My goal is to have a networking group for nurses in the Greater Cincinnati area. Greater Cincinnati is Cincinnati and its suburbs, Northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana.

I will also try to have events in conjunction with professional associations which are active locally.

If you are involved in a nursing professional association in the Greater Cinti area and you want to plan a joint event, email or call me.

If you have an event for nurses in the Greater Cinti area, email me and I will include the event on the Group calendar.

We are also looking for sponsors outside of my law firm, if anyone is interested. If your company or business wants to sponsor an activity for nurses, email or call me.

I am hiring two part-time legal assistant this month, actually a legal/marketing assistant and a legal assistant and both will also be active in planning, scheduling, developing, and marketing the Greater Cincinnati Nurses Networking Group.

My law firm has 8 CE and 4 Ohio Nursing Law and Rules programs approved for CE credit. I will most likely plan to offer free CE to nurses throughout the remainder of the year along with other activities and events. I am going to twist and pull Jack Stem's arm and bite him if I have to so he can present on Addiction & Recovery in Nurses later this year. See http://www.peeradvocacyforimpairednurses.org. Also Jack is back as he is going to start working with me again in a peer mentor role on addiction and recovery issues in my law and consulting practice.

Resources for Nurses dealing with current Workforce and Workplace Issues

See http://can.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=34.

Focus on Health in Nursing and for Nurses

See http://www.can.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=90.

Conflict Engagement resources for Nurses

See http://www.can.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=235

Better Care by Design: Nurse Involvement Improves Building Projects

	See https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/209777851     Better Care by Design: Nurse Involvement Improves Building Projects

Webinar Registration

	Presenter:  Kerrie Cardon, RN, AIA, ACHA Kerrie Cardon, RN, AIA, ACHA, Healthcare Consultant, Herman Miller Healthcare.   A strong link exists between the design of healthcare environments and patient safety, making it important that nurses understand how the principles of evidence-based design can be implemented to create work environments that are efficient for staff and therapeutic for patients. As a registered nurse and architect, Kerrie Cardon understands the important role nurses serve on design teams. Join Kerrie on Friday, June 25th at 2:00 pm (ET) for a 60-minute webinar as she shares her secrets to understanding and contributing to the evidence-based design process for renovations or new buildings.

	When: Friday, June 25, 2010 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT Use the form on the right to reserve your Webinar seat. * Indicates a required field		Fri, Jun 25, 2010 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT Show time in my time zone * First Name: * Last Name: * Email Address: State/Province: Choose one... Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Guam Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Other Organization: Job Title: By clicking this button you submit your information to the Webinar organizer, who will use it to communicate with you regarding this event and their other services. View system requirements

Bullying and Lateral Violence in Nursing resources

See http://www.can.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=283

Is there really a nursing shortage? Depends on where you live and who you ask

See

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/nursing-job-bet/story?id=10711440&page=2.

Make sure you read the comments.

Are Skilled Nursing Facilities the best work environments for RNs? I say NO and you need the MAX

Skilled nursing facilities are not the best work environments for RNs. I am seeing more RN terminations, LPN terminations, State Nursing Board complaints, and other issues stemming from CNAs "double teaming" or "triple teaming" the RNs usually or sometimes the LPNs, reporting false information to the DON and Administrator which then causes licensure, workplace, or career issues for the nurses.

I will say it again, skilled nursing facilties are not the best work environments for RNs. I had to tell one of my clients from 2005 this just yesterday when she called me regarding "he say she say" issues at a nursing home in Columbus, Ohio.

Skilled nursing facilities are not the best work environments for RNs. Why?

1. The staffing at the a nursing home pits RNs against LPNs because the staffing and work assignments are not written with the State Nursing Practice Act and the principles of delegation in mind. This sets up a constant battle at some facilities between RNs and LPNs, LPNs and STNAs, and RNs and STNAs.

2. There is NEVER enough time to do what needs to be done and perform the assigned tasks in a shift for the residents. Oh but guess what the facility doesn't want its nurses to work any OT. So what do you do?

3. Nursing homes are highly regulated, for a reason I might add. Any incident needs to be reported to the "MAN" or "to the State." What this means for nurses is because we bear most of the accountability and responsibility for patient care, the buck stops with the LPN and/or the RN. The nursing home blames the nurse, fires or writes the nurse up, and reports the nurse to the State Nursing Board.

4. The turnover rates with nursing home administrators, DONs, and unit managers is comparable to the waitress/waiter turnover at your local Waffle House. There is turnover galore from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top in nursing homes. So as a RN you are working with different administrators, DONs, unit managers, CNA, LPNs, and other staff every couple of months. What's up with this?

5. I have drank 4 cups of coffee and I am going to say it bluntly here this morning. RNs you have alot of options for employment and unless you LOVE geriatrics you need to do a cost benefit analysis before you decide to work in a nursing home. When you interview for a position, you need to interview your employer and ask around before you jump in head first into the deep end of a concrete swimming pool with 5 inches of water.

6. Any nurse who works in a nursing home needs professional liability insurance with a license defense benefit. You need the max in coverage in baby. Working in a Skilled Nursing Facility as a LPN or RN=MAX in Professional Liability Insurance Coverage with a License Defense Protection Benefit. Go for and obtain the MAX! You may really need it.

7. If you are a RN and you just have to work in a nursing home, work part-time at the SNF and part-time elsewhere or per diem at the SNF and FT or PT elsewhere so that you are bogged down "day and night" with the drama.

8. If you are a RN and you just have to work in a nursing home, move up to management. Which may or may not be too much better because I have alot of legal consultations with nurse managers in SNFs in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and you are starting to see more lawsuits where nurse managers in SNFs are being named as defendants in nursing home negligence cases.

9. If you work in a nursing home FT, develop a risk management plan for your nursing practice. Documentation is extremely important. I read in an article written by an attorney who represents nursing homes that staff in a SNF should provide care first and worry about documentation later. Excuse me? This attorney obviously does not represent nurses before the State Nursing Board.

Your license will not survive a patient care first and then documentation last attitude in a SNF and you will emerge from the State Nursing Board investigation and evidentiary hearing with scars and wounds because you "knew better." Its a do or die mentality in some of these SNFs. RNs and LPNs are being treated like fungible and at-will employed employees who can be tossed about, thrown in the air, and replaced at any time like a garbage bag on a large roll.

10.  You know when its time to leave a facility. Trust your instincts. Don't let your pride get in the way or the fact that its "your hall" or "your cart." Its your license on the line and quite frankly that is the most important item on your agenda because with your license you can work ANYWHERE. You are not licensed by your SNF, thank God, you are licensed by the State and you can practice SOMEWHERE ELSE. There isn't any institutional licensure of RNs and LPNs and I think some SNF administrators need to be reminded of this.

Don't sweat the small stuff and allow the drama in a nursing home to consume you. Keep it moving because you have alot to offer. There is a reason why you see so many nurses working just a few years here, a few months there, and a couple years....

Keep It LEGAL: My Presentation to a Group of Senior Nursing Students on Legal Issues

I spoke to a group of nursing students this week on legal issues in nursing practice. I warned these future nurses you are more likely to reported to the State Nursing Board in your career than you are to named as defendant in a nursing malpractice case. I have them the following advice: Keep it LEGAL.

L   Stay abreast of the Nursing Board laws and regulations in the state(s) where you practice or hold a license;

E   Make sure you have the education, experience, and expertise to practice in a particular area by polishing

   your knowledge, skills, and abilities in your practice area(s). Keep a nursing portfolio in your home.

G     Good Behavior. Keep it professional at work. Refrain from criminal conduct in your personal life and at

   work. 

A     Associations. Join national, state, or specialty nursing associations and read the journals, guidelines, and

  practice statements published by the association. This helps you stay abreast of the standard of care and

  patient safety issues in your practice. Also nursing associations advocate for nurses.

L   Liability Insurance. Consider purchasing your own individual professional liability policy with a reputable

    insurance company which insurers nurses and other licensed healthcare professionals. Make sure the

    policy has a license defense protection benefit to cover legal fees and costs in State Nursing Board

    investigations and evidentiary hearings.  

I wished the students my best because its a jungle out there in the cut-throat, at-will, non-union, and dog eat dog  environment in some healthcare orgs. Anytime you have a profession/occupations dominated by women, it can be ugly.

I hope these soon to be new nurses have lady luck on their side and find employment in a decent facility, on a decent floor, unit, hall, or wing, with a decent nurse manager and nursing supervisors and charge nurses, with decent mentors and preceptors, and with decent nurse peers and colleagues who don't throw "new nurses" to the wind.  

Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio (LPNAO) launches a full-service Career Center

Dear Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses of Ohio, As your primary resource for professional development and services, LPNAO is excited to announce a brand new addition to our website. We recently launched a full-service Career Center designed especially for employers and job seekers in the nursing industry. Posting your positions and resumes on the LPNAO Career Center will give you great exposure to a wide array of candidates and exciting opportunities in our professional community. Looking to fill a position? Gain access to LPNAO's most qualified nursing professionals Post multiple positions at affordable prices Receive Resume Alerts of recently uploaded resumes Searching for a job? Create a FREE Job Seeker account Set up automated email Job Alerts Post resumes anonymously Thank you in advance for supporting our new Career Center. The revenue generated by this service will allow us to continue meeting our goals in best serving our members and advancing the LPNAO community in nursing. Sincerely, Shasme Jones President Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio Hire and Be Hired on the LPNAO Career Center TODAY!
	You are receiving this email as a member of the Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio. Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio | 1310 St. Paris Rd | Springfield OH | 45504 | 513.910.6090

Becoming a Nurse Manager: Are the Benefits Worth the Costs?

See this article written by Betty Nelson on the American Sentinel blog at http://bit.ly/9N3l3R. See also  Download Healthcare Article 8

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What do you think? If you are an expert clinician should you transition into nursing management or should you stay at the bedside and continue to climb the clinical ladder? What happens when you reach the "top" of the clinical ladder and you are a CN III or CN IV as a general RN do you then go back for your NP or CNS advanced degrees and training?

Let's be real. Practically can you be an expert nurse clinician and an excellent nurse manager? How do you define excellence in nursing management?

Is Shift Work Getting You Down? 10 Tips for Surviving Shift Work-Center for American Nurses

Is Shift Work  Getting You Down? 10 Tips for Surviving Shift Work  Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 2:00 pm (Eastern Time)   As a profession that provides care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, many nurses find themselves working irregular hours as well as rotating shifts.  However, such work hours interfere with the body's natural circadian rhythm leading to health and sleep issues.      In addition to sleep disorders, shift work has been associated with gastrointestinal disorders, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. Further, shift work has also been associated with poor work performance and job dissatisfaction. The good news is that there are practical interventions nurses can take to reduce the effects of shift work.     Join DIane Scott, RN, MSN, as she shares tips and strategies to help you successfully survive shift work.    Register Now Rotating Shifts - Best Practices    Rotating shift changes more frequently - every three or four days rather than weekly  - is better for the health of staff claim researchers at Durham University in the UK.   Additionally they reported that forward rotating of shifts to follow the cycle of the day is less harmful to nurse health.   Share your thoughts on our blog. Enjoying Our Webinars? If you have participated in a Navigate Nursing Webinar, please take a few minutes to respond to our survey.  Your responses will help us develop programs that meet your needs. About Us Navigate Nursing is a product of the Institute of Nursing Research & Education which is a nonprofit affiliate of the Center for American Nurses.  Navigate Nursing is dedicated to helping professional nurses navigate their nursing career.  Our website, NavigateNursing.org, offers the latest news, career tips, education, innovative products, and an online community to support RNs in all roles and specialties in creating healthy work environments.  Let Navigate Nursinghelp you navigate your professional success, patient care environments, and personal development.           Copyright © 2010 Institute for Nursing Research & Education.

In This Issue

10 Tips to Survive Shift Work

Rotating Shifts

Seeking Your Feedback

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Featured Article Nearly 15 million Americans are employed in occupations that require shift work. While nursing services are provided around the clock, emerging science documents the effects of shift work.  Read more...     Print a copy of our Surviving Shift Work Tip Card

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Jury Verdict for the Hospital in a federal lawsuit filed by a RN alleging that the hospital failed to pay her overtime

See http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2010/03/08/daily9.html.

Home Care Isn't For Everyone: Home Care as the Next Frontier for Nursing Liability related to Nursing Malpractice and State Nursing Board Complaints

Working in home care is alot different than working in a nursing home or a hospital. You certainly have more autonomy and less oversight for your actions and omissions in home care which can be a positive or a minus. Home care nursing isn't for everyone. I am seeing more cases and receiving more inquiries about home care issues than I used to in the past.

Professional boundary violations, practice deficiencies, allegations of drug theft, failure to perform CPR, mismanagement of medication, fraudent documentation, misuse or theft of patient property, ineffective communication with physicians and other team members, failure to use patient equipment in the proper manner, etc.

If you are transitioning into home care from another practice setting make sure you have a proper orientation and ask tons of questions. IMHO, a proper orientation isn't shadowing someone for a day or two and a day of paperwork and videos in the office.