Direct cost of peripheral catheterization by nurses / Costo directo del paso de catéter central de inserción periférica por enfermeros / Custo direto da passagem de cateter central de inserção periférica por enfermeiros

ABSTRACT Objective: To measure the average direct cost of peripherally inserted central catheterization performed by nurses in a pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit. Method: A quantitative, exploratory-descriptive, single-case study, whose sample consisted of the non-participant observation of 101 peripherally inserted central catheter procedures. The cost was calculated by multiplying the execution time (timed using a chronometer) spent by nursing professionals, participants in the procedure, by the unit cost of direct labor, added to the cost of materials, drugs, and solutions. Results: The average direct cost of the procedure was US$ 326.95 (standard deviation = US$ 84.47), ranging from US$ 99.03 to US$ 530.71, with a median of US$ 326.17. It was impacted by material costs and the direct labor of the nurses. Conclusion: The measurement of the average direct cost of the peripherally inserted central catheter procedure shed light on the financials of consumed resources, indicating possibilities of intervention aiming to increase efficiency in allocating these resources.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Medir el costo directo promedio del paso de catéter central de inserción periférica por enfermeras en una unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátrica y neonatal. Método: Investigación cuantitativa, exploratoria-descriptiva, del tipo estudio de caso único, cuya muestra se constituyó de la observación no participante de 101 pasos de catéter central de inserción periférica. El costo se calculó multiplicando el tiempo (cronometrado) de los profesionales de enfermería, participantes en el procedimiento, por el costo unitario de mano de obra directa, sumándose al costo de materiales/medicamentos/soluciones. Resultados: El costo directo medio del procedimiento correspondió a US$ 326,95 (desviación estándar = US$ 84,47), variando entre US$ 99,03 y US$ 530,71, con mediana de US$ 326,17, habiendo sido impactados por los costos con material y mano de obra directa de los enfermeros ejecutantes. Conclusión: La medición del costo directo medio del paso del catéter central de inserción periférica confirió visibilidad financiera a los insumos consumidos, indicando posibilidades de intervención pretendiendo incrementar su eficiencia alocativa.

RESUMO Objetivo: Mensurar o custo direto médio da passagem de cateter central de inserção periférica, por enfermeiros, em uma unidade de terapia intensiva pediátrica e neonatal. Método: Pesquisa quantitativa, exploratório-descritiva, do tipo estudo de caso único, cuja amostra se constituiu da observação não participante de 101 passagens de cateter central de inserção periférica. O custo foi calculado multiplicando-se o tempo (cronometrado) despendido por profissionais de enfermagem, participantes do procedimento, pelo custo unitário da mão de obra direta, somando-se ao custo dos materiais/medicamentos/soluções. Resultados: O custo direto médio do procedimento correspondeu a US$326.95 (desvio-padrão = US$ 84.47), variando entre US$99.03 e US$530.71, com mediana de US$326.17; tendo sido impactado pelos custos com material e mão de obra direta dos enfermeiros executantes. Conclusão: A mensuração do custo direto médio da passagem de cateter central de inserção periférica conferiu visibilidade financeira aos insumos consumidos, indicando possibilidades de intervenção visando o incremento da sua eficiência alocativa.

Brazilian nurses' sociodemographic changes in the first decade of the 21st century / Enfermeros en Brasil: transformaciones socioeconómicas a principios del siglo XXI / Enfermeiros no Brasil: transformações socioeconômicas no início do século XXI

ABSTRACT Objective: analyze income and work conditions of nurses in Brazil in 2000 and 2010. Methods: based on demographic census samples, socioeconomic characteristics of nurses were described according to income and work hours. Statistic models estimated the chances (odds ratios) of nurses having lower income despite working more than 40 hours per week. Results: the nurse population in Brazil grew at a rate of 12.5% per year. In the two study periods, approximately 11.0% of nurses received the lowest incomes and worked more than 40 hours per week. The most pronounced chances of belonging to this group were observed for those residing in the interior the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. They were also more elevated for nurses whose color/race was black or brown (pardo) and who lived with their parents. Conclusion and implications for the practice: the expressive increase in nurses occurred within the context of reduced socioeconomic inequalities. Less favorable work conditions were most evident for those classified as black and brown who lived in their parents' homes. We argue that the scenarios described may be related to the expansion of university educational institutions during the first decade of the twenty-first century, among other aspects.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar las condiciones de trabajo y renta de los enfermeros que residían en Brasil en 2000 y 2010. Método: a partir de los datos muestrales de los censos demográficos se describieron características socioeconómicas de los enfermeros según rendimiento y jornada de trabajo. Los modelos estadísticos estimaron las probabilidades de que los enfermeros pertenecieran al grupo que a pesar de trabajar más de 40 horas, tenían ingresos más bajos. Resultados: en Brasil, la población de enfermeros aumentó rápidamente a lo largo del período (12,5% a.a), con mayor participación de hombres y reducción de la renta mensual. El segmento que trabajaba por más tiempo y poseía menores rendimientos mensuales residía en las regiones Sudeste y Sur y se declararon de color 'negro' o 'parda'. Conclusión e implicación para la práctica: el crecimiento acelerado de los enfe rmeros ocurrió en el contexto de desigualdades socioeconómicas y regionales, lo que puede estar relacionado, entre otros aspectos, a la expansión de centros de formación universitaria a lo largo de la primera década del siglo XXI.

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar condições de renda e trabalho dos enfermeiros no Brasil em 2000 e 2010. Método: a partir das amostras dos censos demográficos, foram descritas características socioeconômicas dos enfermeiros segundo rendimento e jornada de trabalho. Modelos estatísticos estimaram as chances (Odds Ratio) de os enfermeiros pertencerem ao grupo que, apesar de trabalhar mais de 40 horas, possuía rendimentos mais baixos. Resultados: no Brasil, a população de enfermeiros cresceu a uma velocidade de 12,5% ao ano. Nos dois períodos, aproximadamente 11,0% dos enfermeiros recebiam os menores rendimentos e trabalhavam mais de 40 horas semanais. As chances mais expressivas de pertencerem a esse grupo foram observadas para aqueles que residiam no interior das regiões Sul e Sudeste. Também foram mais elevadas para enfermeiros de cor ou raça preta e parda, que moravam com os pais. Conclusão e implicações para a prática: o expressivo aumento de enfermeiros ocorreu no contexto de redução das desigualdades socioeconômicas. As condições menos favoráveis de trabalho foram mais evidentes para os classificados pretos e pardos que moravam na casa dos pais. Argumentamos que os cenários descritos podem estar relacionados, dentre outros aspectos, à expansão de centros de formação universitária ao longo da primeira década do século XXI.

The role of a nurse telephone call to prevent no-shows in endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Preventing missed appointments, or "no-shows," is an important target in improving efficient patient care and lowering costs in gastrointestinal endoscopy practices. We aimed to investigate whether a nurse telephone call would reduce no-show rates for endoscopic appointments, and to determine if hiring and maintaining a nurse dedicated to pre-endoscopy phone calls is economically advantageous. Our secondary aim was to identify predictors of no-shows to endoscopy appointments. METHODS: We hired and trained a full-time licensed nurse to make a telephone call to patients 7 days before their scheduled upper endoscopy or colonoscopy. We compared this intervention with a previous reminder system involving mailed reminders. The effect of the intervention and impact of other predictors of no-shows were analyzed in 2 similar preintervention and postintervention patient cohorts. A mixed effects logistic regression model was used to estimate the association of the odds of being a no-show to the scheduled appointment and the characteristics of the patient and visit. An analysis of costs was performed that included the startup and maintenance costs of the intervention. RESULTS: We found that a nurse phone call was associated with a 33% reduction in the odds of a no-show visit (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.91), adjusting for gender, age, partnered status, insurer type, distance from the endoscopy center, and visit type. The recovered reimbursement during the study period was $48,765, with net savings of $16,190 when accounting for the maintenance costs of the intervention; this resulted in a net revenue per annum of $43,173. CONCLUSIONS: We found that endoscopy practices may increase revenue, improve scheduling efficiency, and maximize resource utilization by hiring a nurse to reduce no-shows. Predictors of no-shows to endoscopy included unpartnered or single patients, commercial or managed care, being scheduled for colonoscopy as opposed to upper endoscopy, and being scheduled for a screening or surveillance colonoscopy.

Labour draws up NHS battle lines as general election looms nearer.

A Labour government would recruit 20,000 extra nurses, which would include 10,000 more newly trained nurses. Other pledges include joined up services from home to hospital and introducing measures such as tackling stress and lifting morale to boost staff wellbeing, the party's leader Ed Miliband has said.

A socio-technical systems approach to studying interruptions: understanding the interrupter's perspective.

The purpose of this study was to understand the cognitive processes underlying nurses' decision to interrupt other nurses. The Institute of Medicine (2000) reported that interruptions are likely contributors to medical errors. Unfortunately, the research to date has been quite homogenous, focusing only on the healthcare provider being interrupted, ignoring the true complexities of interruptions. This study took a socio-technical approach being the first to examine interruptions from the viewpoint of the interrupting nurse. Over 15 h of observations and 10 open-ended interviews with expert nurses in a Neuroscience Surgical Intensive Care Unit were conducted. It was found that nurses conduct a quick cost-benefit assessment to determine the interruptibility of other nurses and whether an interruption is value-added vs. non-value added. To complete the assessment, nurses consider several conditional factors related to the interruptee, the interrupter, and the nature of the interruption content, and different potential consequences of the interruption.

The status of nursing in the state of Delaware: a second look.

The shortage of nurses in Delaware continues to have a negative impact on the health care delivery system. Nurses play a unique and central role and are the largest group of health care professionals in the country. This threatening crisis in nurse staffing has the potential to impact all aspects of health care in a negative manner. In October 2005, Wesley College, the Delaware Board of Nursing, and the Delaware Health Care Commission entered into a partnership to replicate the study completed in 2000 by Mrs. Karen Panunto entitled, The Status of Nursing in the State of Delaware. The purpose of the replication was to determine if progress had been made in alleviating the nursing shortage. The trends noted in the data can enable the State of Delaware to develop long range plans that could circumvent the threatening increased nursing shortage. Trending of data from the 2000 study to the 2005 study shows very minimal positive improvement and highlights continual declines in the nursing profession. It would be important to follow trending with another study in five years. This study could focus on the loss of nursing manpower, the nursing educator shortage, lack of sites for clinical experiences, and other issues.

Reduced nurse working time and surgical productivity and economics.

UNLABELLED: Working time reduction is an issue in many sectors of the economy of several countries. In the health care sector, this reduction is mostly felt in regions with a shortage of personnel. In The Netherlands, this is the operating theater suite. We designed this study to evaluate the effects of a policy reduction in working time from 38 to 36 h/wk on the performance of the operating theater suite. The study describes the policy process and its context. For retrospective before-and-after analyses of various performance variables, multivariate linear regression techniques were used. A 4% decrease to a 36-h work week was implemented in our hospital during a period of shortage of personnel in the labor market. This resulted in a 2% decrease in the number of surgical operations performed. The expected increased demand for nursing personnel is reflected in larger wages and the introduction of additional benefits. Additionally, the introduction of a 36-h work week and the 4-day working schedule was accompanied by an increase in absenteeism. Taken together, this resulted in an increase in nursing costs per average operation of 20%. This means that a small reduction in working time during a period of labor shortage can cause an important decrease in surgical productivity. In our hospital, this was accompanied by an increase in sick leave, resulting in a substantial increase of nursing costs per operation. IMPLICATIONS: Our retrospective study describes an increase of 20% in nursing costs after a 4% decrease in nurse working time. During the period of implementation of the new working schedule, an increase in sick leave was observed. The interaction between shortage of nursing personnel, working time, and wages is discussed.

Enfermería y gremio / Nursing and labor unions

El artículo expone una perspectiva personal sobre la situación de la enfermería en relación a su actividad gremial

Costs and remuneration for cervical screening in general practice in the west of Scotland.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations between costs and remuneration for cervical screening in general practice in relation to skill mix, features of practice structure and deprivation levels in the local area; and, to identify efficient policies for organising cervical screening in general practice. METHOD: Questionnaire survey and interview study in 87 general practices in Greater Glasgow Health Board an area in the west of Scotland which covers a socio-economically varied population. The main outcome measures were remuneration to cost ratios (RCRs) for cervical screening and their natural logarithms (logRCRs). RESULTS: Both the costs of cervical screening and RCRs varied widely between the 87 practices taking part. RCRs ranged from 0.29 to 14.67 (mean 2.64, median 2.18, interquartile range 1.15-2.98). Twenty-one per cent (18) of practices earned less than they spent on the organisation of screening, whilst 9% (8) of practices had PCRs of more than 5:1. RCRs were significantly lower if medical staff were involved in either taking smears or dealing with results. RCRs did not vary by social deprivation score, despite uptake being lower in practices in more deprived areas. This was explained by nurses working in practices in deprived areas being more likely to take smears than nurses working in more affluent areas. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken, altering key time and cost assumptions. As a result, the absolute values of the RCRs changed, although the overall pattern of association did not, with the exception of doctor involvement in processing results which was no longer significant when average general practitioners' income was substituted for locum rates. CONCLUSIONS: Practices in deprived areas may be responding to greater pressure of work by making optimal use of skill mix within the primary health care team. A more graduated incentive payment scheme may more fairly reward practices in deprived areas which are less likely to achieve 80% uptake due to relatively intractable features of practice structure. Assuming that practice nurses provide an equivalent quality of service to that provided by general practitioners, results suggest that doctor-nurse substitution would be cost-effective for general practice based cervical screening. Resource savings (principally doctor's time) could be redeployed to other areas of primary health care.