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Unless you work in a pediatric ED or trauma center, you probably treat only a handful of major pediatric trauma cases each month. For this reason, you must be aware of important differences between children and adults that will change the way you care for these patients.
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Higher acuity patients. Fewer resources. Increased overcrowding. Its no wonder that for many ED nurses, morale is at an all-time low. But there is a proven way to boost morale of nursing staff, while improving your EDs operations, say ED nurse managers.
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A typical day for Deb Jablonski, RN, CCM, may include going to visit a specialist with the family of a medically complex child; working with the inpatient case managers and treatment team at the hospital to coordinate the care of a hospitalized child; talking with a school therapist about the care a child needs; or communicating with the childs pediatrician.
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When a child is referred to the special needs program at the Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin, a multidisciplinary team assesses the case and decides where the family can get the help it needs. Childrens Hospital is a 222-bed tertiary care facility with multiple specialty clinics and a teaching hospital affiliated with Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
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A study by Irvine, CA-based Cogent Healthcare Inc. has confirmed what many case managers know instinctively: Following discharge from the hospital, many patients are confused about their medication, their discharge instructions, and when to follow up with their primary care physicians.
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Ttwo frequently asked questions from the Department of Health and Human Services HIPAA web site that specifically address the types of communication that case managers and discharge planners engage in.
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Even with their dependence on health maintenance organizations (HMOs), many of the nations elderly suffer from a lack of coordinated care, are often confused about their treatment including proper use of medications and frequently end up in the hospital for lack of proper preventive measures.
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Case managers sometimes are confused as to what constitutes a business associate as referred to in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), notes Cathy Kauffman-Nearhoof, RN, BSN, CCM, NMCC, CLNC, owner of Integrist Healthcare Consulting in Duncansville, PA.
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At SSM Rehab in St. Louis, diversity has become part of the institutional culture. Staff have successfully built diversity into its ongoing operations rather than instituting one program that would meet federal and industry guidelines, says Kurt Delabar, director of human resources.
