Maxim Nurses » News

Avoiding Common Medical Thinking Errors

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

Medical errors are the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S., killing nearly 100,000 people a year, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Additional medical errors harm another 1.5 million patients. The annual price tag for preventable patient injury resulting from medical mistakes is in excess of $30 billion. As the principal providers of primary health care, nurses are in a unique position to significantly decrease the likelihood of a medical error [...]

Winter Cold and Flu Survival Guide

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

It arrives each year as inevitably as the falling of the leaves and chilling of the winds. The winter cold and flu season is upon us. Over the coming months, a symphony of sniffling noses, aching heads, sore throats and hacking coughs will sound everywhere. As a nurse, it’s especially important to be aware of and brush up on cold and flu prevention strategies.

Pass it on
More than a billion colds besiege Americans every year, with an estimated five to 20 percent of [...]

Immunizations: First Line of Defense Against Infectious Diseases

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

The start of school means new shoes, No. 2 pencils, a new box of crayons – and shots. While immunizations may not rate high on a child’s list of back-to-school activities, they are his or her best line of defense against the serious infectious diseases like measles and polio that used to affect children by the thousands. Today in the U.S., most school districts mandate that children receive immunizations against childhood diseases before enrollment, but a majority of U.S. adults still fail to [...]

Going Digital: Pros and Cons of Electronic Medical Records

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

Information Technology is revolutionizing the healthcare industry. Digital records provide exciting opportunities to speed patient care, improve the quality of care, increase patient safety, enrich research, and enhance public health efforts. But there is concern in the medical community that increasing reliance on information technology will weaken the human connection that is the cornerstone of U.S. patient care, and particularly nursing care.

The tenth annual survey of America’s 100 [...]

Workplace Collaboration Benefits Medical Professionals and Their Patients

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Medicine has become so specialized that a myriad of healthcare providers and facilities may be involved in a patient’s care. According to the American Medical Association, nearly 200 board-certified physician specialties are recognized in the United States. Due to the specification and proliferation of medical treatments and technology, it can take an army of medical professionals to successfully treat a single patient.

Today, a patient’s medical care team may include the primary care p [...]

Nurses Are Key to Creating a Culture of Patient Safety

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Medical errors result in as many as 98,000 American deaths each year, according to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine. Another 1.5 million patients are harmed by medication errors. One in five Americans report that they or a family member have experienced some kind of medical error. The annual cost of preventable patient injury resulting from medical mistakes is more than $30 billion.

Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers are in the business of saving lives, but o [...]

What to Look For in a Healthcare Staffing Company

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

There are many advantages to working for a healthcare staffing company. For people starting out and those considering a change in focus, this work allows time to explore a variety of career options. Many nurses and healthcare workers turn to staffing companies to supplement their income. Some prefer the variety of work that staffing companies can offer. They enjoy the constant challenge of new assignments and new people. Veteran nurses who teach or have moved on to other fields often use this [...]

Aging Baby Boomers Threaten to Overwhelm U.S. Healthcare

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

America is headed for a one-two punch that has the potential to deal the nation’s healthcare system a knockout blow – and just when it will be most in demand. Post-war “Baby Boomers,” the most numerous generation in American history, are reaching retirement age. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 75 million Boomers will reach age 65 and be eligible for Medicare by 2011. Over the next decade, the growing need for medical, and particularly nursing, care is expected to reach crisis levels. Unf [...]

Patient Advocacy is the Responsibility of Every Healthcare Professional

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Nurses and other healthcare professionals serve as first responders in matters of patient advocacy. Patient advocacy is speaking on behalf of a patient to protect his or her rights, to ensure he or she receives quality care, and to help him or her obtain necessary information and services. Social workers, physicians, lawyers, and others may serve as patient advocates, but it is their professional knowledge and skill combined with their intimate involvement in a patient’s daily care that place [...]

Protecting yourself during cold and flu season

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

As we shake off the winter’s chill and see the first signs of spring upon us, what do we think of as healthcare providers? Cold and flu season, of course! With the warmer weather, we usually notice a surge in upper respiratory issues, not only in ourselves and our colleagues, but also in our homes and the population we serve. Old wives’ tales attribute the increase in illness to the change in the seasons, but as healthcare workers, we know that we must look to the source of the illness. It’s [...]

Make the Most of Your Online Class

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Online classes are a blessing for busy healthcare professionals. They allow you to keep up with medical advancements, increase your skills, and meet continuing education requirements at a time that’s convenient for you.

Try these tips to get the most out of your next online class:

Get acquainted. Familiarize yourself with the course’s online delivery system. Find the course syllabus, schedule, calendar, requirements, methods of communication, where to go for [...]

Medical Web Sites: Help or Hindrance?

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

“I looked up my symptoms on the Internet and I’m sure I have _______.” How many times have you heard this from a patient and cringed? Increased patient reliance on medical Web sites for self-diagnosis and treatment is creating a growing problem for healthcare professionals. Not all information available on the Web is accurate or applicable to an individual patient’s particular history or needs. Patients can endanger their health by relying solely on Internet-obtained information without check [...]

Hospitals at the Crossroads: What Does the Future Hold?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

A perfect storm of economic, social, technological, and health care issues threatens the survival of hospitals in today’s competitive marketplace and challenges their viability for the future. Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future is a multi-disciplinary examination of the critical problems that confront U.S. hospitals today, while providing a blueprint for future change. Issued November 20, 2008 by The Joint Commission, the report [...]

How Nurses Cope with Patient Mortality

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

“It has changed my view of life,” nurse Beth Josolowitz told Mark Somerson of the Columbus Dispatch in a January 11, 2009 article, talking about death. A hospice nurse at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, Josolowitz provides care and comfort to children who will never realize their dreams and parents struggling with the realization that they will outlive their child.

“There are no words to describe what it’s like to be with a family at this time,” said Josolowitz in refe [...]

Nurses to Play Leading Role in New Methods of Chronic Disease Treatment

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

Over the next two decades, 78 million “Baby Boomers” will nearly double the over 65 population in the United States. Three out of every five Boomers will struggle with more than one chronic condition – obesity, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, AIDS or cancer – according to the May 2007 report, When I’m 64: How Boomers Will Change Health Care, compiled by the American Hospital Association (AHA) with First Consulting Group of Long Beach, California.

The [...]

Nurses Voted Most Trusted Professionals in U.S.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

Since Florence Nightingale raised her solitary lamp in the dark night of a humid Turkish hospital to soothe the fevered brows of battered soldiers, nurses have changed the face of health care, embodying the care, compassion, competence and service that have for generations defined the public view of nursing. As the U.S. celebrated Nurses Week May 6-12, it is gratifying to find that the American public continues to hold nurses in the highest regard.

For the seventh consecutive year, Amer [...]

Bright Future Seen for Geriatric Nursing

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

According to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau, during the next two decades, more than 70 million Baby Boomers will retire, doubling America’s over 65 population. By 2030, these senior citizens will make up 20 percent of the country’s population with individuals over the age of 85 comprising the nation’s fastest growing population segment. Not only will America’s burgeoning elder population create unparalleled demand and employment opportunities in nursing and the healthcare industry, but [...]

The Current Status of H1N1 (Swine Flu)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

The H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) is now categorized by the World Health Organization as a Phase 5-6 Pandemic with widespread human infection and is expected to continue to spread globally.

As of August 14, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta said their count of U.S. H1N1 (Swine Flu) deaths has risen to 477 and Swine Flu-associated hospitalizations have grown to more than 7,511. This flu has now spread to 168 countries and territories. Furthermore, the [...]

Recognizing National Adult Immunization Awareness Week

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

In late September, our country recognized National Adult Immunization Awareness Week (NAIAW) 2009 as designated by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

National Adult Immunization Awareness Week is an annual recognition spearheaded by the NFID to coordin [...]

A Month to Honor Our Homecare & Hospice Heroes

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Because November is National Homecare & Hospice Month, we would like to pay tribute to the dedicated homecare nursing professionals, including RNs, LPN/LVNs, CNAs, and HHAs. These individuals truly enable the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill to remain comfortable in their homes.

Maxim Healthcare Services is proud to recognize in-home caregivers during this special month.

What Homecare & Hospice Nurses Do
While home healthcare is gene [...]

How Technology Helps Nurses Respond to Patients Faster

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Nursing is a fast-paced and rapidly changing profession, especially when it comes to patient response and interaction. As technology continues to advance within the medical field, it is helping nurses to more effectively aid and assist their patients.

Nurse Offers Lifeline For Struggling Moms

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Kyana Mitchell, a Philadelphia-area public-health nurse, is extending her services to area single parents. Herself a former single parent, she drives to the homes of first-time mothers, spending an hour dispensing supplies and advice - for both the babies and the children raising them. Read more

Th [...]