NurseZone Newsletter | 2-27-2009

Nurses, like everyone else, are interested in moving up the pay scale as much as possible, especially in these tough economic times. While you can increase your pay over the long term by increasing your level of education, pursuing a higher paying specialty or by adding years of experience to your résumé, the biggest bump in pay may entail taking a job in another part of the country.

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President Obama announced another step forward in overhauling the U.S. health care system with the announcement of a plan to raise $634 billion through tax hikes on couples earning over $250,000 per year and cuts in Medicare spending. This initiative is in addition to the recently signed American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which allocates $59 billion for health care. 

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Reducing distractions during medication administration cut errors in half at one California hospital and now nurses are spreading their safer medication-pass concept with other facilities.

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Resembling a giant ATM, the InstyMeds vending machine uses state-of-the-art technology to dispense medications directly to consumers at the point-of-care, such as the waiting rooms of emergency departments, cutting paperwork for busy ED nurses and offering greater convenience to patients.

A rapidly changing health care environment and technology advances in nursing are creating a need for more registered nurses with bachelor's degrees. Nursing schools are meeting this challenge by boosting BSN and RN-to-BSN programs and devising ways for working nurses to fit courses into their hectic schedules.