Becker's Hospital Review

40 CMO / CARE DELIVERY CDC pinpoints potential culprit for vaping illnesses By Mackenize Bean T he CDC on Nov. 8 identified vitamin E acetate as the chemical potentially causing the string of va- ping-related lung illnesses that sickened more than 2,000 people nationwide, reported The Wall Street Journal. The agency tested lung fluid samples from 29 pa- tients in 10 states and found vitamin E acetate in every sample. The chemical is used as an additive in some vaping products. The agency also tested for other common chemicals found in vaping products, but no others were detected in patient samples. "This is the first time that we have detected a potential chemical of concern in biologic samples from patients with these lung injuries," the agency said in an update. "These findings provide direct evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury within the lungs." The findings are not enough to label vitamin E acetate the official cause of the lung illness- es but do offer a significant breakthrough in the agency's investigation. n Texas Medical Center challenges physician shortage projections By Emily Rappleye H ouston-based Texas Medical Center says the physician shortage may be less severe than anticipated, according to a survey of consum- ers and physicians from its Health Policy Institute. Previous projections from the American Association of Medical Colleges estimate a shortage of 46,900 to 121,900 physicians by 2032. According to TMC's sur- vey, 90 percent of primary care physicians and 78 per- cent of specialists surveyed said they believe a short- age is looming. Most physicians (about 75 percent) are prepared to share the patient load with nurse practi- tioners or even postpone retirement plans if more ad- ministrative duties could be taken off their plates. TMC notes, however, that patients are not yet feeling the shortage. The survey shows fewer than 1 in 5 con- sumers had difficulty scheduling new patient visits with a primary care physician and fewer than 1 in 6 had diffi- culty scheduling an appointment with a specialist. "The best way to tell if we have a doctor shortage is by asking patients whether they can easily get an ap- pointment," Arthur "Tim" Garson Jr., MD, director of TMC's Health Policy Institute, said in a press release. "For now, they overwhelmingly say 'yes.'" n More than 1 in 5 RNs have a second nursing job, survey finds By Kelly Gooch M any U.S. nurses are holding down multiple jobs, ac- cording to a survey from AMN Healthcare. AMN, a healthcare staffing company, surveyed 19,967 RNs nationwide in spring 2018 and found that 22 percent, or more than 1 in 5, hold more than one job as a nurse. Of those working two jobs as a nurse, 7 percent said they are working a full-time second job. Researchers said this means about 273,000 of the nation's RNs are working two full- time nursing jobs, based on numbers from a nursing work- force study published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. Eighteen percent of respondents who are working more than one job said they "agree" or "strongly agree" it negatively affects the quality of their work, according to the survey, but most respondents (61 percent) said they "disagree" or "strong- ly disagree" it hurt their work quality. The remaining 21 percent neither agreed nor disagreed. The survey also found 37 percent of respondents working two nurse jobs agreed that working multiple jobs negatively affect- ed their quality of life. n How this VA hospital in Wisconsin cut nurse turnover by 52% By Gabrielle Masson A mid a severe nursing shortage, a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs hospital launched an interview program that re- duced nurse turnover rates by 52 percent, according to McKnight's Long-Term Care News. Tomah (Wis.) VA Medical Center implemented the Nursing Stay Interview program over a year ago. The initiative requires nurse managers to interview new nurses after 30 and 90 days on the job. Questions include, "What, if anything, would you change about your job?" and "What things demoralize you and make you long for your days off?" The questions prompt open discussion between staff and hospital leaders, and help leaders fix problems, according to Natalie Hackbarth, MSN, RN, acting associate chief of staff for mental health and associate chief nurse for mental health at the VA facility. In the program's first year, nurse turnover dropped by 52 percent. The program now includes licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants and mental health services staff, Ms. Hackbarth told McKnight's Long-Term Care News. Similar programs have been implemented at VA facilities in Texas and Oklahoma. n

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