Resource Bank
Resource Bank
BSN degree available via Internet
A strategic partnership that will allow registered nurses to earn a bachelor of science degree (BSN) almost exclusively over the Internet was announced at the recent National Student Nurses Association conference in Salt Lake City. The new on-line degree program, BSN-LINC, was developed through a cooperative effort among the University of Wisconsin Learning Innovations, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB), and NursingCenter.com.
Through the NursingCenter.com Web site, registered nurses can bundle access to continuing education courses and credits and the university registration fee at no increased cost. NursingCenter.com also will supply course packs with full text journal articles, as chosen by university faculty, to students in their customized electronic "file drawers," as well as a full range of searchable nursing reference materials.
The degree program is administered through the professional program in nursing at UWGB and is available to nurses in any state who have graduated with a 2.5 grade point average from an associate degree or nursing diploma program. The program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. Objectives and educational methods in the program are designed by UWGB to meet the needs of adult learners and practicing RNs.
"BSN-LINC provides tremendous flexibility for registered nurses because they can enter the program while still maintaining a full- or part-time schedule, which allows them to fit their study time around individual schedules, as well as to continue participating in other activities," says Jane Muhl, PhD, RN, associate professor and chairwoman of the professional program in nursing at UWGB.
For more information on BSN-LINC and the BSN degree program, visit NursingCenter.com or call (877) 656-1483.
Pocket resource helps manage diseases in older patients
The American Geriatrics Society in New York City recently released the second edition of Geriatrics At Your Fingertips. This pocket-sized, comprehensive clinical guide is a useful tool for evaluating and managing the diseases and disorders that most commonly affect older persons.
The guide includes assessment instruments, recommended diagnostic tests, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management strategies, and updated federal rules useful for health care professionals treating patients in nursing homes.
The second edition is easier to use than the first and includes an expanded index and alphabetized chapters for easy reference. The revised edition also includes new information on peripheral vascular disease and neuropathies, findings from recent research, and updated information on the care of older adults.
The guide costs $10.95 with discounts available for orders of 10 or more copies. To order, call (800) 338-8290. For bulk orders of 500 or more copies, call (800) 247-4779.
Allergy report available on the Web
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Diego recently released a 600-page report for primary care professionals on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic allergy conditions, which cost the health care system roughly $10 billion annually, according to AAAAI.
The report was a two-year project in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, MD, and 20 medical and patient advocacy groups. "We are proud of this accomplishment," says Gary S. Rachelefsky, MD, task force co-chair and past president of AAAAI. "The report translates knowledge into recommendations that family practice physicians, internists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants, and others who treat patients with allergies can use in their day-to-day practices."
The report is an evidence-based, practical, easy-to-access guide to allergic disorders. It includes standardized information on the most common allergic diseases and conditions that often have an allergic component. Conditions discussed include rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, rhino sinusitis, chronic or recurrent otitis media, conjunctivitis, hives, angioedema, contact dermatitis, and drug, food, insect sting, latex, anaphylactic, and anaphylactoid reactions.
The report is organized into three volumes, with references grouped by section for ease of use. It focuses on diagnosis and treatment as well as clinical recommendations and practical suggestions for specific conditions. It also addresses prevention, barriers to appropriate patient care, and the need for more allergy research.
The report is available on the Internet at www.TheAllergyReport.org or by contacting AAAAI at [email protected].
New tip sheet on medical errors
Background report also available
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a new fact sheet with practical tips to help people protect themselves from errors in their health care. "20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors" has specific, research-based recommendations on preventing medical errors related to medicines, hospital stays, and surgery. Other general recommendations to help prevent medical errors are also included.
To order the free one-page fact sheet, call AHRQ's publications clearinghouse at (800) 358-9295 and request publication #00-PO38. The tip sheet is also available on the Internet at www.ahrq.gov/consumer/20tips.htm.
AHRQ also recently released "Medical Errors: The Scope of the Problem," which includes statistics on the prevalence of medical errors, examples of medical errors, and research-based strategies for preventing medical errors.
To access the report, visit AHRQ's Web site at www.ahrq.gov/qual/errback.htm.
Sweet news for diabetics
Health Care Products, a division of Hi-Tech Pharmacal in Amityville, NY, recently released DiabetiSweet "Measure for Measure," the first bulk sweetener that can completely replace sugar in baking and cooking. DiabetiSweet is more suitable than other sugar substitutes for baking and cooking because it tastes and cooks like natural sugar, according to the manufacturer.
Other sugar substitutes require the addition of some sugar in cooking and baking to maintain the quality standards of the recipe. DiabetiSweet eliminates that need because it is the only nonsugar bulk sweetener currently on the market with a one-to-one substitution rate for natural sugar.
DiabetiSweet contains no saccharin or aspartame and, according to the manufacturer, has the following characteristics:
• remains heat stable to maintain sweetness at high temperatures;
• is granulated for even consistency in baked goods;
• shares the same baking and cooking properties as sugar;
• has no aftertaste.
DiabetiSweet contains acesulfame k, a high-intensity sweetener, and Isomalt, a sweetener and bulking agent that adds volume to recipes and allows the sweetener to maintain sweetness in high heat. It contains no hidden forms of sugar like sorbitol or fructose, so it is safe for diabetics. In addition, it contains no sodium.
Diabetics can find DiabetiSweet in retail stores, including Wal-Mart, Kmart and Walgreens. More information is available on the Internet at www.diabeticproducts.com.
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