Legislative Update
WARN Legislative Update Winter 2011
Judy Klaver
Wisconsin Nursing Coalition
The next meeting of the WNC is November 17th. The annual education is being planned for January. Advanced Care Planning is the proposed topic for the day.
Nurses in the news
Nursing tops list of high-paid jobs of the future. These positions are going to be in demand as business climate and US population changes.
By Michael B. Sauter Wall Street Journal September 2, 2011.
If you decided on a new career path today, wouldn’t you like to know which jobs will be in high demand and pay the most once you were out of school? To serve as a guide, 24/7 Wall St. has identified the best-paying jobs of the future. These jobs will grow the most in the next decade and have median incomes well above the national average. Almost without exception, these occupations will be in highest demand because of changes in the nation’s population and in the way the country’s businesses operate.
One change that will create high demands for some professions is the increasing amount of data available to businesses. It is expected to grow 50 times over the next decade, according to predictions from technology research firm IDC. In an effort to make sense of the vast quantities of information, businesses will need employees who can understand and organize the data in a meaningful way. Professions such as market research analysts and management analysts will be in high demand.
Another change is the aging population. This year, the first baby boomers turned 65. As this generation grays, their needs will change. Their growing numbers and increasing medical needs will require more health care professionals to care for them. In particular, doctors, nurses and dental hygienists will all be in much greater demand. These new retirees will also increasingly look for help from personal financial advisors to navigate their investments.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Employment Matrix, which provides projected growth between 2008 and 2018 for the Bureau’s 750 major job categories. We then identified the jobs that are going to add the largest number of new positions — at least a 20 percent increase — and then selected those that had a median annual income of at least $60,000. These reflect the best-paying jobs that will also have the highest demand for new workers in the future.
• Registered nurses
Total new jobs (2008-2018): 581,500
Percentage increase: 22.2
Median income: $64,690
States with most jobs per capita: Rhode Island, South Dakota, Massachusetts
Registered nurses provide basic medical treatment, manage patient records, and are the primary providers of long-term care for patients. Like dental hygienists, registered nurses are not required to have medical licenses, but still earn healthy salaries. While the number of doctors and surgeons is expected to jump by 144,000 by 2018, the number of nurses is truly set to explode.
According to the BLS, “Growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of health problems to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly.”
2. Accountants & Auditors
3. Management Analysts
4. Computer Application Software Engineers
5. Physicians & surgeons
6. Computer Systems Analysts
7. Market Research Analysts
8. Civil Engineers
9. Dental Hygienists
10. Personal Financial Advisors
Nurses step up their careers with doctorates from the New York Times
More nurses are earning doctorates to boost their careers and gain more respect from colleagues. For nurses, a doctoral degree can open doors to top administrative and academic jobs. Some doctors fear their roles as well as titles are being encroached upon, but nursing leaders say that's not the case. "Knowledge is exploding, and the doctor of nursing practice degree evolved out of a grass-roots recognition that we need to continuously improve our curriculum," said University of Michigan Nursing School Dean Kathleen Potempa.
ARN Health Policy Digest - October 2011
Welcome to this month's edition of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides monthly updates on health policy, legislative, and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.
CMMI Update: Bundled Payments for Care Improvement
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is looking for applicants for four bundled payment models. Three models involve a retrospective payment, while one model pays providers prospectively. These initiatives are flexible and allow the provider to have input on what services to bundle and how payment will be allocated. Applications are now being accepted for models 2-4. Model 2 would define the episode of care as the hospital stay plus post-acute care associated with the stay. Model 3 would define the episode of care as just the post-acute care, beginning with the initiation of post-acute care services after discharge from an acute inpatient stay. Model 4 would require CMS to make a single, prospective bundled payment that would encompass all services furnished during an inpatient stay by the hospital, physicians and other practitioners. The closing date to submit a letter of intent to apply for models 2-4 is November 4th. Find out how to apply.
Updated 2011 Medicare Payment Basics
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has updated the 2011 Medicare Payment Basics series. View all 18 payment systems.
IOM Releases Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy Report
The Institute of Medicine has released a report outlining a study of the effects of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) on individuals who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. The IOM was asked to undertake this study to shed light on the debate surrounding coverage of CRT for members of the military and veterans. The study found that although there are signs of promising data, more studies and research will be needed to determine just how effective CRT is. Improvements on the ways data are collected are needed to overcome the challenges of studying CRT. Read the summary or download the full report.
NIH Database Will Speed Research Toward Better Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury
The Center for Information Technology (CIT) at the National Institutes of Health was chosen to build a Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR) database in order to collect, organize, and store research regarding Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The CIT was chosen in part because of past success with the National Database on Autism Research. The TBI database will build upon a larger effort to establish definitions and guidelines about the kinds of data that should be collected, and how to collect these data in clinical studies. Read more about the specific expectations of the database.
Joint Commission Seeks Input from Complex Stroke Patient Caregivers
Health care professionals who work with complex stroke patients are needed to provide feedback regarding a new advanced certification for comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs). The certification is expected to launch in July 2012 and will be rigorous compared to the current Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Learn more and submit your comments by visiting the Joint Commission website.
HHS Office of Inspector General Provides FY2012 Work Plan
Each fall the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services releases a work plan outlining the projects it plans to address in the following Fiscal Year. These items can be continuations of previous projects or initiations of new ones. Any projects that cut across departmental programs are also included in this report. Download the work plan.
When the Nurse Wants to be Called Doctor
Recently, thousands of nurses have been returning to school to obtain their doctorate degree, which has sparked not only a debate about titles, but also a fight for money, power, and prestige that accompanies the title. Physicians and their allies are fighting to restrict the title of Doctor. Already in Arizona, Delaware, and several other states there are laws that prevent nurses, pharmacists and others from using the title of "doctor" unless they immediately identify their profession. Find out more about both sides of the debate.
Recovery Audit Contractor Program to Start in January
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on September 14th that puts the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program in to effect on January 1, 2012. This program was created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Health Reform. The Medicaid RAC is being based off the same RAC system currently used for Medicare and is expected to save $2.1 billion over the next five years. RACs are responsible for finding and resolving discrepancies in payments to beneficiaries. Read the complete rule.
Military Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center to Open
Inpatient and outpatient services will soon be provided in San Antonio, TX to members of the military who have suffered multiple traumatic injuries. The center will be staffed at a ratio of one nurse to every two or three patients and will feature state of the art equipment and technology. Although the opening date is set for next month, staff have already been treating patients at a temporary site nearby. Read more about the center or watch a short video.
Improvements Made in Skilled Nursing and Post Acute Care
Using government data, The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care and the American Health Care Association have published their third "Annual Quality Report." The report compiles data showing the rehabilitation capabilities of SNFs, trends in skilled nursing care and the need for quality measures to effectively evaluate rehabilitation outcomes among an increasingly diverse patient population. This year's report gives a positive summary of the data, showing that improvements have been made in 9 of the 10 quality areas. Read the summary or view the entire report.
BIAA Receives Grant to Help Children with TBI
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has issued the Brain Injury Association of America a grant to address the mismatch in hospital data and school system data with regards to the number of children with TBI. BIAA will work with Mt. Sinai Medical School on this effort and will provide policy recommendations in the form of a published policy brief next year. Find out more.
CMS Urged to Compensate for Care Coordination
The Relative Value Scale Update Committee has urged CMS to provide compensation for care coordination such as phone calls, patient education, and managing chronic conditions. Registered Nurses are often the leading providers of these tasks. Find out more.
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
4700 W. Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025-1485
800.229.7530 847.375.6481 Fax
info@rehabnurse.org www.rehabnurse.org
Past updates
July 2011 update
May 2011 update
December 2010 update
May 2010 update
February 2010 update
Fall 2009 update