The December 2018 issue of the Nurses on Boards Coalition newsletter features an NOBC update and resources as well as a featured story about Kleia Luckner, RN, BSN, MSN, CNM, JD, of the Virginia Maternal Mortality Commission.

The healthcare media company compiled its 10 most popular nursing stories of the year, revealing that education, patient experience and nurse stressors remain hot topics in the profession and that nurses are the solution to challenges faced by healthcare organizations.

A new study finds BSN-prepared RNs have less safety and educational gaps when compared to associate degree nurses, lending new support to the longstanding debate on whether a BSN should be required for entry to practice.

Travel nursing within United States is one of the hottest trends because of the flexibility, high pay, excitement, and ability to travel the country. International nursing is a trend that is just starting to gain popularity. 

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The U.S. House passed a bipartisan bill aimed at reversing the maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. Supporters say the bill represents Congress’ strongest action against the issue. The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed countries, at a rate of 26.4 deaths per 100,000 births.

The number of physicians scattered among Apple teams is an indication that the tech giant is serious about helping patients manage disease, not just wellness and fitness, CNBC reports. Interestingly, Apple recently released a software update that includes the much-anticipated Apple Watch app for electrocardiograms (ECGs).

As delivery networks grow and deploy broad enterprise EHR platforms, the challenge of making them help rather than hinder clinicians is increasing, but artificial intelligence could make the systems more flexible and intelligent.

Healthcare institutions have a role to play because trafficking’s victims so often require medical treatment. Texas ranks second only to California in the number of victims, and Houston has more than any other city, according to a University of Texas study.

Activity trackers might lead to better outcomes for hospital patients — when nurses wear them. A UW–Madison School of Nursing professor is using them to track nurse movement in hospitals in order to uncover data about what causes fatigue in the work environment and what health systems can do to minimize its impact on nurses and patients.

Experts with the Care New England Health System and several other institutions have developed the “Conversation Nurse” model, which trains providers to discuss serious illnesses and care goals with patients, from hospital to skilled nursing facility and back to their home.

AMN Healthcare Services Inc., the leader and innovator in workforce solutions and healthcare staffing services, announced that Dr. Cole Edmonson, DNP, RN, will join the company as chief clinical officer. Edmonson was formerly with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.