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Temporary Nurses May Save Patient Lives During Hospital Shortages, Says New Study

Supplemental nurses could be “lifesavers” during times of critical nurse shortages in U.S. hospitals, according to a new study by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing researchers.

The study, “Hospital Use of Agency-Employed Supplemental Nurses and Patient Mortality and Failure to Rescue,” examined controlled data from more than 1.3 million patients and 40,000 nurses in more than 600 U.S. hospitals to reach its conclusions. Set to be published in Health Services Research later today, the study was funded in part by the American Staffing Association Foundation.

“Our study showed these nurses could be lifesavers. Hiring temporary nurses can alleviate shortages that could produce higher patient mortality,” says Linda H. Aiken, Ph.D., RN, the lead researcher of the study and a professor of sociology and nursing and director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research.

CHOPR research has long established a link between extending nurse shifts and adding patients to a nurse’s workload to potential risk of patient mortality.

The study also concludes that poor patient outcomes once believed associated with the hiring of supplemental nurses in hospitals are more likely the result of poor working conditions within those hospitals than of the temporary nurses hired to alleviate staff shortages.

“This research underscores the important role that supplemental nurses play in hospitals around the country,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “Not only are supplemental nurses just as qualified as permanent nurses, they improve the quality of patient care.”

Korn/Ferry International Q2 Profit Plunges, Agrees to Buy PDI Ninth House

NASDAQ (12/06/12)

Korn/Ferry International says for the second quarter of fiscal 2013, the company posted a 2% decline in fee revenue to $196.2 million, with a $14.8 million drop in executive recruitment fee revenue partially offset by increases in fee revenue of $9.4 million in leadership and talent consulting and $1.4 million in Futurestep. Of the increase in fee revenue in leadership and talent consulting, $5.2 million can be attributed to the company’s Sept. 1 acquisition of Global Novations. Additionally, the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Minneapolis-based PDI Ninth House, a provider of leadership solutions. PDINH will be part of Korn/Ferry’s leadership and talent consulting segment. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Korn/Ferry will pay approximately $80 million in cash at closing for 100% of the equity of PDINH. Korn/Ferry will pay up to $15 million of additional cash consideration based on the realization of synergies achieved during the 18 months commencing on the closing date. The transaction will be financed with cash on hand.

U.S. Service Sector Accelerates in November

MarketWatch (12/05/12) Jeffry Bartash

U.S. service companies grew at a faster pace in November, marking the 35th consecutive month of expansion, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The ISM’s services index rose from 54.2% in October to 54.7% in November. A number above 50 indicates more companies are expanding rather than shrinking. Still, service companies have grown more reluctant to hire new employees. The employment gauge declined 3.3 points to 50.3%, the lowest level since mid-summer. Eleven of the 18 service sectors tracked by ISM reported growth, down from 13 in October.

Obama, GOP Each Pitch to Business

Wall Street Journal (12/05/12) Patrick O’Connor

At the same time President Obama is pressuring chief executives to support higher taxes for higher-income Americans, Republicans are courting small businesses with their argument that higher taxes will hurt them and put a damper on the economy. Some top chief executives are supporting Obama, with the hope that the higher tax rates will be accompanied by cuts in federal spending and entitlements and result in long-term economic stability. However, while Republicans insist that raising tax rates for high-income Americans will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, research by the Tax Policy Center and the Congressional Research Service indicates that only a handful of small-business owners would be affected.

Plan to Limit Tax Breaks Gets a Push From Boehner

Wall Street Journal (12/05/12) John D. McKinnon

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) says a plan to limit tax breaks by capping them as a percentage of a taxpayer’s income is an option to consider as Congress and the White House work on an agreement to avoid the “fiscal cliff”. The plan was designed by Harvard University economics professor Martin Feldstein, a former Reagan adviser, who says it could generate substantial revenue. Supporters of the plan believe it would simplify the tax system as more people would take the standard deduction, but critics contend that it would require additional calculations and make the tax system more complex. Jason Furman, a top White House economic adviser, believes $400 billion to $500 billion in revenue could be raised over 10 years with a 2% cap—excluding charitable deductions—applied to households earning over $250,000 annually.

Last Chance—Show Off Your Industry Expertise

Can you offer solutions for the challenges that staffing firms face today? The American Staffing Association is now looking for staffing industry professionals to share their experience and expertise through published articles and presentations. ASA is also looking for professionals in business, work force, workplace management, and other disciplines pertinent to the staffing industry.

As a presenter for ASA, you will have the opportunity to reach out to staffing industry professionals and build lasting connections.

The deadline to submit a Staffing World® 2013 workshop proposal is Monday, Dec. 10. Proposals for ASAPro Webinars or articles for ASA publications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Earlier submissions are given priority.

For more information and to download submission guidelines, visit americanstaffing.net.