Nursing Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

These are the MediaLab courses that cover Nursing and links to relevant pages within the course.

Learn more about laboratory continuing education for medical technologists to earn CE credit for AMT, ASCP, NCA, and state license renewal and recertification. Or get information about laboratory safety and compliance courses that deliver cost-effective OSHA safety training and continuing education to your laboratory's employees.

Confirmatory and Secondary Urinalysis Screening Tests

Other Reducing Substances

Although glucose is the sugar most commonly tested for in urine, normal human urine can contain small amounts of galactose, lactose, fructose, xylose, and other pentoses. Galactosuria, an abnormal amount of galactose in the urine, occurs in infants with a congenital metabolic defect. Lactose may be found in the urine of nursing women and during late pregnancy. All of these sugars, including glucose, are reducing substances.

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HIPAA Privacy and Security Regulations

Case Study: De-identified Health Information. You work in a laboratory microbiology department which provides a local nursing home with information about the effectiveness of various antibiotics it uses to treat infections. You print the requested information, including complete patient identification, bacterial organisms identified, and their sensitivity to various antibiotics. What information should you provide to the nursing home?

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Laws and Rules of the Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel
Kickback and Inducement Violations Offering or taking a bribe, kickback, bonus, commission, or inducement is against the rules of the Board and against the law. Many companies give away small promotional items, such as pens or note pads, to promote their products. This is legal, but be cautious about accepting more valuable items. This could be seen as a bribe. All of the following are serious violations of Board, state, and federal rules:Participating in any commissions, bonuses, kickbacks, inducements, or split-fee arrangements from physicians, health care providers, suppliers, hospitals, nursing homes, other clinical laboratories, pharmacies, and other facilities.Exploiting or influencing a patient for financial gain, including promoting, selling, or withholding services, drugs, or referrals.	View Page
Which of the following are violations of Board rules?	View Page

Medical Error Prevention
JCAHO Sentinel Event ALERTS Since 1998, JCAHO has issued 25 Sentinel Event ALERTS to the healthcare community. These publications include more than 50 evidence or expert-based recommendations for preventing adverse events. Sentinel Event Alerts address various error reduction topics: Transfusion reactionsInpatient suicideInfant abductionsWrong site surgery or other proceduresPatient falls Laboratory professionals can be involved in all of these types of Sentinel Events. JCAHO's first Sentinel Event ALERT addressed the common practice of storing concentrated potassium chloride solutions in hospital nursing units.	View Page
Direct Error Detection Even perfect systems designs cannot avert human limitations. Medical errors occur and they have to be detected before they can be resolved. Sometimes people directly observe and immediately report these mistakes.	View Page
JCAHO Patient Safety Goals JCAHO adopted national patient safety goals for laboratories and many other healthcare organizations. 2006 Laboratory Services National Patient Safety Goals These goals are directly quoted.	View Page

Medicare Compliance for Clinical Laboratories
Client contracts A laboratory that receives referrals from a nursing home or Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) should have a written agreement with that facility: The Agreement should define billing and documentation responsibilities. The facility should be responsible for determining the payment status of its patients and is liable for submitting incorrect payment information to the laboratory. Fees should be consistent with other similar customers. A laboratory that provides services to a Home Health Agency treating Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries should have a written agreement with that agency: The Agreement should define billing and documentation responsibilities. The Agreement should place the responsibility on the Home Health Agency to establish that all patients receiving laboratory services are "homebound" as defined by Medicare. Fees should be consistent with other similar customers.	View Page
Case Study 10 The setting is nursing home where a phlebotomist from the laboratory goes to draw blood samples each day. The phlebotomist picks up the requisitions for blood test orders at the nursing station and then goes to the various rooms to draw blood from the patients. She notices that every requisition has an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) attached to it that is signed by the patient, even when the tests that were ordered don't need them. She asks the nurse at the station but she informs the phlebotomist that she doesn't know anything about it because it is done on the night shift.She lets the phlebotomist know that she will inform the nursing supervisor about it when she arrives at 9:00 AM. The phlebotomist completes her blood draws and returns to the laboratory. What should the phlebotomist do, if anything, in addition to her letting the nurse know about the problem?Correct Answer: The phlebotomist should report the incident to her supervisor upon returning to the laboratory.Discussion: Since the laboratory is submitting the claims for any Medicare patients that the phlebotomist might draw, the problem is the labs problem. However, it is not going to change the fact that the ABNs were already signed by the patients if the phlebotomist refuses to draw them or if the nursing personnel are required to remove them. By contacting the supervisor, an appropriate representative from the laboratory can follow up with the nursing supervisor to ensure they understand the laws and regulations that govern ABNs.	View Page

Phlebotomy
Discussion The phlebotomist should always carefully observe the patient for clues about his mental and physical condition. In this case, the patient verbally expressed her fear of needles. In other cases, such fear may be expressed on the patient’s face or through other clues. It may help to engage apprehensive patients in conversation during the venipuncture to keep their mind off the procedure.As soon as the patient stated that she felt faint, the procedure should have been terminated. If a sitting patient faints, placing her head between her knees will help to revive her. Make sure the patient does not injure herself. Ammonium (smelling) salts, if in use at your institution, should be used cautiously, since they can be irritating. Get help from the nursing staff or a physician. Stay with the patient at least 15 minutes. The patient should not leave the area for at least 30 minutes. Make sure other appropriate institutional procedures are followed after fainting.Relevant topics:Fainting, Fainting continued	View Page
Uncooperative patients If a patient is uncooperative or combative, request help from the nursing staff. The nursing staff will assist you in an appropriate manner according to your hospital’s procedures for patient restraint.	View Page
What is a phlebotomist’s role in health care facility? [continued] Phlebotomists work in a variety of settings including: Hospitals Physician Offices Nursing Homes Home Health Care Clinics, and Military facilities. A well trained phlebotomist will therefore have a variety of job opportunities available.Other medical professionals, including nurses, respiratory therapists, and medical assistants may also be trained to collect blood specimens.	View Page