Sepsis has been named as the most expensive in-patient cost in American hospitals in 2014 averaging more than $18,000 per hospital stay. With over 1.5 million sepsis hospital stays in 2014 per year, that works out to costs of $27 billion each year. Studies investigating survival have reported slightly different numbers, but it appears that on average, approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis do not survive. Up to 50% of survivors suffer from post-sepsis syndrome. Until a cure for sepsis is found, early detection is the surest hope for survival and limiting disability for survivors. Read Sepsis Alliance’s Sepsis Fact Sheet for additional information.
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Massachusetts Sepsis Consortium
Every 2 minutes someone dies from sepsis in the U.S. – that’s more than from prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined. Sepsis is a medical emergency in the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts Sepsis Consortium brings together leading experts and advocates from across the state to raise awareness and save lives.
The Massachusetts Sepsis Consortium brings together a group of organizations essential to planning and executing an effective public health response to sepsis. It also provides ongoing strategic direction for statewide initiatives to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis, and supplies the administrative backbone necessary to sustain progress. The consortium model is well-suited to addressing multifaceted, persistent challenges like sepsis that require the focus of dispersed parties with expertise and authority but whose impact would be limited if acting alone. Read the Massachusetts Sepsis Consortium charter.
Global Sepsis Alliance
Global Sepsis Alliance has produced a library of Sepsis Information Guides on dozens of topics. These guides are high resolution and can be printed and distributed to patients, co-workers, and other professionals.
Available guides include Life After Sepsis, Aging, Amputations, Appendicitis, C. difficile, COPD, Cellulitis, Children, Dental Infections, Diabetes, Flu, HAI, HIV/AIDS, Immune System, Kidney Stones, Liver Disease, MRSA, Meningitis, Necrotizing Fasciitis, Paralysis, Pneumonia, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Strep B, Surgery, TSS, UTIs, and other fact sheets.
Introducing Job Stress: A Continuing Education Program for Today’s Nurse
CPH-NEW is a NIOSH Total Worker HealthTM Center for Excellence. This program was supported by NIOSH Grant Number U19-OH008857.
A free online continuing education program on causes, impacts, and prevention strategies to deal with job stress.
The online program consists of 4 modules to educate nurses on the latest research on job stress concepts, stressors in the healthcare workplace, the impact of stress on nurses and patients, and coping and prevention strategies at the individual and organizational level. Materials were developed by faculty at UMass Lowell Departments of Work Environment, Nursing, and Community Health and Sustainability.
- Earn continuing education credits—This program meets the MA Board of Registration in Nursing requirements for 4 contact hours.
- Assess your workplace and health behaviors—Identify sources of stress in your work environment; understand how stress impacts quality of care, as well as your own physical and mental health.
- Learn coping and prevention strategies—Stress reduction in the workplace must focus on both individuals and the organization.
Falls Prevention Awareness Week – September 22 – 28 2018
Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, unintentional injuries, and hospital admissions for trauma. Falls can take a serious toll on older adults’ quality of life and independence. To recognize this critical issue, at the state level, SCR 77 (D-Lowenthal) was passed in 2008 declaring the first week of Fall each year as Fall Prevention Awareness Week.
Ergonomics Program Builds on Hospital Improvement Efforts
The Center for Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW) has released an online continuing education program to help nurses prevent musculoskeletal injuries in the clinical care setting.
The new online education program, developed by CPH‐NEW occupational ergonomics experts and faculty at the Solomont School of Nursing at UMass Lowell, offers 10 essential components of an effective prevention program to reduce patient handling injuries.
This free program consists of six self-paced online modules aimed at reducing risks for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Participants will learn to use ergonomic principles, work practice, and administrative controls to identify and reduce hazards associated with patient handling and non-patient handling tasks.
The program is intended to supplement the work that most hospitals have done to improve patient handling in an effort to protect both patients and the healthcare workforce.
Conceptual Model of Factors Affecting Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its landmark report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System [1], which revealed that a significant number of people die annually from medical errors. The report spurred two decades of action on the part of hospitals and health care professionals to improve patient safety. The IOM, renamed the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), is now addressing the issue of clinician well-being. The Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience (the “action collaborative”) was launched in January 2017 in response to the burgeoning body of evidence that burnout is endemic and affects patient outcomes. The action collaborative has defined “clinician” and “burnout” in Box 1.
Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub
Sharing Knowledge to Combat Clinician Burnout.
Click here to find articles, research studies, and other resources
The Rory Staunton Foundation for Sepsis
We established The Rory Staunton Foundation after our son’s death from sepsis in April 2012. Our overriding goal is to ensure that no other child or young adult dies of sepsis resulting from the lack of a speedy diagnosis and immediate medical treatment.
Our Mission
- To reduce the number of sepsis-caused deaths through:
Raising public awareness of sepsis through education and awareness programs to promote faster diagnosis and effective treatment for children and young adults - Improving medical diagnosis of sepsis, particularly pediatric sepsis, through the implementation of rapid treatment protocols and improved communication between parents and medical staff in hospitals and medical clinics
- Supporting those affected by sepsis and providing a platform for their voices to be heard.
Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™
The Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge (HNHN GC), is a social movement designed to transform the health of the nation by supporting nurses to take positive action to improve health.
The HNHN GC will:
- Broadly connect and engage individual nurses and partner organizations to take action within five focus areas: physical activity, sleep, nutrition, quality of life, and safety.
- Provide a web platform to inspire action; cultivate friendly competition; provide content and resources to nurses; gather data; and connect nurses with each other, employers, and organizations.