A study of medication errors in nursing homes suggests they can be curtailed by talk and technology. Researchers under supervision of Professor Jill Scott-Cawiezell have watched 16-thousand medications being delivered in nursing homes and they’ve seen how good people working hard face situations in which errors are produced. Cawiezell, who is with the nursing school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, says nursing home staff members are aware of all of the errors…but leaders often are aware of less than five percent of them. She says nursing home administators need to cultivate a culture of safety. But she says it’s contrary to the way business has often been done in which someone who makes a mistake is branded as “bad.” She says the culture of safety leads to an understand that most mistakes in health care are failures of systems that set up people for mistakes. She says technology is a system that can alleviate opportunities for errors by providing more accurate record-keeping and better direction. But she says it is important for management to understand how life happens to the staff, listen to staff problems, and take steps to solve the problems instead of assessing blame. Her research is published in the professional journal “Nursing Forum.”
Proposed Wage Hike Sparks Controversy
Whether a higher minimum wage will fight poverty is a point of contention as we head toward a vote on Proposition B. Five dollars and 15 cents isn’t good enough for the sponsor of the proposal. State Representative Paul LeVota, co-sponsor of Proposition B, wants to hike the minimum wage to 6.50 an hour. But, that’s not all. Proposition B also ties the minimum wage to the consumer price index, meaning the minimum wage would adjust annually according to increases in the cost of living. All this, LeVota says, to keep full-time minimum wage earners from living in poverty. Gary Marble, with opposing Save Our State’s Jobs Coalition, says that won’t happen with a minimum wage tied to the CPI. He says the added wage costs will only discourage employers to from giving raises and freeze the wages of middle wage earners.
Education Representatives now Part of Regional Homeland Security Teams
Governor Matt Blunt has signed an executive order beefing up homeland security teams to enhance school safety. The Governor’s order will, in effect, officially bring the education community into the security loop by having a representative of a region’s schools on each Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee. These are the panels comprised of law enforcement, federal and state officials, community leaders, and first responders. Jessica Robinson, the Governor’s Press Secretary, says it’s important schools be a part of these committees. She says this move will allow the Regional Homeland Security teams to make sure the education community has a greater involvement in security planning.
Missouri Falls To Top-Ranked Huskers
There seems to be a big difference between being No. 1 and being No. 16 in college volleyball. The 16th ranked Missouri Tigers learned that lesson the hard way as they were swept by top-ranked Nebraska for the second time this season.
A sold-out crowd in Lincoln watched the Huskers run away with a 30-27, 30-23, and 30-16 victory. Jessica Vander Kooi was the lone bright spot for the Tigers with 14 kills and 11 digs moving her into third-place all-time at Mizzou.
The Tigers could not overcome Sarah Pavan and her match-high 18 kills.
Mizzou stays on the road this weekend with a match against Baylor Friday night.
Coffman Accepts Weekly Award
Chase and Chase… Sounds like a high-end law firm. But more often than not this season, it has resulted in positive pass completions for the Missouri Tigers. That is in quarterback Chase Daniel to tight end Chase Coffman. The quarterback receives plenty of praise from anyone who can get within talking distance. The tight end sometimes falls in the background especially since he might not even be the best tight end on his team.
The sophomore tight end has been named John Mackey Tight End of the Week for his effort against Kansas State. Coffman helped the Tigers end a 13-game losing streak to the Wildcats with six catches for a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown. Mizzou won the game 41-21 improving to 7-1 for the first time since 1969.
Coffman is the Big 12 Conference leader this season with 35 catches, 353 yards, and 5 touchdowns. He is only one touchdown shy of the Missouri tight end record of six set by Kellen Winslow and Dwayne Blakley.
