Top Nursing Stories of 2018

The year 2018 saw news about the nursing shortage, nursing salaries, struggles at nursing homes, new laws and lawsuits, nursing strikes across the country, and everyday nursing hero stories. Here are some headlines that grabbed our attention this past year.

House Passes Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act
The Energy and Commerce Committee (@HouseCommerce) reports The U.S. House of Representatives passage of the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (HR 959) in July.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gives skilled nursing 2.4% Medicare pay raise
In April, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (@CMSGov) announced an $850 million pay raise for skilled nursing facilities for fiscal 2019.

American Nurses Association + HIMSS Announce New Relationship to Advance Nurse-led Innovation
American Nurses Association (@ANANursingWorld) and HIMSS (@HIMSS ‏) joined forces , announcing the purpose of the partnership is to drive nurse-led innovation through co-branded initiatives. One such initiative is NursePitch, an event that will occur at HIMSS in February 2019 and followed by a competition at the April 2019 ANA Quality Innovation Conference.

2018’s Best & Worst States for Nurses
According to Wallet Hub (@wallethub) the states of Maine, Montana and Washington are the top places for nurses to work. Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming have the highest annual nursing salary (adjusted for cost of living.) Places not to live? The District of Columbia, Hawaii and Vermont were listed as the worst three places to work.

Yes, Nurses Have ‘Physically Taxing’ Jobs. And a $20.8 Million Settlement
This New York Times (@nytimes) article recounts the settlement that finally included nurses in the description of “physically taxing” jobs. For decades, multiply other professions who were deemed “physically taxing” were eligible to retire at age 50, after 25 years of service, and start collecting full pensions.