Editor's Note This study by nurse researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham examines nurse staffing and its relationship to quality nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the findings: Pearson correlation showed a statistically significant, moderately strong negative correlation between the active RN full-time equivalent (FTE) and average…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 21 that it is seeking comments on its proposed new Emergency Management (EM) requirements for accredited ambulatory health care and office-based surgery programs. The new requirements, which will be released in July 2024, will help organizations develop and improve their actions and…

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Cincinnati Children’s Hosptial Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, was ranked the nation’s top hospital by US News & World Report in its 2023-2024 Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals. Best Children’s Hospital Honor Roll: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas…

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Editor's Note Because of recent studies, the evolving nature of COVID-19, and widespread vaccination, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) on June 20 released a joint statement providing updated recommendations for the timing of elective surgery and anesthesia after COVID-19 infection. The recommendations include:…

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Editor's Note This study from nurse researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham identifies factors associated with span of control in nursing management, which encompasses the complexities of the nurse manager’s role in acute care settings. Data from 22 peer-reviewed articles were included in the analysis. Principal findings include:…

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Editor's Note This study from Baptist Health-Fort Smith, Arkansas, finds that the low-energy consumption ventilation system specified for in US operating rooms produces different zones of sterile protection from airborne microbe carrying particles (MCP) during total joint arthroplasties. The predominant source of MCPs are from personnel in the OR—an average…

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Editor's Note In its first public study of health system executives, Incredible Health reveals that 94% of executives describe the nursing shortage as “critical.” The 2023 Healthcare Executive Report, released June 13, which solicited responses from 100 US health system executives, also finds the following: 68% say they do not…

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Editor's Note This study, led by Boston University and VA Boston Healthcare System, finds a large variation in mortality across Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 11.4 million VHA enrollees during 2016 and 2020 were included in the analysis. Among the findings: VHA-enrolled veterans…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary (OACT) estimates that US healthcare spending will grow by 5.4% per year on average from 2022 to 2031, now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended. Rising from $4.4 to $7.17 trillion,…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, finds that generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Chat-GPT 4 is a promising potential adjunct to human cognition in diagnosing complex cases. Evaluating 70 complex and challenging patient cases in the New England Journal of Medicine’s clinicopathologic conferences (CPC), the…

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