ECRI announces 2023 Alerts Impact Award winners
Editor's Note ECRI, on May 18, announced the winners of its annual 2023 Alerts Impact Award. The Award is given to members of ECRIโs Alerts Workflow system for excellence in recall management. The systemโs software is used by supply chain, clinical engineering, IT, pharmacy, lab, clinical departments, and ancillary-care points…
FDA finalizes recommendations for blood donations
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on May 11, finalized its recommendations for assessing blood donor eligibility, which uses individual risk-based questions to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV. The questions will be the same for all donors, regardless of sexual orientation, sex, or gender. The new policy…
$78M Department of Labor award aims to strengthen, diversity nursing workforce
Editor's Note Last week on May 11, the US Department of Labor announced more than $78 million in grants to 25 public-private partnerships to "support workforce training programs in 17 states and address staffing challenges nursing professionals face in the care economy," the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) reports.…
Effect of music on resident performance in laparoscopic surgery
Editor's Note This study from Spectrum Health, Michigan State University School of Medicine, Grand Rapids, measures the effect of different genres of music on surgical residentsโ performance in laparoscopic surgery. Among the findings: 64% ranked pop music as their favorite 17% ranked classic rock as their favorite 11% ranked country…
Advantages, disadvantages of being a man in nursing
Editor's Note Beckerโs recently interviewed more than 40 male nurses about the advantages and disadvantages of being a man in nursing. Two points they all agreed on were that the opportunities and benefits offered by a career in nursing are not being marketed to men, and men are an untapped…
Motor vehicle crash risk after general surgery
Editor's Note Because there is limited data to guide return to driving recommendations for patients after surgery, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, performed this nested case-crossover study to find if the risk of a motor vehicle crash increases after surgery, compared to before. The analysis included 70,722 licensed…
The Joint Commission releases new Speak Up campaign on mental health
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 17, released a new Speak Up public education campaign on mental health. The campaign was released this monthโMental Health Awareness Monthโto help consumers understand the signs and symptoms of mental illness as well as ways to receive help and advocate for care. โSpeak…
Heightened focus on cybersecurity amid ransomware attacks, data breaches
Editor's Note Cybersecurity remains a top concern and potential hazard for patient data. In February, Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was attacked by a ransomware gang BlackCat, which has ties to Russia, Beckerโs Health IT reports. The health system has since notified 627 individuals and will continue to…
Effectiveness of stress-reduction interventions on HCW stress
Editor's Note This updated review from the Netherlands examines the effect of individual-level stress management interventions on stress symptoms in healthcare workers (HCWs). Included in the analysis are 117 research studies with 11,119 HCW participants worldwide. The participants were randomly allocated to different interventions, and their stress levels were evaluated…
More hospitals create police forces to protect workers
Editor's Note Because of the rising incidence of violence in healthcare settings, nearly 40 states have laws that establish or strengthen penalties for assaults on healthcare workers, and 29 more have approved or are working on similar laws, the May 15 KFF Health News reports. Some laws would allow healthcare…