Editor's Note The US State Department will not accept any more applications for green cards for foreign nurses this year, and only applications that were submitted by June 2022 will be processed until the backlog eases, the April 24 Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control reports. Current green card processing…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 19, posted the Top 5 requirements and corresponding elements of performance (EPs) identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews in 2022. The Top 5 for Hospitals have to do with: Implementing infection control activities when performing intermediate and high-level disinfection…

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Editor's Note In a letter, the American Hospitals Association, on April 19, announced its support for the reintroduction of the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (H.R. 2584), which would give healthcare workers legal protections against assault and intimidation similar to that of flight crews and airport workers. The…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), on April 19, released new breast cancer standards that put the individualized needs of the patients first and focus on shared decision-making. Previous standards addressed surgical care issues through an interdisciplinary lens, but they were…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 19, identified the recall by Fresenius Kabi USA of its Ivenix Infusion System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of a leak in the system that allows fluid to enter the administration set loading area…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 13, updated prescribing information for all opioid pain medications, including requiring all packaging to have updated labeling and safety information. This includes stating that: for both immediate-release (IR) and extended release/long acting (ER/LA) opioid pain medications, the risk of overdose…

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Editor's Note The Environmental Protection Agency, on April 11, proposed new regulations to reduce exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO), which include more stringent air emission standards and protections for workers who are exposed to EtO when sterilizing medical devices. The proposed standards are estimated to cut EtO emissions from commercial…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS), on April 14, announced the launch of its new multi-year Power of Quality campaign aimed at improving care for all surgical patients by expanding its quality programs to more hospitals nationwide. These evidence-based quality programs have been proved to improve patient outcomes,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 12, issued a Safety Communication recommending that consumers, healthcare providers, and facilities not use certain surgical N95 respirators and to use caution with certain surgical masks and pediatric face masks, all manufactured by O&M Halyard. The FDA says it is…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 12, announced that it and Kaiser Permanente are still accepting applications for the 2023 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity. The award, now in its third year, gives national recognition to a healthcare organization for an intervention…

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