Editor's Note This study led by nurse researcher Peter I. Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, at Montana State University, Bozeman, finds a tightening of the labor market for RNs, LPNs, and nursing assistants (NAs), marked by falling employment and rising wages from February 2020 through June 2021. The researchers found unprecedented…

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Editor's Note Maryland Gov Larry Hogan on January 4, 2022, signed an executive order authorizing the secretary of the Maryland Department of Health to regulate hospital personnel, bed space, and supplies. A second order authorizes additional steps to further increase the state’s emergency medical services workforce, the January 5 Becker’s…

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Editor's Note A nationwide study led by researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, finds that COVID-19 infection rates were not statistically different in counties with in-person learning versus remote learning in most regions in the US. Analyzing data 12 weeks after schools opened (July to September 2020),…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced January 5, 2022, that, effective immediately, all disease-specific care (DSC) on-site reviews will implement a portion of the off-site review process developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The off-site review process required organizations to upload documentation before the scheduled review, which organizations told…

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Editor's Note Medscape’s 2021 Nurse Career Satisfaction Report, published December 29, 2021, found that the COVID-19 pandemic was responsible for the burnout of 20% of respondents, according to the January 3, 2022, Becker’s Hosptial Review. The survey of 10,788 nurses in various positions (ie, RNs, LPNs, APRNs) found the following:…

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Editor's Note Patients hospitalized with the Omicron variant have a different pattern of characteristics and outcomes than in previous waves of COVID-19, with patients being younger and having fewer comorbidities, fewer hospitalizations and respiratory diagnoses, and a decrease in severity and mortality, this study by researchers in Johannesburg, South Africa…

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Editor's Note Illinois Gov J. B. Pritzker and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association have asked hospitals to delay nonurgent surgical procedures in preparation for a “likely” post-holiday Omicron surge and shortage of staffed ICU beds, the January 3 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The state is seeing about 500 new…

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Editor's Note Hip fracture surgery volumes in individuals 65 years and older were lower during the pandemic than 2 years before, which contrasts with that seen in the general population, this study from Kaiser Permanente researchers finds. The analysis includes 18,288 patients aged 65 years or older who had hip…

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Editor's Note Cloth masks are now prohibited at the Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, the December 30 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The health system is requiring patients and visitors to wear surgical, N-95, or KN-95 masks and will provide them if needed. Experts have noted that single-layer cloth masks offer minimal…

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Editor's Note This study by Chinese researchers finds a high percentage of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections worldwide, which highlights the potential transmission risk of asymptomatic infections in communities. In this review and meta-analysis of 95 studies, which include nearly 30 million individuals undergoing testing, the percentage of asymptomatic infections was 0.25%…

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