Editor's Note Nearly 100 house and senate staff attended a January 30 briefing on the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act, a bill under congressional consideration that aims to protect healthcare workers from assault or intimidation while on the job. In addition to criminalizing these acts, the bill…

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Editor's Note: Healthcare institutions urgently need intervention strategies to reduce disruptive behavior toward perioperative nurses, according to a report published in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing on January 9. The recommendation follows a cross-sectional survey designed to “investigate the prevalence, characteristics, causes, consequences, and predictors of and responses to disruptive…

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Editor's Note:  Lack of quality vacation time explains part of the reason why so many physicians are experiencing burnout, according to a study published January 12 in Jama Network Open. Specifically, the study found that 7 out of 10 participating US physicians did at least some work on a typical…

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Editor's Note Healthcare systems are increasingly leveraging peer support programs to help reduce staff burnout and combat problems of loneliness and isolation. Examples cited in a January 4 report from Becker’s Hospital Review include: NYC Health + Hospitals has assigned each unit a “well-being buddy”–a volunteer who checks in on…

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Editor's Note Mental health intervention significantly reduces the likelihood of trauma survivors returning to the hospital in crisis after discharge, according to a study in the January 2024 issue of Annals of Surgery. According to the data, as many as 4 out of 10 of the 1.5 to 2 million…

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Editor's Note Eight chronic conditions—arthritis, depression, diabetes, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD)—continue to expand nationwide along with premature deaths from drugs, firearms, and more, according America’s Health Rankings 2023 Annual Report. Presented by the United Health Foundation in partnership with…

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Editor's Note Starting January 1, healthcare organizations must consider an expanded timeframe and range of care services when reporting patient suicide as a sentinel event to The Joint Commission. According to the December 13 announcement of the change to the organization’s Sentinel Event Policy, the revised definition “better reflects current…

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Editor's Note According to a new study, transcendental meditation significantly benefitted the mental health and well-being of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings were published in the Journal of Nursing Administration on December 11.  Transcendental Meditation, or TM, involves sitting with the eyes closed for 20 minutes to…

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Editor's Note A recent story on PBS NewsHour has recently looked at nurses’ vulnerability to burnout, and how it is impacting quality care. The story is part of the PBS series titled, “Critical Care: The Future of Nursing,” released on November 28. According to the story: A federal study last…

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Editor's Note In this study first published by the Western Journal of Nursing Research in August 2023, virtual sitting technology was found to reduce burnout among nurses, particularly those who are already feeling drained and less committed. The study was titled, “An Experience Sampling Analysis of the Impact of Video…

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