Increased tensions during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to a spate of violent incidents, many of them directed at healthcare workers (HCWs). About 20% of respondents to a National Nurses United survey in late 2020 of more than 15,000 US registered nurses reported an increase in on-the-job violence caused by…

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Provider burnout in the OR has been a problem for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought staff morale to a low point in hospitals across the US. Many OR leaders are facing staffing shortages just as demand for elective surgery is increasing. This is a significant problem for hospitals…

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Planning ahead isn’t always intuitive in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). However, when a business manager or clinical coordinator suddenly falls ill, announces plans to retire, or quits unexpectedly, ASC leaders need to respond nimbly and effectively. Someone has to step in and take over to make a seamless transition without…

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Editor's Note A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by employees of Houston Methodist who challenged the health system’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the June 13 New York Times reports. US District Judge Lynn N. Hughes issued a ruling June 12 that upheld the hospital’s policy and noted that the…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was down in April to a seasonally adjusted 15,950,300 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 7. That’s down 4,100 since March. Hospital employment was down 5,800 jobs.  The overall unemployment rate went up to 6.1%.

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Editor's Note Nurse staffing expert Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, testified at the New York State (NYS) Health Committee budget hearing on February 25 about her research on staffing levels in New York State. Among her research findings: Each patient reduction in nurses’ workloads was associated with a 13% decrease…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US was down in January to a seasonally adjusted 15,950,100 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 5. That’s down 29,600 jobs since December and down 510,100 jobs compared to a year ago. The overall unemployment rate is 6.3%.

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Editor's Note Demand for temporary nursing staff is on the rise as COVID-19 cases surge across the country, the November 13 Healthcare Dive reports. Surge capacity plans include the following: Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare is hiring 200 traveling nurses. The 24-hospital system also brought on 31 nurses from New York-Presbyterian, a…

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Editor's Note A new nationwide survey by National Nurses United of more than 15,000 RNs finds that hospitals are failing to prepare for a surge of COVID-19 during flu season. Among the nurses’ complaints: inappropriate pursuit of profits resulting in lack of proper infection control measures ongoing issues of both…

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Release of the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) report, Future of Nursing 2020-2030, has been delayed until spring 2021. The report is expected to address “newly emerging evidence related to the COVID-19 global pandemic and include recommendations regarding the role of nurses in responding to the crisis,” according to the…

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