The healthcare sector has begun grappling with a repeat challenge this fall and winter: the simultaneous surge of three significant respiratory diseases—flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 among both children and adults. When these diseases collide, they constitute what experts have termed a “tripledemic,” which poses a significant strain…

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Editor's Note A study of nurses in the UK found that the majority of those surveyed felt undervalued and under-recognized, perceiving that they did not have a voice in higher-level decision-making, during the pandemic. The findings were published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing on October 30. Forty participants were…

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Editor's Note A November 2022 survey of American Society of Anesthesiologists members found that, post-pandemic, anesthesiologists are experiencing unprecedented levels of workplace stress and staffing shortages. The findings were published in the November 2023 issue of the journal Anesthesiology.  The authors surveyed the US attending members of the American Society…

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Editor's Note Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) have improved significantly after infection rates spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the nonprofit safety organization the Leapfrog Group, PRNewswire November 6 reports. According to the data, over 85% of hospitals improved performance on at least one of three dangerous infections: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),…

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Editor's Note New research shows that physicians who used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic spent increased time working in the electronic health record (EHR). The research findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine on October 30. Researchers studied the weekly EHR metadata of 1,052 physicians at the University of California…

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Editor's Note Scientists are focusing on the next group of pathogens that could cause a pandemic and are zeroing in on paramyxovirus—a family of single-stranded RNA viruses—The Atlantic October 29 reports.  According to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, paramyxovirus is known to cause Hendra virus, measles, mumps, Nipah virus,…

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Editor's Note An AI tool helped to identify signs of distress in conversations from healthcare workers (HCWs) with their therapists during the pandemic, according to a study from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, EurekAlert! October 24 reports. The findings were published in Journal of Medical Internet Research AI.  Researchers analyzed…

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Editor's Note High-performance intensive care units (ICUs) may have better patient outcomes during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new findings published by the journal CHEST. The study, titled "The association between pre-pandemic ICU performance and mortality variation in COVID-19: A multicenter cohort study of 35,619 critically…

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The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing personnel shortages in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), which are anticipated to persist. Before the pandemic, nursing supply and demand were already affected negatively by several factors, including approximately 70,000 Baby Boomer RNs retiring per year. As the remaining Baby Boomer RNs retire over…

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Editor's Note Due to staffing shortages, thousands of qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools last year, despite the nationwide shortage of nurses, CNN Business October 5 reports. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nearly 78,200 qualified applications were denied by nursing schools in 2022. Nearly 66,300…

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