Editor's Note The combined influence of stress perception and perceived coping abilities affect the health and work performance of nurses, this study finds. Of 120 nurses surveyed, in general: 92% had moderate-to-very high stress levels 78% slept less than 8 hours per night 69% did not exercise regularly 63% consumed…

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Editor's Note Antimicrobial-impregnated scrub clothes are not effective at reducing healthcare provider contamination, this study finds. Cultures were obtained from each of 40 ICU nurses, the healthcare environment, and patients during each shift. Nurses wore standard cotton-polyester surgical scrubs (control), scrubs that contained a complex element compound with a silver-alloy…

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Editor's Note At least 23 hospitals in the Houston area affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey have moved patients to other facilities, and another 25 are considered vulnerable to flooding or shortages of staff and supplies, the August 29 Houston Chronicle reports. The full tally of evacuated patients was not…

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Editor's Note Flooding from Hurricane Harvey is pushing some Houston hospitals to close or evacuate, the August 27 Modern Healthcare reports. Baylor College of Medicine and clinics closed Sunday, August 27, as did all Texas Children’s Hospital’s pediatrics practices and urgent care locations. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer…

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Editor's Note Results of a new national survey by the Hartford Consensus about views of the public and healthcare professionals on active shooter events in hospitals show that: 61% of the public and 62% of professionals believe physicians and nurses have a special duty to protect patients during an active…

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Imagine this scenario in your ambulatory surgery center (ASC): A husband and wife in their early 80s arrive for the husband’s knee replacement surgery. His wife will drive him home after surgery, and their daughter will arrive from out of state the next day to help at home while he…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 7 announced the release of a new manual, “Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety,” to help guide surgeons in leading quality improvement and patient safety efforts in their organizations. The collaborative publication from 135 contributing authors and two surgeon…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 28 posted a Quick Safety on daily safety briefings--a hallmark of high reliability organizations. Safety briefings--also called safety huddles, daily check-ins, or daily safety calls--are used to give keep frontline staff and leadership informed. The briefings can be used to: share issues that…

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Editor's Note Despite widespread adoption of contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), there is no strong clinical trial evidence to support the mandated use of these precautions, three noted infection prevention researchers say. Without the support of evidence, policy makers from 2000 to 2010 passed…

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Editor's Note Trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) have fewer complications among pediatric, elderly, and severely injured patients, finds this study. The odds of experiencing any major complication were more than 3.0 times greater for elderly patients in trauma centers without ASC-COT verification…

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