Editor's Note New safety considerations for using validated suicide risk screening tools related to implementation and training were released by The Joint Commission on March 27. When working with patients at risk of suicide, screening tools can help determine appropriate treatment options and whether further assessment is needed. However, it…

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Editor's Note The World Health Organization, on March 28, announced the revision of it’s guidance for prioritizing the use of COVID-19 vaccines after the meeting of its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). The guidance was revised to reflect that much of the population has either been vaccinated…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 22, announced that it is seeking input to a survey on the implementation and utilization of electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) to better assess the impact of prospective changes to data submission practices. This applies, in particular, to a healthcare organization’s readiness in…

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Nurse leaders know that a successful workplace fosters and celebrates teamwork. In the OR, teamwork among surgeons, surgical technologists, circulating nurses, anesthesiologists, and first assistants, to name a few, is critical to ensure patient safety and positive outcomes. And teamwork does not have to be reserved for inside the surgical…

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Editor's Note This study from the Mayo Clinic finds that despite calls for the expansion of outpatient surgery to mitigate the growing backlog of surgical cases during COVID-19, the transition of general surgery procedures from inpatient to outpatient settings occurred in only a small subset of procedures. This cohort study…

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Editor's Note The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) on January 18 released a revised American National Standard that includes new information for manufacturers and users of personal protective equipment (PPE). The new edition of “ANSI/AAMI PB70:2022, Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended…

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Editor's Note Workplace violence is a current obstacle nurses and healthcare workers face every day, reports December 29 Becker's Hospital Review.  In response, Healthcare communities have urged Congress to pass legislation to diminish any violent threats or attacks on hospital workers. Statistics on workplace violence against nurses, based on data…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 16 identified the recall by Insulet of its Omnipod DASH Insulin Management System Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of PDM battery issues, including: Battery swelling Fluid leakage from the battery…

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Editor's Note ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices PSO, on November 7, named Monument Health of Rapid City, South Dakota, the winner of the 2022 Safety Excellence Award. The healthcare system set a strategic goal to improve culture of safety, increase incident and near-miss event reporting, and enrich…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on November 2 announced that it has added safety briefings to all accreditation surveys as well as certification and verification reviews, effective January 1, 2023. The informal, 5-minute briefing allows organizations to tell surveyors and reviewers about any potential safety concerns and how they should…

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