Burns prompt recalls of airway scopes, electrosurgical pads
Editor's Note Reports of burn injuries have prompted two medical device recalls: one for Megadyne patient return electrodes and one for Olympus bronchofiberscopes and bronchovideoscopes. According to a December 21 notice from AORN, the former recall is a voluntary correction on the part of Megadyne Medical Products, Inc. Following reports…
Mastering surveys in 2024 by The Joint Commission and CMS
Takeaways • The Joint Commission eliminated 56 redundant or outdated Elements of Performance, revised four others, and is using more checklists. • The Joint Commission is emphasizing healthcare equity and identifies it as a priority to address healthcare quality and safety, calling organizations to integrate health equity into their QAPI…
Meeting the SPD staffing challenge
Takeaways • Failure to understand the complexity of the work performed in the sterile processing department (SPD) can lead to staff shortages, errors, and significant financial loss. • Strategies for addressing SPD staffing include effective orientation, certification, competency assessment, analyzing staffing needs, and leader visibility. • SPD schedules should reflect…
The issue of fake nursing diplomas in the healthcare workforce
Initially, the massive nursing credentials scam—disclosed by federal prosecutors early last year—involved three once legitimate, now-shuttered, Florida nurses’ training institutions. Some two dozen criminal operators and recruiters have been arrested and indicted; an as-of-yet unknown number face decades behind bars. According to multiple indictments, most for wire fraud, the scammers…
Penn Medicine sets world record with 100 kidney paired donation surgeries in 1 year
Editor’s Note Penn Medicine celebrated a significant milestone on December 6—its 100th paired kidney exchange surgery in 12 months set a world record for the most kidney paired donation transplants in a year. The announcement was published in an EurekAlert! December 12 press release. Penn Medicine launched its Center for…
New Joint Commission certification addresses secondary use of data
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced a new certification program in a December 5 Global Newswire press release. The new certification provides guidance to healthcare organizations on the safe transfer of patient data to third-party organizations. The voluntary Responsible Use of Health Data (RUHD) Certification program aims to help hospitals…
Looking more closely at nurse burnout, impact on quality care
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…
New California law expands workplace violence prevention measures
Editor's Note A new workplace violence law was enacted in California in September 2023 that requires all businesses to have a violence prevention plan in place by July 1, 2024, HealthLeaders November 7 reports. Employers already covered under the Workplace Violence Healthcare standard are exempted, as are law enforcement agencies…
FDA encourages new cybersecurity standards on medical device manufacturing
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the latest guidance on medical device cybersecurity from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), an AAMI November 14 press release reports. This latest cybersecurity recognition is encouraging its use across the medical device manufacturing industry to…
Mastering social media responsibility: A guide for OR leaders
In today’s digital age, social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are transforming the ways we connect and communicate. Through these platforms, users can share information, ideas, and personal messages, as well as build networks and communities. It is also becoming an integral part of everyday life.…
Free Daily News
- Healthcare employment up in February
- New legal standard redefines medical negligence
- Study: Machine learning improves OR efficiency, but challenges remain
- Study: Weekend effect raises risk of surgical patient mortality, complications
- 4-day workweek boosts job satisfaction, work-life balance for nurse leaders
- Open-heart surgery performed on infant mid-delivery
- Infusion pumps deemed high-risk in FDA early alert
- Stem cell researchers tout potential for sickle cell disease cure
- Study: Stem cell therapy restores vision in LSCD patients
- AMSURG launches nationwide campaign to spotlight rising colon cancer rates, urges early screening