Editor's Note This study from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, finds that the social isolation brought on by stay-at-home orders (SAHO) issued during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increase in intentional penetrating injuries, especially from firearms, and the injuries remain at high levels today. As of October 19, Philadelphia…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 21 issued a new Heads-Up Report on challenges that accredited organizations are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Report topics include: Hospital and critical access hospital emergency privileges Ambulatory healthcare competency assessments Behavioral healthcare identification of environmental risks for suicide Laboratory record keeping for…

Read More

Editor's Note An American College of Surgeons survey finds a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residents and early-career surgeons. Of 1,160 respondents (465 residents, 695 early-career surgeons), 96% reported the pandemic had a negative effect on their clinical experience. About one third reported inadequate access to personal…

Read More

Editor's Note More than 86% of nursing leaders say they feel prepared for a future COVID-19 surge, in a Joslin Marketing survey of more than 1,800 members of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). Respondents to the July survey said their biggest challenges included: communicating and implementing policy changes…

Read More

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health finds that depression symptoms in the US are three-fold higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 1,441 individuals surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic and 5,065 surveyed before the pandemic, depression symptoms were higher…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of California, San Diego; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and Institute for Disease Modeling, Bellevue, Washington, finds that acute anxiety spiked early during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since returned to typical levels. Researches examined internet searchers indicative of acute anxiety that originated from…

Read More

Surges in COVID-19 cases across the US have kept communities in a perpetual first wave for much of 2020. While the virus continues unabated and researchers focus on vaccine development, the timing and impact of the second wave are unknown. Amid so much uncertainty, one thing is clear: The virus…

Read More

Conscientious leaders strive for excellence and have high expectations of everyone around them. If you are like me, you may have been told at times to lower your expectations. But I believe if you raise the bar, people worth retaining will meet the bar if they have the support to…

Read More

Editor's Note The psychosocial needs of cancer patients are not being adequately met because of the disruption in services caused by COVID-19, this study from the UK finds. Researchers from six universities surveyed 94 psychosocial oncology professionals and identified a number of concerns, including: The suspension of face-to-face delivery of…

Read More

Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…

Read More