Editor's Note A survey of critical care nurses found moderate levels of postcode stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of patients. In 490 nurses surveyed, four coping behaviors (ie, denial, self-distraction, self-blame, and behavioral disengagement) were significant predictors of PTSD symptom severity. Nurses who…

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Editor's Note Intraoperative adverse events (iAEs) occur often and have a significant negative impact on surgeons’ wellbeing, this study finds. Barriers to transparency include fear of litigation and absence of a well-defined reporting system. A survey was conducted of all surgeons at three major teaching hospitals connected with the Harvard…

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Editor's Note Twenty-four hour, shift-related, short-term sleep deprivation leads to a significant increase in cardiac contractility, blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormone secretion, finds this study presented December 2 at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting. The study included 20 healthy radiologist volunteers. Their heart function was…

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Editor's Note A new survey by The Physicians Foundation finds that half of physicians have reached a tipping point and plan to retire, cut back on work hours, or seek nonclinical roles. Physicians identified regulatory/paperwork burdens and loss of autonomy as the primary sources of their dissatisfaction. Nearly 60% say…

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Editor's Note In this meta-analysis, Mayo Clinic researchers identify solutions that are being used to prevent or lessen physician burnout. Effective individual-focused strategies include mindfulness training, stress management training, and small group sessions. Organizational changes include limiting physician duty hours and a range of care delivery process changes in hospitals…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 4 launched an online resource center to prevent workplace violence in healthcare settings. “Workplace Violence Prevention Resources” includes policies, procedures, guidelines, research, case studies, white papers, toolkits, and other material focused on workplace violence prevention and preparedness. The Joint Commission developed the resource…

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Editor's Note Physicians and nurses involved in a patient safety incident experience significant negative outcomes, this study finds. Of 5,788 nurses and physicians analyzed, 9% had been involved in an incident during the prior 6 months. Involvement in a patient safety incident was linked to: a greater risk of burnout…

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Editor's Note A total of 86% of general public respondents to a national survey want 16-hour shifts for first-year residents to remain, and 80% support dropping the maximum shift limit for second-year residents and above from 28 hours to 16 hours. The survey was conducted by Public Citizen, an independent…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers found that physicians spent 49.2% of their time during the day on electronic health records and desk work and 27% of their time with patients. In addition, they spent an extra 1 to 2 hours each night during their personal time on EHRs. While…

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Editor's Note A survey of general surgery residents in the US finds high rates of burnout. Of 665 residents surveyed, 69% met the criterion for burnout in at least one of three subscales. Higher rates of burnout on each subscale were reported by residents planning private practice compared with academic…

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