Editor's Note Between 2016 and 2021, some 7,600 fraudulent nursing degrees were sold to individuals so they could qualify to sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing exam (NCLEX), the February 27 Yahoo News reports. NCLEX is a rigorous exam that usually takes about 5 hours to…

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Editor's Note Those who experience anxiety and depression months after a mild case of COVID-19 may have brain changes that affect its function and structure, finds a study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in April. The study, by researchers at the University of…

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Editor's Note The Texas Board of Nursing has charged 23 nurses with “fraudulently obtaining educational credentials” as part of a national scheme involving thousands of fraudulent nursing degrees, the February 20 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The nursing students paid thousands of dollars to the individuals running the scheme and are…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 16 identified the recall by Philips Respironics of certain reworked Trilogy 100, Trilogy 200, and Garbin Plus ventilators as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the potential for silicone foam adhesive failure and residual polyester-based…

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Editor's Note Phoenix-based Banner Health paid a $1.25 million settlement after potential HIPAA security violations left 2.81 million consumer’s health data exposed in a 2016 data breach, Becker’s Hospital Review reports on February 3.   The potential violations include lack of analysis to determine risks of electronic health records (EHRs),…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 1, announced that new resources are now available in its Health Care Equity Accreditation Standards & Resource Center, chronicling efforts by Boston Medical Center in its healthcare equity journey. The new resources include: Six “Snapshots” (brief synopses) focusing on challenges, successes, and lessons…

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Editor's Note The New York Times on January 27 reported that 37% of aspiring nurses who allegedly purchased fraudulent degrees to bypass coursework and training required to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) passed the test. Many of the 7,600 individuals who paid between $10,000 and $15,000 for…

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Editor's Note The Biden administration announced on January 30 that it will end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, the January 31 APnews reports. The move gives healthcare providers and other stakeholders about 100 days to prepare for the termination. The national and public health emergencies…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 27 announced that it is proposing to ease blood donation restrictions by focusing on behavior rather than gender and sexual identity. Under current rules, the FDA allows donations from gay and bisexual men if they haven’t had sex with another…

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Editor's Note State Boards of Nursing are investigating those who allegedly bought fraudulent nursing degrees and diplomas as part of a widespread scheme to fast-track the process to take the National Council Licensure Examination, the January 27 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Twenty-five individuals have been charged by the Justice Department…

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