Editor's Note Epic has introduced a free training program to help nurses and medical assistants reduce time spent using electronic health records (EHRs), addressing a key factor contributing to widespread burnout. According to a recent article in Fierce Healthcare, the Nursing SmartUser classes launched during National Nurses Week and aim…

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Editor's Note New and revised sterilization and reprocessing standards are reshaping the landscape for sterile processing departments, placing greater emphasis on chemical modalities, device-specific protocols, and system-wide quality management, according to the Healthcare Purchasing News May 27 update on compliance and standards. Among the most significant developments is the overhaul…

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Editor's Note New clinical guidelines emphasize that safe and equitable perioperative care for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients hinges on affirming communication, tailored medical assessments, and culturally competent practice. According to a peer-reviewed article published in the June issue of Nursing, perioperative teams must adopt evidence-based, inclusive approaches to better…

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Vaccine health has been dominating the news amid ongoing measles and whooping cough outbreaks and high influenza activity last season. It is also on the minds of The Joint Commission surveyors, as the organization has updated infection control standards that took effect in July 2024 for hospitals and critical access…

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Editor's Note Wrong-site surgeries are on the rise, and insufficient surgical time outs are a key contributor, according to new data highlighted by AORN on June 10 in honor of this year’s National Time Out Day on June 11. Based on The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Data 2023 Annual Review,…

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Editor's Note Hospitals are ramping up in-house pharmacy operations to boost revenue and improve care, but high US manufacturing costs continue to stall a broader federal effort to reshore drug production, Modern Healthcare June 5 reports. As detailed in the article, an aging, medically complex population is driving demand for…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 62,000 from May to June, according to a June 6 announcement from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The unemployment rate, meanwhile, is unchanged at 4.2%—a narrow range that has been maintained since May 2024. In May, healthcare employment also trended…

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Editor's Note Pain among patients undergoing in-office gynecologic procedures is widely underestimated and ineffectively treated, particularly for those with trauma histories, chronic pain, or marginalized identities, according to a new Clinical Consensus from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The report stresses that individualized, evidence-informed, and trauma-sensitive strategies are…

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Editor's Note An actionable, evidence-based toolkit from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), released in April 2025, aims to help curb the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and surgical site infections (SSIs), especially in high-risk orthopedic and cardiac procedures. As detailed in the AHRQ website, the “Toolkit…

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Patient safety and regulatory compliance demand thoroughly vetting those tasked with preventing healthcare-associated infections. But which certification is the right fit? Those who are new to infection control have a wide range of options for verifying their newly acquired expertise. More seasoned infection preventionists (IPs) also have a number of…

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