Safety/Quality
NIH staff revolt, new analysis affirm the critical role and vulnerability of US academic science
Editor's Note Several hundred National Institutes of Health (NIH) employees have issued a rare internal rebuke of the agency’s current leadership under Director Jay Bhattacharya, STAT June 9 reports. The open letter, dubbed the “Bethesda Declaration,” criticizes abrupt Trump-era policy changes, including the cancellation of health equity and LGBTQ+ research,…
Study: LGBTQ+ inclusive policies linked to lower nurse burnout, higher care quality
Editor's Note Hospitals that embrace LGBTQ+ inclusive policies see better nurse retention, improved care quality, and stronger institutional endorsement, according to a large cross-sectional study published on March 25 in JAMA Network. The study examined data from 7,343 nurses across 111 hospitals in New York and Illinois, focusing on the…
Amid outbreaks, vaccine policy shifts, experts offer practical strategies to safeguard OR staff
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…
Nurse-led bra initiative eliminates post-surgical chest wounds in female heart patients
Editor's Note A well-fitted bra dramatically cut post-sternotomy wound rates to zero at a Denver hospital, showing how nurse-driven innovation can improve outcomes and reduce costs, Critical Care Nurse May 28 reports. In the article, “The Bra Project: Preventing Wounds in Women After Sternotomy,” appearing in the journal’s June 2025…
Reframing the surgical time out to fight complacency, improve outcomes
Editor's Note On this National Time Out Day, perioperative leaders are being called to reinvigorate the time-out process to combat complacency and reduce adverse events. Despite decades of safety initiatives, the adverse event rate in surgical care remains high—38% of perioperative cases, with nearly half tied directly to surgical procedures,…
Spotlight on safety: Call for renewed vigilance on National Time Out Day
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,…
FDA publishes Baxter update to Novum IQ infusion pump instructions addressing underinfusion risk
Editor's Note Baxter has issued a correction notice for its Novum IQ Large Volume Pump (LVP) after identifying a serious risk of underinfusion linked to the device’s standby mode and power-off conditions. First published on April 24 on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website and subsequently reported by Healthcare…
CNOs urged to ready nurses for ICE encounters under new hospital enforcement rules
Editor's Note Hospitals are no longer protected from immigration enforcement, placing a new burden on chief nursing officers (CNOs) to ensure their teams are prepared, HealthLeaders June 2 reports. As of January 20, the Trump Administration revoked prior federal guidance that designated hospitals as “sensitive locations,” allowing Immigration and Customs…
GAO calls for stronger national testing strategy in public health emergencies
Editor's Note The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to strengthen its approach to diagnostic testing during a pandemic or other public health crisis, citing ongoing gaps in leadership, coordination, and readiness, according to a June 5 report from the Center…
Study: 3D-printed models improve shared decision-making in colorectal surgery
Editor's Note Research shows using 3D-printed anatomical models during preoperative counseling can improve patients’ involvement in shared decision-making (SDM) and reduced anxiety ahead of colorectal surgery, although only the improvement in SDM met the study’s threshold for clinical significance. Published June 3 in JAMA Network Open, the single-center trial included…
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- Comfort, targeted nursing speed recovery in colorectal surgery patients
- Study: Preoperative behavioral health evaluations improve orthopedic recovery
- 2026 ICD-10 updates bring hundreds of new codes, new complexity
- Standardized pathways cut costs, hospital days in pediatric surgery without raising complication rates
- UC Davis secures $2M to study bone health in prostate cancer, prevent post-injury arthritis
- Artificial disc replacement proves safe, efficient, cost-saving in outpatient spine surgery
- Hospital-affiliated doctors drive highest costs by avoiding lower-cost sites
- Imposter syndrome widespread among surgical trainees, disproportionately affects women
- Global nursing workforce grows but inequities jeopardize health progress
- Largest US healthcare fraud case reveals billions in false Medicare, Medicaid claims and vast schemes nationwide