Editor's Note Burnout does not begin with exhaustion, but with misalignment, said burn and critical care surgeon Neha Amin, DO, FACS, NBC-HWC, founder of Balance and Breakthrough and Renewal Wound Care Centers based outside Atlanta, during her personal and pragmatic keynote. According to Dr Amin, burnout follows a clear trajectory—from…

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Editor's Note Even the most experienced nurses sometimes wonder, “Am I good enough?” That is how Laurie Burns MSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA, CIRT, clinical nurse educator, operating room; Aliaunda Macon, BSN, RN, staff nurse; and Simone Nicholson, DNP, MSN, RN, CNOR, nurse manager main operating room at Main Line Health…

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has made inroads into nearly every area of healthcare. With nursing shortages continuing—marked by the loss of some 100,000 nurses following the COVID-19 pandemic and projected deficits of 20% or more in some states—AI-based tools that improve access to information, streamline efficiency, monitor patients, track procedures, and…

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When Phyllis Quinlan, PhD, RN, NPD‑BC, founded MFW Consultants in 1994, she was already on her third career pivot. The former social‑work intern turned emergency‑trauma nurse discovered that the high-stakes of the emergency department (ED), coupled with her human‑behavior insights from sociology and psychology degrees, gave her a rare vantage point on how…

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Editor's Note Women healthcare professionals who practiced transcendental meditation (TM) for three months showed greater improvements in burnout, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and insomnia than those who received usual treatment, according to a July 9 Healio article. The report focuses on data presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference—namely, a…

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Editor's Note Using 3D-printed anatomical models during preoperative consultations significantly improved shared decision-making (SDM) and modestly reduced anxiety in colorectal surgery patients, according to a June 3 study published in JAMA Network Open.  The single-center, cluster randomized clinical trial enrolled 51 adult patients scheduled for colon or rectal resection due…

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Editor's Note Low-dose dexmedetomidine effectively stabilizes blood pressure and heart rate during key perioperative stages in gastrointestinal tumor patients with moderate to severe anxiety, according to a July 1 study published in BMC Psychiatry.   Researchers enrolled 100 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic gastrointestinal tumor resection. Anxiety levels were measured using…

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Editor's Note Blocking stress-induced prolactin may significantly reduce postoperative pain in women and curb the need for opioids, according to a study led by University of Arizona Health Sciences. News-Medical.Net summarized the findings May 20. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research suggests a path toward…

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Editor's Note Amid a lack of focus and lack of resources on perioperative mental health, alleviating patient anxiety and preventing poor surgical outcomes requires creative solutions. This is the central argument of a May 12 commentary in The Conversation by Renée El-Gabalawy, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the…

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Editor's Note A recent article in HealthLeaders profiles an innovative approach to alleviating nurse burnout—one that the outlet calls “a four-legged answer to nurse wellbeing.” Launched in 2020 at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Buckeye Paws program brings certified therapy dogs directly to nursing units, offering nonjudgmental,…

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