Editor's Note This study by nurse researchers at Baptist Health Lexington, Kentucky, describes both emotional and administrative challenges chief nursing officers (CNOs) in the US faced during the COVID-19 crisis. Interviews conducted with 9 CNOs revealed they: were frustrated with constant change were saddened by the volume of death felt…
Editor's Note According to JAMA Network May 3, two recent studies examined the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) after COVID-19 vaccination; however, the statistical value of the US-based study was not significant and the absolute risk remains inconclusive. In the first study, JAMA explains, COVID-19 vaccination was associated…
Editor's Note A report issued May 2 by the American Nurses Association (ANA) addresses three issues nurses have struggled with for decades—staffing shortages, mandatory overtime, and safety—but, these issues have reached a tipping point in the COVID-19 pandemic, ANA says. ANA notes that: Staff shortages due to cost-cutting, an aging…
Editor's Note On April 29, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated an April 2020 “Risk Adjustment Telehealth and Telephone Services During COVID-19 FAQs” notice to extend telehealth and telephone-only services in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) risk adjustment program, the American Hospital Association (AHA)…
Editor's Note This study from the UK finds that cognitive impairment as a result of severe COVID-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age. The researchers analyzed data from 46 patients who received in-hospital care on a ward or in the ICU; 16 patients were…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced May 3 that applications are now being accepted for the second annual Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity. This award, created by The Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente, recognizes advancements in reducing healthcare disparities in the name of…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on March 28 a Class 1 recall of the Point of Care Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test “because it may have been distributed to unauthorized laboratories,” the American Hospital Association (AHA) May 2 reports. A Class 1 recall is “the…
Editor's Note This study, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that symptomatic individuals with an initial negative home antigen test should test again 1 to 2 days later because test sensitivity peaks several days after COVID-19 onset. In 225 adults and children with…
Editor's Note According to a multi-institutional study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, titled “Effectiveness of 2-Dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) mRNA Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children Aged 5–11 Years and Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years” and published on March 18, two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine…
Editor's Note In 2020, the American Nurses Association expanded National Nurses Week to National Nurses Month to increase opportunities to elevate and celebrate nursing. National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. The theme this year is “Nurses Make a Difference.” The American…