Editor's Note:  Adherence to routine disinfection procedures may not be enough to prevent potentially harmful bacterial contamination of high-touch hospital surfaces, according to findings published January 10 in the American Journal of Infection Control. Manikins, bed rails, and workstations-on-wheels were the most contaminated surfaces. The study involved sampling and culturing…

Read More

Editor's Note A first-of-its-kind study examined a range of different professional healthcare roles during the pandemic and how they complied with precaution guidelines around infection prevention. The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control on December 6, found statistically significant differences between job roles.  The researchers conducted a…

Read More

Editor's Note A new workplace violence law was enacted in California in September 2023 that requires all businesses to have a violence prevention plan in place by July 1, 2024, HealthLeaders November 7 reports. Employers already covered under the Workplace Violence Healthcare standard are exempted, as are law enforcement agencies…

Read More

Editor's Note An AI tool helped to identify signs of distress in conversations from healthcare workers (HCWs) with their therapists during the pandemic, according to a study from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, EurekAlert! October 24 reports. The findings were published in Journal of Medical Internet Research AI.  Researchers analyzed…

Read More

Editor's Note A Gallup poll—State of the Global Workplace 2023—released June 13, finds that worker stress is at a record high worldwide. Key findings include: 59% are “quiet quitting” (ie, not engaged) 18% are” loud quitting” (ie, actively disengaged but still working) 44% experience “a lot” of stress at work…

Read More

Editor's Note Mercy Health, Springfield, Ohio, on June 1, announced that it had formed its own police department and purchased its own police vehicle to help ensure the safety and security of its staff, patients, and visitors. The new department will provide 24-hour police officer coverage, 7 days a week,…

Read More

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, finds that working the night shift or binge drinking doubled the risk of COVID-19 infection in nurses during the pandemic. The analysis included survey answers of 750 nurses who were members of the American Nurses Association. The…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of Florida Health, Gainesville, examines the complications, cost-utility, and value of a dedicated trauma-endovascular hybrid OR. A total of 292 trauma patients, who underwent immediate operative intervention at a Level I trauma center (106 before construction of a hybrid OR and 186 after…

Read More

Editor's Note This Israeli study finds that antibody levels were associated with protection against infection with the COVID-19 Omicron variant in vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs). Participants included 2,310 HCWs who had received 3 or 4 doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The odds of infection and substantial symptomatic disease caused…

Read More

Editor's Note Because of the rising incidence of violence in healthcare settings, nearly 40 states have laws that establish or strengthen penalties for assaults on healthcare workers, and 29 more have approved or are working on similar laws, the May 15 KFF Health News reports. Some laws would allow healthcare…

Read More