Commentary: Systemic trauma, not burnout, drives healthcare’s workforce crisis
Editor's Note Healthcare’s workforce crisis stems from systemic trauma—not individual burnout. That’s the central argument of a commentary published April 30 in MedPage Today, in which Taylor Nichols, MD, a board-certified physician in emergency medicine and addiction medicine, calls for a sweeping shift in how healthcare-associated stress is understood and…
Mistaking growth for burnout holds good leaders back
Every day, I come across postings in the media suggesting that nurses are struggling with burnout. These accusations are tone deaf and misleading. In addition to my private coaching practice, I am the professional internal coach for a trauma center in the Greater New York area and several professional nursing…
How to build credibility after a promotion
Takeaways • Credibility and trust are intertwined. • Keeping a covenant with staff, cultivating executive presence, and building relationships help establish credibility. • Situations that pose challenges to building credibility include the first leadership role and leading in areas where the new manager lacks expertise. Whether it is a first-time…
Time for a surgical skills check? Inside the ACS stance on aging physicians
Takeaways • US surgeons have no mandated retirement age. According to the Aging Surgeon Program, “a patient death or serious negative event are currently the only things that prompt action to prevent a surgeon from practicing.” • Research on aging-related decline is clear, but nuanced, showing rates and scope vary…
Study: Patients of female surgeons experience fewer complications, lower long-term readmission
Editor's Note Female surgeons achieve better long-term outcomes for surgical patients—especially for female patients—according to a large national study published April 23 in JAMA Surgery. Using US Medicare data from over 2.2 million older adults, researchers found that patients of female surgeons had lower mortality rates and, for women, fewer…
Nurse credentialing pioneers swap exams for perioperative experiences
Becoming a perioperative nurse generally does not require certification. However, expectations can change quickly for those hoping to climb the career ladder. For some, expectations are also changing for how knowledge and skills should be assessed. Rather than taking an exam, this subset of specialty nurses earn certification by submitting…
Therapy dogs ease nurse burnout, boost morale
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,…
Study: Systemic gender bias embedded in surgical practice
Editor's Note Gender bias in surgery goes far beyond barriers for individuals, according to a study published April 8 in The American Journal of Surgery. Ethnographic data reveals women surgeons face entrenched structural inequities that influence their daily work lives, limit their professional standing, and shape perceptions of surgical competence,…
Hospital staffing report: Nurse turnover eases but vacancies, costs remain high
Editor's Note Hospitals made strides in reducing nurse turnover in 2024, yet staffing gaps and financial pressures remain significant, according to the 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report. Key findings include: The national registered nurse (RN) turnover rate declined by 2.0 percentage points to 16.4%, marking…
Study: Excessive nurse overtime, agency staffing harm patients
Editor's Note Overreliance on overtime and agency nurse staffing can significantly increase the risk of pressure ulcers and, in the case of agency hours, perioperative hemorrhage or hematoma, according to research published April 2 in JAMA Network Open. Using data from 70 US hospitals between 2019 and 2022, researchers…
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- Study: Long working hours alter brain regions tied to emotion, cognition
- Survey: Burnout, rigid schedules push nurses to leave
- UCLA surgeons perform world’s first bladder transplant
- AHA urges HHS to cut regulations that burden hospitals and staff
- Commentary: Overlooking, underfunding perioperative mental health threatens patients
- Study: Fewer men undergo unnecessary prostate cancer surgery amid rise in active surveillance
- OpenAI benchmarking tool tests healthcare LLMs
- Healthgrades recognizes top 15% of hospitals for patient experience in 2025
- Q1 reports show climb in outpatient surgical volume, diverging trends at Surgery Partners, Ardent Health
- Study: SGLT2 inhibitors raise postop euglycemic ketoacidosis risk but lower mortality