Editor's Note Hospital units with more RNs and fewer long shifts experience significantly lower rates of staff sickness absence, while understaffing and long shifts drive nurse illness, according research published April 22 in JAMA Network. The retrospective longitudinal case-control study involved 18,674 RNs and nursing support (NS) staff across 116…

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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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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will no longer approve federal matching funds for designated state health programs (DSHPs) and designated state investment programs (DSIPs) that are not directly related to Medicaid services. According to the April 10 announcement, the decision aims to preserve the core…

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Editor's Note A pilot 4-day workweek program improved job satisfaction, work-life balance, and confidence among nurse leaders at Fox Chase Cancer Center, according to a March 3 report in Healio. The initiative, implemented in 2021, showed sustained benefits over time, suggesting alternative scheduling models could help mitigate burnout and improve…

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Editor's Note With several major gatherings planned for this spring—including those from AORN, AONL, ASCA, and ASPAN—a bustling events season offers perioperative leaders valuable opportunities for reflection on our careers and futures. Speaking of futures, the 2024 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey revealed an intriguing shift: only 9% of perioperative nurses…

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Editor's Note The 2023-2024 State of Well-Being Report shows a modest improvement in healthcare worker burnout, with 50% reporting feeling burned out in 2023, down from 54% in 2022. HealthLeaders Media reported on the results January 2. According to the article, The Mayo Clinic’s Well-Being Index compiled 79,022 assessments to…

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Editor's Note Simple, non-judgmental interactions with therapy dogs could offer a valuable tool in combatting the widespread burnout seen across the healthcare industry. That’s according to a September 16 EurekAlert! news release detailing a study highlighting the emotional support benefits of therapy dogs for not only patients, but also the healthcare…

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There is no shortage of advice, opinions, and proposed solutions when it comes to staff shortages, but the issue continues to plague healthcare systems nonetheless. For a couple of years now, speakers at the OR Business Management Conference and OR Manager Conference have been asking attendees, “Who still struggles to…

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Editor's Note Although fewer Michigan nurses planned to leave the profession in 2023 compared to 2022, the profession still faces unsafe conditions, understaffing, and high rates of abuse, according to a two-year, statewide survey published July 18 in JAMA Network Open. Conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan School…

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Editor's Note The advance of ketamine and other anesthetics as depression treatments is spurring collaboration among anesthesiologists and psychiatrists for further advances in mental health treatment, according to an article in the June issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. As the established experts in…

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