Review Needlestick Training After ER Nurse Acquires Monkeypox
Remind clinical staff and others about sharps safety now that the CDC has confirmed an emergency department nurse contracted monkeypox in Florida from a needlestick. It is the first healthcare-acquired monkeypox case in the United States since a public health emergency was declared earlier this year.
Executive Briefing: Medication Orders, Crash Carts, and Food Storage Lead Top Clinical Problems
Check patient units to ensure breast milk and other patient foods are stored correctly, encourage staff to reach out to providers if medication orders are not clear, and check crash carts for expired or missing items. Those are among some of the highest scored problems not associated with infection control or suicide prevention, according to findings by surveyors with The Joint Commission in the 12 months ending August 31.
PSQH Quick Poll 2022: Taking the Pulse of Infection Prevention Efforts
As part of PSQH’s celebration of International Infection Prevention Week, we decided to reach out to our readers with a few questions to find out the state of infection prevention efforts. The Quick Poll had a total of 209 respondents.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 64 – Spotlighting the Danger of Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
On episode 64 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dian Baker, a professor at the School of Nursing, California State University, Sacramento, talks about hospital-acquired pneumonia. This episode is part of PSQH’s activities for International Infection Prevention Week.
Chief Nurse: How to Reduce Serious Safety Events
Ward, who has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare administration and has served in senior nursing roles in organizations across the country, spoke with HealthLeaders about what has worked in reducing serious safety events.
PHE Renewed Again but Start Planning Now for Flexibility to End
The next renewal date would be on or before Wednesday, January 11, 2023. Just before the PHE was renewed in October, CMS published a blog “Creating a Roadmap for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency,” with attached links to memos about the waivers for each provider type.
The Way Forward: Coronavirus Remains Focal Point for Healthcare Organizations
Now that COVID-19 has reached an endemic phase, one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare organizations is keeping communities focused on containing the virus, says Janet Tomcavage, MS, executive vice president and chief nurse executive at Geisinger Health.
Using Technology to Improve Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
The cutting edge of digital health and home testing is bumping up against norms in society and medicine as the healthcare industry tackles a substance abuse epidemic. An organization that epitomizes this challenge is Bicycle Health, a Boston-based provider treating more than 8,000 patients in 29 states for opioid use disorder.
Researcher: ‘The Levees Have Broken’ at Emergency Departments
The new studies examine boarding of patients in emergency departments before they are moved to inpatient beds and patients who left without being seen (LWBS), the latter presumably because of ED crowding and long wait times. The Joint Commission has deemed extended boarding of patients in the ED as a patient safety risk, with boarding recommended not to exceed four hours. Relatively high LWBS rates can have significant negative consequences for patients if they are deferring care for acute conditions.
Study: Pediatric Epilepsy Patients Responded Well to Telemedicine During Pandemic
The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reported that across nearly 50,000 visits, patients continued to use telemedicine effectively, even when outpatient clinics reopened a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.