How Cedars-Sinai Built ‘COVID Line Team’ for Busy ICUs
During coronavirus patient surges, hospital ICUs often become inundated with severely ill patients. The COVID Line Team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has increased the efficiency of placing central and arterial lines in coronavirus patients and freed up precious time for the dedicated ICU clinical staffs.
The Skills CNOs Need to Advance Their Careers During a Pandemic
Senior-level opportunities are available despite an ongoing registered nurse (RN) shortage that, according to the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast: A Revisit published in the May/June 2018 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality, is projected to spread across the country between 2016 and 2030.
CMS Updates Accrediting Organizations on When to Pause Surveys
CMS’ Quality, Safety & Oversight Group promised new guidance to AOs on when to suspend surveys as part of an announcement on January 20 that the agency was temporarily suspending or limiting on-site surveys because of the COVID-19 patient surge. CMS told its own state survey agencies in January it was putting a general hold on hospital surveys, except for those dealing with immediate jeopardy situations, for at least 30 days, in recognition of growing COVID-19 patient surges in many areas.
Joint Commission Issues Alert to Help Nurses, Healthcare Workers With COVID-19 Crisis
The document is first in a series of Joint Commission alerts that address healthcare workers’ concerns and provide guidance on how to respond to crisis, preparing them for the often-overwhelming circumstances of caring for patients during a pandemic. One Iowa nurse quoted in the publication explained in stark terms how the continuing onslaught of COVID-19 is pushing nurses and other frontline healthcare workers beyond physical exhaustion and inflicting emotional damage on those who care for patients.
HHS Says It Will Give 60 Days’ Notice Before Ending PHE
Providers will have at least 60 days’ notice before the blanket waivers of certain Medicare Conditions of Participation and Conditions of Coverage will no longer be in effect. And you will have at least that much time to come into compliance. But you will still have to be in compliance when those waivers, which have allowed providers certain flexibilities to put resources and energy into meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 patient surges, end along with the PHE.
OSHA Releases New, Stronger Guidance on COVID-19
Key measures offered in the guidance for limiting the spread of COVID-19 include separating and sending home infected or potentially infected people in the workplace, implementing physical distancing, installing barriers where physical distancing cannot be maintained, and using face coverings.
Study of Telehealth Use and In-Person Visits During Pandemic Provides Insight on Deferred Care
At the beginning of the pandemic, use of telemedicine surged as many clinicians turned to the technology to continue to see patients in a safe manner. Despite the uptick in telemedicine use, overall medical visits dropped substantially, which raises concern about deferred care, the new research article says.
Top 10 Medical Technology Hazards of 2021 Show Impact of Pandemic
Complexity of managing medical devices with COVID-19 emergency use authorization (EUA) are the leading medical technology hazard for 2021, according to the ECRI Institute. Other top concerns of ECRI’s latest such report include reliance on consumer-grade products for important healthcare decisions and hasty deployment of UV disinfection devices, which can reduce effectiveness and increase exposure risks.
ECRI Q&A Provides Lessons Learned on Vaccine Rollout
You will need space to take a patient history (including any previous allergic or anaphylactic reactions to food, drugs, or insects), to administer the vaccine, to provide at least 15 minutes of observation for adverse reactions afterward, and an area to care for anyone who does have a reaction—all while maintaining the same social-distancing and infectious-disease precautions you’ve had since the pandemic began.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 21 – The Vital Role of Environmental Services in Healthcare
On episode 21 of PSQH: The Podcast, Steve Zimmerman, director of health care services for ServiceMaster Clean, talks about the important role that Environmental Services plays in healthcare facilities. This episode is sponsored by ServiceMaster Clean.