COVID-19 Updates: Long COVID, Declining Life Expectancy, and More
More support for individuals living with “long COVID” is expected in the near future. Diagnosis tracker More than 499.6 million cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been diagnosed worldwide as of Monday evening, including more than 6.2 million deaths. Healthcare officials in the United States have reported more than 82.1 million positive COVID-19 cases and more […]
Read MoreThe Vaught Verdict and Patient Safety
Negligence or recklessness? In December 2017, RaDonda Vaught, a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, administered a dose of medication to Charlene Murphey, a 75-year-old patient scheduled for a PET scan. The medication Murphey’s physician ordered was an intravenous sedative, Versed. Vaught, however, withdrew vecuronium, a paralytic drug from the dispensing cabinet. […]
Read MoreRaising Awareness of Sexual Assault
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, or SAAM. Sponsored by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) The theme this year is “Building Safe Spaces Online Together.” Sexual violence statistics Sexual violence is a pervasive According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 43.6% of American women (amounting to nearly 52.2 […]
Read MoreIdentifying and Preventing Child Abuse
Whether a nurse in the emergency department or a school psychologist, healthcare professionals are often uniquely placed to spot the subtle signs of abuse in children. In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we’re shining a light on the most common types of child abuse in the U.S., as well as reviewing the signs, […]
Read MoreImproving Outcomes with Trauma-Informed Care
A trauma-informed approach to care (TIC) shifts the focus from “what is wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?” Harry, an 86-year-old man admitted to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation after a hip fracture, could be abrasive and belligerent. A previous nursing facility discharged him due to his uncooperative behavior. After speaking with […]
Read MoreEncouraging Senior Fitness
As we age, our bodies need to stay more active to compensate for the loss of mobility and function. However, as a person nears or finally reaches retirement, exercise may be the last thing that he or she wants to do. Nevertheless, it’s important to develop a healthy exercise regime. Incorporating these five strategies into […]
Read MorePublic Health After COVID-19
After two years of enduring the worst pandemic in a century, the world is ready to move on. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, however, is not. While increasing vaccination rates in many parts of the world have helped slow the spread of COVID-19, infections and variants remain a real concern. For healthcare professionals and public health experts, […]
Read MoreThe Importance of Health Literacy
As the world begins its slow climb out of the pandemic, issues of public health remain top-of-mind for many. High on that list is the issue of health literacy. But what is health literacy, and why does it matter? Health meets information Simply put, health literacy is an individual’s ability to find, understand, and assess […]
Read MoreIntimate Partner and Domestic Violence
As healthcare providers, we have been trained to question new hospital patients about their safety in the home. Asking thinly veiled questions designed to screen patients at risk for domestic abuse. No one is surprised when patients routinely answer “no” because the questions are asked by rote. We do not expect to receive affirmative responses […]
Read More