Here is your NEWS-Line for Nurses eNewsletter. For the latest news, jobs, education and blogs, bookmark our news page and job board or to take us everywhere with you, save this link to your phone. Also, enjoy the latest issue of NEWS-Line for Nurses magazine, always free.
NEWS:
Hypertension Elevates Risk for More Severe COVID-19 Illness
Hypertension more than doubles the risk of hospitalization related to Omicron infection, even in people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, according to a new study led by investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. The findings are published in the journal Hypertension.
The risk is especially widespread given that nearly 1 out of every 2 adults in the U.S. have hypertension, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The take-home message is that avoiding infection is extremely important-even when the circulating viral variant is presumed to cause mild disease in most people," said Joseph E. Ebinger, MD, a clinical cardiologist and director of clinical analytics at the Smidt Heart Institute and first author of the study.
By reviewing electronic medical records, Cedars-Sinai investigators identified 912 people who were fully vaccinated with
Read Full Article
The Human Side of AI: Predicting Spine Surgery Outcomes
Ever since Corey Walker, MD, became a spine surgeon, the traditional measure of success focused on how well a patient was able to walk, bend or move after spine surgery. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, Walker is measuring success differently.
"The unique thing we’re doing with this project is really focusing in on the pain medication part of it, because opioid addiction continues to be a challenge, and we are looking for ways to improve pain management after surgery," Walker said.
Walker’s team, in collaboration with the Cedars-Sinai Department of Computational Biomedicine, is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict which patients are most likely to successfully manage their pain post-surgery, and which patients might need additional assistance.
"This project uses artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze millions of data points and predict
Read Full Article
Largest International Effort to Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing of Health Professionals and Patient Safety
Magnet4Europe, a 4 million Euro project funded by the European Commission, is the largest international implementation science project ever attempted to fundamentally change hospital work environments to improve clinician and patient wellbeing. Today the BMJ Open scientific journal published the scientific protocol for Magnet4Europe establishing its scientific and clinical significance.
The project, involving a randomized trial in 130 hospitals in 7 countries, has prevailed over the pandemic. The grant supports the international partnership of some of the world’s leading Universities led by KU Leuven, Belgium and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, USA.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the dangerously high levels of physician and nurse burnout that predated and worsened during the pandemic and led to international alarm ab
Read Full Article
Enabling Addiction - 7 Behaviors That Suggest You’re An Enabler
When your loved one struggles with drug addiction, it’s important to provide support. However, there’s a difference between supporting someone and enabling them.
Enabling means preventing an addicted person from facing the consequences of their actions. When they don’t face consequences, they are much less likely to seek professional help. Here are seven of the most common enabling behaviors.
1. Making Excuses
Addiction can quickly consume a person’s life. Your loved one may struggle to focus on anything besides drugs and engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as missing work or constantly canceling plans with friends.
In these instances, you might be tempted to lie on your loved one’s behalf. For example, you may tell their boss they missed work because they were sick when they were actually hungover.
At first, this behavior might seem helpful because it prevents your loved
