Literature Review

5 tips to support employees with unexpected illness or disability Forbes; by Diane Winiarski; 5/14/24 When employees experience an unexpected illness or a disabling condition, it can be traumatic for them and unsettling for their managers. It is important for employers to demonstrate support and an understanding of each situation. Another way to show support is by pointing them to the federal disability program created to help in this specific instance. ... These five suggestions can help managers be better equipped to support their team members who are dealing with illnesses, accidents or disabilities.

800+ California nurses to receive 22.5% pay hike Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 5/10/24Members of the California Nurses Association have approved a new labor contract with Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, Calif. The four-year agreement covers roughly 840 nurses, according to a union news release. It was approved by union members May 3 and by the Washington Township Health Care District board of directors May 8. ... According to the CNA, the new deal includes a 22.5% across-the-board increase in wages over four years. It also includes "precedent-setting standard expanding infectious disease protocols and workplace violence protections"; language that protects union members' ability to take meal and rest periods; and protections for part-time positions, according to the union.Editor's Note: These new terms reflect nationwide trends of healthcare/nurse strikes and reasons for leaving their jobs, ie., pay, patient safety, workplace violence, work/home life balance, and more.

Maryland becomes sixth state to require salary, wage disclosures in job listings McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 5/10/24 Maryland soon will join five other states and the Washington, DC, in requiring employers to disclose salary or wage ranges upfront in job listings. Maryland’s requirement goes into effect Oct. 1. The states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Washington have similar laws in place, with the requirement expected to go into effect in the nation’s capital, on June 30. ... After a first violation, the employer will receive a warning. Fines for noncompliance range then will range from $300 for the second violation to $600 for subsequent violations. 

The state of paid sick leave: 6 notes Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 5/9/24 Paid sick leave has expanded across the U.S. as more states pass laws related to the issue. Here are six notes about the efforts: ... [Click on the title's link for details.]

WSNA files unfair labor practice charge against PeaceHealth Southwest after 14 bargaining sessions WSNA - Washington State Nurses Association; 5/9/24 After 14 negotiation sessions for a new contract, WSNA filed unfair labor practice charges against PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center on behalf of the 1,465 nurses the association represents at the facility. Nearly four months after bargaining began, the parties remain far apart on core contract issues like wages, sick leave benefits, and workplace violence prevention. Their previous contract expired on Feb. 28, 2024. ... One of the key issues over which PeaceHealth Southwest has refused to compromise is pay equity for home health and hospice nurses in the bargaining unit. ... PeaceHealth’s proposal would put home health and hospice nurses up to 5% behind their coworkers working at the hospital.

[Honoring Nurses Week] Too many nurses are being assaulted. Some say they are being blamed for the attacks. Chief Healthcare Executive; by Ron Southwick; 5/9/24 With disturbing regularity, nurses in hospitals and other healthcare settings are being physically assaulted and verbally harassed. More than half of emergency nurses say they’ve been assaulted or threatened within the past 30 days, according to the Emergency Nurses Association. In a separate study, researchers found that healthcare workers faced at least one violent or aggressive incident for every 40 hours worked, according to findings published by The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. With the observance of National Nursing Week, the increased violence in healthcare can’t be ignored. Nursing leaders say the regular exposure to violence or threatening behavior is one factor adding to stress and burnout of nurses and, in some cases, spurring them to seek new jobs.

Health Equity Data Definitions, Standards, and Stratification: New resource available Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; by CMS; May 2024Resource of health equity-related data definitions, standards, and stratification practices ... This document serves as a technical resource that can be used by organizations and entities, such as providers, states, community organizations, and others, that wish to harmonize with CMS when collecting, stratifying, and/or analyzing health equity-related data. It may also clarify differences in results that may arise when different data standards and definitions are used. This document includes suggested definitions, standards, and stratification practices for the following sociodemographic elements:

HCA accused of withholding pay of 1,000 workersBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 5/6/24 HCA Healthcare faces a lawsuit alleging its Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health illegally kept pay from at least 1,000 employees, the Citizen Times reported May 6. Sharon McRee — who said she worked as a nonexempt, hourly respiratory therapist at Mission from July 2002 through its 2019 acquisition by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA before leaving in July 2022 — alleges she and approximately 1,000 or more employees "clocked in as required and performed the principal activities of their jobs," but their employer "generally did not pay them for all of their time worked," according to the lawsuit, which was accessed by Becker's.

Early-career physicians working temp roles to 'test drive' practice settings, survey finds Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 5/3/24Physicians and advanced practice providers are opting for the flexibility of temporary, locum tenens work in seek of improved job conditions and to relieve burnout, according to an April 23 survey conducted by AMN Healthcare. AMN, the largest provider of healthcare interim leadership and executive search services in the U.S., asked physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who recently have worked locum tenens why they do so. The number one reason, according to 86% of respondents, was a better work schedule, followed closely by addressing feelings of burnout (80%).

Home-based pediatric hospice and palliative care provider visits: Effects on healthcare utilization The Journal of Pediatrics; by Steven M. Smith, MD; Daniel H. Grossoehme, DMin; Kate Cicozi, MD; Audrey Hiltunen, MD; Catherine Roth, MPH, CCRP; Gwendolyn Richner, BA; Stephani S. Kim, PhD, MPH; Nguyen K. Tram, PhD; Sarah Friebert, MD; May 2024 journal issue Objective: This hypothesis-generating study sought to assess the impact of home-based hospice and palliative care (HBHPC) provider home visits (HV) on healthcare use.  Conclusion: HBHPC provider HVs were associated with fewer inpatient admissions, hospital days, and intensive care unit days, and increased clinically relevant phone calls and phone calls before emergency department visit. These findings indicate that HBHPC HV may contribute to decreased inpatient use and increased use of the HBHPC team.

Workers at two Essentia Health facilities file for union representation Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA); by Sam Fettig and Lauren Bloomquist; 5/2/24 Registered nurses at Essentia Miller Hill Surgery Center and nurses and other healthcare workers at Essentia Solvay Hospice House announced this week that they have filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association ... because they want a voice in their workplace to improve both working conditions and how care is provided to their patients. ... At Essentia Solvay Hospice House, workers across the board, including Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Administrative Assistants, Environmental Services workers, and Cooks, filed for a union election.

Empathy exhaustion in nursing Psychiatry Advisor; by Elizabeth Quaye; 5/5/24 This article looks at the role of empathy in nursing, the causes and symptoms of empathy exhaustion, and steps nurses can take to address it. ...

Noncompete ban may squeeze rural hospitals, report shows Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 5/2/24 The federal noncompete ban may squeeze rural nonprofit hospitals that continue to see labor costs rise, a new report shows. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission voted to finalize a rule preventing most employers from enforcing or issuing contracts that restrict employees from working for a competitor. ... Larger hospitals are more likely to have the financial flexibility to offer clinicians and staff higher wages, likely at the expense of smaller, rural hospitals, Fitch Senior Director Kevin Holloran said.