Hospital Employee Health – September 1, 2022

The Darkest Hour: Little PPE, No Vaccine Led to Moral Injury

A fascinating and disturbing study captures the emotions and attitudes of healthcare workers in 2020 when COVID-19 emerged. Personal protective equipment was in short supply, and the first COVID-19 vaccines would not be available until the end of the year. There was a general despairing feeling in this period that there was not “enough” of anything, including reliable information.

Moral Injury in HCWs at Level of Combat Vets

Moral injury is a fairly well-established syndrome in combat soldiers, but researchers found healthcare workers suffered a comparable level of mental turmoil and ethical conflict during the first two years of the pandemic.

Dealing with Toxic Employees

Everyone has met him or her — and would prefer not to meet them again. But there they are when you arrive for duty: The toxic co-worker.

Survey: 87% of Acute Care Sites Short of Nurses

Healthcare delivery is at a critical tipping point due to a nursing shortage crisis that is projected to get worse, and no clear consensus on new labor models to meet the crisis, according to a survey and report by two companies involved in medical education and labor solutions. Even before the pandemic drove workers from the clinical bedside, experts projected 1 million more nurses would be needed by 2030.

Healthcare Workers Likely Will Be Offered New Vaccine

Healthcare workers likely will be offered a new COVID-19 vaccine the FDA is pushing to roll out for this fall and winter. The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee approved “the inclusion of a SARS-CoV-2 omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines in the United States.”