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Good Morning, Readers,

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Today's Top Beats

💸 Wage Woes
🎉 Good News at Last

🩺 Nursing’s Silent Threat

HANDOFF

Wage Woes

A federal class action suit has been filed against the state of New York by 200 nurse practitioners alleging wage discrimination. The NPs, all employed by the state Civil Service Commission, assert that the state has avoided increasing NPs’ placement in the compensation structure despite them providing medical services that physicians, who are paid much more, would deliver. Meetings between their union, the Public Employees Federation, and the Department of Civil Service haven’t led to improvements.

Disabilities Uncounted

Long Covid is among the newest chronic illnesses to cause long-term disability, yet millions who have it aren’t included in U.S. disability data. Neither are millions with mental health, psychiatric, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, according to an op-ed at STAT. The problem is that they don’t have the right box to check on census surveys—and proposed changes to survey methods nearly made the situation worse before advocates halted them. Read more on how to fix the problem.

Good News at Last!

After years of a depressing climb in overdose deaths, a potentially watershed moment has finally arrived: early data on drug overdose deaths show the first decline in decades. The roughly 10.6% drop matches a decrease seen in overdose-related emergency department visits and may end up translating to as many as 20,000 fewer deaths a year, according to one researcher. We’re certainly not out of the woods, especially with more potent drugs than ever available, but it’s a welcome sign of hope.

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TODAY'S TOP VITAL

9.9%

The average hospital staff nurse vacancy rate, according to the latest data from a Nursing Solutions report. It’s a significant drop from rates in 2022 and 2023, approaching the rates of 2020 and 2021, but it’s not clear if turnover is also continuing to fall.

PRN

CARING COLLECTIVELY WITH TOGATHER

Nursing’s Silent Threat

Compassion fatigue—physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion from caring for those in distress—is silently eroding nurses' well-being and putting patients at risk. Nurses are particularly vulnerable, especially those in emergency or under-resourced settings. The stress and trauma—tied to medical complexity, racism, poverty, and more—can amplify the damage.

Here’s how to fight back:

• Know Your Enemy. Compassion fatigue can hit fast. It’s the emotional toll of constant caregiving that nearly 40% of nurses face. Here’s how to spot the signs early.

• Fight Back Together. Self-care alone won’t cut it. Join forces with your peers for collective healing—think group mindfulness, support circles, and real talk. Explore collective healing practices.

• Demand Real Change. Band-aid solutions won’t fix this. Push for systemic changes like better staffing and mental health support in your workplace. 

Compassion fatigue isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a health equity issue that affects patient outcomes and provider well-being. Let’s tackle it together.

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BREAK ROOM

Skin Care = Self-Care

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