3.5 minute read

HUDDLE

Hello, Nurses!

As you head into another week, I want to offer some mindfulness exercises and techniques to dull stress and anxiety. Here are some of my favorites:

🧘 Body scan meditation

↘️ The 5-4-3-2-1 method

😮‍💨 4-7-8 breathing

In an intense situation, you can also give your system a little shock by holding a piece of ice or running your hands under cold water, then warm water. While these tips may sound a little “woo-woo,” research shows they can work. So, give them a try this week and enjoy less stress!

Today's Top Beats

❓ Q&A With a Nursing Powerhouse

📈 Drug-Resistant Fungus Increasing

🧑‍🚒 Firefighters Gearing Up for Battle

HANDOFF

Nurses Rally for Full Practice Authority

An all-too-familiar fight is brewing in North Carolina, where nurses rallied for House Bill 514 (previously the SAVE Act), which would grant APRNs full practice authority without physician supervision. Aiming to lower costs and expand rural healthcare access, the bill is backed by bipartisan lawmakers and groups like AARP, but doctors’ groups oppose it over patient safety concerns. Other healthcare bills on pricing transparency, medical debt relief, and PA licensing reforms also advanced through Senate committees.

Firefighters Gearing Up for Another Deadly Battle

The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles burned over 23,000 acres and 5,000 structures, and the firefighters who faced extreme heat and toxic smoke to tame it may one day have another, unexpected battle: cancer. Researchers are studying the long-term health risks from exposure to carcinogens released during wildfires, with early findings showing elevated levels of harmful chemicals like PFAS in firefighters’ blood. Other research showed a 100-fold increase in air lead levels during the fires, with unknown health effects.

Infections From Drug-Resistant Fungus Increasing

Infections from drug-resistant Candida auris have been surging in US healthcare settings since 2016, with cases spiking in 2023 (the last year of available CDC data). In 2022–2023, cases proliferated in hospitals in all but 12 states, with Georgia reporting over 1,300 cases as of the end of February 2025. The CDC warns it is a major antimicrobial resistance threat, as it is difficult to treat and spreads easily on surfaces, resistant to many household cleaners and traditional hospital disinfectants (including ammonia-based ones).

TODAY'S TOP VITAL

23%

The reduction in risk of prostate cancer mortality for men who undergo PSA screening compared with men who do not. 

PRN

MYSTERY Dx MINUTE WITH NURSE KEL

Mystery Diagnosis Minute

Hey everyone! It’s time for the last kidney-centric Mystery Diagnosis Minute in March. (Say that three times fast!) Today’s diagnosis is a real head scratcher. 

🫘 This diagnosis is one that not only affects the kidneys, but also affects all the small blood vessels within the body, causing a characteristic purpural rash. 

🫘 Some of the most common symptoms of this disease include stomach pain and arthritis.

🫘 There are no medications that treat this disease; however, most patients who are affected by it recover fully. Unfortunately, those who don’t are at risk for chronic kidney disease. 

Think you know the answer? Click here to see if you’re right!

Did you miss our last newsletter? Click here.

TODAY IN THE CHART

SUPPLY ROOM

Lavender Fields Forever

If you're having trouble catching some much-needed R&R, check out these lavender pillow inserts!

BREAK ROOM

Paying It Forward

Do you have nursing student friends who would love some helpful resources to pass the NCLEX? Send them this list to turn them from “nursing student” to “Registered Nurse” today!

DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS

Too busy to eat healthy? Try these tips to boost your nutrition on the go!

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