HUDDLE
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Good Morning, Readers! |
Fun fact about me: my fave holiday is Valentine’s Day! I know it can be a bit cheesy, but I enjoy celebrating the people who make life special. Instead of sending holiday cards annually in December, I send Valentine’s Day cards! I’m on year 10 of designing and creating my own cards!
Whether you love Valentine’s Day or prefer to skip it, we’d love for you to join us on February 13, 2025, for a special happy hour with Nurse.com and Cat Golden. You can join us in person in Raleigh, NC, or virtually for a fun, lighthearted gathering with your fellow nurses. Plus, when you register, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a Virgin Voyages cruise! Hope to see you there!
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Today's Top Beats |
❌ Red Dye Ban
🐤 Bird Flu Update
🧠 3%
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HANDOFF |
Red Dye No. 3 Banned |
The FDA has banned red dye no. 3—currently used in a range of ingested products—from foods, dietary supplements, and oral medicines, citing research linking the dye to cancer in lab rats. Though this risk doesn’t necessarily translate to humans, a statute known as the Delaney Clause requires the FDA to ban additives that are carcinogenic in humans or animals. Some food manufacturers have already reformulated some of their products to remove Red 3, but industry groups argue the dye is safe at typical consumption levels.
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UnitedHealth Defends Practices |
UnitedHealth Group addressed frustrations with the US healthcare system by blaming high costs on hospitals and drug companies, while defending its practices. StatNews notes, however, that one of the “core functions” of insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (like UnitedHealth’s Optimum Rx) is to negotiate prices. Looking forward, UnitedHealth plans to grow its Medicare
Advantage membership (it’s already the largest MA insurer), claiming that the program saves consumers and taxpayers money, which StatNews calls inaccurate.
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Bird Flu Clinical Recommendations |
As we reported yesterday, the CDC is urging clinicians treating influenza A patients to test for bird flu within 24 hours of hospital admission. Further clinical recommendations include asking about exposure to animals or symptomatic individuals, testing for influenza A subtypes, initiating antiviral treatment immediately for suspected cases, using airborne isolation precautions for suspected or confirmed bird flu patients, and promptly notifying health departments. Bird flu has been confirmed in 67 people and millions of animals, with one human death reported in the U.S. linked to backyard poultry or wild bird exposure in Louisiana.
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TODAY'S TOP VITAL
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38% |
The percentage of healthcare providers with diagnosis-level mental health symptoms who reported seeking care from September 2022–May 2023. Click here to learn how many providers met the diagnostic criteria for psychopathology, what barriers kept them from seeking care, and more.
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PRN
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MAP OF THE MODERN NURSE WITH DEBRIEFING THE FRONT LINES
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How to Begin Debriefing on Your Unit |
Interested in bringing debriefing to your unit, but not sure where to begin?
Start with the Debriefing Guide, a three-part resource designed to help empower nurses of all specialties to facilitate critical conversations and foster a culture of psychological safety.
Starting with Debriefing Basics, the guide offers a clear definition and tri-fold purpose, supplemented by key statistics, setting a firm foundation for understanding the importance of debriefing.
The Core Emotion Check-in Tool is a versatile instrument ideal for use in daily huddles, standardized check-ins, and post-traumatic stress events. It nurtures a supportive environment, essential before and after clinical conferences.
The Debriefing Single Incident Trauma Guide and Script provides practical, actionable steps for immediate application, allowing for the integration of clinical debriefings.
From staff nurses to educators and charge nurses aiming to implement formal programs, this guide serves as a starting point for those dedicated to pioneering emotional support and change within their departments.
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Debriefing the Front Lines is a mental health organization, debriefing single incident and Cumulative Care Taking Trauma®. Learn more here.
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Did you miss our last newsletter? Click here.
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Launching into Entrepreneurship |
Learn more about Beth Brooks’s and Marla Weston’s impressive journeys as nurses, leaders, and investors—and their advice for diving into nurse entrepreneurship.
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Valentine's Happy Hour |
Feb 13 | Raleigh, NC or Virtual
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Join TNB and Nurse.com for an evening of connection, fun, and creativity—virtually or in person. Register here to attend and you’ll have a chance to win a Virgin Voyages luxury cruise!
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SUPPLY ROOM |
New Year, New Books |
If one of your 2025 goals is to read more, check out Stiff by Mary Roach—a compelling and sometimes hilarious look into the "lives" of human cadavers.
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BREAK ROOM |
Besties for the Resties |
You will not believe what these night shifters do together before every shift. Would you do this with your coworkers?
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DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS
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Share your unique link below 👇 via text, email, or snail mail and share it with your besties! The more friends you refer, the more swag you earn!
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