How much do nurses actually make?

We’re excited to share with you Trusted’s newest product addition—Salary Explorer— the most comprehensive nurse salary calculator that exists anywhere! With this new tool, you’ll be able to see how you stack up compared to other nurses in your area as well as get the info you need to make your next career decision. You'll be able to view nurse salary data, compare pay between travel nurses and staff nurses, examine cost of living breakdowns, learn about local facilities, and navigate city transportation options all in one place. Read more

National suicide hotline will get a 3-digit number —

The Federal Communications Commission has approved 988 to be the 3-digit number for the national suicide hotline starting in 2022. This is some really great news. As nurses, we can recognize that this is an important step in reducing barriers to get people help when they need it. As a reminder, the current hotline number is 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Read more

Nurses and PAs are essential workers, until they're not —

After months of battling one of the greatest pandemics in recent history, many healthcare providers are finding themselves furloughed, and in some cases, let go. As healthcare workers are being applauded as heroes in the media, thousands are losing their jobs. But why? Financials—profits—are a major driver of the hospital system, so when patient visits (especially for elective procedures and surgeries) dwindled, so too did healthcare workers' pay, benefits, and hours. But during a time when cases of infection and death are still increasing, having fewer staff ready to respond does not seem like a winning strategy. As put by Rachael Jarman, PA, "Getting rid of PAs as we face a pandemic is like laying off firefighters when forests are ablaze." Read more

During the recent lockdowns, preemie births have dropped noticeably —

Interestingly, during the various lockdowns due to COVID-19 around the world, many hospitals are reporting a drastic decrease in preemie births. Researchers in Denmark even found that during lockdown, the rate of babies born earlier than 28 weeks had decreased by a shocking 90 percent. While not a universal finding in other hospitals and nations, it's still sparking interest. So why the decrease in preemie births? The verdict is still out, but some experts speculate that pregnant women who've been forced to stay home may have experienced less stress from work and a daily commute, received more sleep and family support, and perhaps avoided other infections in general (the flu and common cold). If variables for this decrease can be confirmed, then perhaps we will be able to more proactively prevent unnecessary premature births in the future. Read more

Another promising vaccine —

Following Moderna's announcement last week of positive data emerging from its phase one COVID-19 vaccine trials, Oxford researchers partnering with AstraZeneca have found similarly positive results. Their vaccine has also elicited strong immune responses in an early stage trial. With over 100 vaccines currently in the works around the world, more than 20 have begun clinical trials. At this rate, there's a growing chance we'll see an approved vaccine by early 2021. Read more

What we know about reopening schools —

So far, the data has shown that kids have consistently held infection rates lower than those of adults, and if they are infected, tend to exhibit milder symptoms. But the real question is to what extent can kids share the virus with their peers as well as the adults around them in schools. In short, we need more comprehensive epidemiological studies to truly understand how children fit into the transmission chain. But for now, research actually points to the idea that school-based transmission may be a manageable problem. In the meantime, one way to navigate the reopening of schools is to limit openings to regions where there are lower numbers of community transmissions of the virus to begin with. Only time will reveal the full impact of reopening schools, or whether or not fall is the right time. Read more

Painting the frontline —

When this pandemic began, Steve Derrick of Albany, New York said he wanted to do something as a thank you to those on the frontlines, so the amateur artist spent hours in his basement painting tributes. Check the link to see some of his tear-provoking pieces. Read more

Upcoming Events —

Shift[ing] Forward: 3 Events to Bring Nurses Forward, Together
Trusted Health and the Capitol City Black Nurses Association (CCBNA) are proud to present: “Shift[ing] Forward” — a week-long virtual event series set to educate, inspire, and connect nurses. From nursing careers beyond the bedside to tools for anti-racist allyship in healthcare, this virtual event series is all about bringing the nursing profession forward, together. All nurses are welcome to these events and all proceeds will benefit the CCBNA. RSVP