🔟 healthcare predictions for 2021

While most of us are glad to leave 2020 behind—and will surely be recovering from it in more ways than one for some time to come—it's time to look toward 2021 and what can be accomplished and learned from the months to come. This year the expectations are high, including the delivery of upwards of four billion COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021 and the anticipation of more than 30% of patient-practitioner interactions going virtual. We should also expect a 300% growth in the behavioral digital therapeutics market and adjust to a move toward next-generation medical imaging tools and devices. TLDR: there's a lot to look forward to. Continue reading to learn about all 10 major healthcare predictions. Read more

How nurses can invest their money with confidence —

Are you ready to think about money in a fun and inspiring way (finally, right)? Get your financial life sorted and learn more about investing so you can enjoy more freedom, even if you’re on a median income, have debt, have no time to learn about investing, or are terrified to start. Lynn Frair, RN, a nurse and personal finance enthusiast who, despite numerous financial and health setbacks, used simple investing tactics to reach “work optional” status at age 39. Here, she explains all! Read more

Pay continues to rise as the demand for travel nurses grows —

ICU nurse Veronica O'Kane has more than doubled her hourly rate in the last couple of months by leaving her staff job at home and pursuing high-demand travel nursing assignments. In this short time, she's gone from drowning in debt to finally catching up (albeit with the trade-offs that come with traveling to pursue high-acuity positions in pandemic-era nursing). However, there are two sides to this coin, as lifelong staff nurses are seeing travelers fill their same roles, but at up to three or four times their own wage. When demand becomes this great, and the need itself can be sporadic from region to region, there's no easy answer... for nurses or facilities alike. Read more

How to break a travel nursing contract the right way —

While it’s never ideal that a contract is broken or terminated prior to the expected end date, there are certainly circumstances in which it may be necessary. As a professional not wanting to burn bridges, cause unnecessary consequences, and optimize for future employment opportunities, it’s helpful to be informed in making the decision to cancel a contract. In this piece, we share exactly what, and what not, to do. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

FDA warns against changing COVID-19 schedules and doses —

The FDA recently reported that some healthcare facilities have been trying to stretch their doses by cutting them in half, extending the time between dose administration, or even combining vaccines to immunize a greater number of people. FDA officials have warned that doing so may place public health at risk and most certainly undermines our nation's "historic vaccination effort to protect the population" from COVID-19. The FDA is asking state and local officials to help ensure that vaccines are administered in the proper amounts and timeframes and that more vaccines are soon to be on their way. Read more

Three states with the worst COVID-19 infection rates in the world —

At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona, California, and Rhode Island are among the most impacted. These three states hold the highest rates of infection per capita in the world. Arizona is at the top, with 785 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. Rhode Island and California follow suit at 671 and 658 out of 100,000 people, respectively (the average across the United States is about 451 new cases per 100,000). With holidays spikes in infection still growing, health officials are worried about the weeks to come. In Los Angeles alone, at least 10 people are contracting COVID-19 every minute. Ambulance drivers in Los Angeles have even been told to refrain from mobilizing patients that are unlikely to survive, even with further care, due to overly congested hospitals. And as the UK heads into another nationwide lockdown due to the growing rate of infections caused by the new strain of virus, it looks like things in the US will not be improving anytime soon... even with vaccine distribution in early stages. Read more

Slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be followed by inequitable access —

While cities and states are currently working to speed up COVID-19 vaccine administration, many health officials are already worrying about equal access to the vaccine once it's available to the wider population. One of the biggest concerns: will communities lacking adequate pharmacy services be left out? As Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, stated, "I understand there is benefit for us to treat the vaccine like we do the flu shot — we want it to be easy and accessible — but I also know when we had testing and it came out and the corporations were doing it, poorer places like Dayton didn't get the tests, and that's not fair." In short, areas that have fewer large pharmacy chains are expected to experience a more difficult time getting vaccines. Fortunately or not, we have several months before this discrepancy becomes an issue, so hopefully national and state leaders can bring resolutions to the table alongside the vaccines themselves. Read more

No freezer, no problem —

One hospital in Northern California was forced to act quickly when their freezer tasked with maintaining 800+ doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine malfunctioned. With only two out of twelve hours left in the efficacy of those vials, hospital staff had to act quickly. Forced to follow state guidelines loosely given the timeline, hospital staff were able to distribute or administer all 800+ doses within a mere two hours. The hospital's spokesperson, Cici Winiger, exclaimed, "[C]an you imagine if we had more time to do this? If this is how we do a massive vaccination later, we are golden. We can do this.” Now that we know what's possible, the pressure is on to get more vaccinations underway. Read more

Mother who gave birth with COVID-19 names ICU nurse godmother of her baby —

Monique Jones, a soon-to-be mother, contracted COVID-19 and was soon after hospitalized and intubated. She was forced to give birth early for the safety of her daughter in fear that she might not survive the virus. Thankfully, both mother and child survived a successful c-section and COVID-19 recovery, and after such a horrifying and harrowing experience, Jones expressed her gratitude for the support of her ICU nurse, Caitlyn Obrock, by naming her the godmother of her daughter. Today, Obrock states proudly, "She’s a miracle [...] her and her baby." Simply incredible. ️Read more

Upcoming Events

1/13, 2pm PST: What else is out there? Find nursing careers beyond the bedside —

Our first event in this series focuses on nursing jobs beyond the bedside that you can explore right now. Two nursing career experts, Nicole Thomas and Dan Weberg, will share concrete career pathways available for nurses who want to explore options beyond the bedside. You will leave the event with an arsenal of different career trajectories and an understanding of how to follow these various career paths. RSVP️