Emory Authors: Orientation of New Graduate Nurses to Acute and Critical Care: Reimagining the Preceptor Role.

“The preparation new graduate nurses (NGNs) receive in prelicensure education is requisite skill and knowledge for entry into the profession but falls short of the expected competence for independent nursing practice. This competency gap is a well-described challenge for nurse educators and nurse leaders. For NGNs, the academic practice gap represents a
steep learning curve in a complex setting. Entry into practice in highly specialized acute care units is a fast-paced, high-stakes environment complicated by staffing shortages, heavy workloads, and hostile workplace cultures.”

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“NEED LESS CLABSI”s: Needleless Connectors for CLABSI Prevention

“Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are serious healthcare-associated infections causing significant morbidity, mortality, and financial burden. A major contributor to CLABSI is microbial entry through catheter access points, particularly the hub. Needleless connectors are therefore essential components of central line systems, enabling safe access without needles while aiming to minimize contamination risk.
Needleless connectors are critical for safe central line access, but variations in their design—such as internal flow paths, valves, and dead space—can promote reflux, biofilm formation, and contamination. Inconsistent hub disinfection further increases infection risk. As noted by Rickard et al. (2021), “contamination of the needleless connector is a key pathway for intraluminal central venous access device infection,” emphasizing the importance of connector design and effective hub decontamination. Newer connector designs and disinfecting caps aim to reduce contamination and improve compliance; however, comparative evidence on their real-world impact remains limited.”

Sarah McCullar MBA MN RN , Madison Toole BSN RN, Perrez Wilson MN RN Neuro ICU 2D/G, Emory University Hospital

Boots on the Bed: Preventing Heel Pressure Injuries with Heel Soft Boots

Many Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients suffer from conditions that limit mobility, further increasing their risk of pressure injuries (PI). A multi-center study found that 37.9% of ICU patients had a unit-acquired PI with 12.5% being heel PIs (n = 87), but with unit-based education the unit-acquired PIs reduced to 14.9% with 8.8% being heel PIs (n = 94) (Alshahrani et al., 2024). Several factors contributing to heel PIs can be reduced or eliminated through patient and nurse education on proper heel-offloading strategies, specifically the use of heel soft boots and pillows, as improper positioning can cause friction and contractures (Arslan & Ates, 2024). One study demonstrated the effectiveness of proper heel soft boot utilization, with 1 heel PI in the intervention group (n = 197) compared to 11 heel PIs in the control group (n = 197) over 28 days. (Johnson et al., 2022).

Will Anda, BSN, RN, Ben Haskew, BSN, RN, Alexis Holmes, BSN, RN, Madeeah Muhammad, BSN, RN, Hannah Ross, BSN, RN Emory University Hospital (EUH) 4TN/5TN Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)

Emory Authors: Can consumer wearables support outpatient health monitoring for patients with post-acute infection syndromes? A systematic umbrella review of accuracy, validity, and clinical utility data

“Consumer health wearables—commercially available health tracking devices such as
smartwatches and other wearable sensors coupled to smartphones—have become
broadly adopted in the United States. A 2024 study found that 44.5% of Americans
reported using a wearable on a regular basis. These devices are designed to
passively and continuously collect physiological data, offering users a convenient,
data-driven, and readily available means of engaging with indicators of their health.
Biometrics tracked by consumer wearables with demonstrated links to health status
include heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, electrodermal activity, blood pressure, and indices of sleep quantity and quality, among others.”

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Hot Topics: Nurse Retention in Hospitals: A Multilevel Integrative Review of Organizational Determinants

“The shortage of nursing staff represents one of the most significant challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. According to estimates by the World Health Organization, the global nursing deficit decreased from 6.2 million in 2020 to 5.8 million in 2023, with a further reduction to 4.1 million projected by 2030. Despite this trend, the literature highlights how this shortage remains a structural issue, mainly associated with the aging of the workforce, the reduced attractiveness of the nursing profession, with a consequent decrease in enrollments in training programs, the increase in burnout among healthcare professionals following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing demand for healthcare linked to the prevalence of chronic diseases. Population aging and the increase in chronic diseases contribute to a higher demand for care, requiring an ever-growing number of nurses who are adequately trained to respond to emerging care needs. These structural factors have been further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing challenges and highlighted the urgent need to improve the working conditions of nursing staff in order to ensure sustainable and effective professional practice. Within this context, the capacity of healthcare organizations to retain qualified nursing staff has emerged as a key determinant of the sustainability and effectiveness of health systems globally.”

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Emory Authors: Closing the Gap: A Clinical Instructor and Preceptor Academy to Address Educator Shortages and Improve Teaching Confidence

“An aging U.S. population and the increasing complexity of care have intensified the demand for nurses, and a critical shortage of clinical instructors and preceptors (CIPs) threatens the nursing workforce pathway. Experienced nurses are frequently assigned preceptor roles without formal preparation in clinical teaching, feedback, or learner evaluation, which contributes to dissatisfaction and burnout among CIPs and learners alike. Clinical teaching should be attractive, engaging, and meaningful to CIPs rather than a
source of personal liability or stress. Nurses often report that they are not asked, compensated, trained, or resourced to precept—even though it is known that CIPs require specialized, evidence-based training and practical resources to help prepare the next generation of nurses. The challenge is compounded by limited access to high-quality continuing education specifically designed for clinical teaching roles. Available training
resources either require out-of-pocket costs or restrict participation to highly selective programs for baccalaureate-prepared clinical nurses.”

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Hot Topics: Developing Resilience: Exploring the Roles of Emotional Reactivity and Stress Appraisal.

“Resilience, or the ability to quickly recover and learn from setbacks, challenges, and adversity, is considered both a trait and a process. As a trait, resilience constitutes a combination of behaviors, thoughts, emotions and actions that aid in stress
management and encourage positive health outcomes. As a process, resilience represents the ability to recover quickly from stress or adversity. Resilience is known to safeguard against feeling overwhelmed due to stress. It also enforces mental stability and acts as a buffer to negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. To build resilience, it is important for each person to understand how they respond to and cope with major and minor stressors.”

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