Here are four nurses who have made headlines for their efforts on and off the job  since April 5:

From novices to seasoned experts, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged all nurses in different ways. Facing a time of unprecedented turbulence in their careers, some baby-boomer nurses took the opportunity to retire early. 

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill into law April 15 granting full practice authority for nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses.

Several colleges and universities have launched nursing programs and partnerships to address persistent shortages around the country.

As labor shortages persist throughout the country, nurses unions have taken increased action to support nursing staff. 

Below are 19 hospitals, health systems and hospital operators that recently posted job listings seeking chief nursing officers. 

Hospital CEOs and presidents with nursing backgrounds are still rare in healthcare — but not at Sparrow Health System. The Lansing, Mich.-based system has appointed four nurse leaders to top leadership positions in the last two years, a spokesperson told Becker's April 3.

Several colleges and universities have launched nursing programs and partnerships to address persistent shortages around the country.

With nearly one-third of registered nurses considering leaving their current roles amid historic workforce shortages, healthcare executives nationwide are scrambling to better understand and meet nurses' needs. This task may come easier for hospital and health system CEOs with hands-on nursing experience, but so-called "nurse CEOs" are few and far between. 

More than 100,000 people have signed a national petition calling for clemency in former nurse RaDonda Vaught's criminal case.

The Indiana State Nursing Board discriminates against nurses with opioid use disorder and must work with the Justice Department to end the civil rights violations, the U.S. Justice Department concluded in a recently released investigation.

RaDonda Vaught's conviction for a fatal medical error has created a dangerous precedent that will have long-lasting effects on the nursing profession, the American Nurses Association and Tennessee Nurses Association said March 25.

The trial of RaDonda Leanne Vaught, a former nurse facing criminal charges over a fatal medication error, could have a "chilling effect" on medical error reporting and process improvement in healthcare, the American Nurses Association said in a March 23 statement.

Several colleges and universities have launched nursing programs and partnerships to address persistent shortages around the country.

Below are 14 hospitals and health systems that recently posted job listings seeking chief nursing officers. 

Nurses across the country are calling on The Joint Commission to require "safe staffing ratios" as a condition of accreditation for healthcare facilities, the Chicago Tribune reported March 15.

As labor shortages persist throughout the country, nurses unions have taken increased action to support nursing staff. 

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A survey released March 1 from the American Nurses Foundation and Joslin Insight showed Generation Z and millennial nurses — who belong to the generations born between 1981 and 2012 — have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many suffering from mental health issues and about 60 percent saying they will leave or are considering leaving their positions. 

Nurses who entered the field during the COVID-19 pandemic faced unique challenges as they stepped into a time of unprecedented turbulence in modern healthcare.