Maternal deaths in the U.S. rose 33 percent after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, according to a study published June 28 in JAMA Network Open. 

Temporary loss of smell emerged as a common indicator of COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Research into the cause and treatment of the condition, known as anosmia, is ongoing, though recent studies have brought us one step closer to answers. 

Whether a school in Uvalde, Texas, or a hospital campus in Tulsa, Okla., a recent series of violent events are constant reminders of the potential for what could unfold on healthcare workers' home campuses. The omnipresent anxiety over gun violence in the workplace — a possibility that increasingly seems more likely — has negative consequences for care delivery and the patient experience.

Police fatally shot a patient in the emergency wing of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–Irving on June 29 after he opened fire on officers, according to local news reports.

As the number of reported COVID-19 cases teeters at about 100,000 each day, health experts warn there isn't an easy fix but pointed to two tools aimed at tackling the pandemic: improving nationwide vaccination rates and the potential of omicron-targeted boosters. 

Patients' implicit biases about a physician's race and gender may influence their response to treatments, even when their overt attitudes about these providers are positive, according to a study published June 27 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The Joint Commission has issued guidance to help prevent healthcare professionals from using packaged sterile supplies and devices that are expired or compromised. 

Staffing shortages and pandemic-related process changes have resulted in rising patient safety issues, which has drawn the attention of CMS, state agencies, and The Joint Commission. Not only do health systems have to pass regular accreditation surveys but they must now deal with a rising number of state surveys triggered by patient complaints.

The U.S. will deploy 296,000 doses of Jynneos monkeypox vaccine — the preferred vaccine — over the coming weeks and is expanding eligibility for vaccination. 

Below are 12 hospitals, health systems or hospital operators that recently posted job listings seeking chief nursing officers. 

Hospitals and medical associations across the nation reacted to the Supreme Court's June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by calling attention to the consequences it will have on vulnerable populations, and the increased demand providers will see in states where abortion services are still acessible. 

Global health officials have identified at least 920 probable cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin among children in 33 countries, the World Health Organization said June 24.

Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 collectively account for 52 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC's latest variant proportion estimates for the week ending June 25. 

The New Hampshire Board of Nursing has reinstated the license of Amy Matthews, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer at Keene, N.H.-based Cheshire Medical Center, after it was suspended amid an investigation into how more than 7 gallons of fentanyl went missing, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported June 28. 

Utah will see the greatest increase in COVID-19 case rates by July 4, while Delaware will see the greatest decrease in cases, according to forecasts from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. 

Here are five nurses who have made headlines for their leadership efforts on and off the job since June 8:

The monkeypox outbreak does not constitute a public health emergency of international concern at this time, the World Health Organization said June 25. 

Long COVID-19 is often overlooked in older people despite the age group being at a higher risk to develop symptoms, The Washington Post reported June 26.

National disease modeling suggests COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths will remain stable through mid-July while cases will continue to rise, albeit at a slower pace.  

The Biden administration will not release data on COVID-19 transmission in individual hospitals, citing "privacy concerns," Politico reported June 25.