Medically ready for discharge: A multisite "point-in-time" assessment of hospitalized patients.

Background: Time spent awaiting discharge after the acute need for hospitalization has resolved is an important potential contributor to hospital length of stay (LOS).

Objective: To measure the prevalence, impact, and context of patients who remain hospitalized for prolonged periods after completion of acute care needs.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We conducted a cross-sectional "point-in-time" survey at each of 15 academic US hospitals using a structured data collection tool with on-service acute care medicine attending physicians in fall 2022.

Effective Holistic Approaches to Reducing Nurse Stress and Burnout During COVID-19.

Background: Prolonged exposure to work-related stress can lead to nurse burnout, potentiating clinical and medication errors and low-quality patient care. Holistic approaches (such as mindfulness training, "zen rooms," and massage chairs, among others) have been shown to reduce nurses' anxiety, stress, and burnout.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of "serenity lounges" (dedicated rooms where nurses can take workday breaks for the purposes of relaxation and rejuvenation) and massage chairs on nurses' anxiety, stress, and burnout.

Implementing a Departure Lounge: A Strategy to Improve Patient Flow and the Discharge Process.

This column presents the development of a Departure Lounge at Cedars Sinai Medical Center as a mechanism to assist in addressing capacity constraints. Departure lounges have been presented as an option to improve hospital throughput by providing a safe space for discharged patients to wait once medical and nursing care has been completed.