By Cara Lunsford RN CPHON – Nearly 15,000 nurses from several major New York City hospitals walked out on January 12, 2026, making it the largest nurses’ strike in the city’s history. There are many reasons for this strike, with staffing levels, workplace safety, and higher wages being the leading issues.
As we bid farewell to 2025, it’s time to reflect on the pivotal moments that shaped the healthcare landscape over the past year. This week’s Friday Five highlights HCNR stats, top contributors from Health IT Answers, top stories from HCNR and more.
By Natalie Vaughn – While the holiday season can be a meaningful time to reconnect with loved ones and recharge, healthcare remains one of the few industries that doesn’t slow down. In fact, as many nurses can attest, holiday nursing stress can be especially challenging.
By Zelda Meeker – When any healthcare provider introduces themselves as “doctor,” most patients may naturally assume they’re speaking to a physician. But what happens when the person using that title isn’t an MD, but a nurse with a doctoral degree?
By Nancy Brent MS JD RN – HIPAA is a federal law that protects the confidentiality and security of patient information. As a nurse, if you’re complying with this law and its regulations, you’re fulfilling your legal obligations relating to your patients’ confidentiality and the security of their health information.
By Natalie Bridges MSN FNP-BC – I was once on the other side of the call light. Now I’m the one answering it. I remember standing over an ICU patient at his bedside, the tape already disconnected from his NG tube, telling him how uncomfortable it was going to be to have it removed.
By Zelda Meeker – Nurses are often expected to manage too much, too fast, making it harder to stay focused during high-stakes care. Redesigning workflows and integrating technologies with intention can help hospitals relieve some of that burden. Streamlined workflows don’t replace human judgment — they protect it by eliminating distractions and unnecessary steps.
By Zelda Meeker – Ethics are universal across healthcare settings and providers and are an important element that drives safety, trust, and quality patient care. This may lead some people to wonder if nurses are held to the same ethical traditions as physicians.
By Alice Benjamin MSN ACNS-BC FNP-C – For many people, ordering a genetic testing kit like 23andMe felt empowering. With just a few clicks and a saliva sample, they hoped to uncover family roots, solve health mysteries, or find out if they carried genes that could explain everything from lactose intolerance to their risk for cancer or Alzheimer’s disease.
By Zelda Meeker – While every wound tells a story, it also carries a cost, affecting both patients and organizations. Nurse leaders hold the key to transforming outcomes through the investment in wound care training.
By Zelda Meeker – When you think of HIPAA, what comes to mind? Privacy. Integrity. Trust. These elements and so much more come into play, especially in the age of social media. HIPAA mandates that nurses and other healthcare professionals protect sensitive patient information, ensuring confidentiality and trust in the patient-provider relationship.
By Sallie Jimenez – “Nurses are busy” is the understatement of the year. Long shifts, heavy patient loads, charting — it all adds up. So when the topic of continuing education (CE) or professional development arises, it’s easy to think, “How can I make time for that, too?”
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