BACKGROUND

Public health was again at risk due to the appearance of new COVID-19 variants. Coronavirus Disease (COVID19) transmission occurs mainly through the oral mucosa. Specifically, nurses who care for or interact with hospitalized patients directly have a higher risk of contracting the virus. In order to manage the viral load in respiratory secretions, nurses need to be aware of evidence-based practices as clinical care providers. The unsophisticated application and the effectiveness of Chlorhexidine (CHX) Mouthwash as an independent nursing intervention to mitigate cross-contamination and reduce SARSCoV-2 transmission remains clinically significant.

OBJECTIVE

The study's objective was to determine the effectiveness of Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash in reducing SARSCoV-2 viral load among COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

A systematic review of effectiveness was conducted. The databases included the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and BMJ Clinical Evidence and recruitment studies published between 2021-2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials was used to evaluate the risk of bias.

RESULTS

A total of 523 patients from 10 clinical studies were included in this analysis. The review demonstrated the potential effectiveness of CHX Mouthwash in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral load among COVID-19 patients admitted to a healthcare facility.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This review summarized current evidence on the antimicrobial and virucidal effects of chlorhexidine (CHX) in clinical settings. Findings indicated that CHX mouthwash may help reduce the SARS-CoV-2 viral load among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, variations in study design and outcomes, along with the narrative synthesis approach, limited causal interpretation. The results may guide clinical nurses and healthcare institutions in updating infection control practices and oral care protocols for patients with COVID-19.

Human ; Chlorhexidine ; Covid-19 ; Sars-cov-2 ; Health

: This policy paper entitled "A Call for Hazard Pay Implementation of Nurse Academicians in the Philippines" advocated for the provision of hazard pay to nurse educators who faced numerous risks in both clinical and classroom settings. Nurse academicians played a vital role in shaping the future healthcare workforce, but they lack adequate compensation for the hazards they encounter such as exposure to infectious diseases and occupational risks. This lacked of compensation negatively impacts job satisfaction, retention, and the overall quality of nursing education. : The paper highlighted the importance of fair compensation for nurse academicians through hazard pay that is similar to public health workers under RA 7305. It presented a detailed policy recommendation, including criteria for eligibility, evaluation of risk exposure, and proposed hazard pay rates. The ultimate goal was to ensure that nurse educators are financially secure, properly recognized for their work, and motivated to continue in their roles, thereby strengthening the country's healthcare education system. The paper concluded that hazard pay for nurse academicians is a crucial investment in the future of healthcare, as it ensured better support for those who train the nation's healthcare professionals.

Glass ceiling is the unseen barrier that prohibits women and minorities in achieving a higher potential in the workplace. This barrier influences the well-being and prosperity of women and minorities resulting to career stagnation and inability to earn a higher income. Despite the abundance of literature on the issue, there is a dearth of comprehensive information that examines the organizational, cultural, and individual factors that contribute to the glass ceiling phenomenon in the healthcare industry. The main goal of this study is to do a full scoping review to find and map all the existing healthcare settings that contribute to the glass ceiling effect. A total of 28,184 hits resulted in the search of the published and grey literature. Nine articles passed the full-text review and were further reviewed. Data were synthesized and interpreted to determine the experiences of nurses about the glass ceiling phenomenon. Findings: Gender discrimination, bias, and stereotyping prevent nurses from learning executive summary skills, maintain the gender wage gap, and lead to unequal treatment of women and men in the health workforce; structural and systemic barriers within healthcare organizations can restrict their access to these higher-level positions; underrepresentation of women in leadership roles leads to lack of mentors; and lack of work-life balance due to limited flexible work arrangements.
Sexism ; Gender Equity ; Nurses