(Feb. 27, 2026) – 2026 Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Application Cycle Is Now Open
The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program application is open until 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. If you are a nurse working in a critical shortage facility or teaching as a nurse faculty member at an accredited school of nursing, this program can help reduce your nursing school debt. With two years of Nurse Corps service, you can pay off 60 percent of your nursing education debt, and with a third year of service, you can reduce it by an additional 25 percent.
TJC, NQF Align Sentinel Events and Serious Reportable Events Lists
To streamline safety event reporting and reduce confusion and burden, The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum announced they are aligning TJC's Sentinel Event List with the NQF's Serious Reportable Events List. Both lists serve as tools for publicly reporting patient safety events.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, TJC will adopt the NQF's updated SRE List as part of the SE List. This will allow accredited organizations to make the required changes during this transition.
Aligning Patient Safety Event Reporting is a report published by the two organizations, detailing updates and providing specific application guidance to enable more standardized implementation and meaningful comparisons across states, systems and even countries. A crosswalk between the SREs and the corresponding SEs is available to help health care organizations prepare for the transition.
To ensure workplace safety remains a priority, three workplace safety events from the legacy SE List – homicide, sexual abuse/assault and physical assault of a staff member – will be retained.
TJC and the NQF will host a patient safety capstone webinar covering updates to SREs from noon to 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3.
NFPA Seeks Public Comments on Weapons Detection Amendment
The National Fire Protection Association is accepting public comments on Tentative Interim Amendment 1869 to NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, with a focus on hospitals. The proposed amendment clarifies how weapons detection systems can be incorporated into required egress paths in health care facilities without compromising life safety.
The amendment specifies that weapons-detection systems placed at facility entrances, whether fixed or mobile, do not constitute an obstruction to paths of egress, similar to other permitted elements such as vestibules, turnstiles and exit doors.
If adopted as written, TIA 1869 would allow hospitals and ambulatory care centers to implement these security measures without compromising compliance with the Life Safety Code or the CMS Conditions of Participation.
Comments are due by Thursday, March 5, and should be submitted to NFPA by emailing TIAs_Errata_FIs@nfpa.org with the subject line: "Comment on Proposed TIA 1869 on NFPA 101." Comments should clearly state whether you support or oppose the amendment and include a brief rationale.
You can review the full amendment by visiting the NFPA 101 page and locating the Tentative Interim Amendment notice or by visiting the American Society for Health Care Engineering's website.
ASHE Shares Results of 2026 Hospital Construction Survey
The American Society for Healthcare Engineering and its Health Facilities Management magazine released a summary of results from its 2026 hospital construction survey.
The study's results highlight the need for security and cybersecurity planning and for security teams and facilities management to engage early to ensure that physical and cyber security protections are considered from the outset of the planning, design and construction process. The summary further outlines physical security and cybersecurity challenges, as well as trends in construction, facility projects and infrastructure projects.
Before You Go ...
PARTICIPATE: Severe Weather Preparedness Week will be observed Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 6, with each day highlighting a different preparedness theme. A statewide tornado drill is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 4. Hospitals are encouraged to use the week to test emergency preparedness plans and educate staff on severe weather procedures and protocols.