Nursing schools turn away thousands of applications; Dengue fever to rise in next decade; Shadow Work latest mental health sensation - Morning Medical Update

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Nursing schools turn away thousands of applications

Nearly 80,000 qualified nursing school applications were turned away last year, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Experts say it was caused primarily by staffing shortages, meaning there aren’t enough staff members to teach students. “You can’t just throw in a lot of people to expand nursing pools,” Judith Jarosinski, professor emerita at Salisbury University’s School of Nursing in Maryland said in an interview.

Dengue fever to rise in next decade

Dengue fever rates in southern Europe, the southern United States, and Africa are expected to rise in the next decade, according to Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization. Rising rates can be attributed to climate change and increased urbanization. The type of mosquito that carries dengue bites indoors and bites all day rather than just at night. There is currently no cure but there is a vaccine.

Shadow Work latest mental health sensation

The Shadow Work Journal is the latest mental health ‘tool’ used by many members of Gen Z. The book, now a viral TikTok trend, is derived from Jungian psychology. Experts recognize there may be some benefit for self-guided reflections but emphasize there is a big difference between someone who is curious and someone using the trend during a mental health crisis. The author of the journal, Keila Shaheen, does not have a medical degree but does have a bachelor’s in marketing. She also used to work at TikTok as a creative strategist.