Editor's Notes Sherry Rogers, director of robotics at Emory Healthcare, identified key elements for establishing operational excellence in robotic surgery during this breakout session on the last day of the conference. Rogers noted the practices and procedures she and her colleagues apply to Emory’s robotics program that have helped them…

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Editor's Note  Jeff Whitehorn, LFACHE, ACC, founder of Whitehorn Coaching and Consulting, concluded the OR Manager Conference on Wednesday, October 19, by discussing culture CPR—the acronym which, as he explained, stands for Celebration, Passion, and Recognition—as well as best practices for successfully retaining staff. Healthcare lost 20% of its workforce,…

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Editor's Note “Is your OR ready for a DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] inspection?” was the question Dennis Wichern, MBA, partner at Prescription Drug Consulting, asked attendees of this breakout session. As a retired DEA agent, Wichern discussed the ways the DEA has been involved in the medical field, specifically pertaining…

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Editor's Note Only 26 states require the reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) to either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) or the state, Lisa Berus, MSN, MEd, RN, CAIP, CNAMB, CASSPT, senior director at SCA Health, explained in this two-part breakout session.…

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Editor's Note  Rose Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, a professor emeritus at Florida Atlantic University, concluded day two of the OR Manager Conference with a packed keynote presentation. Sherman tapped into 3 focus points: COVID-19’s impact on how nurses view their work, the implications of generational shifts, and leadership strategies…

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Editor's Note In this session, Maria Sullivan, MSN, MMHC, RM, CNOR, OR manager of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, walked attendees through her journey of renovating the 20-year-old ORs at Monroe Carell. According to Sullivan, here are a few considerations people need to keep in mind…

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Editor's Note “We like to say PSIs [patient safety indicators] are a marathon, not a sprint. Small progress is still progress,” said Holly Taylor, DNP, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, CNAMB, Quality Management Coordinator at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) at this OR Manager Conference session. Taylor and fellow…

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Editor's Note David Wyatt, PhD, MPH, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer of the University Hospitals at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, opened the OR Manager Conference on Monday, October 17, by discussing how to move forward as leaders with resilience and purpose. In a leadership…

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Editor's Note In this workshop, one thing was made clear from the get go: “SPD [sterile processing department] is the key to success for the OR,” said W. Zeh Wellington, DNP, RN, NE-BC, director of procedural care and surgical services at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.…

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Editor's Note  Small steps can be taken to improve the comfort and care of patients, especially those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. In Part 2 of this workshop, Ellen Cleary, BSN, RN, MBA, vice president of operations at Northwestern Health System, explained that her organization goes above and beyond…

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