Most, if not all, nurses will agree that the bedrock of the nursing profession is the connection nurses have with their patients. But the leaders—nurses who demonstrate specialized skills and an organization-driven mindset—are the ones who oversee all the moving parts that need to synchronize to preserve the integrity of…
Even before the pandemic, many OR leaders struggled to maintain adequate staffing. However, COVID-19 has undoubtedly aggravated the situation, with many nurses choosing to exit the profession, leave the hospital setting, or seek higher wages as a per diem traveler. As OR leaders work to fill open positions, they may…
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the global ambulatory surgery center (ASC) market is valued at around $81 billion, as of 2020, and it is projected to reach $120 billion by 2027. The ASC market in the US is estimated at almost $22 billion, with intelligence company…
Nurses have the highest incidence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries in the US, and OR nurses have the highest incidence among all nursing specialties. Estimates in the literature say more than 50% report chronic back pain, and 10% must leave their profession entirely because of back injuries. It is also estimated…
What happens when global supply chains—which are already typically operated lean across the board—are hit with a once-in-a-century pandemic? An ongoing, collective lesson in economics. The problem is not hard to understand: COVID-19 shutdowns brought manufacturing to a near standstill, during which time the demand for goods increased, and now there…
In the March 2022 issue of OR Manager, the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) presented and analyzed the current sources of data that have historically made up a demographic representation of the perioperative nursing workforce. Our article also spoke to the issue of the lack of coordination among the groups…
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare industry could fill an entire academic curriculum at this point, let alone a single article. But one potential silver lining among the storms of bad news is the increasing migration of elective procedures from hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Although…
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are ramping up cardiovascular and peripheral vascular service lines, as Medicare offers payment for a growing number of cardiac procedures and accrediting bodies offer support for this methodology. In 2021, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that the number of ASCs billing Medicare for cardiology procedures…
Among Surgical Care Affiliates’ (SCA) 260-plus facilities in the US, at least 10% have added cardiovascular/peripheral vascular service capabilities. SCA experts anticipate more growth in this area. However, any successful launch starts with an organizational focus on patient safety, says Ezra Erb, vice president for clinical quality at SCA, which…