FDA: Class I recall of certain ICU Medical infusion system batteries
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on May 22, identified the recall by ICU Medical of replacement batteries for its Plum 360, Plum A+, and Plum A+3 infusions systems as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because a manufacturing defect substantially diminished how long the…
State of perioperative workforce in 2023: Part 3
Takeaways โข Supporting nurse leaders is just as important as supporting staff to achieve optimal patient care and a financially healthy organization. โข Organizations can support nurse leaders in many ways, including providing recognition, ancillary support, creative schedule options, and professional development opportunities. โข Novice managers need structured programs to…
Buddies help new leaders in a new world
Takeaways โข This buddy program works for all levels of an organization and for anyone who is starting to do something new in a leadership role. โข New leaders often feel like they are being โthrown into the deep end,โ and having buddies can help them feel safe. โข The…
Editorial
A quick internet search on the importance and impact of survey data in healthcare generates a plethora of results. Making the query more specificโthe importance and impact of survey data in surgical services, and the wealth of information is much the same. The results are mostly about surveys conducted on…
Prioritizing mental health well-being in healthcare
May was a month of renewal and fresh beginnings that was also dedicated to Mental Health Awareness. This past month provided a timely reminder to first assess our own well-being as leaders so often focused on the contributions and performance of others. Last month was also an opportunity to pulse…
Coach, don't boss: 5 keys to effective well-being in the OR
There is an abundance of wellness programs in American workplaces. In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 46% of 2,843 employer worksites offered some type of wellness program or health promotion. Hospitals are high users: 83% of the hospital respondents said they provided a workplace wellness…
AAMI releases updated protective barriers standard
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has revised the ANSI/AAMI PB70 Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities. This revised standard provides healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the barrier protection properties of available protective apparel. The…
The role of infection prevention when auditing SPD
Infection preventionists (IPs) play a vital role in healthcare, especially in the sterile processing department (SPD), where preventing infection and cross-contamination is paramount. As infection prevention advocates, SPD personnel are responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments and other medical devices are properly sterilized and free of harmful microorganisms before use.…
SSI prevention in ASCs
Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance has rapidly grown in the ambulatory setting over the last decade, with the expansion of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionโs (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Networkโs (NHSN) Outpatient Procedure Component (OPC). OPC-SSI is designed to track and monitor SSIs in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs)…
Effect of COVID-19 precautions on postop SSIs
Editor's Note This study from the Mayo Clinic finds that perioperative COVID-19 precautions did not significantly reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). The analysis included 29,904 patients who had colorectal, hysterectomy, hip, and knee prosthesis procedures at the Mayo Clinicโs multicenter institution between January 1, 2018 and December…