State of perioperative workforce in 2023: Part 1
Takeaways Perioperative staffing issues are likely to continue throughout 2023 because of rising case volumes and a lack of experienced staff. Travelers are expected to remain a core part of staffing. Perioperative leaders are using multiple strategies to recruit and retain staff, including float pools for health systems that have…
Editorial
At OR Manager, we understand the challenges perioperative leaders are facing in the rapidly changing healthcare landscape. We have all heard the same thing: The way we operate in healthcare has changed, and we need to adapt to the new normal. Staffing concerns, in particular, are top-of-mind for perioperative leaders.…
Lean visual management board huddle helps improve performance
A visual management board is a communication tool that provides at-a-glance information about current process performance to help staff coordinate and guide their daily work and monitor ongoing improvement projects. Perioperative staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, have a 20-minute weekly huddle at their Lean-based visual management board,…
Improving situational awareness in ASCs
Situational awareness is the perception of events occurring around a person in a particular environment. Knowing what is happening helps that person make better decisions. But how does that apply in the perioperative context? In 2004, The Joint Commission made situational awareness the cornerstone of its surgical timeout requirement. The…
Minimizing procedural variability must be a priority for MedTech
The medical device industry aims to create valuable innovations that help improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies for OR staff. Because these technologies and devices have a myriad of benefits, improving speed to value is a top priority. A key component of extracting the full value of these…
From buddy to boss: Path from SPD peer to SPD leader
Congratulations. You have worked hard to master your skills in the sterile processing department (SPD). You have prepared, been interviewed, and finally been promoted to a leadership position. Now, what? Yesterday you were working as a peer in your department, and now you are the leader. Are you prepared for…
Collaborate to prevent infections in the OR
Protecting patient safety in the OR is everyoneโs business. No single group should shoulder the full responsibility for reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In addition to infection preventionists, epidemiologists, and environmental services personnel, it is the duty of everyone involved in patient care to provide an optimal clean and aseptic surgical…
Collaboration in, out of the OR: Two surgeons' perspectives
Nurse leaders know that a successful workplace fosters and celebrates teamwork. In the OR, teamwork among surgeons, surgical technologists, circulating nurses, anesthesiologists, and first assistants, to name a few, is critical to ensure patient safety and positive outcomes. And teamwork does not have to be reserved for inside the surgical…
Short night-time sleep linked to peripheral artery disease
Editor's Note This study from Sweden finds that sleeping less than 5 hours a night is associated with an increased likelihood of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared with sleeping 7 to 8 hours. The study included more than 650,000 participants and was conducted in two parts. The first analyzed…
FDA updates reports of squamous cell carcinoma in capsule around breast implants
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 8, issued an update on reports of squamous cell carcinoma in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implantsโboth saline and silicone as well as textured and smooth. Previously, on September 8, 2022, the FDA informed the public of…