Past COVID-19 infection offers protection against reinfection
Editor's Note This systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that natural immunity provided by past COVID-19 infection offers strong protection against reinfection and severe disease for at least 40 weeks. The analysis included 65 studies from 19 countries. Among the findings: For those…
903 New York nurses asked to prove credentials or turn in licenses
Editor's Note More than 900 New York nurses, who studied at the seven Florida-based nursing schools that were shut down for allegedly selling fraudulent degrees, were given 14 days to prove their credentials or surrender their licenses, the February 21 Times Union reports. Another 2,400 New York students, who were…
The Joint Commission updates Patient Blood Management certification requirements
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 22, announced that it had approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals in the Patient Blood Management certification program. The program is a voluntary 2-year certification based on the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies Standards for…
Preparing for active shooter events
Takeaways Gun-related violence is an increasing threat in healthcare settings, including perianesthesia departments and ASCs. Small hospitals and ACS are not immune to active shooter events. New requirements from The Joint Commission require planning and preparation for active shooter events. Elizabeth Dalton, BSN, RN, will never forget the day her…
Building leadership diversity
Takeaways The term diversity encompasses a wide range of factors, including ethnicity, gender, age, education, culture, and veteran and disability status. Strategies for hiring a diverse leadership team include acknowledging unconscious biases, reaching out to different groups, and using an objective tool for interviewing. Leaders can foster a diverse leadership…
Editorial
This year, the OR Business Management Conference was held in Savannah, Georgia, and returned to its regular schedule of February. The intimate event was again a symbiotic blend between financial-, business-centric education and high-quality networking. The education offered to seasoned and new business leaders alike, perhaps more than previous years,…
Leveraging EHR, engagement platforms to improve bottom line
The OR department is often what keeps most hospitals afloat. Surgical services account for roughly 50% of a hospitalโs revenue, but they also contribute approximately 60% to overall costs. ORs must be efficient. Successes and failures in the surgical suite affects the entire system. Healthcare systems have found that highly…
Maximize your staff: Developing and using successful float teams
Float teams have been a staple of nurse-staffing plans for many years, but they have not been widely used in the operating room. Utah Valley Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Provo, Utah, and part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, has been developing float teams for nearly 2 decades.…
Prevention strategies for violence against healthcare workers
Much has been written about bullying, lateral violence, cultures of safety, and a healthy work environment. However, little has been written to address the escalation of violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) coming not only from peers but also patients and visitors. Violence against HCWs has increased significantly. A 2022 report…
Training and retaining skilled PACU nurses
When Ayumi Fielden, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CPAN, worked as a preceptor in a PACU nurse residency program for new graduate nurses, she realized quickly that something was missing. โThe graduate nurses struggled because they were not yet comfortable with basic nursing skills, such as assessments and giving medications. They also…