A new villain has emerged in the struggle against drug shortages that continue to plague health care: the single-use vial. When a vial of injectable medication contains more than a particular patient needs, if the vial is designated “single-use,” the remainder must be discarded, according to recommendations from the Centers…
A call came over the radio at 12:30 am on July 20, 2012. There had been a shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, with the potential for multiple victims. Emergency department staff at the nearby University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) listened to the call. They didn’t anticipate more…
A high rate of nurse burnout is linked to higher rates of catheter-related urinary tract infection (UTI) and surgical site infection (SSI), a new study in the American Journal of Infection Control finds. How can that be? How could burnout be linked to SSIs? The lead author, Jeannie Cimiotti, DNSc,…
Serious barriers—including resistance from nursing leaders—are keeping nurses from adopting evidence-based practices that could improve nursing outcomes, finds a survey of more than 1,000 RNs. Leader and manager resistance was ranked among the top barriers along with politics and organizational cultures. Asked what would help, respondents named education, access to…
A mentor and an advocate for patients and families are qualities that stand out in letters nominating Karen Martin, MS, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, as OR Manager of the Year. Martin, who is director of perioperative services at the Medical Center of the Rockies (MCR), Loveland, Colorado, will be honored at…
What’s the Joint Commission looking for when it surveys departments where surgery and other invasive procedures are performed? Tips, observations, and lessons were gleaned from a recent 5-day Joint Commission survey by John R. Rosing, MHA, FACHE, who was present for the survey. He consults on Joint Commission and Centers…
Your OR could see real benefits from the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed unique device identification (UDI) system. But will your systems be ready to capture, record, and retrieve UDI information? Comments on the FDA’s UDI proposed rule are due by November 7, 2012. The proposal was published July…
Financial challenges may have eased slightly for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Only 29% of ASC managers report financial difficulties because of current economic conditions, much lower than the 43% in 2010. Reasons cited for those financial difficulties have changed in the…