FDA updates Safety Alert for St Jude defibrillators
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 19 issued an updated Safety Alert for implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators by St Jude Medical. Because batteries for the devices may fail earlier than expected, St Jude has made available a new battery performance management tool,…
Penicillin allergy linked to SSI risk
Editor's Note In this study from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, patients with penicillin allergies had a 50% increased odds of developing surgical site infections (SSIs), which the researchers attributed to the second-line antibiotics administered to them.ย A total of 8,385 patients who had surgery between 2010 and 2014…
ACS NSQIP recognizes 66 hospitals for meritorious outcomes
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) on October 18 recognized 66 of 680 hospitals participating in the adult program for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2016. ACS NSQIP hospitals are required to track outcomes for inpatient and outpatient…
Effect of hospital-wide measure of readmissions for HRRP
Editor's Note Changing to a hospital-wide measure of readmissions for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) would result in only 76 more hospitals being eligible to receive penalties, but it would substantially increase the penalties for safety-net hospitals, this study finds. For the analysis, researchers used Medicare claims from 2011…
Survey finds nearly three-quarters of physicians prefer fee-for-service models
Editor's Note A survey of 980 physicians in eight specialties by New York City-based Bain and Company found that 73% prefer fee-for-service rather than value-based care models because of concerns about the complexity and quality of care associated with value-based models, the October 12 Healthcare Informatics reports. More than 60%…
Celebrating three decades of OR leader education, networking
More than 1,350 perioperative nurse leaders from across the US and other countries gathered in Orlando, Florida, October 2-4 for the 30th annual OR Manager Conference. The celebration of this milestone anniversary coincided with the inaugural postanesthesia care unit (PACU) Manager Summit, which brought together more than 250 leaders. Many…
CMUNRO SCALE created to facilitate risk assessment for pressure injuries
In 2016, after 10 years of research and validation, Cassendra Munroโs Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients (Munro Scale) was made available for use in the perioperative setting and was added to the AORN Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Tool Kit. The Munro Scale assesses a patientโs risk level…
Editorial
The leadership gap expected to occur when Baby Boomers retire leaves many OR managers worried about succession planning. About 40% of respondents to the annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey plan to retire between now and 2026. By 2020, about half of all nurses will be Millennials, according to the literature.…
Externships help suss out nurses best suited to the OR
Where will new OR nurses come from in the future? Some OR leaders are answering that question with nurse externship programs for students. Although they require an initial investment, these programs can ultimately pay off financially. Externs who decide to train for the OR tend to be happy with their…
Skill plus will equals successful OR leadership succession
The makeup of the nursing workforce, specifically the aging of that group, has been the subject of numerous publications and presentations in the last decade. Many have made dire predictions that a shortfall of nurses will likely occur in the near future, but a nationwide scarcity of severe impact has…