Report: Consistent, purposeful manager-team engagement reduces RN turnover
Editor's Note Ensuring regular recognition and check-ins with team members is an effective strategy for nurse leaders hoping to reduce staff turnover, according to a press release published April 3 by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). Presented earlier this month at AONL’s annual conference, the inaugural edition of…
Unveiling ECRI’s 2024 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns list
From integrating new technology to navigating shifts in care delivery and mitigating burnout, the most pressing challenges for healthcare organizations tend to be multifaceted problems that demand multifaceted solutions. For evidence of that, look no further than the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2024 list from ECRI. For every risk…
ASC staffing woes persist in era of increased surgical volume
The past 10 years of data from the OR Manager Salary/Career Survey reflects many challenges in the healthcare environment, particularly those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. ASC leader respondents report that staffing difficulties have become particularly challenging. For example, only 15% of respondents to the 2014 survey reported increased RN…
Managing challenging employees: When to let go
TAKEAWAYS • HR should be involved early in the disciplinary process to help guide OR leaders’ decision-making throughout disciplinary and/or remediatoin processes. • Timing, privacy, opportunities for employee feedback, and an empathetic approach are among the most important considerations for a final termination meeting. • Whatever the process for communicating…
Managing challenging employees: How to help
TAKEAWAYS • Addressing an employee with a competency or behavior issue is important for the well-being of staff and managers. • Determining the reason for the issue is an important first step to resolving it. • Sources of support for managers include colleagues, human resources, and educators. In today’s perioperative…
Nurses who left profession cite poor working conditions as primary driver
Editor's Note Poor working conditions are driving many nurses to leave the profession, according to a new study from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR). The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on April 9. While previous studies have looked at…
How gamification improves OR training, outcomes
Takeaways From mobile phone apps to immersive virtual reality surgery experiences, digital tools make healthcare training more interactive, more engaging, and more fun for everyone from nurses to surgeons. Modern procedures—including minimally invasive techniques and robotic surgery—require 50 to 100 cases for a surgeon to reach a safe proficiency level…
Lack of primary care physicians tied to emergency surgeries
Editor's Note Research shows that Americans who live in areas with a limited number of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are at a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications. The findings were published March 4 in the journal Health Affairs. For the study, researchers looked at Medicare patient…
Ambient clinical documentation lets clinicians focus on patients
Editor's Note Ambient clinical documentation is making big inroads among physicians, according to a report on the recent Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference published by CNBC on March 16. This year’s conference attracted more than 30,000 health and technology professionals to Orlando, Florida March 3-6. Highlights of…
Study links nurses’ intention to quit, patient mortality
Editor's Note A study published March 8 in the journal Health Policy finds that nurses’ intention to leave the profession has a significant association with patient mortality. Researchers looked at data from approximately 37,000 patients aged 50 and older admitted to 15 public hospitals in Italy in 2015 for…