AORN’s updated Guideline for Sterilization is based on a recent review of evidence in peer-reviewed journals and regulations from 2012 to 2017. In addition to guidance for sterilizing reusable medical devices to be used in perioperative and procedural settings, the updated guideline points to findings that substantiate current practices, and…

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The devices and systems we use when diagnosing and treating patients are invaluable to patient care—but they are not perfect. Patients and staff can be harmed if design flaws or system faults aren’t identified and rectified, equipment isn’t adequately maintained or prepared for use, or proper procedures aren’t followed. Preventing…

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Long gone are the days when employer-based health insurance covered most, if not all, of patients’ healthcare bills. Insurance companies and employers expect individuals to pay a larger chunk of healthcare costs themselves. The 2018 benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Employer Health Benefits Survey found that “a quarter (26%) of…

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Music City welcomed 1,400 perioperative nurse leaders who attended the annual OR Manager Conference in September. A wealth of educational opportunities and a cultural extravaganza—including regional cuisine and the OR Manager’s Night Out at Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame—made the 31st conference a particularly memorable one.   Volume and value…

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Can experience in the OR improve patient care in the postsurgical inpatient setting? Beginning last year, the OR at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, started its first Periop 101 program and trained six nurses from postsurgical care units to be perioperative nurses. During the program, the former care unit nurses found…

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Attendees of the 2018 OR Manager Conference likely went home feeling inspired and recharged, but it can be hard to hold onto that enthusiasm over time. Our conference highlights article (cover) may jog their memories and, we hope, will reinvigorate their passion to excel as leaders. Every OR Manager Conference…

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What kind of relationship do you have with your boss? Many managers feel they don’t have enough support from their supervisors, and still others believe the relationship could be better. In the 2018 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, for example, about a third of respondents had a neutral or unfavorable view…

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Today’s perioperative services staff consist of multiple generations with different backgrounds and communication styles. Nurse leaders must consider such differences, not only for recruitment and retention purposes but also for developing bonds with bosses who are not from their own generation—because they will have their own unique leadership styles. “Each…

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