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…
About 8 years ago, Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland had a policy that required visitors to wait in the surgery waiting room at least 3 hours before being allowed to visit their loved ones. The postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse was not expected to communicate with the family while…
Each day seems to bring new tasks for leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), adding to their already overflowing plate. One task that can easily fall off that plate is collecting and analyzing metrics, yet failing to do so can have serious financial consequences. OR Manager recently asked ASC leaders…
Every week Ann Shimek, MSN, BSN, RN, CASC, hits the road to communicate about communicating. Shimek is senior vice president of clinical operations at United Surgical Partners International (USPI) in Addison, Texas. She and her team of six clinical nurses travel among USPI’s 21 hospitals and 260 ambulatory surgery centers…
Despite continued challenges ranging from declining reimbursements to finding qualified staff, most OR leaders (71%) are satisfied with their jobs, according to the 2017 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. However, they are less inclined to view some parts of that job favorably. Slightly more than half (55%) are satisfied with…
Perioperative staff complete a thorough orientation to ease their transition into a new job, but what about surgeons? How are they onboarded into a new OR? This isn’t an academic question—effective onboarding is key to the success, including financial success, of the OR. “To have someone walk through the door…
Since July, when repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stalled, healthcare reform has been somewhat overshadowed by events such as natural disasters and concerns about national security. Now, with insurers due to announce rates for the coming year, Congress is working on a bill to stabilize the…
Throughput inefficiencies are a growing problem in surgical services departments. Patients are held in the OR because there is no room in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and patients are held in the PACU because there are no beds available in the patient care unit or because outpatients having major…
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