A recent survey administered by the annual OR Manager Conference team asked which topics respondents would like to see addressed during conference sessions. Several survey participants expressed interest in improving cross-departmental teamwork and developing competencies. This year, conference attendees will find plenty of help from sessions on preceptorship and mentorship,…

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Editor's Note RNs today are younger, more diverse, and more highly educated, according to the 2015 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Results show: The average age of RNs is 48.8 years, showing that the aging of the RN population is slowing and that retirements portend no impending shortage. Men made up…

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Editor's Note Starting blood thinners within 72 hours of hospital arrival significantly lowers the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in traumatic brain injury patients and does not increase risk of intracranial hemorrhage, this study finds. A total of 2,468 patients were divided into two groups: early prophylaxis (started within 72…

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Editor's Note After 30 years, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing baccalaureate program is ending with its July 22 graduation ceremony. Last fall, Johns Hopkins transitioned to an all-graduate school when it welcomed its first class of the Master of Science in Nursing: Entry into Nursing Practice program. The degree…

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Editor's Note Telehealth postoperative follow-up may be feasible for patients having select abdominal, neck, and skin/soft tissue procedures with uncomplicated courses, duration of stay less than 4 days, and no interval contact with the operative team, finds this study. The study included 251 veterans who had general surgery. A total…

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Editor's Note Hospitals with better nursing work environments and above-average staffing levels were associated with better value (ie, lower mortality with similar costs), especially for higher risk patients, this study finds. The study included 25,752 elderly Medicare general surgery patients treated at 35 focal hospitals (mean nurse-to-bed ratio, 1.51) and…

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Editor's Note Scope of practice restrictions and physician supervision requirements for nurse anesthetists have no impact on anesthesia patient safety, this study finds. Examining 5.7 million anesthesia cases, researchers found that anesthesia complications differed significantly with: patient characteristics patient comorbidities the procedures being administered. Complication odds did not differ by…

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Editor's Note The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on May 25 published a proposed rule that would amend its medical regulations to permit full practice authority without the clinical oversight of physicians to all of its advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). APRN categories include certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse…

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The perioperative surgical home (PSH) has been gaining momentum, with early results linking it to lower costs, better quality, fewer emergency department (ED) visits and readmissions, and shorter stays in skilled nursing facilities or none at all. In February, the PSH Learning Collaborative, a partnership between the American Society of…

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Best-selling author and professor Elizabeth M. Norman, PhD, RN, will give the keynote address on Thursday, September 22, during the annual OR Manager Conference in Las Vegas. Norman, who spoke at the conference in 2000, has interviewed numerous nurses working in war zones. Drawing on her many years of experience,…

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