Editor's Note Research reveals nearly 10% of patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers develop opioid dependency or opioid use disorder (OUD), Healio reported on August 13. Additionally, nearly 30% of patients exhibit signs and symptoms indicating potential OUD. Originally published in the journal Addiction, the data are from a systematic…

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There is no shortage of advice, opinions, and proposed solutions when it comes to staff shortages, but the issue continues to plague healthcare systems nonetheless. For a couple of years now, speakers at the OR Business Management Conference and OR Manager Conference have been asking attendees, “Who still struggles to…

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Editor's Note Advocates of legislation to make physically assaulting healthcare workers a federal crime spoke out at a recent press conference hosted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), MedPage Today reported August 2. The Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (SAVE…

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Editor's Note Automated surgical video analysis could enhance evaluation of an OR team’s nontechnical skills, according to a study published July 31 in JAMA Network Open. Conducted between January 2021 and May 2022, the cross-sectional study involved 30 cardiovascular surgical teams at a teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Using OpenPose,…

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Editor's Note Healthcare costs are expected to rise between 7% and 8% in 2025, according to a report from PwC's Health Research Institute. As detailed in a July 17 article from Fierce Healthcare, PwC projections for an 8% increase in the group market and 7.5% in the individual market would…

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For me, the answer is easy. For 25 years I have consistently said, “I’ve never nursed an OR a day in my life; it’s always been the patients.” As perioperative nurses, what we do is about more than where we work. Why is it that 25 years after the Association…

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Editor's Note Surgeons are more likely to be reported for unprofessional behavior than any other category of physician, and pediatric specialists are least likely, according to a study published June 6 in Jama Network Open. Based on data from the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy's Coworker Observation Reporting System…

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Is working with a healthcare vendor a necessary evil? For leaders in the perioperative space, where vendors abound, it may be tempting to answer “yes.” The relationship between vendors and nurse leaders is a delicate balance between give and take, but sometimes the take seems to outweigh the give. Nonetheless,…

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Takeaways Meeting people where they are is a basic principle of staff development. Coaching and mentoring are fundamental to employee development, but new managers should understand the difference. Resources for staff development include education, certification, clinical ladders, committee work, and professional networking. Transitioning to leadership involves many competing pressures, but…

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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…

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