Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 4 issued a letter to healthcare providers and users saying the agency is aware that current reprocessing instructions for certain urological endoscopes manufactured by Karl Storz are inadequate and are being updated by the company. In the letter, the FDA…
Editor's Note The US News and World Report on March 29 posted its annual list of best nursing schools for Master’s and Doctor of Nursing (DNP) degrees. Topping the lists for both Master’s and DNP degrees is Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, is ranked second for…
Even before the pandemic, many OR leaders struggled to maintain adequate staffing. However, COVID-19 has undoubtedly aggravated the situation, with many nurses choosing to exit the profession, leave the hospital setting, or seek higher wages as a per diem traveler. As OR leaders work to fill open positions, they may…
Nurses have the highest incidence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries in the US, and OR nurses have the highest incidence among all nursing specialties. Estimates in the literature say more than 50% report chronic back pain, and 10% must leave their profession entirely because of back injuries. It is also estimated…
Editor's Note Three American hospitals top Newsweek’s annual World’s Best Hospitals list, published on March 2. These hospitals have learned to adapt to new and existing challenges quickly during medicine's 2-year war against COVID-19, Newsweek says. The top three are: Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio Massachusetts General…
What happens to you when you become a new manager? “You become a jack of all trades and master of none. You need to practice true collaboration and rely upon your team members,” says Allan Sendaydiego, BSN, RN, interim director for anesthesia and interventional radiology at Kaiser Permanente. In this…
Advances in surgery and the growing use of technology and equipment have contributed to the ascendance of the hospital setting for the education and training of perioperative nurses when delivering surgical care. Education and training programs based on hospital needs have led to a diversity of methods among employers and…
Editor's Note The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Award Program from the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) is designed to facilitate access to resources and increase diversity in the perioperative nursing specialty. Using credentialing assets, the program focuses on providing resources for individuals and facilities which are under-resourced, in-need, and/or…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on September 15, announced that the deadline to participate in the Institute for Safe Medication Practices’ (ISMP) Medication Safety Self Assessment for Perioperative Settings has been extended to December 10. The self-assessment helps those in perioperative settings see how well their organizations’ systems and practices…
Responses to the 2021 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey indicate that OR leaders continue to face significant challenges as a result of COVID-19. The survey results come at a time when the buffeting waves of the pandemic are receding for some leaders, leaving them on the shoreline of a post-pandemic world.…