Team training empowers OR staff to improve patient safety
Poor communication has been the root cause of many sentinel events over the years, and there has been growing recognition of how the work environment and culture influence patient outcomes. In a 2018 Sentinel Event Alert, the Joint Commission stressed the need to develop a “reporting culture”—to make it safe…
Association of US News top ranking for gastroenterology, GI surgical procedures with outcomes
Editor's Note Though the annual volume of gastroenterology and gastrointestinal (GI) advanced laparoscopic abdominal surgical procedures is three-fold higher for US News & World Report’s top-ranked hospitals, the volume does not appear to be associated with improved patient outcomes, this study finds. In this analysis of 51,869 abdominal procedures, the…
Legal and ethical questions temper excitement about AI--Part 2
As part of a special series on artificial intelligence (AI), OR Manager is taking a deep dive into the many facets of this new technology and its impact on patient care. In this issue we continue our examination of the challenges related to AI, which began in last month’s issue…
Editorial
Our series on artificial intelligence (AI) concludes in this issue with part 2 of an in-depth look at legal and ethical questions (cover story) as well as advice for evaluating new AI products (“Consider all angles when choosing AI technology,” p 13). But insights about future trends like AI do…
Zero tolerance policies rob 'energy suckers' of power
Many OR managers have likely experienced bullying, incivility, or lateral violence at some point in their careers. For newer and more seasoned managers alike, advice for handling difficult people is always welcome, and attendees at the 2019 OR Manager Conference in New Orleans will gain some valuable insights from Barbara…
Improved reporting system increases disruptive behavior reports
Editor's Note After implementing an improved reporting system for disruptive behavior that included the ability to report positive behaviors, the number and length of reports increased in this study. Researchers compared reports in the Patient Safety Net (PSN) event reporting system (2010-2015) to the RL Solutions RL6 system (2015-2018), which…
AHRQ: ASCs can submit patient safety culture survey data until July 22
Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced on June 4 that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that have administered AHRQ’s Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey on Patient Safety Culture can submit their data to the database until July 22. ASCs that submit data will receive free individual feedback…
Association between nurse work environment and outcomes
Editor's Note The nurse work environment is associated with the quality of nursing care, nurse job outcomes, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction, this study finds. This meta-analysis of 17 articles that reported data from 2,677 hospitals, 141 nursing units, 165,024 nurses, and 1,368,420 patients, in 22 countries found consistent, significant…
Cross-training staff solves competency and engagement puzzle
High labor costs, surgeon dissatisfaction, high staff turnover, and low staff competency are problems that dog many OR leaders at some point in their careers. When managers at the Stanford University Medical Center Main OR in Stanford, California, found themselves facing all of these problems at once, they knew something…
Cultural, generational factors influencing RN retention
Editor's Note Generational and cultural differences may affect an RN’s job satisfaction and intent to stay, and nurse leaders must reassess staff satisfaction beyond mandatory annual staff engagement surveys, this study finds. An online survey of 309 RNs at a tertiary care hospital in south Texas found that: Millennials anticipate…
Free Daily News
- Borescope inspections reveal widespread contamination in lumened surgical instruments
- Nursing workforce faces high turnover despite signs of recovery
- FDA issues early alerts for intravascular catheters
- Market volatility threatens hospitals’ liquidity as tariff-driven costs rise
- Study: CT scan radiation could drive 5% of future cancer cases
- New studies, surgical feats advance organ transplant medicine
- Commentary: Cyberattacks threaten financial survival of surgical practices
- Tariffs strain supply chains, split medical manufacturing community
- Study: Systemic gender bias embedded in surgical practice
- Literature review: Endoscope disinfection failures highlight need for stronger sterilization practices