Editor's Note Hospitals with more nurses who have bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degrees have better outcomes for patients after cardiac arrest, this study finds. For the study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, analyzed data from the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation registry, RN4CAST-US hospital…

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Editor's Note The “July Effect”−the idea that more errors occur in July because of the influx of new interns and residents starting their in-hospital training−does not apply to cardiac surgery, this study finds. For more than 470,000 cardiac procedures analyzed (coronary bypass, aortic valve, mitral valve, thoracic aortic aneurysm), in-hospital…

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Editor's Note Laypeople currently trained in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Bleeding Control Basic (B-Con) course may not be prepared to care for bleeding individuals because the principles for correct Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) application taught in the course are not fully translatable to other commercial or improvised tourniquets,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 26 announced that, effective immediately, Human Resources (HR) standard HR.01.05.03, element of performance (EP) 15, has been deleted from the Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, Ambulatory Care, and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs. The deleted EP is: “The [organization] verifies and documents that individuals (including…

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Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) administrators and managers trying to keep pace with the rapid growth in their facilities will not want to miss the robust outpatient surgery education offered at the 2019 OR Manager Conference. On Tuesday, September 17, Beverly Kirchner, BSN, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief compliance officer…

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Editor's Note With increasing numbers of nurse leaders approaching retirement, succession planning is a chief area of concern. To help bridge any potential leadership gap, the annual OR Manager Conference gears many of its sessions to new nurse managers with little to no management experience. Conference organizers have engaged veteran…

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Editor's Note Prescribing fewer opioid tablets postoperatively was associated with lower opioid consumption after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and preoperative education was associated with lower duration and quantity of postoperative opioid use, this study finds. Of 264 patients analyzed, 109 received 50 tablets, 77 received 30 tablets and no education,…

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OR leaders spend much of their day ensuring the surgery schedule runs smoothly, a task that depends on the teams within each of the ORs. Highly functioning teams produce optimal results, including good patient outcomes, satisfied surgeons, and efficient use of resources. But developing a highly functional team with good…

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Labor is the most important resource in an OR and must be used effectively to maintain the financial health of an organization and the well-being of patients. “OR leaders need data tools to manage their labor dollars. How do you know if you are doing it well?” asks Sharon Ulep,…

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Editor's Note Missouri hospitals reported an all-time-high employee turnover rate of 19.5% this year in a report released by the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA). Among the positions with the highest turnover rates: sterile processing technicians, 20.4% surgical technicians, 16.0% staff nurses, 15.2% physician assistants, 15.2%. Hospitals and other stakeholders are…

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