Editor's Note A 53-year-old woman with end-stage kidney failure became the first living person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney in a milestone surgery at NYU Langone Health, NPR reported December 17. Although the experimental procedure marks significant progress toward addressing organ shortages, it also drew commentary on ongoing…
How should responsibilities associated with C-sections be divided between the OR team and the OB/GYN department at a staff-strapped rural hospital? This was just one of many questions I had never considered prior to attending the 2024 OR Manager Conference, which drew perioperative professionals to the MGM Grand in Las…
Although I am not a healthcare professional, working for OR Manager offers a peek behind the curtain. What I have learned so far has left me feeling a bit conflicted. When I took this job back in December, I assumed the hospital ecosystem was driven entirely by the Hippocratic Oath.…
Competency assessment in perioperative nursing—and American healthcare in general—is a story of unrealized potential. Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, staffing shortfalls and financial pressures have made focusing on staff development difficult for nurse leaders. Nonetheless, the argument for investing more in professional development and competency has never been…
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,…
Editor's Note: An annual Gallup poll continues to rank nursing as the most trusted profession in the United States. However, the number of US adults who believe nurses are honest and highly ethical has declined more than 10 percent from its 2020 peak. Released January 22, Gallup’s 2023 Honesty and…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 31, announced an update to the Leadership (LD) requirement addressing ethical issues, effective August 27. Element of Performance (EP) 1 of the standard LD.04.02.03—Ethical principles guide the [organization’s] business practices—now states: “The [organization] develops and implements a process that allows staff, [patients], and…