The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight, but hospital surgery departments will not likely see a rapid return to normal. Since the start of the pandemic, perioperative leaders have had to stay flexible and act quickly. Over the next 12 months, OR leaders will need to reassess the…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US was down in January to a seasonally adjusted 15,950,100 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 5. That’s down 29,600 jobs since December and down 510,100 jobs compared to a year ago. The overall unemployment rate is 6.3%.

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, finds that with increasing demands placed on frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems should implement strategies to alleviate burnout, including adequate staffing and limiting the number of hours worked per shift. Of more than 3.9 million nurses…

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Editor's Note A Welltok survey of 1,000 adults across the US finds that 71% of employees are worried about COVID-19 vaccine side effects, 60% of Americans have a vaccine brand preference, and 52% are worried about the vaccine supply, the January 25 Human Resource Executive reports. Employers, who are seen…

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Editor's Note In a Vida Health survey, nearly half of some 2,000 US adults say they have thought about seeking mental health treatment because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the January 19 Human Resource Executive. The vast majority (88%) of those surveyed report mental health symptoms, such as: difficulty…

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Editor's Note Employment in US hospitals was up 4,700 jobs in November to a seasonally adjusted 5,160,800, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on December 4. That’s down 76,000 employees than a year ago. Overall, healthcare employment is at 15,979,800, which has decreased 439,400 in the past year. The overall…

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Editor's Note US healthcare added 52,800 jobs in September for a seasonally adjusted 15, 839,600, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 2. Hospitals lost 6,400 jobs, but nursing and residential care facilities added 1,600 jobs. Ambulatory healthcare services also added jobs, including physicians (18,200), dentists (3,900), and home…

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Nearly a third (30%) of ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders have experienced layoffs of direct care staff during the past year, according to the 2020 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, up from a mere 4% in 2019. COVID-19 is the likely culprit: Most of the comments received in response to…

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Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…

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Recruiting and retaining OR nurses is harder than ever in the COVID-19 era. Many healthcare facilities are reconstructing their surgical case schedules after the mandatory pause in elective procedures, and some are still on hold. OR leaders are focused largely on guiding staff through the crisis and working toward a…

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