Train, sustain, retain: Targeted recruitment reduces hospital openings from 50 to 0
What would you do if you had more than 50 open positions and 40 travel nurses in your OR? If you were part of the team at University of Virginia Medical Center (UVAMC) in Charlottesville, you would get busy recruiting and retaining staff. “We knew we couldn’t continue down that…
Innovative nurse training program bolsters interest in OR career
Like most OR leaders, Doug Robinson, BSN, RN, CNOR, manager of the Roberts Operating Rooms at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, wants a steady supply of OR nurses. Robinson has reached back to his own student experience to develop a program that gives students OR exposure, with the intent…
'Territorial games' aim to help curb disruptive behavior in the OR
The OR environment plays host to a perfect storm of high stakes, time constraints, and egos. As a surgical services director, you’ve likely seen your share of disruptive behavior, and your hospital probably has a zero tolerance policy for transgressions like throwing a surgical instrument across the room during surgery,…
Surgical liaisons: The bridge between the OR and family members
Surgery is a stressful time not only for patients but also for their families. Using a surgical liaison to communicate the status of an operation to those in the waiting area has boosted the satisfaction of patients, families, and surgeons, say perioperative directors whose hospitals have these positions. The liaison…
Words of wisdom: OR leaders offer tips for new managers
Surgical services is endowed with a large number of senior nurse leaders. The average age of perioperative nursing managers and directors is 55, and on average, they have been in nursing 30.5 years, according to the 2012 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Nearly half plan to retire by 2020. As ORs…
Building cohesion, community, and commitment across multiple generations working in the OR
Managing today’s multigenerational perioperative workforce can seem daunting, but understanding the strengths of each group and knowing how best to communicate with them can turn challenges into opportunities. The first step toward promoting generational interrelationships—and to better manage perioperative services for the future—is to “create a generational profile of your…
Diverse communication styles are most effective for managing multigenerational staff
Because people are living and working longer, 4 generations of employees are now toiling side by side—and not always in harmony. Creating a workplace where all generations can thrive is both challenging and crucial to a manager’s success. “The biggest challenge and opportunity for growth is to recognize that you…
'Second victim' rapid-response team helps fellow clinicians recover from trauma
One Friday evening at University of Missouri Health System (MUHS) in Columbia, Missouri, Tony*, an RN with more than 17 years of critical care nursing experience, had a patient die unexpectedly during a routine procedure requiring moderate sedation. That weekend he was emotionally distressed, reliving the event and second-guessing his…
ORs modifying on-call practices to recruit and retain nursing staff
On-call requirements in perioperative services can be a barrier to recruiting younger RNs and in retaining older nurses. Covering the daily surgical schedule with fatigued staff who have worked during the night can be a safety issue or a staffing issue if the call team is too tired to work…
New on-call plan helps to stabilize the staff and budget
A heavy call schedule at one community hospital was driving the perioperative staff away and raising concerns about patient safety because of staff fatigue. With a staff turnover rate of 40% in 2007, the perioperative management team knew changes were needed. Since then, a new staffing model has almost eliminated…
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