Many are quick to blame travelers for the poor state of hospital finances. However, isn’t there a difference between a traveler in the OR—an interim staff member in the hospital’s profit center—and an interim RN in an area financially supported by OR profits? What about the argument that travelers can…

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Takeaways Providers are generally seeking to reduce use of travelers through strategies such as float pools, training programs, and cultural reforms. However, travelers remain useful as a bridge to permanent staff and for difficult-to-fill positions. Best practices for selection, onboarding, team integration, and performance evaluation are essential for maximizing return…

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Every year, OR Manager shines a light on staffing issues via the Salary/Career Survey. In this issue, two articles take a careful look at the career and profile of the perioperative leader in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Next month, two more articles will do the same with salary trends…

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Takeaways • Surgical volume continues to increase for most organizations. • Staffing remains a challenge, although some parameters, such as recruiting and turnover, have improved slightly. • Filling an open RN position takes an average of 77 days, and filling a surgical technologist position takes an average of 120 days.…

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Editor's Note A recent study conducted across 185 hospital wards in England highlights the significant impact of nurse staffing levels and staff composition on patient mortality. Published August 19 in JAMA, the study analyzed data from over 626,000 hospital admissions between 2015 and 2020. It found that low staffing levels…

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Takeaways • Compared to 2023, the percentage of respondents reporting an increase in open positions for RNs and STs, as well as increased turnover for RNs, remained stable, but fewer reported a drop in ST turnover. • The percentage of respondents reporting hiring more managers set a 9-year record. •…

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Editor's Note Nearly half of hospital executives report that their hospitals are not fully prepared to cope with patient volumes, Becker’s Hospital Review reported June 13. Citing the June 12 Hospital Operations Outlook Survey from FTI Consulting, Becker’s reports that nursing and mental and behavior health specialists represent the greatest…

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Editor's Note Substituting lower-wage staff for registered nurses leads to additional patient deaths, the Washington Post reported on June 15. The article focuses on a study published in the journal Medical Care, noting that the new research coincides with a nationwide shortage of RNs and “reports of widespread burnout.” Researchers…

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Editor's Note The future landscape of perioperative nursing and how healthcare organizations are addressing workforce shortages—particularly through the engagement of temporary staff and travelers—make up an intricate puzzle. Karen Grimley, PhD, MBA, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive at UCLA Health, will close the OR Business Management Conference by raising…

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Whitman Partners, a firm that specializes in director of surgical services recruitment, emerged out of the 2008 financial crisis as an example of adaptability and resilience in healthcare staffing. Today, the firm places close to 200 OR directors annually in hospitals across the US. OR Manager sat down with Josiah…

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