By 2024, the demand for registered nurses in the US will top 1 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with the largest gaps seen in hospitals in the South and West. The RN workforce is expected to grow 16%, from 2.7 million in 2014 to 3.2 million…

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Employee engagement is a buzzword that often crops up in articles, webinars, and conferences. OR leaders may be tired of seeing it, but engagement is crucial for success in an environment of fast-paced change, leadership turnover, and increasing demands for better performance. In healthcare, research has linked engagement with greater…

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Developing effective leaders for the perioperative setting is typically one of the most challenging parts of a current leader’s role. It’s tempting to quickly plug leadership holes with whoever is at hand—even if the person’s leadership aptitude or abilities are lacking. But that approach usually leads to high turnover and…

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The loss of experienced nurse leaders to Baby Boomer retirement has been a concern for the past several years. A total of 17% of respondents to the 2017 OR Manager Salary/Career survey said they plan to retire sometime in 2018 to 2020, so grooming their successors should already be well…

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The average age of OR nurses is over 50 years, and for the past several years, healthcare organizations have been trying to groom the next group of nurse leaders. Many have had success with perioperative nurse internships. As part of succession planning at Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio, we…

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New leaders are at a premium in the perioperative setting, a fact that has been pushing organizations to explore innovative options to fill leadership gaps. Ideally, healthcare organizations should have a comprehensive program that integrates didactic instruction with mentorship to successfully build new nurse leaders. One example is the structured…

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Editor's Note It is time for a break if just the thought of another team presentation is overwhelming, according to a report by Mark Ellis in the June 6 leadchange. To grow as a leader and get out of this team-leadership rut, Ellis recommends that leaders: Take time off to…

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Editor's Note Getting to know staff members and supporting that interaction with data helps leaders grow teams, S. Chris Edmonds says in the May 24 Great Leadership. To influence others in the workplace, Edmonds says: Connect with people at all levels and learn their names, their passions, what hinders their…

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Editor's Note Encouraging words are more appreciated when they are informal and specific in their praise, reports the May 15 Fast Company online. A few ways for managers to put this into practice include: Showing appreciation for an idea not just in meetings but during impromptu interactions, like corridor conversations.…

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Editor's Note National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in society. This year’s theme is “Nurses Inspire, Innovate, Influence.” The American Nurses Association has a…

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