High patient satisfaction scores and excellent multidisciplinary teamwork are the hallmarks of a well-managed surgical services department, and Sharon Udy-Janczuk, MSN, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, the 2018 OR Manager of the Year, has bragging rights to both. By cross-training staff in the presurgical care area, OR, and postanesthesia care unit (PACU),…

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Surgical volume in the past year increased for 40% of respondents to the 2018 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, down slightly from the 48% reported in 2017. This result is intriguing in light of the proliferation of procedures now being performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Does this suggest some…

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Editor's Note Selecting reusable isolation gowns may result in significant environmental benefits compared with disposable gowns, this study finds. This analysis of 1,000 isolation gowns in a healthcare setting (24 reusable gowns from 8 suppliers, 16 disposable gowns from 5 suppliers) found that the reusable gowns resulted in a: 28%…

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Editor's Note Not all older workers are counting the days until retirement, though they may cut back on hours, reports the August 1 MarketWatch. Reasons for continuing to work vary, but they are not always financial. Many seek to maintain a sense of purpose and productivity, the report says. The…

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Editor's Note A survey of 350 millennials finds that traits employees want in a leader has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, the August 2 Great Leadership reports. Among the traits millennials are looking for in a leader are those who: communicate openly and frequently inspire people to be…

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Anyone who has been involved in an OR design and construction project knows it is a labor-intensive, time-consuming effort—and usually far from seamless. There’s almost always something no one thinks of until it is too late, and the staff must learn to live with the flaws. But a multidisciplinary team…

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The old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is worth adopting as a daily mantra to offset the pressures of the OR environment. Each year, the OR Manager Conference ends on an upbeat note with an inspirational and often humorous closing session. This year’s presentation, on Wednesday, September 19, is…

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Editor's Note When recruiting Generations X and Y candidates for nursing administration roles, interventions supporting work-life harmony should be emphasized, this study finds. Respondents to a survey, which examined the impact of a set of interventions on recruiting nurses into administrative roles, indicated that 45% of the interventions had a…

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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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