The anesthesia staffing crisis: How we got here, what hospitals can do
Takeaways • Documentation and coding procedures are rife with opportunity for cost savings. • Passed in 2022, the No Surprises Act is designed to protect insured patients from surprise billing for emergency services from out-of-network providers. However, the result has been nearly 40% cuts in reimbursements to anesthesiologists. • OR…
California updates guidance on CRNA scope of practice
Editor's Note Confusion about the scope of practice for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) prompted The California Department of Public Health to update guidelines for acute care hospitals, MedPage Today reported September 18. Issued after violations at two Modesto hospitals resulted in hundreds of cancelled surgeries, a letter from the…
Staffing solutions depend on collaborative, innovative culture
There is no shortage of advice, opinions, and proposed solutions when it comes to staff shortages, but the issue continues to plague healthcare systems nonetheless. For a couple of years now, speakers at the OR Business Management Conference and OR Manager Conference have been asking attendees, “Who still struggles to…
Survey: Staffing woes ease slightly, but challenges remain
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.…
Study links patient mortality to low nurse staffing, overreliance on temporary hospital staff
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…
Study: Depression, lack of support outweighed pandemic-specific influences on nurses leaving jobs in 2020
Editor's Note Coworker and employer support strongly influence nurses' intentions to remain in their jobs, while symptoms of depression are associated with nurses planning to leave, according to a study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Available to the public September 30…
Supply chain stress fractures demand rock-solid continuity planning
More than 4 years after personal protective equipment production and inventories crashed amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, the “new normal” in healthcare supply chains seems to be “uncertainty.” Although hospital margins are improving and patient volumes are trending upward, “stress fractures continue to remain in place,” says Michael Schiller, CMRP,…
'Gig work' on the rise among nurses
Editor's Note Seeking higher pay and greater flexibility, many nurses are turning to gig work, MedicalXpress November 8 reports. The article defines gig work as “picking up individual shifts on an app as an alternative to months-long contracts or direct employment by a hospital.” Also according to the article: 100,000…
ANA: May is National Nurses Month
Editor's Note The American Nurses Association (ANA) is launching its annual month-long celebration that allows for greater opportunities to promote understanding and appreciation of nurses. The month is divided into four weekly focus areas—Self-Care, Recognition, Professional Development, and Community Engagement. As part of this month of recognition, National Nurses Week…
US pauses green card applications for foreign nurses
Editor's Note The US State Department will not accept any more applications for green cards for foreign nurses this year, and only applications that were submitted by June 2022 will be processed until the backlog eases, the April 24 Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control reports. Current green card processing…
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