Despite increasingly stiff penalties, health care-associated infections persist. Total annual costs for the 5 major health care-associated infections are $9.8 billion, say researchers led by Eyal Zimlichman, MD, of the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. Surgical site infections rack up about…

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The economy continues to present staffing and budgetary challenges, our annual staffing survey finds; little has changed since the 2008 recession despite slightly better overall conditions (see cover story). Perioperative leaders report they’ve had to reduce overtime, eliminate open positions, and tell staff to take time off without pay in…

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Letters nominating Pamela Smith, BSN, RN, CNOR, as the 2013 OR Manager of the Year described her as a leader who has supported her staff and their decisions, an advocate for education, and a clinical manager who “drives quality and efficiency while balancing high patient and staff satisfaction scores.” Smith,…

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Among the tools and procedures intended to increase efficiencies and reduce errors in the OR are time-outs and checklists, which have become a standard practice during many surgical procedures. Vicki Hess, MS, RN, CSP, believes these same tools can be used to promote engagement and decrease stress among those working…

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Data on inpatient and outpatient hospital charges released in May and June by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have fueled the fire started in March with Steven Brill’s Time magazine cover story, “Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us.” Brill cited sometimes staggering amounts charged for…

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Hospitalizations involving a lost sponge or instrument cost more than $60,000 on average, and related malpractice suits can cost hospitals between $100,000 and $200,000 per case, according to a March 8 USA Today article on retained surgical items (RSIs). “For many hospitals, lost sponges and other surgical items aren’t considered…

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Last month we shared a positive view of the impact of health care reform on nursing. Kathleen Sanford, DBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, who will speak at the OR Manager Conference in September, said more emphasis on keeping people well will offer “an opportunity for clinical staff to make a difference”…

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When the Pentagon decided in January to lift the military’s official ban on women in combat, it wasn’t news to many who have served. But women’s service stretches farther back than I realized—and one group involved nurses. In 1942, during World War II, 99 Army and Navy nurses were swept…

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Perspectives on health care reform vary widely, and some view it negatively. But Kathleen Sanford, DBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, believes it will provide nursing with new opportunities—along with new challenges. Sanford, senior vice president/chief nursing officer at Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), Englewood, Colorado, will share her perspective during a general…

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Last month, we wrote about the long history of unnecessary preoperative testing for healthy patients. This month, we’re happy to report that some leading medical societies are publicly calling for physicians and patients to rethink certain kinds of testing. The recommendations are part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, an effort…

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