Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will no longer approve federal matching funds for designated state health programs (DSHPs) and designated state investment programs (DSIPs) that are not directly related to Medicaid services. According to the April 10 announcement, the decision aims to preserve the core…

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Editor's Note Preoperative mental health assessment significantly increases the odds of a postoperative “textbook outcome” for older patients, according to research published on March 15 in the journal Surgery. The median age for the patient population analyzed at the time of surgery was 74 years. Focusing on more than 32,500…

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Editor's Note Perioperative nurses who feel a stronger sense of professional mission are less likely to experience burnout and less likely to want to leave their jobs, according to a large cross-sectional study published on March 21 by BMC Psychology. The study identifies professional mission as a key psychological resource…

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Editor's Note With several major gatherings planned for this spring—including those from AORN, AONL, ASCA, and ASPAN—a bustling events season offers perioperative leaders valuable opportunities for reflection on our careers and futures. Speaking of futures, the 2024 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey revealed an intriguing shift: only 9% of perioperative nurses…

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Editor's Note Prolonged exposure to general anesthesia during surgery contributes to long-term cognitive decline, affecting executive functioning, selective attention, mental speed, and information processing, according to a February 18 study published in the European Journal of Anaesthesiology. This prospective longitudinal cohort study followed 1,823 adults aged 25–84 in the Netherlands…

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Editor's Note Nurse-led preoperative visits significantly reduce patient anxiety by providing structured education, emotional support, and greater trust between patients and caregivers, according to a review published January 21 in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Encompassing 13 studies on nurse-led preoperative visits published between 2000 and 2023, the review found…

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The idea that “you can take the nurse out of the OR, but you can’t take the OR out of the nurse” is not new. And yet, a recent panel discussion among emerging nurse leaders indicates this old adage rings truer today than ever. Speaking at the 2024 OR Manager…

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Takeaways • Although the central tenets of value-based healthcare have not changed, in many cases implementation has been reduced to little more than reducing costs, to the detriment of clinicians and patients. • The right incentives, such as recognition and work support, can effectively inspire clinicians to deliver high value…

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Editor's Note Optimizing surgeon stress could enhance surgical performance and patient outcomes, according to a large cohort study published January 15 in JAMA Surgery. Researchers focused particularly on physiological markers of surgeon stress during the first 5 minutes of a procedure, revealing a significant inverse relationship with major patient complications.…

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Editor's Note The 2023-2024 State of Well-Being Report shows a modest improvement in healthcare worker burnout, with 50% reporting feeling burned out in 2023, down from 54% in 2022. HealthLeaders Media reported on the results January 2. According to the article, The Mayo Clinic’s Well-Being Index compiled 79,022 assessments to…

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