- OR staffing holds steady while ground shifts in healthcare delivery
- Utilization soars after block schedule is up and running
- Editorial
- OR Manager of the Year sets–and meets–high bar
- Patient safety, satisfaction rise to top of priority list
- OR nurse educator leading OR Manager webinars
- Environmental cleaning in sterile processing areas
- Orthopedic hospital uses ‘price point’ strategy to lower implant costs
- Recruitment challenges offset by relatively stable staff at ASCs
- Medicare reimbursement, allowable procedures at forefront of ASC challenges
OR staffing holds steady while ground shifts in healthcare delivery
In the face of a changing healthcare landscape, staffing levels are stable, according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say staff turnover and the number of open RN and surgical technologist (ST) positions have stayed the same in the past year. When those positions…
Utilization soars after block schedule is up and running
Block scheduling can be one of the most contentious issues that OR leaders face, but its effectiveness as an efficiency—and therefore cost management—tool makes it worth pursuing. Implementing block scheduling requires time, finesse, and dedication. James X. Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, says it’s easy for OR managers to underestimate the…
Editorial
Projections made about a decade ago told us to expect that the RN workforce would peak at around 2.2 million in 2012 and would then begin to shrink as nurses reached retirement age. Instead, say the authors of a recent Health Affairs report, there were 2.7 million RNs working in…
OR Manager of the Year sets--and meets--high bar
Increasing case volume, physician satisfaction, and patient safety are goals every OR leader strives to achieve. The 2014 OR Manager of the Year, Nancy Daughety, RN, has bragging rights to all three. Daughety is administrative director of perioperative services at St Francis Hospital, Inc, a 376-bed community hospital in Columbus,…
Patient safety, satisfaction rise to top of priority list
OR leaders have always been committed to patient safety, but an increased focus on quality has them redoubling their efforts. With the recent initiatives linking patient satisfaction to reimbursement, it’s not surprising that OR leaders are emphasizing patient safety and satisfaction, as reflected in comments from the 24th annual OR…
OR nurse educator leading OR Manager webinars
The OR Manager webinar series, now under the direction of Ellen Lord, MS, RN, CNOR, is an important resource for continuing education as well as best practices to optimize efficiency and performance. Webinars are presented twice a month. Attendees who complete a brief online posttest and evaluation satisfactorily may earn…
Environmental cleaning in sterile processing areas
Thorough environmental cleaning limits the number of microorganisms that can be transferred to the patient and the healthcare provider, thus helping to prevent healthcare-associated infections. A team consisting of perioperative nursing, sterile processing, environmental services, and infection prevention staff needs to be established to develop cleaning procedures for all areas…
Orthopedic hospital uses 'price point' strategy to lower implant costs
Total joint arthroplasty volumes have ballooned in the last two decades, and reimbursement has not kept pace with costs. Rising implant prices are a major driver of hospital spending on these procedures. As the aging US population creates growing demand for joint replacement, controlling implant costs is becoming a top…
Recruitment challenges offset by relatively stable staff at ASCs
Staffing in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is remarkably stable, although surgical volume is increasing in many centers and recruiting is becoming more difficult, according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than 70% of respondents said both the percentage and number of open RN and surgical technologist (ST)…
Medicare reimbursement, allowable procedures at forefront of ASC challenges
Leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can expect to continue facing challenges related to reimbursement even as they try to increase the kinds of procedures that can be performed in their facilities, say experts with the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Other key factors that will determine their future success…
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