Staffing and surgical volume vie for 'top challenge' facing OR leaders
Staffing headaches for OR managers continue, according to the 2019 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, with more than a third of respondents reporting that the percentage of open positions compared with 12 months ago has increased for both RNs and surgical technologists (STs). The clock has to be turned back…
Business conference placed staffing challenges in sharp focus
May 2022 brought business leaders and operations managers back together in person for the OR Business Management Conference. This year marked its 10th anniversary, and the intimate event highlighted several facets of the behemoth issue that is staffing. Several sessions touched on the topic, including: • “Organize the chaos and…
ASC staffing and surgical volume drop in response to pandemic
Nearly a third (30%) of ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders have experienced layoffs of direct care staff during the past year, according to the 2020 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, up from a mere 4% in 2019. COVID-19 is the likely culprit: Most of the comments received in response to…
Nurse staffing linked to healthcare-associated infections
Editor's Note In this study from the Columbia University School of Nursing, New York City, researchers found that nurse understaffing is associated with increased risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Using data from 2007 to 2012 in a large urban hospital system: 15% of patient days had one shift understaffed (defined…
Staffing shortage a contributing factor to cybersecurity vulnerabilities
Editor's Note According to a new report, titled “The State of Security 2022” from Software company Splunk, mass resignations and gaps in staffing may be contributing to cybersecurity companies’ inability to defend against certain cyberattacks, Becker’s Health IT April 25 reports. The report surveyed more than 1,000 cybersecurity leaders across…
Think ahead: Plan today for tomorrow's staffing gaps
Planning ahead isn’t always intuitive in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). However, when a business manager or clinical coordinator suddenly falls ill, announces plans to retire, or quits unexpectedly, ASC leaders need to respond nimbly and effectively. Someone has to step in and take over to make a seamless transition without…
ASCs struggle to match staffing to demand
Hiring experienced staff remains a challenge for leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) even as many organizations increase case volume and specialties, according to the 2017 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said that recruiting experienced RNs had become more difficult in the past 12…
Massachusetts nurse staffing regs did not reduce patient mortality, complications
Editor's Note The Massachusetts state regulation of 1:1 or 2:1 patient-to-nurse staffing ratios in intensive care units (ICUs), as guided by patient complexity scores, was not linked with either increased nurse staffing or changes in patient outcomes, this study finds. Examining records from 246 medical centers nationwide, and comparing patient…
ANA urges HHS to declare nurse staffing shortage a national crisis
Editor's Note The American Nurses Association (ANA) on September 1 wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging the agency to declare the ongoing shortage of nurses in the US a national crisis, citing the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant as a factor. In…
Nursing schools are denying qualified applicants due to staffing shortages
Editor's Note Due to staffing shortages, thousands of qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools last year, despite the nationwide shortage of nurses, CNN Business October 5 reports. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nearly 78,200 qualified applications were denied by nursing schools in 2022. Nearly 66,300…