Periop Nursing
Changes in use of bariatric surgery from 1993 to 2016
Editor's Note The safety of bariatric surgery has improved since 1993, and there has been a growth in the number of bariatric procedures performed, this study finds. However, utilization has only marginally increased. Of an estimated 1,903,273 patients who had bariatric surgery between 1993 and 2016, the mean age was…
Reinvent and reap the rewards of improved handoffs--Part 2
An effective handoff helps ensure care transitions are safe and efficient, but achieving the ideal handoff can be challenging. Part 1 of this two-part series provided an overview of the role of handoffs in the perioperative setting (OR Manager, January 2020, 22-23, 25). This article offers best practices for successful…
Develop standard work for successful ERAS implementation
At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond, implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) incorporates principles of Lean thinking, a management methodology that emphasizes “…maximize[ing] customer value while minimizing waste. Simply, lean means creating more value for customers with fewer resources,” according to the Lean Enterprise Institute.1 Several…
OR nurse pipeline expands through clinical immersion program
Most hospital leaders are well aware of the coming wave of nurse retirements. However, few leaders understand that this wave will likely hit the OR even earlier than other departments. According to research from NSI Nursing Solutions, surgical services nurses are on average older than other nursing professionals. Because OR…
Study supports value of nurses with specialty certifications
Editor's Note In this study, specialty certification was associated with greater professional identity in ICU nurses and higher perceptions of knowledge of and value in evidence-based practices, whereas education level was not. Of 268 respondents from six hospitals and 12 adult ICUs in an integrated health system, 71% had a…
2020 designated Year of the Nurse
Editor's Note The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. WHO and its partners are leading a year-long effort to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging…
Relationship between patient falls and levels of nursing education, certification
Editor's Note Higher levels of nursing education and more certified nurses improved the number of patient falls in this study. Using data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators from 2010 to 2016 from medical centers in Central and Southern Illinois, researchers found that with every 1-unit increase in…
Gallup Poll rates nurses highest for honesty, ethics
Editor's Note For the 18th year in a row, US adults taking the Gallup Poll rated nurses highest among professionals for honesty and ethics. In the survey, 85% of respondents rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high,” similar to 2018. The top five also included engineers…
Bacterial contamination of surgical scrubs worn outside the OR
Editor's Note In this study from Israel, researchers found that surgical scrubs worn outside the OR were contaminated with a low bacterial load and only a small number of pathogenic bacteria. For the study, specimens were collected at the entrance to the OR from surgical scrubs worn by 133 surgeons.…
Can punctuality decrease OR costs?
Editor's Note In this study from Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, a first case on-time starts (FCOTS) improvement initiative was linked to a higher frequency of FCOTS, which was independently associated with last case on-time ends (LCOTE) and decreased OR overtime costs. Of 12,073 cases (6,095 pre- vs…
Free Daily News
- Kansas nurses warn licensing board’s rules leave them vulnerable to career-ending penalties
- CDC projects hospitalization burden for 2025–2026 respiratory season
- Hospital complaints surge as oversight gaps leave patients frustrated
- Ambulatory general surgery safe for older adults when patients are carefully selected
- Outpatient artificial disc replacement proves safe, efficient, game-changing for spine surgery
- Study identifies risk factors for PE and DVT after ambulatory surgery
- Surgical patients see better outcomes but face longer hospital stays, AHA and Vizient report finds
- Study shows new nurses need a year to be ready for independent practice
- FDA flags device recalls while clearing new technologies for surgery, critical care
- Back to Business: Budgeting for Sustainable Staffing Models in the OR