Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 24, announced that it was eliminating the term licensed independent practitioner from its Ambulatory Health Care and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs, beginning August 27. The revisions are consistent with terminology used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Conditions for Coverage and…

Read More

Editor's Note According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percent of employment growth from 2021 and projected to 2031 for nursing and operating room-related occupations include: Nurse practitioners—45.7% Physician assistants—27.6% Nurse anesthetists—11.8% Nurse midwives—7.5% Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses—6.3% Registered nurses—6.2% Surgical technologists—5.9% Nursing assistants—4.7 Surgeons—3.4% Anesthesiologists—1.1%.

Read More

Editor's Note This Israeli study finds that antibody levels were associated with protection against infection with the COVID-19 Omicron variant in vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs). Participants included 2,310 HCWs who had received 3 or 4 doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The odds of infection and substantial symptomatic disease caused…

Read More

Takeaways • Supporting nurse leaders is just as important as supporting staff to achieve optimal patient care and a financially healthy organization. • Organizations can support nurse leaders in many ways, including providing recognition, ancillary support, creative schedule options, and professional development opportunities. • Novice managers need structured programs to…

Read More

Takeaways • This buddy program works for all levels of an organization and for anyone who is starting to do something new in a leadership role. • New leaders often feel like they are being “thrown into the deep end,” and having buddies can help them feel safe. • The…

Read More

A quick internet search on the importance and impact of survey data in healthcare generates a plethora of results. Making the query more specific—the importance and impact of survey data in surgical services, and the wealth of information is much the same. The results are mostly about surveys conducted on…

Read More

May was a month of renewal and fresh beginnings that was also dedicated to Mental Health Awareness. This past month provided a timely reminder to first assess our own well-being as leaders so often focused on the contributions and performance of others. Last month was also an opportunity to pulse…

Read More

Takeaways for perioperative leaders The OR thrives when leaders act as coaches and focus on fostering growth, giving feedback, and prioritizing development—not just managing performance. True well-being goes beyond wellness and includes career, social, and community dimensions, not just physical and financial health. Who your team members work with matters—people…

Read More

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has revised the ANSI/AAMI PB70 Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities. This revised standard provides healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the barrier protection properties of available protective apparel. The…

Read More

Infection preventionists (IPs) play a vital role in healthcare, especially in the sterile processing department (SPD), where preventing infection and cross-contamination is paramount. As infection prevention advocates, SPD personnel are responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments and other medical devices are properly sterilized and free of harmful microorganisms before use.…

Read More