Safety Concerns about the pipeline of OR nurses existed long before COVID-19, but the pandemic has heightened these concerns. Many nurses plan to exit the profession in the next few years (sidebar, Workforce outlook). Unfortunately, the pipeline of replacement nurses is nearly dry as student experiences in the OR have been…
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) released the updated ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021 Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in healthcare facilities. The revised version reflects current research and advancements in flexible endoscope processing. What follows is an abbreviated summary of some of the key revisions and additions. Future columns…
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) rely on OR staff to clean the room during turnovers, sometimes contracting with outside firms to do terminal cleaning. As COVID-19 brings renewed attention to disinfection methods, ASC administrators may ask: What are the best methods to keep OR rooms clean? Since the pandemic began, the…
Hospitals and health systems know they are attractive targets for cybercriminals. When lives are at stake, and the victims are often insured, ransomware gangs can expect a quick and easy payout. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hospitals have had to face a new reality: The…
Is technology part of the answer for nursing staff woes? As COVID-19 patients continue to fill hospital beds, caregivers are feeling exhausted, burned out, and unappreciated. OR nurses have been especially hit hard, as shifts in surgeries and overflowing patient wards stretch OR nurses beyond their limits and comfort zones.…
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are one of the fastest-growing and highest-margin segments of the healthcare industry. As ASCs continue to expand, facilities need to enhance their workflow processes and procedures to help divert staff more toward actual patient care. Crash cart management is an aspect for ASCs where time and…
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the global ambulatory surgery center (ASC) market is valued at around $81 billion, as of 2020, and it is projected to reach $120 billion by 2027. The ASC market in the US is estimated at almost $22 billion, with intelligence company…
Nurses have the highest incidence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries in the US, and OR nurses have the highest incidence among all nursing specialties. Estimates in the literature say more than 50% report chronic back pain, and 10% must leave their profession entirely because of back injuries. It is also estimated…
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare industry could fill an entire academic curriculum at this point, let alone a single article. But one potential silver lining among the storms of bad news is the increasing migration of elective procedures from hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Although…
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are ramping up cardiovascular and peripheral vascular service lines, as Medicare offers payment for a growing number of cardiac procedures and accrediting bodies offer support for this methodology. In 2021, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that the number of ASCs billing Medicare for cardiology procedures…
