Competency assessment in perioperative nursing—and American healthcare in general—is a story of unrealized potential. Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, staffing shortfalls and financial pressures have made focusing on staff development difficult for nurse leaders. Nonetheless, the argument for investing more in professional development and competency has never been…

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Editor's Note Substituting lower-wage staff for registered nurses leads to additional patient deaths, the Washington Post reported on June 15. The article focuses on a study published in the journal Medical Care, noting that the new research coincides with a nationwide shortage of RNs and “reports of widespread burnout.” Researchers…

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Takeaways Meeting people where they are is a basic principle of staff development. Coaching and mentoring are fundamental to employee development, but new managers should understand the difference. Resources for staff development include education, certification, clinical ladders, committee work, and professional networking. Transitioning to leadership involves many competing pressures, but…

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Editor's Note According to the annual Sentinel Event Data Report, The Joint Commission received 1,411 reports of sentinel events—an event not related to the natural course of an illness or condition that causes severe harm, permanent harm or death—in 2023. Of that total, 96% of events were voluntary self-reported by…

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Editor's Note A study published March 30 in Nurse Education in Practice found that the majority of nurses with less than 2 years of work experience are uncomfortable performing more complex procedures independently. Conducted by Singapore General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital, and Singapore Institute of Technology, the study aimed to…

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TAKEAWAYS • HR should be involved early in the disciplinary process to help guide OR leaders’ decision-making throughout disciplinary and/or remediatoin processes. • Timing, privacy, opportunities for employee feedback, and an empathetic approach are among the most important considerations for a final termination meeting. • Whatever the process for communicating…

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TAKEAWAYS • Addressing an employee with a competency or behavior issue is important for the well-being of staff and managers. • Determining the reason for the issue is an important first step to resolving it. • Sources of support for managers include colleagues, human resources, and educators. In today’s perioperative…

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The Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) is excited to announce a new development in our certified perioperative nurse (CNOR®) certification program: the introduction of specialty designations. Now, perioperative nurses can specialize in cardiac, bariatric, orthopedic, or vascular surgery, just as RNs can choose oncology, pediatrics, or emergency. A specialty designation…

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Editor's Note The Nursing Informatics credential is getting an update, from “RN-BC” to “NI-BC,” the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) reported on November 3. The ANCC manages the Informatics Nursing board certification examination, which provides an assessment of RNs' clinical knowledge and skills in informatics after their initial RN licensure.  After…

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Perioperative nursing was the first recognized nursing specialty in the late 1800s. Modern education and training of nurses entering the specialty is still like this early period. Orientation is heavily reliant on workplace training and precepted learning experience. However, these long-standing methods have not been rigorously studied for effectiveness. The…

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