Editor's Note In this study, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, designed, implemented, and assessed the effect of the first surgery-specific peer support program in the US. The program uses five steps: creation of a conceptual framework choice of peer supporters training of peer supporters multifaceted identification of major adverse…

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Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare but life-threatening surgical complication that seems to turn the effects of general anesthesia upside down. Instead of relaxing, muscles become rigid, releasing large amounts of acid and potassium into the blood. Instead of a normal slowing of breathing, respirations quicken, and end-tidal CO2 rises.…

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Recruiting OR staff who will best meet culture and competency expectations is a three-pronged process that starts with a sound marketing strategy, progresses to the application and interview stage, and concludes with the decision to hire and onboard. Parts 1 and 2 of this three-part series covered the roles that…

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Editor's Note This study found that the MINDBODYSTRONG for Healthcare Professionals program has excellent potential as an intervention for improving the mental health, healthy lifestyle beliefs and behaviors, and job satisfaction in newly licensed RNs. Of 89 new RNs (divided into two groups, intervention and control) participating in a nurse…

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Editor's Note The University of California San Diego School of Medicine announced October 14 that it has expanded its Center for the Future of Surgery, one of few facilities in the world that teaches surgery in high-tech simulated ORs. This fall, the 22,000 sq-ft center added a new hybrid OR…

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Editor's Note In this study, competency ratings increased significantly from 1 to 5 months and from 5 to 11 months in a nurse residency program. Preceptors, nurse educators, and/or unit managers rated new nurse residents using The Appraisal of Nursing Practice, an observational rating based on Quality and Safety in…

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A surprising 70% of respondents to the 2019 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey report overall satisfaction with their jobs—surprising in light of their significant workload, relatively flat salaries, number of staff vacancies, and industry-wide prevalence of clinician burnout. Burnout is defined as a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also…

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Recruitment is a daunting part of any OR leader’s job because of the time it takes to identify and evaluate candidates, who must then complete an extensive orientation program once they are hired. Part 1 of this three-part series covered marketing and application strategies for achieving recruitment goals (OR Manager,…

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A patient’s condition can change in the blink of an eye. Are you prepared to respond? And what happens if the patient dies? This is the focus of an annual seminar at Houston Methodist Hospital that was developed to increase the comfort level of perioperative nurses caring for a patient…

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Editor's Note Senior surgical residents can safely supervise junior residents performing appendectomies, and training programs should encourage faculty to let senior residents manage operative appendicitis as independently as possible as well as supervise junior residents intraoperatively, this study finds. In this review of 928 appendectomies performed at the University of…

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