Editor's Note Sterile processing departments (SPDs) face chronic staffing shortages and underinvestment that put surgical patients at risk, according to a Surgical Directions September 18 report. It emphasizes that sterile processing technicians, who decontaminate, inspect, and sterilize every surgical instrument, remain under-recognized despite their central role in surgical safety. Per…

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Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, "Health systems embrace partnerships, new training pathways to address surgical technologist shortage."   The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), a 55,000-member organization, acknowledges the growing shortage of surgical technologists (STs) but is raising alarms over the rise of…

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Roughly 41,000 surgical procedures happen in the US every day. Each one depends on surgical technologists (STs), the professionals who prepare the OR, hand off instruments, and ensure a sterile environment to prevent infections that affect up to 3% of all patients. The profession’s importance is reflected in AORN’s recommended…

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Comparing healthcare to aviation is a long-standing tradition, especially when discussing safety systems like checklists. However, the similarities extend beyond protocols. Just as flying a paper airplane differs vastly from piloting a jumbo jet, so too does earning a certificate of attendance differ from achieving professional certification. Parallels like these…

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Editor's Note Filling out OR Manager’s Career/Salary Survey may take only 15 minutes, but perioperative leaders are busy people. Recognizing that even small blocks of time may be hard to find, we’ve extended the deadline through June 27. We wouldn’t want anyone to miss a chance to help forecast what’s…

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Editor's Note Washington, New Hampshire, and Oregon lead the nation as the best states for nurses in 2025, offering a compelling mix of high pay, strong job growth, and supportive work environments, according to an April 29 report from WalletHub. The rankings, based on 20 key metrics, highlight significant disparities…

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Takeaways • Credibility and trust are intertwined. • Keeping a covenant with staff, cultivating executive presence, and building relationships help establish credibility. • Situations that pose challenges to building credibility include the first leadership role and leading in areas where the new manager lacks expertise. Whether it is a first-time…

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Patient safety and regulatory compliance demand thoroughly vetting those tasked with preventing healthcare-associated infections. But which certification is the right fit? Those who are new to infection control have a wide range of options for verifying their newly acquired expertise. More seasoned infection preventionists (IPs) also have a number of…

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Becoming a perioperative nurse generally does not require certification. However, expectations can change quickly for those hoping to climb the career ladder. For some, expectations are also changing for how knowledge and skills should be assessed. Rather than taking an exam, this subset of specialty nurses earn certification by submitting…

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Editor's Note Hospitals made strides in reducing nurse turnover in 2024, yet staffing gaps and financial pressures remain significant, according to the 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report. Key findings include: The national registered nurse (RN) turnover rate declined by 2.0 percentage points to 16.4%, marking…

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