Prior to the advent of nurses in operational leadership roles, operational decisions in healthcare were made by financial and business executives, as well as physicians, without full and adequate input from nursing. Today, nurses have earned their place at the management table as a vital part of the outcomes of…

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This relationship started with a conversation in an airport bar in Washington DC. We were discussing our similar cardiac surgery backgrounds and the Denver Bronco’s linebacker, Karl Mecklenburg, who, coincidently, was the son of a surgeon with whom she had worked. This conversation has grown into more than 35 years…

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After more than a year in hiatus, OR Manager Conference was held in October 2021 in Chicago, bringing together hundreds of attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. After the live conference, OR Manager sat down with Cindy Kildgore, education coordinator for the OR Manager Conference; Amy Bethel, education coordinator for the OR…

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Editor's Note A new KLAS Research report finds that COVID-19 has surpassed electronic health records (EHRs) as a primary source of clinician burnout, the December 7 EHR Intelligence reports. The report also finds that nurses have different sources of burnout than physicians since the start of the pandemic: After-hours workloads…

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Bullying is a serious problem seen in all aspects of life—at home, in school, and in the workplace. Anyone can be a bully, but bullying is often carried out by those who are threatened by or view themselves as superior to others. However, the younger generations, who are slowly taking…

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The better a patient’s overall health prior to undergoing surgery, the more likely a good surgical outcome. Research has demonstrated the benefits of prehabilitation and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols, and many healthcare facilities have embedded such practices into their surgical patient care pathways. At UPMC Central Pennsylvania Region in…

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Choosing words carefully to send the message that was intended is a critical skill in the high-stress environment of the OR. Frances Cole Jones, an expert in the nuances of language, will inspire OR Manager Conference attendees to think differently about how they communicate during her keynote address on October…

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Editor's Note The American Medical Association (AMA) has released a new survey of 301 US practicing physicians that shows 96% have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those not yet vaccinated, 45% plan to do so. Vaccination rates did not differ across: primary care physicians (98%) or specialists (95%) regions—North…

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Many ingredients go into the recipe for patient safety, and culture is one ingredient that is often overlooked. If the perioperative culture penalizes those who call out patient safety issues and doesn’t commit to continuous quality improvement (QI), it’s likely only a matter of time before a serious error occurs.…

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Provider burnout in the OR has been a problem for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought staff morale to a low point in hospitals across the US. Many OR leaders are facing staffing shortages just as demand for elective surgery is increasing. This is a significant problem for hospitals…

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