Orthopedic implants comprise a significant percentage of an OR’s costs, so effectively managing contracts for these items can help OR leaders in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) bolster the bottom lines of their organizations. “The contract is your best mechanism to control the influx of non-anticipated items, resolve overcharges,…

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Bullying and incivility have long been pervasive in healthcare, particularly in nursing. Additional stressors related to COVID-19 have worsened things in many facilities. “When there’s a crisis, we see the best in people and the worst,” says Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, CSP. “On social media, we’re seeing a lot of…

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High rates of burnout among healthcare providers—between 35% and 54% of US nurses and physicians, and between 45% and 60% of medical students and residents—have raised concerns about patient and provider safety. Burnout, a psychological syndrome featuring emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, is increasingly prevalent…

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This isn’t the first time OR Manager has addressed burnout and the need for greater resiliency, and it probably won’t be the last, judging by the pervasiveness of this problem. But the good news is, peer support programs—in addition to other resources—show promise for helping people get through tough times…

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Implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond has been achieved through project and change management tools that transform the current state to the desired future state. To hardwire ERAS protocols in the OR as well as the ambulatory and acute care…

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Editor's Note US hospitals with more internationally trained nurses have more stable, educated, nursing workforces, and collaboration among healthcare professionals is not hindered, this study finds. Researchers analyzed 2013 survey data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators that included responses from 24,045 nurses (2,156 were trained outside the…

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Editor's Note An Enhanced Recovery Pathway (ERP) created by the Mayo Clinic’s colorectal surgery service a decade ago has now been adopted by other surgical services in seven medical centers that are members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, the October 15 Harvard Business Review reports. The ability of each…

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Editor's Note Clinician burnout is affecting between one-third and one-half of nurses and physicians and 40% to 60% of medical students and residents, according to a new consensus report by 32 institutions and foundations, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Among the ways to fight burnout discussed in the…

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Editor's Note The debate over surgical cap attire has grown from a patient-safety issue to a platform for emotionally driven arguments, unflattering logic, and failed leadership by all parties involved, according to this Viewpoint article in JAMA Surgery. The 2014 guidelines from AORN never explicitly endorsed the bouffant hair cover,…

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Editor's Note Unclear policies and urgent competing responsibilities in the OR create stress, suggesting that the environment is the primary contributor to disruptive behavior by the surgeon, this study finds. Of 314 reports of disruptive behavior from surgical, medical, and other specialties, which included both the reporter account and involved…

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