Logistics, clinical outcomes associated with converting ORs into an ICU for COVID-19 patients
Editor's Note This study by researchers from the department of anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and the department of perioperative services-nursing, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, both in New York City, describes how OR and anesthesia personnel converted 23 ORs into an 82-bed operating room intensive care unit (ORICU), ensured staff…
The Joint Commission's safety alert supports removal of surgical smoke
Surgical smoke is a complex issue that has not gained a lot of traction over the years. Legislation to mandate smoke evacuation was introduced more than 20 years ago, but the first law wasn’t passed until 2018, and only three US states thus far have enacted legislation. Release of The…
First assistants bring expertise and efficiency to the OR table--Part 1
Non-physician surgical first assistants (FAs) perform a variety of tasks—everything from closing an incision and inserting drains to harvesting veins for bypass procedures and preparing anterior cruciate ligament grafts. A significant benefit of FAs is shorter case times, which may help reduce patient morbidity and mortality and increase case volumes.…
Editorial
The increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccines, along with proposed healthcare industry funding from the federal government, are reasons to feel hopeful about recovering from the pandemic. For people who are fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has green-lighted gathering with loved ones and resuming some activities that…
Conference keynote points the way to a purposeful life
Personal health and well-being have become higher priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some people who previously may have ignored preventive care or postponed procedures are taking better care of themselves. Some are reexamining life choices as a result of changes taking place over the past year. “Many of us accept…
Collaborative anesthesia providers can help boost OR performance
Most high-performing ORs share something in common—an anesthesia group that is actively engaged in perioperative leadership, takes responsibility for organizational performance, and is fully invested in the success of the OR. Unfortunately, in many ORs, anesthesia providers focus narrowly on services and procedures, not the total performance of the surgery…
Editorial
This issue of OR Manager is being published just about a year after the nationwide shutdown that was implemented to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Failures on many fronts ensued in the months that followed, with an excessive death toll and unprecedented disruptions in every…
Importance of critical event debriefs cannot be overstated
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers nationwide have experienced patient deaths on a scale like never before. Whether from COVID-19 or other complications, surgical services staff sometimes lose patients despite their best efforts, and these failures to rescue can leave lasting psychological or emotional scars. Many healthcare facilities have ramped…
Overcoming biases in the perioperative leadership journey
For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) leaders who are healthcare professionals, ensuring the delivery of quality care is often made more difficult by the racial or ethnic bias they may encounter within their organizations. In this article, five BIPOC perioperative leaders share their experiences and offer advice for…
Nurse staffing expert, Linda Aiken, PhD, testifies on her research at NYS hospitals
Editor's Note Nurse staffing expert Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, testified at the New York State (NYS) Health Committee budget hearing on February 25 about her research on staffing levels in New York State. Among her research findings: Each patient reduction in nurses’ workloads was associated with a 13% decrease…
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