Staffing to a block duration can be inefficient. Uncontrolled variables such as increased case complexity and unexpected staff absences can cause chaos. Leaders from Penn Medicine—Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia used data analytics to measure the efficiency of matching staffing against an optimized OR schedule, which allowed them to predict staffing…

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Editor's Note Concerns about physician shortages have led policy makers to advocate for the greater use of nurse practitioners (NPs). From 2010 to 2017, the number of NPs more than doubled from 91,000 to 190,000, this analysis finds. The growth of NPs, which occurred in every region of the US,…

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Editor's Note A new HCA Healthcare survey finds that in the past 4 years Millennials and Gen Z nurses have gone from being the minority to now being the majority in the employee population, and their professional priorities and expectations differ from past generations, according to a February 11 report…

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OR leaders live with many challenges, ranging from obtaining adequate reimbursement to having sufficient staff on hand. Despite constant pressures, most respondents to the 2019 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey remain satisfied with their jobs. In all, 70% are satisfied with their current jobs or positions, comparable to the 67%…

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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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Salaries for ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders are down slightly, according to the OR Manager 2019 Salary/Career Survey, with slightly more than half of respondents (52%) earning $100,000 or more—a decline from 60% in 2018, 54% in 2017, and 53% in 2016. That dip may be contributing to corresponding lower…

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Staffing headaches for OR managers continue, according to the 2019 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, with more than a third of respondents reporting that the percentage of open positions compared with 12 months ago has increased for both RNs and surgical technologists (STs). The clock has to be turned back…

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Editor's Note Enrollees in large employer insurance plans are facing higher healthcare spending through rising premium contributions and increased cost-sharing, according to an August 14 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Healthcare costs outpaced wage growth from 2008 to 2018, with employees spending $4,706 for premiums and $3,020 on out-of-pocket…

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Editor's Note This Welltok survey of more than 1,000 workers found that 78% of millennials wanted their employers to do more to support their health and well-being. When millennials were questioned on incentives for participating in well-being programs: 64% favored additional vacation time 56% said wellness benefits 53% wanted flexible…

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A steady stream of changes and upheaval, ranging from increased use of bundled payments for reimbursement to the pressure of filling open positions with qualified staff, are affecting OR managers’ ability to be successful. Despite the challenges, more than two-thirds (67%) are satisfied with their jobs or positions, according to…

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