Changes in nurses' pay structure solve staffing and scheduling problems
Many OR directors struggle with designing effective nurse compensation systems. The ideal system would achieve department goals while maintaining nurse satisfaction. Unfortunately, a compensation plan that links these 2 objectives is often elusive. In 2012, OR leadership at a small Pennsylvania hospital developed a compensation system that effectively aligns nursing…
Train, sustain, retain: Targeted recruitment reduces hospital openings from 50 to 0
What would you do if you had more than 50 open positions and 40 travel nurses in your OR? If you were part of the team at University of Virginia Medical Center (UVAMC) in Charlottesville, you would get busy recruiting and retaining staff. “We knew we couldn’t continue down that…
Innovative nurse training program bolsters interest in OR career
Like most OR leaders, Doug Robinson, BSN, RN, CNOR, manager of the Roberts Operating Rooms at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, wants a steady supply of OR nurses. Robinson has reached back to his own student experience to develop a program that gives students OR exposure, with the intent…
Survey finds staffing patterns stable but positions hard to fill
A sluggish economy continues to drive OR staffing, according to the 23rd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Although economic growth in the US has ticked slightly upward, 70% of respondents say the economy affected their OR staffing in the past 6 months, comparable to 68% last year and 69% in…
High labor expenses? Better staffing and scheduling can cut costs
OR Business Performance is a series intended to help OR managers and directors improve the success of their business. The OR labor budget usually takes a back seat to supplies and equipment. But labor costs can still create significant spending problems. Many hospital surgery departments use nursing full-time equivalents…
New staffing structure builds on success of specialty team model
Less than a year after adopting a “college structure” model akin to that of specialty teams, the UF & Shands Academic Health Center in Gainesville, Florida, is close to achieving a goal of 100% on-time starts. “We track first-case start times, and a report goes out every morning, so we’ll…
Synergies are flowing from combined ST, CS role
A float position that combines the duties of a surgical technologist (ST) and a central service (CS) technician creates closer ties between the OR and CS departments and improved morale in CS for a 400-bed community hospital. “These have been independent workforces, but they are highly related,” says Brian Whorley,…
Who will replace retiring perioperative nurses?
Perioperative leaders are actively planning for future staffing needs. Still, the majority (56%) say they’re having problems filling staff nurse positions. And two-thirds (68%) anticipate problems in the next 5 years, according to OR Manager’s succession planning survey (related article). Nurse leaders in surgery accept the need “to grow their…
Turnover rates stable, use of temp staff is down, annual survey finds
OR directors continue to struggle with an economy resisting improvement. More than two-thirds (68%) say the economy affected their OR staffing in the past 6 months, according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey—virtually unchanged from 69% in 2011. The economy may be causing employees to stay put. More…
Staffing for surgery centers is in a holding pattern
A weak economy continues to affect staffing in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, with about 80% of nurse managers saying staff turnover stayed the same compared to 12 months ago, similar to 2011 results. Other staffing parameters are also similar to last…
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