Editor's Note Healthcare’s workforce crisis stems from systemic trauma—not individual burnout. That’s the central argument of a commentary published April 30 in MedPage Today, in which Taylor Nichols, MD, a board-certified physician in emergency medicine and addiction medicine, calls for a sweeping shift in how healthcare-associated stress is understood and…

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Editor's Note Surgical staff support for OR temperature management is not always paired with the knowledge required to properly prevent perioperative hypothermia, according to an April 30 study in Nature: Scientific Reports. This multicenter, cross-sectional study surveyed 213 operating room professionals—surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses—across eight hospitals in northern China. The…

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Editor's Note Short-staffed hospital wards face higher patient mortality, readmissions, and lengthier stays—especially when they rely on temporary staff instead of permanent registered nurses, according to research published in BMJ Quality & Safety.  As detailed in a summary from Medscape News UK, the large-scale, longitudinal observational study was led by…

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Every day, I come across postings in the media suggesting that nurses are struggling with burnout. These accusations are tone deaf and misleading. In addition to my private coaching practice, I am the professional internal coach for a trauma center in the Greater New York area and several professional nursing…

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Takeaways • Credibility and trust are intertwined. • Keeping a covenant with staff, cultivating executive presence, and building relationships help establish credibility. • Situations that pose challenges to building credibility include the first leadership role and leading in areas where the new manager lacks expertise. Whether it is a first-time…

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Takeaways • US surgeons have no mandated retirement age. According to the Aging Surgeon Program, “a patient death or serious negative event are currently the only things that prompt action to prevent a surgeon from practicing.” • Research on aging-related decline is clear, but nuanced, showing rates and scope vary…

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Patient safety and regulatory compliance demand thoroughly vetting those tasked with preventing healthcare-associated infections. But which certification is the right fit? Those who are new to infection control have a wide range of options for verifying their newly acquired expertise. More seasoned infection preventionists (IPs) also have a number of…

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Editor's Note A thoughtful, operations-driven approach to ambulatory surgery center (ASC) facility design can prevent major delays, costly change orders, and inefficient workflows down the line, according to a May 2 presentation from Akshay Tavkar, MBA, CMPE, CASC, principal and managing director of Skyline Healthcare Solutions, LLC, at the Ambulatory…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 177,000 from April to May, the May 2 announcement from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, is unchanged at 4.2%—a narrow range that has been maintained since May 2024, according to the BLS news release. In…

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Editor's Note The 2025 OR Manager Career & Salary Survey is now open, and your insights are essential. This annual survey offers a comprehensive look into compensation trends, job satisfaction, staffing challenges, and more within the perioperative community. By participating, you contribute to a valuable resource that informs and supports…

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