Tag: surgical technologists

Survey: Staffing problems increase as surgical volume continues to rise

Data and surveys

Takeaways • Most respondents reported an increase in the percentage of open positions for RNs and STs compared to 12 months ago. • Most respondents struggle to hire experienced RNs, yet time-to-fill positions has dropped, suggesting rapid but possibly unsustainable staffing shifts. • Leadership is getting younger (average age 38),…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver
September 1, 2025
Share

Survey: Shifts in ASC staffing patterns, volume rises at slower rate

Data and surveys

About the survey Data for the Career/Salary Survey were collected from April 1 to June 27, 2025. The list comprised ASC administrators who were either OR Manager subscribers or part of an external list. The survey closed with 90 responses. The margin of error is ±5 percentage points at the…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver
September 1, 2025
Share

AST warns against fast-track training programs

Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, "Health systems embrace partnerships, new training pathways to address surgical technologist shortage."   The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), a 55,000-member organization, acknowledges the growing shortage of surgical technologists (STs) but is raising alarms over the rise of…

Read More

By: Anne Wainscott-Sargent
August 25, 2025
Share

Health systems embrace partnerships, new training pathways to address surgical technologist shortage

Roughly 41,000 surgical procedures happen in the US every day. Each one depends on surgical technologists (STs), the professionals who prepare the OR, hand off instruments, and ensure a sterile environment to prevent infections that affect up to 3% of all patients. The profession’s importance is reflected in AORN’s recommended…

Read More

By: Anne Wainscott-Sargent
August 25, 2025
Share

Simulation-based training boosts scrub nurses’ confidence in OR non-technical skills

Editor's Note Targeted training in non-technical skills significantly improves scrub practitioners’ self-efficacy—particularly in communication, teamwork, and situational awareness—according to a new randomized controlled trial published by BMC Medical Education on May 7. As reported in the study, 60 scrub practitioners from two Iranian hospitals were randomly assigned to intervention and…

Read More

By: Tarsilla Moura
May 20, 2025
Share

E-learning builds surgical tech talent pool for small, rural hospitals

CEO Karen Franco, MBA, spent years struggling to fill surgical technologist (ST) positions at Pacific Surgery Center in Poulsbo, Washington, due to a lack of viable training options. Nearly 1,400 miles away, Deb Braly, RN, a nurse educator in the surgery department of San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in…

Read More

By: Jennifer Kolb
January 31, 2025
Share

Survey: Staffing woes ease slightly, but challenges remain

Data and surveys

Takeaways • Surgical volume continues to increase for most organizations. • Staffing remains a challenge, although some parameters, such as recruiting and turnover, have improved slightly. • Filling an open RN position takes an average of 77 days, and filling a surgical technologist position takes an average of 120 days.…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver
August 28, 2024
Share

Survey: ASC volume rising amid limited staffing improvement

Data and surveys

Takeaways • Compared to 2023, the percentage of respondents reporting an increase in open positions for RNs and STs, as well as increased turnover for RNs, remained stable, but fewer reported a drop in ST turnover. • The percentage of respondents reporting hiring more managers set a 9-year record. •…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver
August 1, 2024
Share

ASC staffing woes persist in era of increased surgical volume

Data and surveys

The past 10 years of data from the OR Manager Salary/Career Survey reflects many challenges in the healthcare environment, particularly those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. ASC leader respondents report that staffing difficulties have become particularly challenging. For example, only 15% of respondents to the 2014 survey reported increased RN…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
April 19, 2024
Share

Health systems add additional training, educational resources for nursing, perioperative staff

Editor's Note Training and retention of staff is a top priority among healthcare leaders today, as increased healthcare demand and staff shortages continue to affect facilities across the country. Most recently, Geisinger, as well as Lutheran Medical Center and  Houston Methodist Hospital have introduced and expanded educational and cross-training programs…

Read More

By: Lindsay Botts
April 20, 2023
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat