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

Editor's Note Automated surgical video analysis could enhance evaluation of an OR team’s nontechnical skills, according to a study published July 31 in JAMA Network Open. Conducted between January 2021 and May 2022, the cross-sectional study involved 30 cardiovascular surgical teams at a teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Using OpenPose,…

Read More

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

Takeaways Successful collaboration requires prioritizing teamwork and aligning new projects and ideas with the overarching goals of the organization. Strategies for making the case for a new project or initiative include establishing subject matter expertise, tailoring the message, and having a win-win mindset. The most influential leaders understand others’ perspectives…

Read More

Complex problems do not always require complex solutions. Consider the surgical safety checklist. In 2020, more than a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) started advocating that every hospital use the checklist, research from PSNET found that more than 90% of ORs in countries with a high human development…

Read More

Editor's Note Substituting lower-wage staff for registered nurses leads to additional patient deaths, the Washington Post reported on June 15. The article focuses on a study published in the journal Medical Care, noting that the new research coincides with a nationwide shortage of RNs and “reports of widespread burnout.” Researchers…

Read More

Takeaways Although women comprise half the population, they were left out of medical research on major causes of death for both women and men—cancer, heart disease, and stroke—until 1990. Using surgical tools designed by men, for men can impact every aspect of a woman surgeon’s work, from learning new procedures…

Read More

Takeaways Meeting people where they are is a basic principle of staff development. Coaching and mentoring are fundamental to employee development, but new managers should understand the difference. Resources for staff development include education, certification, clinical ladders, committee work, and professional networking. Transitioning to leadership involves many competing pressures, but…

Read More

Left sniffling and sneezing after a whirlwind 4 days at my first AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, I had more on my mind than whether the term “conference-acquired infection (CAI)” was officially part of the medical nomenclature, much less whether any studies had been done. I…

Read More

Takeaways The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing problems, and although some parameters have improved, challenges remain. Surgical volume took a sharp drop during the pandemic but is now rebounding. Over the years, the gap in difficulty between recruiting RNs and recruiting STs has narrowed. Last month, OR Manager looked back on…

Read More