Editor's Note A session at the 2025 Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) Annual Conference used a striking analogy, comparing the Kentucky Derby to the daily operations of a sterile processing department (SPD) to energize professionals and reframe persistent challenges in the field, Infection Control Today April 27 reports. The article…

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Editor's Note Nearly 140,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022, and 40% of the remaining workforce plans to exit by 2029, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). According to an April 17 announcement from NCSBN, the survey…

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Editor's Note Stepping into a leadership role in the OR is both exciting and demanding. From budgeting and performance metrics to staffing and scheduling, there is a lot to navigate right from day one. To help new leaders step into their roles with confidence—and to offer fresh insights for seasoned…

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Takeaways • The 3A Strategic Thinking Framework and the GOST Framework are examples of tools that can help make the abstract process of strategic thinking more concrete for perioperative leaders. • Carving out dedicated time for planning and fostering strategic thinking in others are important to achieve optimal results. •…

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Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) represents a transformative approach in modern surgical care, emphasizing evidence-based, multidisciplinary protocols to optimize patient recovery. Spanning decades, ERAS has grown from a novel concept into a global standard for perioperative care, with benefits that include shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and reduced healthcare costs.…

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Many are quick to blame travelers for the poor state of hospital finances. However, isn’t there a difference between a traveler in the OR—an interim staff member in the hospital’s profit center—and an interim RN in an area financially supported by OR profits? What about the argument that travelers can…

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Takeaways Providers are generally seeking to reduce use of travelers through strategies such as float pools, training programs, and cultural reforms. However, travelers remain useful as a bridge to permanent staff and for difficult-to-fill positions. Best practices for selection, onboarding, team integration, and performance evaluation are essential for maximizing return…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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