Safety 
The OR department is often what keeps most hospitals afloat. Surgical services account for roughly 50% of a hospital’s revenue, but they also contribute approximately 60% to overall costs. ORs must be efficient. Successes and failures in the surgical suite affect the entire system. Healthcare systems have found that highly…
Float teams have been a staple of nurse-staffing plans for many years, but they have not been widely used in the operating room. Utah Valley Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Provo, Utah, and part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, has been developing float teams for nearly 2 decades.…
Much has been written about bullying, lateral violence, cultures of safety, and a healthy work environment. However, little has been written to address the escalation of violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) coming not only from peers but also patients and visitors. Violence against HCWs has increased significantly. A 2022 report…
When Ayumi Fielden, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CPAN, worked as a preceptor in a PACU nurse residency program for new graduate nurses, she realized quickly that something was missing. “The graduate nurses struggled because they were not yet comfortable with basic nursing skills, such as assessments and giving medications. They also…
The headlines are attention grabbing: hospitals forced to pay millions of dollars after employees were found to have stolen opioids and other controlled substances. After being discovered and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the agents uncovered a number of issues: poor record-keeping, inventory, tracking, and other failures that…
Takeaways • Children are not small adults. Greater attention should be paid to their fears and anxiety, and equipment and medication should be tailored to meet their needs. • All staff should have Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. • ASCs can use toys and games as distractions to ease…
Takeaways • OR nurse leaders are becoming a force in healthcare legislation. • Legislators value nursing expertise and want to collaborate with nurses on healthcare legislation. • It is easier than expected to get involved with legislation to improve patient safety, support staff, and optimize the workplace. Tracy Hoeft-Hoffman, MSN,…
Nationwide staffing shortages are causing significant strain on healthcare systems. Hospital leaders have to be creative with how to mitigate this challenge while still prioritizing patient care. Healthcare workers are essential, but labor costs are often the largest expenses for hospitals. Even before the pandemic, labor costs, including recruitment, retention,…
When making decisions about technology and equipment, there is a tendency to focus on immediate productivity increases—or perhaps, practical aspects such as carrying out an implementation or training staff. But here is another major issue: how to maintain OR equipment once the warranty runs out. This is more complex than…
Over my 40-year career—after starting at the bedside in surgical intensive care, moving to emergency medicine, and then to perioperative services—I have been fortunate to progress into executive leadership positions in academic medical center health systems and community hospitals, consult with a top global advisory firm, and now work in…
