Focusing on the clinical aspects of multiple complex procedures during a busy day of surgery is stressful for surgical teams, so it’s understandable that the basic steps...

What does safe surgical care mean to you? Eliminating avoidable adverse events by developing and maintaining competent teams...

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Surgeons clearly don’t intend to cause stray energy burns when they cut and coagulate tissue with energy-based surgical...

Proper medication safety requires surgical leaders to ask some very tough questions. Are employees stealing drugs for consumption or resale? Did a staffer not dilute a drug...

Proper medication safety requires surgical leaders to ask some very tough questions. Are employees stealing drugs for consumption or resale? Did a staffer not dilute a drug...

Why don’t all healthcare facilities employ some sort of surgical smoke evacuation system? Not only does surgical smoke smell and obstruct the surgeon’s view of the...

Using barcode scanning or radio-frequency identification to confirm the accuracy of manual counts will result in fewer sponges left inside patients, yet surgical professionals...

A nurse suffers a serious back injury while trying to lift a patient without help. A patient falls during the transition from the OR to the PACU. Unfortunately, these issues happen...

Kathy Beydler, RN, MBA, CNOR, CASC, has seen her fair share of slips and trips in the OR — some resulting in significant injuries and missed work time — during her time as a...

All too often, misconceptions regarding the inherent safety risks associated with intraoperative fluoroscopy obscure a fundamental truth about C-arms: With the right...

Every time we send out a staff engagement survey, we include the following question: Does your manager have a safety-first mindset? The question may seem out of place on an engagement survey,...

Rampant wildfires, historic flooding, destructive hurricanes and record-setting heat waves have made this year one for the record books. And while the weather outside is becoming increasingly erratic and impossible...

BD has introduced the first ready-to-use aqueous povidone-iodine surgical wound irrigation solution. The Surgiphor Sterile Wound Irrigation System comes sterile, pre-labeled, pre-mixed and ready for one-time use....

Effective sharps safety is a multifaceted endeavor. It requires a holistic approach that incorporates mindfulness, effective communication, safety-engineered devices,...

Patient positioning aids range from simple gel pads to elaborate table attachments. However, there are certain common denominators you should consider when evaluating these vital products that prevent...

Mr. Smith has been sitting in his hospital gown on a cold stretcher waiting to be brought back for surgery. The 62-year-old glances at the clock on the wall, which reminds him that he has been waiting alone, thanks to the pandemic...

I’m five years removed from training to become a critical care surgeon. It was during my medical school surgical rotation that I became fully aware of the need for a supportive network for LGBTQ+ surgeons. The chief resident...

Transferring patients between stretchers and surgical tables presents plenty of challenges for members of the surgical team. Nurses and support staff are at risk of suffering muscular injuries caused by lifting...

If you want your staff to make going green a part of their day-to-day mindset, the process must be as simple and as convenient as possible. Placing recycling containers within an arm’s reach of wherever they work...

Staff at Vance Thompson Vision, an ophthalmic surgery center in Sioux Falls, S.D., hold the hands of patients who are particularly anxious before they enter surgery. The team is convinced the practice is every bit as effective...