You want to know the likes, dislikes and quirks of every staff member on your team, but it’s not always easy to get to know the person behind the mask. To remedy this issue, one problem-solving director came up with a simple way...

During fire drills — as well as in the event of an actual fire emergency — some facilities place a magnet on the outside of a room that says “Checked” or similar language to confirm that a room has been evacuated. This ensures...

Staff appreciation gestures have been a mainstay of the first year of operations at National Ambulatory Surgery Center in San Jose, Calif. Whether it’s a more formal designation for the Employee of the Quarter...

Last-minute changes to the surgical schedule, surgeon requests or cases that require specialized instrumentation could throw a wrench into how smoothly instruments flow through your facility. Installing a whiteboard in the hall...

Managing postoperative pain is a key to success in same-day surgery, as it is one of the core factors that allows patients to go home hours after procedures. Use this quiz...

The increased centralization of the nation’s anesthesia provider groups mirrors what’s happening in the ASC market — many physician-owned centers are being...

Manual surface cleaning isn’t completely effective. Your staff can’t eliminate every pathogen, no matter how much elbow grease they apply and diligence they display....

Successful airway management can mean the difference between an uneventful surgery and a devastating outcome. “Anesthesia providers need to diligently evaluate...

If you want to get a glimpse into the potential of outpatient surgery, look no further than orthopedics. Surgeons, armed with the industry’s latest technologies and tools,...

Instrument cleaning and sterilization is a complicated process rife with potential oversights and failures, so how can you be completely certain your facility’s tools are...

You notice a sudden rise in the patient’s temperature and end-tidal CO2 levels along with an elevated heart rate and the early signs of muscle rigidity. The symptoms point...

Most cataract surgeons can remove a cloudy natural lens and implant an IOL in less than 10 minutes, so high-volume ophthalmic facilities thrive by finding ways to...

The steady movement of total hip and knee arthroplasties to outpatient ORs shows no signs of slowing down thanks to advances in minimally invasive surgical...

Shelley Harris, RN, opted for the transient lifestyle when she was young, single and ready to explore the world. Twenty-two years later, she’s still at it. The New Hampshire...

Angela Francois couldn’t sleep. The painful numbness in her hands was waking her up in the middle of the night on a more consistent basis. She had been experiencing...

My favorite part about going on a trip is coming home. I’m not opposed to traveling and have been fortunate to visit incredible cities and beautiful beaches, but my stampless passport is collecting dust in my nightstand...

Stretcher chairs enable patients to remain on one surface from pre-op through a procedure and all the way to PACU. They eliminate the need for staff to laterally transfer...

You’re probably aware that AORN’s evidence-based surgical attire guideline promotes cleanliness in the surgical space to protect patients and personnel from transmission...

The symptoms are easy to notice. Sleep and appetite disturbances. Feeling anxious, on edge, stressed out, confused. Difficulty concentrating, guilt, shame, anger,...

Great ideas for your OR