Outpatient Surgery Magazine Archive

Outpatient surgery is often compared to aviation because both industries use checklists and crew resource management to avoid catastrophe. Airlines and surgery centers also rely on tight schedules to keep daily operations running,...

In the winter of 1984, Bruce Springsteen had recorded most of the songs that would appear on his iconic album Born in the U.S.A., but his manager said the record still lacked a clear hit single. Angry and frustrated, Bruce headed...

Surgical apps provide surgical teams with instant access to a wealth of useful information, points out Adela Cuel, RN, CNOR, an OR nurse in Kingston, Tenn. She says the following apps can be purchased for around $1,...

Avoid using medication containers with barcodes imprinted horizontally on rounded surfaces because they could result in scanning failures that compromise patient safety, warns the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)....

Two years ago, our orthopedic surgery center launched a comprehensive total joints program. We built two ORs and added 150 instrument trays, but couldn’t expand the...

A popular form of entertainment is a great way to boost your staff’s engagement in infection prevention training. “We decided to turn an entire education session into a zombie-themed escape room with an emphasis on...

At the beginning of the pandemic, Erin Donohue, BSN, RN, CCRN, and Allie Toczylowski, BSN, RN, CCRN, drew chalk artwork throughout the staff parking garages of the Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. They wrote...

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, landmark legislation that was intended to eliminate the sharps injuries that continue...

Patients don’t always pay attention to discharge information while they’re recovering in post-op or remember what they were told after they leave the facility. The written instructions they receive are often mixed in...

Laminar air flow in an operating room is carefully designed to prevent airborne contaminants from reaching the sterile field. However, even the most perfectly...