The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has updated its guideline for preventing unintentionally retained surgical items (RSIs) with a recommendation...

During the peak waves of the pandemic, facilities turned to the high-tech power of whole room disinfection systems that employ powerful ultraviolet (UV) light or hydrogen peroxide mist to supplement the superior...

There will never be a substitute for the real surgical experience, but the latest virtual reality (VR) modules come close to simulating the sights, sounds and feels of an actual operating room. That’s why facility leaders are turning...

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals’ Caldolor, an IV formulation of ibuprofen, is now FDA approved for preoperative use. When given before surgery, the non-narcotic pain reliever...

An 84-year-old patient came in for a vision-saving surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, where Tom Durick, MD, works as an anesthesiologist and assistant professor. “He was blind...

It’s been more than two years since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. Well, technically, when this issue went to print, it has been two years, 18 days and four hours,...

Whenever it comes time to invest in new technology at our facility, surgeons are generally divided into two groups: Those who use the latest equipment and devices whenever and wherever they can, and those who...

Surgical professionals know opioids are not always the best way to control post-op pain, yet many still focus on using the drugs to help patients feel comfortable...

Thirty years ago, I became a perioperative leader for the first time in my career. My three-decade leadership journey wouldn’t have been possible without the help of...

Visitor restrictions put in place during the pandemic at Lakeland (Fla.) Surgical & Diagnostic Center made it difficult to keep patient escorts updated on the status of their loved ones’ surgeries. To help keep the lines...

Large health systems, physician practice management companies (PPMs) and private equity firms are buying physician practices in waves across the country. This rolling up...

Gender identity is your internal sense of self, how you relate to your place in the world. For transgender individuals, their gender identity doesn’t align with the sex...

When New Tampa Surgery Center Nurse Manager Beth Hoy, MSN, RNFA, ON-C, CNOR, scrubs cases, she takes meticulous notes on the techniques and preferences of each surgeon. She turns her notes into surgeon- and case-specific...

The dexterity needed to advance the catheter once you’re in the vein when placing an IV line is a fine motor movement that isn’t commonly used, so it takes plenty of practice to develop. To master the technique, hold a pen like...

Looking for a fun way to spice up your next staff meeting or in-service? Gather 10 to 20 needle holders that have at least one thing wrong with them — a cracked box lock, chipped insert, loose ratchet — and throw in a couple...

Looking for a creative way to consistently reward your staff’s ideas and efforts and reinforce your company’s core values? Consider an initiative like the “Heart, Brain and Courage Awards,” a daily recognition program created by...

The future revenue growth and profit margins of hospitals will be constrained in part due to the continuing shift of patient care to cost-effective outpatient settings,...

Efforts to keep your GI center running on all cylinders should focus on one all-encompassing goal: optimizing efficiencies. That’s according to gastroenterologist...

Losing weight isn’t solely about looking and feeling good. Healthcare professionals are beginning to realize obesity is an incurable chronic disease that causes inflammation...

Wrong-site surgery is devastating for the patient, the staff who worked the case and the surgeon who made the incorrect cut. Still, the avoidable error remains the third most...