Hardworking professionals in ORs and sterile processing departments should respect each other’s efforts, but consternation between the two groups is often more common...

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...

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,...

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

Patients who are being prepped for surgery are often nervous and distracted with what’s going on around them. It’s important to ensure they comprehend and correctly confirm what’s noted on consent forms before...

Most people who make a mistake feel embarrassed, but often these experiences can be a valuable learning tool. In fact, sharing what could have gone wrong with colleagues helps them avoid similar missteps. That’s why staff...

Enhancing employee safety is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done initiative. That’s what led Brandy Ginzinger, RN, director of surgical services at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center in Orlando, to create her department’s...

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about proper instrument care than Linda Gomes. The former surgical tech used to work in the sterile processing...

Reprocessing techs at outpatient ophthalmic facilities don’t often deal with grossly contaminated instruments, so it helps to alert them when tools are in need of extra attention before sterilization. “Enzymatic detergents...

Reading about a wide range of topics and people helps to build awareness about the importance of cultural diversity, says Crystal N. Johnson-Mann, MD, an assistant professor of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery...

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...

Manhattan’s Upper East Side where he cares for patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of brain cancer. It’s why Dr. Boockvar’s...

Last winter, our hospital’s surgical department closed and the entire outpatient surgery team was displaced to work in COVID-19 units. To boost spirits and morale when we returned to the OR, I planned a Step into Spring challenge...

The transition from pandemic slowdown to high-volume hustle can be difficult for staff who have been through a lot both professionally and personally. To help boost morale, look for easy-to-implement and creative ways...

Orthopedic surgeons are like star athletes, engaging in a highly physical profession that takes a significant toll on their bodies. David Ruch, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Duke...

Intraoperative fluoroscopy is a powerful but potentially dangerous aspect of many surgeries. The goal is to get the exact images the surgeon needs without exposing...

It's always important to learn from the mistakes of others. When the Joint Commission recently reported 104 incidences involving wrong-patient, wrong-site and wrong-procedure...

Linda Spaulding, RN, CIC, is a fixer of sorts. When facilities are having a problem with their infection control practices, they call her in to figure out how to solve it. Based on...

Minerva Romero Arenas, MD, MPH, FACS; The cofounder of the Latino Surgical Society discusses the ongoing challenges in developing surgeons from communities that remain underrepresented in medicine, and how providers of all kinds can work together to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the world of surgery.

I started working as a nurse in 1980. Not even three weeks into my training, I was learning how to assist a difficult-to-work-with surgeon during a challenging case. The process brought me to tears — literally. At one point,...