I love BLTs. Always have. My mom used to make me two on white toasted bread for lunch nearly every Saturday during my teenage years. She still puts a pair on a plate for me when my family visits. I lean back in my chair...

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...

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...

Pediatric patients who undergo procedures at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis are given Worry Monsters, adorable homemade stuffed animals that help them deal with the stress of surgery....

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...

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...

The importance of updated anesthetic techniques has only been magnified with the increase in volume, type and complexity of outpatient procedures. Here are a few key...

When asked about the importance of a personalized approach to post-op pain control, Mike MacKinnon, DNP, FNP-C, CRNA, immediately launches into a story about a patient...

Victoria Hornbeck, RN, BSN, CNOR, was recently put in charge of reimagining the between-case cleaning of orthopedic operating rooms at Northside Hospital Forsyth in...

Many surgeons put very little forethought into wound care. The thought process is that when the procedure ends, the important work is done, so dealing with closing the...

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...

More than one million joint replacements are performed each year and increasing numbers of surgeons are opting to do them with the benefit of robotic assistance...

The reprocessing of flexible endoscopes involves dozens of steps that must be performed correctly every time by staff members who follow an airtight scope handling...

Essential oils are a growing adjunct therapy used to bolster the effectiveness of traditional antiemetics for PONV. A disposable tab containing a combination of ...

Surgery centers are highly dependent on anesthesia services to run productive and dynamic surgical businesses, but maintaining working relationships with quality provider groups has never been more challenging....

Your staff must know how to immediately respond if a patient’s airway catches fire, surgical equipment starts to spark or flames erupt in the sterile field. It’s helpful to designate specific roles for each surgical team member...

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already seen the well-deserving winners of the 2021 OR Excellence Awards. Because the editors of this fine publication didn’t feel the need to solicit input from their backpage banterer...

Great ideas for your OR

The 2022 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASC Payment System proposed by CMS is filled with changes that are more curious than cause for serious concern. CMS, which ultimately intends to slow...

Many of you have learned, implemented, tweaked and documented new cleaning practices and infection control protocols — measures that seemingly changed from week to week — to keep your patients and staff safe...