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...

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...

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...

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...

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)....

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

The FDA announced earlier this year it was investigating the cause of 450 infections in patients who had undergone procedures involving urological endoscopes. The cases, ...

The pandemic forced surgical professionals across the country to come up with innovative ways to communicate with their socially distanced patients, and many turned...

Joseph A. Caprini, MD, FACS, RVT, DFSVS, is succinct in explaining why you must make DVT prevention a priority. “The leading cause of death after surgery or hospitalization...

The pandemic caused an abrupt shift in the work and social lives of Americans, who found themselves quarantined at home and forced to interact with colleagues and...

I just spent three weeks at a hospital giving out COVID-19 vaccines. Or at least trying to. The area where I worked was in a huge building with lots of space to accommodate crowds that didn't show. Fourteen vaccine administration...

Mary Jane. Weed. Pot. Marijuana is known by many different names. While it's been used recreationally for years, more states are legalizing its use. The variety and availability of marijuana-derived products...

The full-time coder at your busy surgery center is an hourly employee who constantly logs 60-hour workweeks. You're looking to cut your overtime budget and also do the right thing for the hardworking employee by...

At the onset of the pandemic, William Padula, PhD, MS, MSc, saw something distressing among the frontline doctors and nurses speaking on TV. "They had deep dark cuts and bruises all along their forehead, underneath their eyes...

It's important to include family members in the care of their loved ones on the day of surgery. Family members provide vital information about patients and help to ensure discharge instructions are followed, which prevents...

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...

John C. Britt, MD, can remember when he would use image-guided navigation technology only for difficult or revision sinus surgery. Earlier versions of the technology...