What are we having for dinner? Which TV show should we watch? Who’s going to walk the dog? And, oh yeah, is AI really the best framework for covering data and workflow in the OR?
Everyone attending Periop Leader Week knows that life on the front lines of surgery can be daunting, especially when endless questions need to met with fast-paced decision making.
Amy Waldrup, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, a nurse executive with more than 20 years in healthcare, said the incessant load of everyday events in perioperative environments can lead to “a tipping point” in terms of feeling stressed, pressured, and suffering from cognitive strain and serious role ambiguity.
During “Decision fatigue is real: Your OR doesn’t need more of it,” Dr. Waldrup and Matthew Ruby, MHA, executive director of Perioperative Solutions for Opmed, took a two-pronged approach to addressing the why and how of streamlining the business of ORs.
In between audience participation activities and a competitive game to win Airpods, the duo walked attendees through a kind of cause and effect between the urgent needs of clinical staff and the ability for administrators to deliver in the most profitable way.
With manager turnover at a whopping 23 percent, and another 37 percent of healthcare managers saying they may leave their jobs due to complete exhaustion, Dr. Waldrup said shortages in key fields can and will change the surgical landscape for the worst without real change.
She understands stress on a very personal level. She worked as a frontline ER nurse during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and knows what happens when things change from moment to moment in the most life-threatening scenarios. She believes that decision loads can be eased very realistically through technology solutions like AI that handle basic tasks than can overwhelm employees easily, calling it “a light at the end of the tunnel.”
It’s been obvious throughout Periop Leader Week that leaders are seeking solutions to reduce employee burnout and improve time management. Whether AI is the solution they seek remains up for debate, but Mr. Ruby said new AI tech can realistically be used safely to supplement time-consuming OR planning and scheduling.
