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October 2025
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From checklists to culture: Practical steps for leaders to strengthen OR safety

healthcare nurse staff

The OR has a planned rhythm that relies on training, checklists, and teamwork to turn the complex surgical environment into an elegant orchestration that keeps patients safe. But efficiency and a climate of safety do not just happen—they depend on culture. When teams communicate openly, follow standards consistently, and feel…

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By: Aileen R. Killen
September 10, 2025
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Scrubs to startups: Nurse executive’s career reimagined through perioperative consulting

What happens when a veteran perioperative leader walks away from the 24/7 responsibility of hospital operations, but not from the work she loves? For Stephanie Davis, MSHA, RN, CNOR, CSSM, former vice president of surgical services at HCA Healthcare, it meant reshaping her role from full-time healthcare executive to expert…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 3, 2025
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OR leaders must sharpen questions, partnerships as AI reshapes perioperative care

Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) will not replace perioperative leaders, but it will demand sharper decision-making, closer collaboration, and thoughtful staff engagement, OR Manager coverage reports. AI is poised to transform perioperative practice, yet its value depends on how leaders choose, evaluate, and integrate these technologies. Key insights the article…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 2, 2025
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npj Digital Surgery opens call for research on AI, robotics in the OR

Editor's Note A new call for papers is inviting researchers to spotlight the technologies redefining surgical care. In May 2025, npj Digital Surgery opened submissions for a special collection titled Intelligent and Integrated Systems for Digital Surgery, with a deadline of May 27, 2026. The collection will highlight advances at…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 2, 2025
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Survey: Staffing problems increase as surgical volume continues to rise

Data and surveys

Takeaways • Most respondents reported an increase in the percentage of open positions for RNs and STs compared to 12 months ago. • Most respondents struggle to hire experienced RNs, yet time-to-fill positions has dropped, suggesting rapid but possibly unsustainable staffing shifts. • Leadership is getting younger (average age 38),…

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By: Cynthia Saver
September 1, 2025
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Survey: Shifts in ASC staffing patterns, volume rises at slower rate

Data and surveys

About the survey Data for the Career/Salary Survey were collected from April 1 to June 27, 2025. The list comprised ASC administrators who were either OR Manager subscribers or part of an external list. The survey closed with 90 responses. The margin of error is ±5 percentage points at the…

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By: Cynthia Saver
September 1, 2025
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Nurse leaders weigh in on NCLEX pass rate decline, impact on workforce readiness

Editor's Note The NCLEX pass rate for RNs fell sharply in early 2025, but many nurse leaders see the drop as temporary rather than cause for alarm, Becker’s Hospital Review August 12 reports. The first-quarter pass rate declined to 71.6%, compared with 79.1% in the same period of 2024. The…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 28, 2025
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Hospitals can curb costly post-acute discharges with targeted periop programs, study finds

Editor's Note One in 10 older adults and one-third of the highest risk patients are discharged to post-acute care facilities after major surgery, driving up costs and worsening outcomes. According to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in an August 25 release on a Journal of the American College of…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 27, 2025
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Sameness in nursing care puts patients at risk

Editor's Note Treating every patient the same may feel fair, but it can be dangerous, according to a September 2025 article from the American Journal of Nursing, which argues that cultural indifference in nursing practice undermines patient safety and trust. Per the article, person-centered care requires more than standardized protocols.…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 27, 2025
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Nurse legal literacy protects practice, empowers practitioners

Know the law. It could save your patients’ lives and your staff members’ practices. This is the advice of several medical legal experts to OR leaders to prevent lapses in patient protections that risk injury or even death. Beyond ensuring safe surgery and preventing litigation, perioperative nursing experts who advance…

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By: Carina Stanton
August 27, 2025
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