First Case Podcast

Every day, we push, pull, lift, and strain to position our patients for their procedures. We routinely tuck arms with draw sheets to allow practitioners closer access to the surgical field, but the products and the methods we use to pad and protect our patients don't always provide the protection we would like them to. On this exciting Vendor Spotlight, we speak with David Gomez, CRNA and CEO, CTO...

Tape, gel rolls, foam, and a whole lot of pushing and pulling usually go into positioning our patients for surgery. Silk tape is our best friend! But, are we positioning patients the safest way for their procedure, and do our current positioning practices help prevent injury? On today's episode of First Case, we're going to explore the world of patient positioning with David Gomez, CRNA and CEO, C...

We've all had rough days in the operating room. Days where it seems nothing is going right, everyone's angry, and there's not enough staff to cover every shift. But it isn't always that way. In this article written by First Case co-host, Melanie Perry, tune in to the ways we can use the good experiences to help balance out the bad ones. Knowing that we're making a difference in the lives of each a...

How often do you hear about productivity in your department? How is that productivity determined? Or maybe, you're just wondering, "What IS productivity?" If it seems confusing or mysterious, you're not alone! We're going to break it all down for you today as we interview our very own First Case co-host, Paul Wafer. With 40+ years of experience, Paul has a unique understanding of productivity and...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. where he talks about common leadership errors he has seen over decades of perioperative consulting: " I am still learning new things, and I carry the lessons I have learned throughout my career with me.  Circumstances...

How do supplies get to your OR? Who makes sure that the products you need end up on the shelf? The Materials Management department is a crucial part of every facility, and they play a vital role in ensuring that we have all of the supplies that we need. In today's interview with Garry Skinner, president of GSC Consulting, Inc., we discuss best practices for communicating supply changes, the import...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, RN, BSN, CNOR co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of The Circulating Life where she outlines the keys to nailing your next pre-op interview: " Conducting a fantastic pre-op interview will come naturally with practice and repetition. By breaking it down into 12 different elements, you can develo...

Are your preference cards accurate? Can you depend on them if you're working with an unfamiliar surgeon? We're going to tackle the pref card issue on today's episode of First Case! Joining us is Dan Pfister, President and Consultant at United Pathways, Inc. Tune in as he offers his insight into the benefits of a team approach to pref card management, and find out which department has a vested inte...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, RN, BSN, CNOR co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of The Circulating Life where she reminds frontline healthcare workers of the critical importance of self-care: " In a year that's been so demanding, and brought so many challenges, we have to take the time to refill our own tanks. We can't just...

How often do we hear complaints about instruments that aren't working properly? When instruments are broken, we tag them for repair, but what happens to them after that? Instrument repair specialist Angelia Limberios, CST, CRCST, joins us on this episode of First Case to talk about that process. As an experienced surgical tech, Angelia brings a unique understanding of the OR into her role as an in...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, RN, BSN, CNOR co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of The Circulating Life where she provides encouragement for surviving the crazy days of OR orientation: "I know it's overwhelming and there's so much to take in. But don't give up. It can take over a year before you truly feel comfortable in th...

Surgical Technologists, or scrub techs, are an important part of the surgical team. Their education and training provide them with the skills necessary to safely provide care for the surgical patient and to assist surgeons during procedures. On this week's episode of First Case, we speak with  Megan   Mullinax , CST about her experiences working in the operating room. We'll learn about the evoluti...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Melanie Perry, RN, BSN, CNOR co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of The Circulating Life where she discusses the real life importance of OR Time-Outs: " That realization hung heavy in the room. Everyone recognized the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of the error that had just been avoided. The c...

Between Season 4 and 5, we're going to be throwing back to some exciting interviews from Season 1! What is that tech doing over in the corner of the Operating Room on their computer? If you've ever wondered just what was going on, then you're not alone. We work alongside neuromonitoring techs in many different cases, but may of us don't know exactly what it is that they're doing throughout the pro...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Melanie Perry, RN, BSN, CNOR co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of The Circulating Life where she shares the 10 things she learned about real life in the Operating Room: " There was activity everywhere! It was this kind of controlled chaos that everyone was used to and everyone needed to get everything done...

A scrub nurse once said, "Give me a good rep, and I can scrub anything" -- describing the vital role that medical device reps play in the Operating Room.  On this week's episode of the First Case podcast, we sit down with  Christine Hoene , an experienced orthopedic representative passionate about her role in the OR. Reps who know their instruments and implants are a valuable resource to staff and...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN co-host of the First Case podcast and founder of Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. where he shares the struggle and fear we all have with change in the Operating Room: " We have a tendency to become complacent when something has been done the same way for a long time.  Even though the environment in...

Between Seasons 4 and 5, we're going to be throwing back to some exciting interviews from Season 1! When you do a laparoscopic case, do you have all of the open instruments available on your back table? Do you spend precious time counting your open and laparoscopic instruments prior to every case? Is this practice still necessary? Find out what the experts think as we interview Marilyn Burns, RN,...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN founder of Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. and Joahn Ginsberg, MBA where they tackle the topic of robotic conversions in your OR:  " Ultimately, when making a purchase or an upgrade make sure you have done a thorough cost analysis of your current program, include your surgeon's case commitment, an...

"Everyone please stop all activity for the time out." How many times do you hear this sentence every single day? Do you actually stop? Do you actively participate in the time out? On this week's episode of the First Case podcast, we sat down with OR Circulator Brenna Page, MSN, RN, CNOR, CNAMB to discuss this fundamental of patient safety in the OR. The time out is our last chance to confirm that...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN where he discusses the ins and outs of effective consignment inventory management: " One of the most expensive mistakes that an OR team can make is to mismanage this high dollar consignment inventory. In order to ensure that your hospital does not have to pay for product it did not use, here ar...

Between Seasons 4 and 5, we're going to be throwing back to some exciting interviews from Season 1! What do the OR and the Cath Lab have in common? Should Perioperative Leadership have oversight of the Cath Lab? Do we train Cath Lab nurses and techs the same as OR staff? We'll tackle all of these questions and many more on today's episode of First Case, where we speak with Katie Roy, RN, MSN, CNOR...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN where he discusses the basic of Case Cart preparation for your surgical cases: "So yes, the best way to solve your preference list and case picking woes is to hardwire a simple process into your workflow and then cWhat is a procedure case cart? We work with them every single day. They are the r...

Can you imagine an operating room where nothing was disposable? Where drapes were made out of cloth, IV bottles were made out of glass, and where you powdered the surgeon's gloves before sending them to be sterilized? On this episode of the First Case podcast, we sit down with Monica Weisbrich, BSN, RN, to discuss what the OR looked like in 1955 when she walked in as a new nurse. Tune in as she wa...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN and Hank Balch, BS, MDiv where they tackle the topic of inaccurate preference lists: " So yes, the best way to solve your preference list and case picking woes is to hardwire a simple process into your workflow and then commit to follow it. But, in order for that to work, you must think about a...