First Case Podcast

(Between Season 9 & 10, we're re-releasing some of our most popular interviews from Season 4!) How many times have you been burned because you set up based on what the preference card said? We've all done it, and we're all a little leery of trusting our preference cards, because we expect them to be wrong. On today's episode of First Case, we're talking all things preference cards with Dr. Lenita...

Have you ever opened a tray and thought, "What happened to my instruments?!" Despite being a frustration, instruments that are damaged, broken, or have any staining or pitting can ultimately cause harm to our patients. We're talking all things instruments today with Michael Matthews, Director of Customer Training and Education at Agiliti. Do you know why saline damages instruments? Do you know why...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In it she draws an interesting parallel between what she noticed in a hair salon and how we should be treating new grads in our own department.  "New grads are eager to learn. When we're willing to bring them into the environment, or department, that they want to work in, and then we...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN. In it he offers practical suggestions that can make procedure day more efficient and cost effective.   If you have trouble getting your first cases of the day started on time, then you don't want to miss Paul's 4 key areas of opportunity that will help improve those on-time starts!  ------- Art...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In it she discusses something that has become so engrained in us as healthcare professionals, that we might not even realize that it exists.  "Think about it: we work in a high-stakes, high-risk environment. One mistake could cost a patient their lives, or cost us our license and car...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In it she discusses her experience with a Joint Commission survey, and shares 4 helpful tips to decrease any anxiety you may have about speaking with a surveyor.  Tune in to hear Melanie's advice and increase your confidence when answering questions during a survey! ------- Articles...

Between Seasons 6 & 7, we're releasing some of our most popular episodes from Season 3! What's it like for patients around the world who need surgery? What access do they have to medical care? Joining us today is Dr. Michael Redler, MD, an orthopedic surgeon on the Physician Leadership Board of One World Surgery. He has been involved with medical missions for many years, and he's sharing his exper...

Between Seasons 6 & 7, we're releasing some of our most popular episodes from Season 3! There's generally a transactional relationship between the OR and SPD. The SPD gives, and the OR takes. And that relationship is usually hindered with break downs in communication and a lack of respect – from both sides of the autoclave. We're discussing ways to improve that relationship today with Brian Dolan,...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN. In it he discusses the different factors that affect productivity in the operating room.  "One of the greatest challenges to matching productivity standards and achieving a benchmark is ensuring that you are including and excluding similar roles within the department." Tune in to learn more abo...

Between Seasons 6 & 7, we're releasing some of our most popular episodes from Season 3! Does your current staffing model account for succession planning? Are you prepared for loss in your department from resignation, promotion, or retirement? Continuing our discussion on predictive analytics in staffing, and now in succession planning, is Jason Goodwin, MPH, MSN, RN, CEO of Innovative Cultures, LL...

Between Seasons 6 & 7, we're releasing some of our most popular episodes from Season 3! Neuro can be a little overwhelming, and if it's not your regular service line, scrubbing those cases can really make you nervous. Joining us today to share her experience in Neuro and to help make the service seem a little less daunting is Alyssa Bittel, CST. Alyssa has been a surgical tech for ten years in a L...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In it she discusses how dangerous it can be to have an attitude that says, "that might be how we're 'supposed' to do it, but let me show you how we really do it."  "When an attitude or culture exists within an OR that allows, or even prioritizes, personal preference or convenience ov...

Between Seasons 6 & 7, we're re-releasing some of our most popular episodes from Season 3!  Surgical Techs – how much training did you receive in the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) while you were in school? Do you feel like the training you received gave you an adequate understanding of SPD? Joining us today to discuss SPD training is Eboni Saurage, EdD, CST, Assistant Professor of Surgical T...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN where he discusses how both "sequential processes and parallel processes must be performed like a symphony orchestra to perform a flawless case." Tune in to hear Paul address these different processes and how they can be improved to increase efficiency. ------- Articles On-the-Go presents perio...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR. In it she discusses her experience during orientation in the operating room, and shares helpful tips for anyone else on orientation.  "I will never forget my first day on orientation in surgery. Total information overload - I had a deer-in-the-headlights look that everyone could see from a...

How many times does a patient come in for surgery, only to experience delays that have nothing to do with them? For example, lack of available beds on the floor leads to PACU filling up with patients, which then prevents the OR from continuing because they can't send their patients to recovery, and suddenly the next patients coming in experience a bottleneck of delays that they had no part of or c...

We all know that the OR is an environment that demands vigilance and good-quality, safe, continuous care for our patients. The many advances in technology and our ability to collect data help us to make care customizable, improve our workflows, cut out waste, and reduce redundancy. This allows us to focus on delivering that safe patient care that we all prioritize. Join us today as we discuss how...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR. In it she discusses the importance of communication between the entire surgical team, and how fundamental effective communication is to patient safety.   "The consent, the surgical posting, the patient interview, the time out, and the handoff are all times when effective communication is c...

Is it possible to use data to improve staffing and also increase surgeon, employee, and leadership satisfaction? Does this type of data exist, and can it be collected? The answer to all of these questions is, "YES!" Join us today for an exciting interview with Jason Goodwin, MPH, MSN, RN, CEO of Innovative Cultures, LLC. Jason is going to share with us how he used predictive analytics to measure c...

The operating room is a unique and sometimes overwhelming environment. A proper education and orientation are vital for building confidence in new employees, and for building a team that lasts. Today we're interviewing OR educator, Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, founder of Periop Anew, an OR education consulting company. We're going to discuss the importance of OR-specific educators and the critic...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Kelly Good, CRNA. In it she tackles the topic of tape and sheds a light on just how dirty our rolls of tape can be."In the operating room, we all know and love tape! A most adaptable tool, tape serves a wide range of uses including labeling instruments, holding up drapes, and repairing tears in mattresses. In patient c...

If I need to submit points to recertify my CNOR, how do I earn them? What are points, and how are they different from CE's? If recertification leaves you confused, you're definitely not alone! Join us today for this exciting interview with Jim Stobinski, CEO of CCI. We are going to learn about the CCI Research Foundation, microcredentialing, shed some light on the difference between points and CE'...

Registered Nurse First Assistants, commonly called RNFAs, are an important member of the surgical team. As an assistant in surgery, they practice under the direct guidance of the surgeon, and they collaborate with the surgical team to help achieve optimal patient outcomes. We're really going to dive into the value that the RNFA provides the OR on today's episode of First Case as we speak with Mich...

What habits or activites are we so accustomed to that we no longer realize that they aren't safe? What shortcuts or work-arounds have we accepted as 'normal' even though they put our patients or ourselves at risk? In today's article, David Gomez, CRNA, explains how the concept of highly reliable organizations applies to the operating room and explains how normalization of deviance, group-think, sh...

As we get ready to launch Seaon 6, we're revisiting our most popular episodes from Season 2! Is it possible for a VR headset to change the way we train surgeons and improve surgical performance? For Justin Barad, MD, Founder and CEO of OSSO VR, the answer is, "Yes!" As technology continues to advance, the surgical training learning curve is getting longer. And with the variety of procedures that w...