First Case Podcast

Season 17 has come to an end, but while we wait for Season 18, here's a throwback to Season 8! What should I include on my resume? What questions should I be asking? Discover the answer to these questions and more in today's interview with Krista Whiting, VP of healthcare recruitment at Parkwood International . As an experienced healthcare recruiter, Krista offers her years of insight to us as she...

Have you experienced bullying in your department? Whether you've witnessed it or experienced it personally, bullying is very common in nursing and in the operating room, unfortunately. Joining us today to talk about this all-too-common topic are Andrea Dyer, Training Manager, and Sarah Griffin, Perioperative Clinical Coordinator, for the Satellite Operating Rooms at Boston Children's Hospital. In...

When a neurodivergent patient needs surgery, how do we communicate with them? Do we speak only to the caregiver, or do we take the time to talk with our patient? Teaching us about the communication needs of neurodivergent patients through her own experience is Paige Sanzo, RN, OR Charge nurse, and mom to an autistic son. Join us as she shares her story, telling us about her son's experiences with...

How can we help children have a positive surgical experience? What role does anticipatory guidance play in helping kids understand the procedure they're going to have? Joining us today to help us better understand how to communicate with children is Erica Basora, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CNOR, Clinical Specialist at Northside Hospital. We'll discuss the different needs of children based on their growth an...

"It's on backorder." How many times have you heard that answer when you asked why a needed supply wasn't on the shelf? Wouldn't it be better if your team knew ahead of time that items weren't available, and they knew what steps were already being taken to resolve the issue? In today's interview with Suzi Collins, Market Director of Supply Chain at Steward Healthcare, we're going to be talking abou...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR. In this article, Lindsey shares the Top 10 things you need to know if you're going to be working in Vascular Surgery.   " Vascular can seem like a scary specialty, but using these ten tips that I'm going to share with you today will help you prepare yourself for these cases with confidence...

When you have a Spanish-speaking patient, do you know how to communicate with them? Can you ask them basic questions, or do you freeze up and hope you can find someone who speaks Spanish who can help you out? In today's episode we're discussing the importance of communicating with Spanish-speaking patients with Meghan Codd, Spanish communication coach for healthcare providers and founder of Mi Vid...

What is the secret to happiness? The answer, according to Dr. Michael Redler, Orthopedic Surgeon at Connecticut Orthopedics, is great communication . Communicating effectively sets the tone for our whole day in the Operating Room. Do we have the supplies needed for a case? Did the right grafts or implants get brought in? Was everyone in the room treated with respect and recognized as a valuable co...

In this Special Release before we kick off Season 8, tune in to this session from the 2022 OR Manager Conference to learn tips, insights and perspectives on successfully climbing the leadership ladder. The next conference is September 18-20, 2023 in Nashville, TN. Check out the agenda and register at www.ormanagerconference.com . Use code PODCAST and save! Love our show? Download our First Case mo...

Surgical gloves make it possible for us to safely operate on patients every single day. However, persistent exposure to latex gloves increases the risk of a latex reaction for patients and clinicians alike. In today's First Case Vendor SpotlightTM, we're speaking with Dr. Rosemary Sergakis, Global Medical Science Lead (US) at Cardinal Health about the exposure risks associated with latex  surgical...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is in partnership with OR Manager. In this interview with Mike Ellrich, healthcare portfolio manager and principal consultant with analytics and advisory company Gallup in Washington DC, learn 5 keys to effective well-being in the OR. Plus, learn why OR suites can benefit from a well-being program! Articles On-the-Go presents periop...

How many times do you touch the privacy curtains in the pre-op or PACU? How many times per day do you think those curtains get touched? Do you know how clean they are, or how often they get changed out? In today's conversation with Karen Goelst, Founder and CEO at KleenEdge, we're talking about high-touch surfaces, how they correlate to hospital acquired infections, and the downstream consequences...

The operating room isn't just a place where patients have surgery. It's also a business. And behind the scenes of that business is an OR Business Manager, working hard to maximize efficiencies and reimbursements. They understand how business data, contracts, and productivity are connected, and how that information translates into the operating room. Joining us in discussing this important role is...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR, and Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In this article, Lindsey and Melanie share the Top 10 things you need to know if you're going to be working in Orthopedic Surgery.   " In today's Top 10, we're going to talk about Orthopedic Surgery, and go beyond the bones to talk about the items th...

Does augmented intelligence (AI) have a place in the operating room? Can AI help deliver patient services and improve the delivery of healthcare? We're asking these questions and more on today's episode of First Case as we talk to Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, Member of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. We'll discuss the challenges associated with using AI, the regulatory pathw...

Between Season 7 & 8, we're rereleasing some of our most popular episodes from seasons past! Enjoy! It's very hard to tell that a micro instrument is damaged, until it's seen underneath a microscope – then the damage is immediately obvious. Micro instruments require special care and handling to protect them and to prevent damage. On today's episode, we're talking all things micro with Terry Harrel...

How many times do you handle privacy curtains during a regular shift? In surgical services, we often have privacy curtains in our preoperative and postoperative areas. How often do we touch the curtain, and then touch the patient? Do you know what contaminants have been found on privacy curtains? In today's First Case Vendor Spotlight TM with Karen Goelst, CEO & Founder of KleenEdge, we're going t...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In this article, Melanie offers 5 tips for handling stress in the Operating Room.  " The operating room environment will always have associated stress, it's just the nature of what we do. But that doesn't give us the right to treat our coworkers poorly, just because we're stressed. T...

"1, 2, 3, 4…. We're missing a sponge…Let's count again." Does this conversation sound familiar? Manual surgical counts are a standard procedure for every surgical case, but studies show that incidences of retained surgical items (RSIs) continue to occur even when the count has been reported as correct. In this final interview of Season 7, we tackle the topic of surgical counts and adjunct technolo...

When you buy Capital Equipment, do you purchase through the manufacturer, or do you use a distributor? What are the benefits to purchasing through a distributor? Joining us today to discuss the role of the Capital Equipment Distributor is Jonathan Murphy, Regional Account Executive at Didage and Surgical Power. In this interview, we'll learn about purchasing new vs refurbished equipment, how distr...

This week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series is written by Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM. In this special Mother's Day release, Melanie takes a minute to recognize the hardworking moms who are making a difference in healthcare.  " ... but regardless of the job that we do, what doesn't change is that we're all still moms. Moms trying to work full-time, part time, or PRN to...

How much do you know about your OR tables? Do you ever put much thought into the design and function of this vital piece of OR equipment? In today's episode of the First Case podcast, we're talking all things OR tables with Brian Grant, Product Manager Commercial Operations at Getinge. We're going to talk about table design, patient and staff considerations when using OR tables, and safety. You'll...

How much thought do you give to that switch you flip every morning when you walk into your OR? The lights come on, and we start our day, right? After listening to this interview with Trey Whitehurst, Founder & CEO of CH Whitehurst Solutions, LLC., you'll see there's more to the lights than just flipping a switch. How did we get the OR lighting that we have today? What types of light are in our ORs...

How much do you know about your electrosurgery unit (ESU), or 'the Bovie'? Were you taught anything more about it than just how to turn it on and apply the dispersive pad? In today's interview with Michelle Lemmons, Field Sales Training Program Manager at Steris, we're learning all about this essential piece of surgical equipment! How does the ESU work? How can we protect our patients and prevent...

OR Educators are crucial to our success in the Operating Room. One of their many roles is to ensure that we use equipment safely, protecting ourselves and protecting our patients. In this week's interview with OR Educator Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, we go behind the scenes to learn how an OR Educator empowers frontline staff to safely use the equipment in the OR. What training do they provide?...