Archives: Episode

Effective Management of Consignment Inventory

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…

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Two Sides of the Same Heart: What the OR & Cath Lab Have In Common

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…

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Case Cart Preparation 101: Back to the Basics

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…

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The Times They Are A’Changing: 65 Years As An Operating Room Nurse

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…

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Preference Lists and Picking Cases

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…

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Grand Theft Case Cart: Pilfering, Supplies, and the OR Scramble

Have you ever seen a case cart taped shut, with the words “NO STEALING!” written across the tape? Have you ever grabbed instruments or supplies that you needed off the nearest case cart? Or, have you ever been the one who’s instruments or supplies were taken? Pilfering supplies from the nearest case cart when we…

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Five Common Errors in Surgery Block Schedule Management

This week’s episode of the First Case “Articles On-The-Go” series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN where he discusses challenges around efficient OR scheduling practices: “Block scheduling in the operating room has become a common practice at many hospitals across the country. By providing surgeons with a regular block of time for performing…

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Ready for Robotics? What You Need to Know Before You Start

Robotic surgery has become the gold standard for many minimally invasive surgeries, but getting the technology set up in the operating room involves more than just buying a machine. Is our OR big enough? Do we have the right instruments and sterile supplies? What about sterile processing? These questions (and so many more!) must be…

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Keeping New Staff in the Operating Room

This week’s episode of the First Case “Articles On-The-Go” series is written by, Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN where he highlights five common reasons new OR staff leave your hospital: “With the average age of an Operating Room nurse now over 50 years old, there will be new nurses joining your organization in the future….

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Present & Accounted For – The Importance of Visible OR Leadership

OR managers & directors, when was the last time you wore scrubs at work? When was the last time you were physically present in the OR? Do your staff members know what you look like? Being a visible director in a busy OR is challenging, and can be difficult to manage alongside other leadership responsibilities….

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