Managing Surgical Risk: From Infection Control to Staff Well-Being
New technology tools are lowering the risk of surgical complications. These include robotic surgical systems, real-time imaging, intraoperative image guidance, smart OR analytics, augmented reality, machine learning, and artificial and ambient intelligence.
Spotlight On: Kim Tuemler, JD, BSN, RN, CNOR
There are a lot of different paths than can lead someone into the perioperative nursing field. But it’s probably safe to say that very few nurses have followed the path taken by Kim Tuemler.
A Morning Favorite Made Fresh
It’s often true that the best warm-weather meals, from filling breakfasts to flavorful dinners, are made with the freshest ingredients.
Temperature Management Market Expands as Surgical Demand Drives Growth
The global patient temperature management market is experiencing steady expansion as healthcare providers place greater emphasis on maintaining normothermia before, during and after surgical procedures.
NEWS
ECRI Calls for Stronger Safeguards for Digital Health Tools
ECRI, a nonprofit patient safety organization dedicated to advancing evidence-based care, submitted recommendations to Congress urging strengthened oversight and transparency requirements for digital health technologies. In response to the House Energy and Commerce...
Ballad Health Invests $15 Million to Expand Robotic-Assisted Surgery
Ballad Health was awarded Network of Excellence accreditation in robotic surgery by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), honoring systemwide excellence in patient safety, surgical outcomes and clinical consistency. The national recognition coincides with a $15 million...
Happy National Nurses Week 2026
National Nurses Week, observed from May 6-12, offers an opportunity to recognize and celebrate these contributions. Healthcare organizations across the country are encouraged to show appreciation and highlight the impact of their nursing teams.
Professor Receives Wound Healing Society’s Early-Career Award
ROLLA, Mo. | Dr. Fateme Fayyazbakhsh, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, was awarded the Wound Healing Society’s 2026 Early-Career Faculty Award during the organization’s annual meeting held...
First Software Cleared for Use with Glasses-Free 3D Medical Displays
Avatar Medical has announced FDA 510(k) clearance for Avatar Medical Vision, its software platform for instant 3D medical image processing, review, and surgical planning, enabling commercialization in the United States. Avatar Medical Vision enables clinicians to...
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Burnout Prevention Strategies for Perioperative Professionals
Sustainable careers in perioperative care require both personal support and organizational accountability.
Cause & Effect: When SPD Is Managed Without Proper Support
Sterile processing departments (SPDs) across the country are being pushed to produce more with less, often facing unreasonable expectations for faster-than-acceptable turnaround times to keep pace with procedural volumes.
Another Perspective on Perioperative Leadership
Leadership succession planning and retention of current early-career leaders are imperative due to the large numbers of experienced, mature perioperative leaders.
Two Challenging Infection Prevention Standards (And How to Get Ahead of Them)
Accreditation surveys exist to strengthen organizations, not to catch them off guard. When ACHC surveyors identify areas for improvement, those findings become a roadmap for elevating patient safety and operational excellence.
Guide to AORN Expo 2026: Conference Provides Evidence-Based Education & Hands-On Learning
The 2026 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo returns April 11-14 in New Orleans, bringing together perioperative nurses at every career stage for immersive education, professional connection and practice-shaping dialogue.
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight On: Kim Tuemler, JD, BSN, RN, CNOR
There are a lot of different paths than can lead someone into the perioperative nursing field. But it’s probably safe to say that very few nurses have followed the path taken by Kim Tuemler.
Spotlight On: Colleen Becker Ph.D., MSN, RN, CCRN
When Colleen Becker was offered the opportunity to work as the Director of Perioperative Education for the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) in 2021, this fulfilled a passion for surgical education that had grown throughout her four-decade nursing career.
Spotlight on: Travis Tingle
Travis Tingle’s journey into perioperative nursing was inspired by his grandfather, who was a medic in World War II. “My grandfather was very influential in my upbringing,” Travis says. “I heard lots of stories growing up about his experience as a World War II medic so I knew I wanted a career in medicine.”
Spotlight On: Jamie Ridout, CNOR, NEA-BC, CASC
It’s funny how a chance encounter can alter the course of one’s life. After she graduated with her BSN from the West Virginia School of Nursing in 1993, Jamie Ridout was sitting with some fellow graduates at the Sigma Theta Tau induction ceremony. A woman she didn’t know asked Jamie if she could sit down next to her.
Spotlight On: Joanne Oliver-Coleman, MBA-HM, BSN, RN, CNOR-E
Joanne first became a registered nurse in 1962 after graduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing. “There was a six-week tour through the operating room and that’s when I decided that perioperative nursing is what I really wanted to do,” she says.
PRODUCT SHOWROOM
Temperature Management Market Expands as Surgical Demand Drives Growth
The global patient temperature management market is experiencing steady expansion as healthcare providers place greater emphasis on maintaining normothermia before, during and after surgical procedures. Increasing surgical volumes, advances in medical technology and...
ZOLL IQool Advanced Surface System
The IQool Advanced Surface System manages and maintains patient temperature for warming or cooling applications or to maintain normothermia. Designed with intelligence to accurately and rapidly reach target temperature, the IQool System offers 3 separate zones of...
Solventum 3M Bair Hugger Temperature Management Solutions
Temperature management is an essential part of patient care. If you’re not monitoring the body’s core temperature continuously and managing it consistently, you could be putting patients at risk for unintended perioperative hypothermia. However, this complication can...
Augustine Surgical Inc. HotDog Patient Warming System
The established efficiency of the HotDog Patient Warming System is now enhanced by the Warming Mattress + Return Electrode. This integrated system combines electrosurgical grounding with premier underbody warming, promoting intraoperative safety and simplicity. The...
C Change Surgical SurgiSLUSH
SurgiSLUSH fully automated, set and forget freezers with sealed, portable containers keep sterile slush safely protected until dispensed for use, rather than exposed to ambient for hours. Fully automated freezers with sealed, portable containers enable multi-room,...
Encompass Thermoflect products
In today’s demanding surgical landscape, healthcare teams need every tool working in their favor. Maintaining normothermia is not only a clinical priority – it’s a critical strategy in reducing the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). That’s...
OR Today Spring 2026
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OUT OF THE OR
A Morning Favorite Made Fresh
It’s often true that the best warm-weather meals, from filling breakfasts to flavorful dinners, are made with the freshest ingredients.
Walk More to Stress Less: Get Moving to Improve Well-Being
Research continues to show physical activity, like walking, reduces stress, boosts mood and promotes overall well-being.
Why Simple Daily Habits Matter
Small, repeatable choices around sleep, exercise, nutrition, mental well-being and social connection can support how the body and mind function over time.
Busy Families Can Balance Time, Taste & Nutrition
With snackers increasingly mindful about what they put in their bodies, you’re not alone if you’re looking for a snacking shakeup
Savvy Weeknight Family Meal
Because this time of year can be crazy busy, drive-thru meals can easily become the norm. While fast-food burgers may do the trick once in a while, they can get old quick if your family is eating them every other night. This quick and easy Baked Spaghetti can bring everybody back to the table and it won’t break the bank either.
One Type of Hidden Fat May Signal Greater Brain Risk
The effect of obesity on brain health may depend not only on how much fat is in the body, but also on the areas of the body where fat is stored, according to a study published in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Go Beyond the Six-Pack Workout
When looking to strengthen one’s core, it is wise to go beyond the six-pack or flat abs image. A six-pack is the result of building a strong core. When it comes to fitness, the core deserves much more attention. The core is the foundation for all other movements.
Fiber’s Cultural Moment Exposes America’s Whole Grain Problem
Fiber may be having a cultural moment, but most Americans still aren’t getting enough of it – or fully understanding where it comes from. A new IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions of Fiber & Whole Grains finds that two-thirds of Americans say they either fall short on fiber or don’t know how much they consume, even as “fibermaxxing” trends across TikTok and Instagram, and experts forecast fiber as the “new protein.”
Fixing the Invisible Crisis
Here’s something I’ve observed countless times. The most reliable person on a team carries way more weight than anyone realizes and eventually burns out. But nobody notices until it’s too late.
