NIFA

In this column, I would like to speak about another factor central to surgical care – the demand for surgery. Changes in demand have a direct impact on our continued issues with surgical staffing.

The demand for surgery and staffing issues across specialties were frequent topics of discussion at that meeting and also for my recent columns. This month, I would like to share my experience at the recent AACD meeting as a perioperative nurse. 

The aging American population, relatively high rates of medical insurance and the desire of patients to remain active all drive the increasing demand for surgical care. But the practice of surgery requires sufficient numbers of qualified staff and we are experiencing shortages of perioperative nurses at present.