Sterile processing staffing shortages continue to challenge perioperative teams nationwide. In this Periop Life blog, one leader shares five proven strategies her team used to strengthen recruitment, training, and retention.

Explore AORN’s 2026 guideline update for surgical energy devices: dual-foil return electrodes, jewelry safety, active electrode monitoring, fire prevention, and IED management. Learn evidence-based practices to improve perioperative safety and optimize outcomes in modern operating rooms.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept in surgery—it’s reshaping how OR teams identify delays, boost efficiency, and make data-driven decisions in real time. Nicholas DeStefano shares how AdventHealth Celebration turned early resistance into measurable gains using AI to transform surgical performance.

The updated 2026 AORN Guideline for Instrument Cleaning introduces several new and updated recommendations, including enhanced PPE, borescope inspections, cooling devices for decontamination staff, cleaning verification, perfusion technology for lumened instruments, and protocols for delayed processing. Find key takeaways that strengthen safety and standardization in the perioperative settings.

Small perioperative teams in rural settings are proving that lean staffing doesn’t limit success. With flexible roles, clear communication, shared ownership, and smart resource use, rural OR nurses are finding new ways to grow case volume, strengthen safety, and deliver high-quality surgical care.

The updated 2026 AORN Guideline for Instrument Cleaning introduces several new and updated recommendations, including enhanced PPE, borescope inspections, cooling devices for decontamination staff, cleaning verification, perfusion technology for lumened instruments, and protocols for delayed processing. Find key takeaways that strengthen safety and standardization in the perioperative settings.

Robotic-assisted surgery demands precision and teamwork. Discover five practical strategies to help perioperative teams strengthen communication, build confidence, and improve patient safety in the robotic OR.

Late first-case starts in surgery spike stress, costs, and cancellations—see how one ASC reversed the trend with Lean Six Sigma, improving on-time starts from 30% to 79% in 12 months.

Infection prevention remains a cornerstone of patient safety, but many ambulatory surgery centers still fall short of meeting standards. From outdated policies to weak surveillance systems, this blog highlights the most common deficiencies found in AAAHC surveys and offers actionable steps for improvement.

Discover how one surgical technologist built a DIY simulation lab to help nurses, technologists, and residents strengthen their skills, reduce fear, and build teamwork—all with expired supplies and creativity.

AORN’s updated Guideline for Autologous Tissue Management introduces five new sections, key terminology changes, and evidence-based recommendations on teamwork, tissue preservation, and reproductive tissue.

The updated 2025 AORN Guideline for Transmission-Based Precautions incorporates lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to provide risk-based strategies for managing contact, droplet, and airborne infections.

Local-only anesthesia carries unique risks, including the potential for systemic toxicity, so it’s vital for perioperative nurses to have a clear, patient-centered plan. Learn five evidence-based tips to collaborate with the surgical team, calculate safe doses, reduce patient anxiety, educate patients, and prepare for adverse reactions.

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) is rare but potentially life-threatening. This blog outlines three evidence-based steps perioperative teams can use to recognize, respond to, and prevent harm from LAST.

The AORN Guideline for Electrosurgery outlines evidence-based practices to reduce risks such as surgical fires and patient injury. Perioperative nurses can dive deeper into these updates and gain hands-on application strategies at this year’s AORN Guidelines Workshop.

The editor-in-chief of AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice answers the most common sterile technique questions from AORN’s Clinical Consult line. From wound classification to handling expired items, here’s what every perioperative team should know.

Clear communication is as vital to safe surgery as clinical skill. Learn how one facility’s Patient Ambassador program improved patient satisfaction, eased anxiety, and strengthened team collaboration.

Behind the double doors of the sterile processing department, crucial practices ensure surgery readiness and patient safety. Learn strategies for achieving similar success.

The AORN Guideline for Specimen Management outlines evidence-based practices to ensure the safe handling of surgical specimens from collection through disposal. It addresses critical processes such as labeling, containment, preservation, and transport, while also providing protocols for handling radioactive materials, forensic evidence, and explanted devices.

Discover the phased training model helping RNs gain scrub skills—and boosting OR teamwork and retention.