What OR Nurses Wish Leaders Knew

Real Talk from the OR: Insights from Our Latest Roundtable

Summer is upon us—and so is a fresh perspective. As hospitals prepare for seasonal shifts and ongoing operational pressures, we’re sharing insights directly from the OR floor. Surgical Solutions recently hosted a dynamic roundtable to hear directly from the professionals behind the scenes: perioperative nurses, sterile processing leaders, and surgical services veterans.

From staffing challenges to evolving compliance requirements, our panel of surgical experts—seasoned nurses, sterile processing professionals, OR managers and students — offered real-world insights leaders can’t afford to ignore.

Who Was at the Table?

Moderated by Surgical Solutions, the conversation featured contributions from a diverse group of professionals with deep experience in nursing, sterile processing, and perioperative leadership. Their collective insights gave the discussion authenticity and urgency.

Note: To respect participants’ privacy, names and affiliated hospitals have been omitted.

The result? A candid, insightful conversation about what’s working—and what’s not—in today’s OR.

Top Takeaways from the Discussion

1. IFUs Are a Daily Challenge and Safety Concern

Instructions for Use (IFUs) continue to be a major source of frustration across surgical teams. Frequent updates, inconsistent communication, and lack of standardization make compliance difficult and dangerous.

“The escalation process is unclear. When IFUs change, it’s not always communicated effectively. That puts patient safety at risk.”

Participants emphasized the need for consistency across multi-hospital systems, while others pointed to the communication breakdowns that often leave teams in the dark.

What leaders should know:
Teams need clearer protocols, better training and a system-wide approach to IFU management.

2. Staffing Isn’t Just a Numbers Game

High turnover. Ghosting. A shifting workforce dynamic. Participants spoke frankly about the growing difficulty of finding and retaining skilled surgical staff.

“We’re seeing more new nurses entering for the paycheck, not the passion. That affects care.”

It’s not just about filling positions. There’s a critical need to build career paths, invest in onboarding, and foster environments where nurses and other staff members want to stay.

3. Doctors and Staff Need to Collaborate—Not Compete

Cross-functional respect came up repeatedly in the discussion.

“We had a neurosurgeon take the time to tour Sterile Processing. Now they’re one of our biggest advocates.”

New doctors often enter without full understanding of sterilization protocols, which can lead to misunderstandings or inefficiencies. Nurses want collaboration—not confrontation—with the broader surgical team.

Hot Topics on Every OR Leader’s Radar

Beyond the core themes, several pressing questions and concerns emerged that resonated with OR leaders across the country:

• Does everyone know what to do during a power outage?
  Equipment failure isn’t just inconvenient—it poses a significant patient safety risk. Protocol clarity is critical, especially during a crisis.
• Are we prepared for the next wave of standard changes?
  Ever-evolving surgical and sterilization standards can impact compliance scores and hospital reputation.
• How will we address the impending insurance reimbursement cuts?
  Leaders must prepare now for tighter margins, especially around surgical services.
• How do we attract staff who actually want to stay?
  It's not just a hiring issue. It’s a culture issue.
• What are we doing to keep our nurses from walking out the door?
  Appreciation isn’t enough. Nurses are requesting meaningful changes—better scheduling, real-time feedback, and clear pathways for advancement.

These “hot button” items may not make the headlines, but they’re dominating conversations inside every OR and every perioperative setting, which shapes the future of surgical care.

What’s Next?

The group wrapped with a discussion on collaboration beyond staffing, like shared ownership of equipment maintenance and the potential for a department “report card” to track performance and accountability.

This roundtable is just the beginning. We’re building a platform for real conversations that lead to real change—and we want your input.

Help us shape the next session: [Take the quick survey]

Stay tuned for the next Roundtable date—coming soon!

ICYMI:

In May, we also celebrated Nurses Week and Hospital Week. This year’s Hospital Week spotlighted both their unsung heroes and the growing challenges they face. From infection prevention to staffing gaps, discover how hospitals are rising to meet today’s demands. [Read it here]