Season 15 has come to an end, and we're anxiously awaiting the launch of Season 16 on July 7, 2025! While we wait, here's a throwback to a great interview from Season 6!

What makes a good leader? Are you only a leader if you have a title? Joining us to talk all things Perioperative Leadership is Jennifer Misajet, COO & CNO at Mercy One. In this final episode of Season 6, learn about Jennifer’s personal journey into leadership, discover the importance of mentorship and networking, and uncover the challenges that new leaders often face in their roles. We’ll also discuss key takeaways for seasoned leaders and highlight the benefits of honesty and transparency in leadership. If you’ve ever thought that you might want to be in a leadership position, this interview is for you!

Love our show? Download our First Case mobile app on: 📲
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Apple Podcasts - https://zcu.io/qnVu
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Stitcher - https://zcu.io/j76G

#OperatingRoom #Surgery #Perioperative #ProfessionalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #leadership #healthcareleader #healthcare

On this episode of StreetClothes, we talk to a healthcare professional who spends her time away from the hospital chasing trails and wide-open views. Whether she’s trekking solo through Iceland or tackling steep paths with friends, this adventurer finds peace wherever her hiking boots take her.

Tune in to hear how Brenna Doran embraces the calm and clarity of the outdoors—one step, one trail, and one hike at a time…

If you like this series OR have an interesting side-hustle, passion project, or hobby you do outside of your hospital day job that keeps you inspired, refreshed, and motivated, we'd love to hear from you! Message Hank Balch on LinkedIn for a chance to come on the show and share it with the world!

#StreetClothes #Hobbies #SideHustles #PeopleMatter #Healthcare #BeyondClean #FirstCase #PowerSupply #TransmissionControl #HealthcareHQ

In this week's edition of Articles on the Go, Chris Blevins, CST, FAST, draws a creative parallel between the strategic world of football and the high-stakes environment of the operating room. Just like a zone defense on the field, infection prevention in surgery relies on teamwork, precision, communication, and adaptability. From the offensive line to the surgical team, every player has a critical role in preventing complications and protecting the “end zone” — patient safety.

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Articles On-the-Go presents perioperative insights from written articles in a creative, easy to listen, audio format. Think audio book, meets busy Operating Room professional!

#operatingroom #ornurse #scrubtech #infectionprevention #surgery

Season 15 has come to an end, and we're anxiously awaiting the launch of Season 16 on July 7, 2025! While we wait, here's a throwback to a great interview from Season 6!

Can professional growth include coaching? How can a career coach help me personally and professionally? You are going to find out today as we sit down with Certified Professional Career Coach Phyllis Quinlan, PhD, RN! As the President and CEO of MFW Consultants to Professionals and the Career Coach for AORN, Phyllis brings 40+ years of nursing experience and over 20 years of coaching experience to our conversation today. How can we identify our character strengths? What blindspots do we have to our own behaviors? How can we let go of behaviors that are no longer serving us? We will discuss all of this and more on today’s episode. Don’t miss it!

Love our show? Download our First Case mobile app on: 📲
Apple users: https://zcu.io/gExL
Android users: https://zcu.io/j7Kx

Or you can subscribe to the podcast through: 💻
Apple Podcasts - https://zcu.io/qnVu
iHeart Radio - https://zcu.io/5qkg
Spotify - https://zcu.io/JkqK
Stitcher - https://zcu.io/j76G

#OperatingRoom #Surgery #Perioperative #ProfessionalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Coaching #ProfessionalCoaching #Coach

When it comes to patient safety, we scrutinize every instrument—but how often do we scrutinize the water used to clean them? In today's First Case Vendor SpotlightTM, we’re addressing that critical, yet often overlooked, factor in our surgical and sterile processing outcome - water quality. Joining us is Jeffrey Paquet, CEO of VERDA Water Quality Systems, a leader in developing comprehensive water management solutions for healthcare environments.

If you’ve ever questioned the cause behind pitting, staining, or spotting on your instruments—or wondered how infrastructure changes can impact sterile processing—this episode will provide the answers! our conversation today will take a closer look at the intersection of water quality and perioperative care, and we'll examine the implications of water quality on surgical instrument integrity, infection prevention, and overall patient safety. We’ll also explore the recently released ANSI/AAMI ST108 standard, how it aligns with and enhances existing guidelines such as those from AORN, and why compliance with this standard is becoming increasingly vital—particularly in states like New Jersey where it is now regulatory.

VERDA Water Quality Systems is helping facilities move beyond fragmented, siloed approaches to water management by offering an integrated, system-wide strategy designed to improve outcomes, reduce risk, and support regulatory compliance.

To learn more, visit https://verdawater.com/contact/ and to schedule your free assessment. You can also follow VERDA on LinkedIn!

#operatingroom #waterquality #podcast #vendorspotlight #ornurse #perioperativenurse #scrubtech #surgicaltechnologist

Season 15 has come to an end, and we're anxiously awaiting the launch of Season 16 on July 7, 2025! While we wait, here's a throwback to a great interview from Season 6!

Have you ever thought about sharing your knowledge and expertise by writing articles for nursing magazines? How do you get started? Find out in this informative interview with Judy Mathias, Clinical Editor at OR Manager. Find out how to get started, how to get your point across in your writing, and learn three key rules to remember when you write! If you’ve ever wanted to write or are curious about how you can submit an article to a magazine, tune in to today’s episode!

Love our show? Download our First Case mobile app on: 📲
Apple users: https://zcu.io/gExL
Android users: https://zcu.io/j7Kx

Or you can subscribe to the podcast through: 💻
Apple Podcasts - https://zcu.io/qnVu
iHeart Radio - https://zcu.io/5qkg
Spotify - https://zcu.io/JkqK
Stitcher - https://zcu.io/j76G

#OperatingRoom #Surgery #Perioperative #ProfessionalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #Writing

On this episode of our StreetClothes human-interest podcast series, we talk to a healthcare professional whose passion for two wheels brings freedom, focus, and a whole lot of fuel to life outside the hospital. From the thrill of the throttle to the quietness of the long ride, this rider has discovered that nothing clears the mind quite like a full tank and the open road.

Tune in to hear how Jennifer Barnickel unplugs and reconnects one curve, one gear, and one mile at a time…

If you like this series OR have an interesting side-hustle, passion project, or hobby you do outside of your hospital day job that keeps you inspired, refreshed, and motivated, we'd love to hear from you! Message Hank Balch on LinkedIn for a chance to come on the show and share it with the world!

#StreetClothes #Hobbies #SideHustles #PeopleMatter #Healthcare #BeyondClean #FirstCase #PowerSupply #TransmissionControl #HealthcareHQ

Surgical smoke isn’t just unpleasant—it’s dangerous.

In our latest First Case: Articles on the Go episode, we shed light on the harmful particles released during common surgical procedures—and the risks they pose to perioperative professionals.

Despite decades of research confirming the presence of carcinogens, mutagens, and infectious material in surgical smoke, consistent regulation and protection remain lacking in many ORs.

This episode explores:

• The health hazards associated with surgical smoke exposure

• The importance of smoke evacuation systems

• Legislative progress across the U.S.

• How perioperative professionals can educate, advocate, and drive change

Listen now!

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Articles On-the-Go presents perioperative insights from written articles in a creative, easy to listen, audio format. Think audio book, meets busy Operating Room professional!

#operatingroom #perioperativenurse #firesafety #fireprevention #surgery #scrubtech #surgicaltechnology