First Case Podcast

Season 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case.

What is so dangerous about surgical smoke? Is it really that bad? Find out all about the very real dangers of surgical smoke in today's interview with Brenda Ulmer, Independent Perioperative Nurse Educator. We'll learn what's lurking in the surgical smoke that we're expo...

Season 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case.

What is advocacy? How can we change practices within our facility and within our state? Joining us today to talk about all things advocacy is Kay Ball, PhD, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, FAAN, adjunct nursing professor at Otterbein University. Kay is a passionate OR nurse and nursing...

Season 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case.

How do our training programs teach us to advocate for ourselves and for our patients? In this season premiere of Season 10: Advocacy Unlea...

Even the best systems have moments when things go wrong. What matters most is how we respond.

In the Season 19 finale of Sterile Processing 101, Jen Parrott returns to discuss what happens when things go wrong like wet packs, missing instruments, failed indicators, delays, and breakdowns in the process. 

How much thought do we really give to packaging… until something goes wrong?

In today's interview, we explore the often-overlooked world of storage, shelf life, and event-related sterility with Malinda Elammari, CEO of Crown Point Consulting.

From blue wrap and rigid containers to peel packs and transport practices, this epis...

How do you know the tray you just opened is truly ready for your patient?

In Episode 6 of Sterile Processing 101, we sit down with Adam Okada to take a closer look at the indicators, tape, filters, and packaging features that communicate critical sterility information before instruments ever reach the field. Join us as we dis...

In this week's episode, we take a practical look at the science behind sterilization with Bobby Parker from Beyond Clean. From steam cycles to low-temperature, this episode breaks down the different ways instruments are processed and discusses why each method matters.

You're also going to gain a clearer understanding of indicators, sterility assurance, and why st...

How reliable is the tray you open every day? 

In today's episode, we step into inspection and assembly where cleaned instruments are tested, examined, and built into the trays your OR depends on.

This conversation with Kevin Anderson highlights why tray assembly is about far more than checking off a count sheet. From instrument function testing and ...

What really happens after your case cart leaves the OR?

To find out, we're diving into decontam to discover the critical next step in the instrument reprocessing lifecycle. From point-of-use treatment to manual and mechanical cleaning, this episode unpacks what it actually takes to get instruments safe, clean, and ready for the next patient.

What happens to your instruments during the case matters more than you think.

In this interview with Mike Matthews, we break down point-of-use treatment and why sterile processing actually starts in the OR, not decontam.

From biofilm risk to instrument damage, this episode highlights how small actions during a case have big downstream consequences.

This episode challenges the "not my problem" mindset and reinforces a critical truth...

Welcome to a new season of the First Case podcast - Sterile Processing 101! We're kicking off the season with a conversation that sets the foundation for the entire series and challenges a big misconception:

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗺… 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗥.

In this conversation with Jen Parrott, we introduce the full instrument reprocessing lifecycle and e...

What do the plaque on your teeth, soap scum, and slippery rocks down by the creek all have ...

General surgery is where many perioperative nurses begin their OR journey. It's one of the most diverse and foundational specialties in the operating room, touching everything from colorectal and thyroid cases to breast, abdominal, and head & neck procedures.

In this First Case Articles-On-The-Go, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN,...

How long can pathogens live on a surface? What is the likelihood that we are transferring organisms from surfaces we touch to our patients or to our family members? Joining us today to discuss microbiology and infection prevention is Dr. Wava Truscott, Director of Regulatory Affairs and clinical Education at Shield Technology, Inc. Learn with us as Wava discusses environmental contamination, pathogens th...

What is the MAUDE Database, and what does it have to do with the Operating Room? Answering this question and connecting the dots for us today is Dr. Larry Muscarella, PhD, Presid...

Organ procurement and transplant surgeries are among the most unique and emotionally powerful cases the OR team may encounter. And while they may not happen often, or in every facility, when they do occur, preparation, collaboration, and advocacy matter more than ever.

In this First Case Articles-On-The-Go, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR, walks through the Top 10 things perioperative teams should k...

What simple, everyday actions are derailing your infection prevention program? Tune in to this discussion with Erica Smith, Surgical Solutions Manager a...

Cardiac surgery is definitely its own specialty, and not all perioperative profess...