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Environmental Safety in the OREmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The infection control department of a hospital noticed a marked increase in the rates of postoperative sternal wound infections in patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The increased infection rates were accompanied by increased readmissions and prolonged lengths of stay. Two patients had to have their sternum removed because of infection; two others died. One cardiac surgeon and his team were identified as having patients with higher infection rates than others, even though they used the same OR suites and facilities as other surgical teams. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Perioperative Grand Rounds Source Type: journals

North Carolina NursingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Whether drawn by its genteel Southern charm, colonial history, fantastic seashores, or thriving metropolitan areas, nurses who choose North Carolina recognize its varied opportunities. Brenda Davis, RN, CNOR, president of the Central North Carolina chapter of AORN, says, “We are getting more freestanding surgical outpatient facilities, and research centers, such as Wake Forest University Baptist Medical (which recently received Magnet™ designation for the third time), are staying alive. Trends include robot surgery, patient safety issues, and reasonable salaries.” (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

Evidence for PracticeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) are known to be influenced by surgical characteristics and patient traits. Risk factors associated with the surgical environment, including the duration of surgery, the type of surgery, and blood loss, have a greater influence on the development of SSI than do patient characteristics such as age, diabetes, smoking, and the use of steroids. However, the investigation of intraoperative risk factors for SSI most often has been limited to individual variables in the surgical environment, such as ventilation, hair removal, skin preparation, and the use of specific drapes. The purpo...
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: George Allen Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

The Code of SilenceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A recent headline—”Scrub tech causes major hepatitis scare in Colorado”—revealed a shocking story that has affected more than 6,000 patients in the Denver area. The scrub person is a 26-year-old surgical technologist (ST) with a drug abuse problem, specifically an addiction to narcotics. She also has hepatitis C. The ST reported periodic self-administration of 100 mcg to 250 mcg of fentanyl from syringes that she obtained from OR anesthesia carts. She replaced the fentanyl-filled syringes with used saline-filled syringes that she kept in her pocket. To date, 24 patients who underwent surgeries in facilities in whic...
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Donna S. Watson Tags: Patient Safety First Source Type: journals

Perioperative care of patients using transdermal medication patchesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: During the preoperative interview, a patient did not disclose that he was wearing a pain patch. The circulating nurse discovered the patch when she was preparing the surgical site. Should the patch stay on or should it be removed? (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary Ogg Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Turnover time activity distractions while the patient is in the roomEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: Recently, I noticed that nurses in my facility are bringing the clean linen into the room, unrolling it, and getting supplies out and ready to go for the next patient when the previous patient is still in the room. Is this an acceptable practice? (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Bonnie Denholm Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Bypassing decontamination of the outer rigid instrument containerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: To save money, we are now taking the outer metal containers of our rigid instrument pans out of the OR and bypassing the decontamination area. Some staff members remove the rigid containers before the patient comes into the OR, some remove them after the patient is brought to the OR but before the incision is made. I am not comfortable with this and want to continue sending them with the dirty instruments in the case carts to the decontamination area. Does AORN have an opinion on this? (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Bonnie Denholm Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Smoke evacuation during electrosurgery proceduresEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: Our facility has a few smoke evacuators that are used infrequently and only for procedures that generate a lot of smoke, such as breast reductions and laser procedures. Should smoke be evacuated on all electrosurgery procedures? (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary Ogg Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Safe Surgery Implementation in ThailandEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Safe Surgery Saves Lives is a global patient safety goal initiative. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed guidelines that are implemented throughout the world, including in developing countries like Thailand. Recently, all Thai hospitals made it their vision and mission to improve the safety of patients undergoing operative procedures. The Institute of Hospital Quality Improvement and Accreditation of Thailand (HA) is directly responsible for auditing surgical patient safety. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Nongyao Kasatpibal Tags: Global Perspectives Source Type: journals

Safe Handling of Cytotoxic Agents: A Team ApproachEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: The use of cytotoxic medications has become increasingly prevalent in the OR for the treatment of bladder tumors. Perioperative nursing staff members in the day surgery unit, OR, and postanesthesia care unit at St Mary's General Hospital, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, expressed concern about their lack of knowledge in the safe handling of cytotoxic medications and contaminated wastes. Facility educators recognized this as an area of risk for the hospital and a learning need for staff members. As a result, they formed a committee with members representing nursing, pharmacy, infection control, occupational h...
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Tara L. Willemson-McBride, Karen Gehan Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Glycemic Control: A Literature Review with Implications for Perioperative Nursing PracticeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Surgical patients have an increased risk for hyperglycemia and its subsequent complications, such as increased risk of infection, morbidity and mortality, and length of stay. Interventional studies indicate that tight glycemic control with intensive insulin therapy improves outcomes. More recent randomized controlled trials, however, provide conflicting results, indicating that hypoglycemia and death may result from tight glycemic control. This calls into question the safety and efficacy of tight glycemic control. Perioperative nurses must be prepared to implement measures to control hyperglycemia fo...
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Kristina A. Kittelson Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Metasynthesis: A Goldmine for Evidence-Based PracticeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article addresses metasynthesis and its application to perioperative evidence-based care. Noblit and Hare's method for synthesizing qualitative research is described and illustrated using a previously published metasynthesis of postpartum depression research. AORN J 90 (November 2009) 701–710. © AORN, Inc, 2009. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Cheryl Tatano Beck Tags: Research Source Type: journals

Managing Variability in Perioperative ServicesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Variability within perioperative services has come to be something physicians, perioperative nurses, and managers expect. Peaks and valleys in schedules; differences in physician preferences for surgical implants, instruments, and supplies; staffing competencies; and inpatient bed availability are just a few examples of day-to-day variability that affects perioperative services personnel. Rather than simply responding to variability, however, the goal should be to eliminate variability in patient flow as much as possible and effectively manage what cannot be eliminated. Combining the hard science of ...
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Christina J. Dempsey Tags: Management Source Type: journals

The Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment (EXIT) Procedure for Fetal Head and Neck MassesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article discusses an EXIT procedure performed on a maternal patient whose 38-week gestational age fetus was diagnosed with a lymphatic malformation. Planning and coordination between surgical teams at two clinical sites allowed the multidisciplinary teams to achieve a safe, successful outcome for the mother and child. AORN J 90 (November 2009) 661–672. © AORN, Inc, 2009. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Debora Filipchuk, Lourdes Avdimiretz Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Educational OpportunitiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Periop 101: A Core Curriculum is a comprehensive, online program for educating new perioperative nurses that provides 40 continuing education contact hours. The curriculum covers 25 pertinent topics and is designed to be integrated with your facility's specific policies and procedures in a clinical practicum and preceptorship. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

Perioperative Nurse Week: Its History and Its FutureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
You know you are old if you can remember when you cut cotton pledgets till you got a blister on your thumb; (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Carol Dungan Applegeet Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: journals

Reflect and Act During Perioperative Nurse WeekEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
On November 14, a flag will be flown over the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, to mark the 30th anniversary of the original OR Nurse Day, created to enhance public knowledge about the role of the perioperative nurse. This flag will be brought to Congress and then displayed at AORN Headquarters. Now more than ever, we are working very closely with legislators and have helped them understand our role in the provision of safe, quality patient care. The flag flying over the Capitol will be a symbol of how far we have come since we first celebrated OR Nurse Day in 1979. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Patrick E. Voight Tags: President's Message Source Type: journals

Information for ReadersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Orders, claims, online, change of address: Elsevier Health Sciences Division, Subscription Customer Service, 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043; telephone: (800) 654-2452 (United States and Canada), (314) 447-8871 (outside United States and Canada); fax: (314) 447-8029; e-mail: JournalsCustomerService-usa@elsevier.com (for print support); JournalsOnlineSupport-usa@elsevier.com (for online support). Address changes must be submitted four weeks in advance. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Editor-in-Chief Patricia C. Seifert, RN, MSN, CNOR, CRNFA, FAAN (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Smoke evacuation during electrosurgery procedures—Mary Ogg, RN, MSN, CNOR (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 1, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Bowel Prep for Ambulatory EndoscopyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A 73-year-old woman asked her primary care physician for a referral for colonoscopy. Her physician referred her to a gastroenterologist whose practice consists of ambulatory endoscopy. In his practice, patients are not routinely seen in advance of their procedures, so the patient called the gastroenterologist's office to be given instructions for her bowel prep. Because the patient is 4 ft 10 inches tall and weighs only 88 lbs, she inquired whether the “dose” of the prep needed adjustment given her small size. The nurse told her that this was the standard dose, and the nurse did not ask the patient any additional quest...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Perioperative Grand Rounds Source Type: journals

Magnet™ Hospitals: The Power to Attract and Retain Top OR NursesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Magnets use their power to draw entities to them and then retain them. Such is the idea behind an approach to drawing and retaining excellent nurses: create a culture of superior patient care and nursing work environment that exemplifies best practices. These top-tier environments are recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as Magnet™ facilities. The Magnet Recognition Program® is based on quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined in the newly revised third edition of the American Nurses Association's Nursing Administration Scope & Standards of Practice and other sources. When U.S. N...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Neurotechnologist Reference GuideEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This book is not a “how-to” manual—the authors clearly point out that this guide does not take the place of proper training and experience. Instead, the guide is a rapid reference for the trained neurotechnologist. The authors emphasize patient safety, effective interdisciplinary communication, and perioperative protocols. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Roshelle Satterthwait Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

Yoga for NursesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There are many “how to” yoga books on the market, but this is the first yoga instruction book directed specifically toward nurses. The demands of the profession place added physical, mental, and emotional stressors on nurses. Unfortunately, the stress created by work is often carried into the home life environment. Yoga exercise is a tool that can be used to decrease some of the stress that nurses encounter on a daily basis. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Cindy Ann Howell Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

A History of American Nursing: Trends and ErasEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Billed as “the first comprehensive nursing history text to be published in years,” this book delivers a fun, focused review of the short history of American nursing. Remember those cigarette commercials with the beautiful lady and the saying, “You've come a long way baby”? This is what this book demonstrates: a long-term perspective of nursing and how nursing practice has changed. Being familiar with nursing history and the development of the profession helps one understand the present situation and encourages creative solutions to the health care problems that face America today. The book is written for students, ...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Christian Schilling Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

Professional Nursing ConceptsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nursing is a very complex and constantly evolving profession—the principles and concepts that nurses were taught years ago have become much more elaborate. Textbooks cannot stay current with the constant changes to patient care. There are many health care and nursing textbooks on the market, but few have as much information packed into one book as this one does. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Nancy Tuthill Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

Quality Caring in NursingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An excellent resource for nursing students, nursing scholars, clinical nurses, nurse educators, nurse researchers, and nursing leaders, this powerful book focuses on the relationship between caring and nursing. It also demonstrates how the Quality-Caring Model can be implemented in clinical practice, nursing education, research, and leadership development. This model involves caring for self, families, patients, peers, and communities by pulling together relationships, teaching, learning to care, and promoting caring in leadership. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Nancy Bedison Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for NursesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of this book is to provide nurses with the best available research, thereby enabling better decisions that result in improved health care and safety practices and lead to better outcomes. Nurses often are the ones who find errors and prevent patient harm. In their focus on patient safety, nurses identify critical issues and research for evidence-based practice. This book is a great resource for practicing nurses, nurse educators, researchers, leaders, and students. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Ann Barton Tags: Reviews Source Type: journals

Evidence for PracticeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Two significant complications after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) are prolonged postsurgical drainage and lymphocele formation, which can both lead to increased rates of wound infection, wound dehiscence, and possibly delayed delivery of adjuvant cancer therapy. Additionally, these complications can result in minor problems including delayed mobility, swelling of the arm, poor cosmetic results, and prolonged hospital stay. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: George Allen Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

Surgical Fires: 100% Preventable, Still a ProblemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A 73-year-old man with a subdural hematoma was scheduled to receive bilateral parietal burr holes. As a result of the patient's high risk for comorbidities, the procedure was performed with monitored anesthesia care. The anesthesia care provider placed an oxygen mask loosely on the patient's face, with administration of oxygen at 6 L per minute. The circulating nurse shaved and prepped the patient's head with a solution of iodoform in 74% isopropyl alcohol. After allowing the solution to dry for two minutes, the surgeon and scrub person draped the patient. The surgeon completed the burr hole procedure on the right side une...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Donna S. Watson Tags: Patient Safety First Source Type: journals

Seasonal resurgence of the H1N1 virusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: Our OR keeps hearing about H1N1 (ie, swine flu). How do we protect ourselves? Who is at risk and will it come back this flu season? ANSWER: There may be no single action that will provide complete protection, but steps can be taken to decrease the possibility of transmission of the novel (ie, new strain) H1N1 virus. The following recommendations should be implemented: (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Joan Blanchard Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Using counted radiopaque sponges for packingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: I am the surgical services director of a level I trauma center. One of our trauma surgeons wanted to use counted laparotomy sponges as packing for a trauma patient whose incisions were not primarily closed to allow the wound to drain. His rationale for using these sponges for packing was that they are x-ray detectable, which would help prevent a sponge from being left in the wound when the packing is removed. Is it ever acceptable to use counted sponges as packing? How should the use of a counted laparotomy sponge for packing be documented? Is the count considered correct? What should be documented when the spong...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Carol Petersen Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Using AORN's standardized language in the perioperative recordEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
QUESTION: We are in the process of implementing a perioperative electronic health record (EHR). We want to include Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) language, but our administrators are resistant. They do not see the value in spending the time to incorporate a standardized language. Do you have any advice to help convince administrators of the importance of using the PNDS? (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Carol Petersen Tags: Clinical Issues Source Type: journals

Nursing, System Design, and Health Care QualityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The consequences of medical errors and poor health care quality affect our lives directly and indirectly. Most physicians, nurses, and other health care workers have had firsthand experiences with near errors, adverse events, or care of such poor quality that it should never have been delivered to a patient. Adverse events, in particular, can be traumatic for the caregiver as well as for the patient and his or her family. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Carolyn M. Clancy Tags: AHRQ Commentary Source Type: journals

Promoting Professional Organization InvolvementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The Magnet Recognition Program® is an excellent tool that nurse leaders in any hospital department can use to guide practice. It provides a detailed plan to implement proven structures that produce the best outcomes for patients and a great work environment for staff members. The Magnet Recognition Program provides a framework for nurse leaders to promote direct nursing staff member involvement in professional organizations such as AORN. Nurse leaders have the responsibility to exhibit role-model behavior and empower nurses at all levels to achieve professional milestones, many of which must be achieved for a facility to ...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Dolly Sullivan, Deborah Stevenson Tags: Magnet Insights Source Type: journals

Treatment of Cutaneous Abscesses Without Postoperative Dressing ChangesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article addresses whether abscesses can safely heal with incision and drainage alone and daily warm water immersion. Sixteen children with cutaneous abscesses were treated without dressing changes. All were pain free at 24 hours. There was one abscess recurrence. In comparison, among 19 children with cutaneous abscesses who received postoperative dressing changes, seven (37%) had significant pain, six (32%) required IV pain medications, and 11 (58%) were hospitalized. We determined that cutaneous abscesses may be treated with incision and drainage alone, thus avoiding pain and hospitalization for the patient. ...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary Beth Koehler, Don K. Nakayama Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Using a Collaborative Child Life Approach for Continuous Surgical PreparationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Child life specialists in surgical and perioperative programs use a systematic approach to provide continuous preparation for pediatric surgical patients. Within the context of family-centered care, all staff members share in the ongoing responsibility of minimizing stress and maximizing effective coping for children and their parents or caregivers. Multidisciplinary collaboration increases positive outcomes for pediatric patients and their families. Detailed descriptions of the procedures used at Children's Hospital Boston and a case study are discussed to exemplify the coping benefits of using a co...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Hayley L. Sorensen, Carrie A. Card, Mary T. Malley, Jessica M. Strzelecki Tags: Education Source Type: journals

Critiquing Qualitative ResearchEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article provides on guidelines for assessing qualitative research. Excerpts from a published qualitative research report are summarized and then critiqued. Questions are provided that help evaluate different sections of a research study (eg, sample, data collection methods, data analysis). AORN J 90 (October 2009) 543–554. © AORN, Inc, 2009. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Cheryl Tatano Beck Tags: Research Source Type: journals

A Prospective Audit of Postoperative Pain Control in Pediatric PatientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Pain is a subjective experience that is affected by physical, emotional, and psychological factors, and reliable assessment of pain can be a challenge in the pediatric population. A quality improvement project was conducted at one Canadian health care facility to examine the effectiveness of the postoperative pain management strategy for children admitted to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Effective control of postoperative pain involves several preventive strategies that include preoperative analgesia, appropriate use of intraoperative analgesic techniques, and identification of children at ris...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Jacqueline D. Trudeau, Elizabeth Lamb, Margot Gowans, Gillian Lauder Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

An Improved Process for Breast Cancer Margin Identification and OrientationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Breast conservation surgery has improved treatment for women faced with a diagnosis of breast cancer. A key factor in breast cancer surgery is the assurance of clear surgical margins. Inadequate or unclear margins prompt the need for re-excision, which can be physically and emotionally stressful for patients. A variety of techniques have been used to indicate margins intraoperatively, but the use of arbitrary methods can contribute to miscommunication between the OR and the radiology and pathology departments. A standardized process to identify surgical margins using radiopaque charms has improved commun...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary Beland Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Using Biological Tissue GraftsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ABSTRACT: Synthetic mesh products have been used to repair abdominal wall defects (eg, hernias) for many years. Biological mesh products are now available as an option when synthetic mesh products are not appropriate. To correctly prepare biological tissue grafts for use in the OR, perioperative nurses must understand the types of grafts available. Biological tissue grafts may be harvested from human, porcine, bovine, or equine hosts and from skin, pericardium, or small intestine submucosa. AORN J 90 (October 2009) 513–520. © AORN, Inc, 2009. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Patricia Brown Tags: Clinical Source Type: journals

Educational OpportunitiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Periop 101: A Core Curriculum is a comprehensive, online program for educating new perioperative nurses that provides 40 continuing education contact hours. The curriculum covers 25 pertinent topics and is designed to be integrated with your facility's specific policies and procedures in a clinical practicum and preceptorship. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

CorrectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
June 2009, Vol 89, No 6, page 1061. The authors of the Congress Poster “Decrease Flash Cycles in the OR” mistakenly stated that AORN has a benchmark of 5% flash sterilization cycles per month. AORN has no benchmarks for flash sterilization cycles. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

Letters to the EditorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I am a practicing OR nurse, an AORN member, and a CNOR. Two hospitals at which I have worked, including my current one, have adopted an electronic health record (EHR) for charting in the OR during my employment. Following my hospital's adoption of an EHR last year, I requested and received from AORN a list of published articles addressing the efficacy of the EHR. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Joe Van Winkle, Cathy Kleiner, Fred Perner, Jacqueline A. Roeder, Laurie Ann Saletnik, Margaret K. Niedlinger Tags: Departments Source Type: journals

The OR and a “Just Culture”Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Eleven percent of the entire global disease burden is attributable to surgically treatable conditions, and an estimated 234 million surgical procedures are performed annually worldwide. Surgery can save lives and limbs; however, it also is associated with considerable risk. Although complications are poorly characterized in many parts of the world, in industrialized nations, the death rate from inpatient surgery is 0.4% to 0.8%, and the rate of major complication is between 3% and 17%. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Lois Hamlin Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: journals

Primum Non Nocere: Above All [or First] Do No HarmEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Imagine yourself on the witness stand during a malpractice case in which the line of questioning goes something like this: (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Cecil A. King Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: journals

Symposium Emphasizes Trust, Teamwork, CultureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
For the last seven years, AORN has hosted the Executive Symposium on surgical patient care. This annual event gives members of the perioperative team the opportunity to come together to discuss solutions to common problems affecting the patient and surgical team in the OR. Participants in this year's Executive Symposium included surgical teams from many hospitals across the country, including directors of surgery, chiefs of surgery, and chiefs of anesthesia. These professionals realize that if a culture of patient safety is to be achieved, it is through a collaborative effort of the surgical team members, not just the nurs...
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Authors: Patrick E. Voight Tags: President's Message Source Type: journals

Information for ReadersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Orders, claims, online, change of address: Elsevier Health Sciences Division, Subscription Customer Service, 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043; telephone: (800) 654-2452 (United States and Canada), (314) 447-8871 (outside United States and Canada); fax: (314) 447-8029; e-mail: JournalsCustomerService-usa@elsevier.com (for print support); JournalsOnlineSupport-usa@elsevier.com (for online support). Address changes must be submitted four weeks in advance. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Editor-in-Chief Patricia C. Seifert, RN, MSN, CNOR, CRNFA, FAAN (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Using AORN's standardized language in the perioperative record—Carol Petersen, RN, BSN, MAOM, CNOR (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 30, 2009 Category: Nursing Source Type: journals