AORN Journal back issues from May 2008:
Making the most of our association's opportunities.(PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE)
May 01, 2008; ... The month of May is significant for nurses all over the world. Since 1965, May 12 has been observed as International Nurses Day to recognize the contributions of nurses on the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The United States and Canada will celebrate National Nurses Week 2008 from May 6 ...
Shelf life of transfused blood may affect outcomes.(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Blood that is stored for Longer than 14 days prior to transfusion may be detrimental to patients, according to a March 20, 2008, study in The New England Journal of Medicine. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation study included more than 6,000 patients undergoing coronary-artery bypass grafting ...
Eating or drinking in the OR: another safety factor?(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
May 01, 2008; ... Nursing students are taught that no food or beverages are allowed in the OR. More and more often, however, they have reported to me that they see members of the surgical team eating during surgery or anesthesia personnel bringing in coffee or other drinks. This leads them to question the ...
Revised perioperative nursing data set now available.(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... The second edition of the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) introduced readers to the perioperative nursing vocabulary and described the origins of the Language and conceptual model. The revised second edition of the PNDS has been released and features * new exemplars ...
Proposed regulation could improve quality of health care.
May 01, 2008 ... A Proposed regulation to foster the establishment of patient safety organizations (PSOs) may improve the quality of health care, according to a February 12, 2008, news release from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Patient safety organizations are private entities that ...
Laundering OR scrubs at home.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2008; ... In the article "Sterilization: Would Your Facility Pass a Standards Audit" (Vol 87, January 2008), the author addresses the laundering of OR attire. He points out that AORN's "Recommended practices for surgical attire" does not recommend home laundering, (1) and he states that "using scrub ...
Helping new nurses be assertive about patient safety.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2008; ... As senior nursing students, we were very pleased to read the Patient Safety First column entitled "Being a Patient Safety Leader" (Vol 87, January 2008). Patient safety is an ongoing issue for the health care industry and a priority goal that must continually be embraced by the entire ...
Severe anxiety may increase risk for blood clots.(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Intense fear and panic may cause blood dotting and increase a patient's risk of thrombosis or myocardial infarction, according to a March 25, 2008, news release from the University of Bonn, Germany. In a recent study, researchers compared coagulation in 31 patients who suffer from anxiety ...
Meet the new AORN President.
May 01, 2008 ... When Susan Banschbach, RN, MSN, CNOR, became involved in AORN in 1979, she would not have imagined seeking the presidency of the organization; however, she is not one to stay content with the status quo. "You just reach for the next thing and reach for the next thing," she says. "It's a ...
Self-study: an effective method for bioterrorism training in the OR.
May 01, 2008; ... ABSTRACT DURING A BIOTERRORIST ATTACK, health care professionals must be prepared to respond appropriately, but many perioperative nurses do not receive adequate education about bioterrorism. ONE PERIOPERATIVE NURSE led a survey project to determine how prepared ...
Foundation offers ways to support perioperative nursing.
May 01, 2008 ... By supporting the AORN Foundation, you also support the advancement of perioperative nursing. There are many ways to extend your personal Legacy to the AORN Foundation, including * naming the AORN Foundation in your last will and testament; * allocating gift ...
Resources available to prevent older adult falls.(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Data indicate that during a three-month period, approximately 5% of older adults sought help from a health care provider or restricted their activity as a result of a fall, according to a March 6, 2008, news release from the CDC. Researchers analyzed data from the CDC's 2006 Behavioral ...
Evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of an alcohol-free 2% chlorhexidine gluconate solution.
May 01, 2008; ... Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common health care-associated infections in surgical patients. (1) The Surgical Wound Infection Task Force defines an SSI as an infection diagnosed within 30 days of a surgical procedure, unless an implant was placed, in which case the infection ...
AORN foundation chapter and state council grants available.
May 01, 2008 ... Chapter and State Council Education Grants are available for AORN chapters and state councils that want to enhance perioperative education. Grants will be awarded in amounts of up to $500 and must be used for continuing education activities hosted by the local chapter or state council ....
Have a new job title? New e-mail address? Tell AORN!
May 01, 2008 ... AORN Headquarters strives to maintain communication with AORN members and ensure that each member receives the benefits that come with AORN membership. To do this, we need your help to keep our records updated. If you have received a promotion or new job title, or if you have ...
Preparing for magnet recognition: a perioperative retreat.
May 01, 2008 ... AORN and the Competency & Credentialing Institute have developed Preparing for Magnet Recognition: A Penoperative Excellence Retreat, a program that will provide attendees with expert knowledge to ensure success in achieving Magnet status. Presentations given by Cheryl Tatano Beck, RN, ...
Surgical management of diabetic foot infections and amputations.(2.6 Ce)
May 01, 2008; ... The incidence of diabetes with foot complications has risen significantly during the past decade? (1-6) Severe diabetic foot infections include, but are not limited to, necrotizing fasciitis, gas gangrene, ascending cellulitis, compartment syndrome, and infection with systemic toxicity or ...
Plastic surgery reconstruction of the diabetic foot.(3.6 Ce)
May 01, 2008; ... Patient with diabetes who has an acute or chronically infected foot ulcer will benefit from surgical debridement performed in the OR. Urgent or emergent surgery to prevent major systemic manifestations or potential limb loss is necessary if the patient also has ascending cellulitis, gas ...
Surgical treatment of Charcot neuroarthropathy.(3.6 Ce)(Disease/Disorder overview)
May 01, 2008; ... The Charcot foot was identified as early as 1703 by English physician William Musgrave and again by the American physician John Kearsley Mitchell in 1831, but it was Jean-Martin Charcot, a 19th century French neurologist, who first described the underlying pathology of the condition that ...
Victims of childhood abuse spend more on health care.
May 01, 2008 ... Women in their rate 40s who were physically or sexually abused as children may spend up to 36% more on hearth care, according to a February 19, 2008, news release from The Ohio State University, Columbus. After accounting for other factors (eg, age, education), researchers concluded that ...
Providing developmentally based care for toddlers.(SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATION)
May 01, 2008; ... Pediatric patients are not just small adults; each child is a unique individual. Even during the "terrible twos," as many refer to the toddler years when children are actively engaged in learning about their world, however, similarities do exist in perioperative care based on the child's ...
Sterile storage.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
May 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: We would like to store sterile items on wire racks with clean items. Where is it appropriate to store sterile items? What are some ways we can organize our wire racks to comply with sterile supply storage standards? ANSWER: Sterile items should be stored under ...
Unretrieved device fragments.(Clinical Issues)
May 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: Recently during a procedure, an instrument broke off in a patient and a metal fragment was lost in the patient. The surgeon was not able to retrieve the fragment and decided to leave it in rather than further traumatize tissue and unnecessarily lengthen the surgical time. What ...
Hazardous waste and red-bag trash.(Clinical Issues)
May 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: The nurses at our facility have requested clarification about when a sponge needs to be disposed of in a red bag. Can you explain what belongs in the red-bag trash? What is considered regulated medical waste and where should regulated medical waste be stored? ANSWER: ...
Heart attack patients not compliant with prescriptions.(Clinical Issues)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Almost 25% of heart attack survivors significantly increase their risk of dying by not filling prescriptions that can prevent subsequent cardiac events, according to a February 26, 2008, news release from the American Heart Association. Medications such as aspirin, beta blockers, statins, ...
Slowed progress in improving quality and minimizing disparities.(AHRQ COMMENTARY)(Clinical report)
May 01, 2008; ... Since the Institute of Medicine reported that up to 98,000 Americans die each year as the result of medical errors (1) and observed that our health care system suffers from a "chasm" between high- and low-quality care, (2) there has been renewed vigor in reducing variations and improving ...
Task force opposes spirometry test for lung disease.(AHRQ Commentary)
May 01, 2008 ... Spirometry tests are ineffective screening tools for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients who do not experience symptoms, according to a March 3, 2008, news release from the US Preventive Services Task Force. Findings indicate the test had Little or no benefit for ...
Actively participating in an organization's safety initiatives.(PATIENT SAFETY FIRST)(Column)
May 01, 2008; ... This column is the fifth in a series focusing on safety goals for perioperative nurses. This month s goal is that all nurses will learn about and participate in their organization's patient safety initiatives. In today's health care environment, the safety policies that are in ...
The effect of shift changes on cesarean complications.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
May 01, 2008; ... American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology February 2008 Work-hour reform for physicians has been proposed as a way to improve the safety of patients by decreasing their exposure to sleep-deprived physicians. One consequence of such changes in physician work ...
Continuous blood glucose monitoring during surgery.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
May 01, 2008; ... Anesthesis & Analgesia January 2008 Maintaining tight control of blood glucose levels is reported to reduce mortality and is recommended as one procedure that may reduce the risk for surgical site infection. Protocols for tight control of blood glucose can be ...
Use of mirtazapine to reduce anxiety and nausea and vomiting.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
May 01, 2008; ... Anesthesia & Analgesia January 2008 Two of the most disagreeable experiences associated with surgery are preoperative anxiety and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Premedication with anxiolytic agents may attenuate the stress response to anesthesia; however, ...
Anxiety in female patients and mothers of children undergoing surgery.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
May 01, 2008; ... Anesthesia & Analgesia March 2008 High anxiety in the parents of children undergoing surgery is associated with high preoperative anxiety in their children. Preoperative anxiety in children can result in multiple adverse outcomes including emergence delirium, ...
Medicare expands coverage for long-term warfarin users.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
May 01, 2008; ... Medicare Part B has expanded coverage to include meter training, equipment, and supplies for Long-term warfarin users who monitor their PT/INR results at home, according to a March 19, 2008, news release from Roche Diagnostics, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana. The new coverage includes patients ...
Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery 13th edition Jane C. Rothrock, ed Mosby, 2007, 1280 pages $93.95 hardcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If a perioperative professional could chose only one reference, this book would ...
Berry and Kohn's Operating Room Technique.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... Berry and Kohn's Operating Room Technique 11th edition Nancymarie Phillips, ed Mosby, 2007, 1024 pages $87.95 hardcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This book provides a wealth of information that is necessary for any health ...
Managing for Success in Health Care.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... Managing for Success in Hearth Care Tim Porter-O'Grady and Kathy Mulloch Elsevier, 2007, 656 pages $49.95 hardcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The content of this book brings nursing management and leadership into the twenty-first ...
Educational opportunities.
May 01, 2008 ... Periop 101: A Core Curriculum Periop 101: A Core Curriculum--formerly called AORN's Perioperative Nursing Course 101--is a comprehensive, online program for educating new perioperative nurses. The curriculum covers 25 pertinent topics and is designed to be integrated with your ...
Upcoming AORN events.(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 01, 2008 ... Ambulatory Surgery Administrator Certificate Program May 18-19, 2008 Hyatt Regency, San Antonio, TX Preparing for Magnet[TM] Recognition: A Perioperative Excellence Retreat June 6-7, 2008 Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites Hotel ...
Medical benefits of aromatherapy questioned.(EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Aromatherapy is endorsed by some as an alternative medical treatment, but the results of one study failed to demonstrate that aromatherapy improves immune status, wound healing, or pain control, according to a March 3, 2008, news release from The Ohio State University, Columbus ....
AORN program provides resources for facilities.(EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES)(Association of Registered Nurses)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... AORN's Perioperative Facility Package provides perioperative RNs with the tools and resources they need to increase patient safety, accomplish practice excellence, and achieve and maintain Magnet status. The program is designed to help hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers improve ...
Low on the totem pole.(PERIOPERATIVE GRAND ROUNDS)
May 01, 2008 ... The Case A medical student on rotation in the pediatric intensive care unit was sent to observe the surgical repair of a congenital heart lesion in the pediatric cardiac surgery OR. When the student arrived in the OR, the patient was already intubated and anesthetized, and final ...