Sterile processing department (SPD) technicians are responsible for providing properly reprocessed surgical instruments for procedures. They use utility (ie, tap) water for precleaning, cleaning, and disinfection; and critical (ie, treated to remove impurities) water for the final rinse and steam sterilization. Water maintenance personnel should work with SPD personnel to ensure that the facility's water supply meets the quality parameters for hardness, pH, conductivity, chlorides, bacteria, and endotoxins. Inadequate water quality and quantity can affect SPD technicians' ability to reprocess instruments correctly and may result in pathogen transmission. When water quality concerns arise, SPD personnel should notify perioperative personnel. Health care facilities should have a water management program to address both normal and abnormal water operations and an emergency water supply plan. Pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, and natural disasters may disrupt water supplies. Proactive planning for water shortages should help facility leaders respond quickly and effectively when shortages occur.
{"title":"Emergency Preparedness: Strategies for Maintaining Water Supply Quality and Access for Sterile Processing.","authors":"Chanté Logan","doi":"10.1002/aorn.13965","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13965","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sterile processing department (SPD) technicians are responsible for providing properly reprocessed surgical instruments for procedures. They use utility (ie, tap) water for precleaning, cleaning, and disinfection; and critical (ie, treated to remove impurities) water for the final rinse and steam sterilization. Water maintenance personnel should work with SPD personnel to ensure that the facility's water supply meets the quality parameters for hardness, pH, conductivity, chlorides, bacteria, and endotoxins. Inadequate water quality and quantity can affect SPD technicians' ability to reprocess instruments correctly and may result in pathogen transmission. When water quality concerns arise, SPD personnel should notify perioperative personnel. Health care facilities should have a water management program to address both normal and abnormal water operations and an emergency water supply plan. Pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, and natural disasters may disrupt water supplies. Proactive planning for water shortages should help facility leaders respond quickly and effectively when shortages occur.</p>","PeriodicalId":54317,"journal":{"name":"Aorn Journal","volume":"118 2","pages":"87-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9873234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"60 Years of AORN Journal: 1998-2002.","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/aorn.13988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13988","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54317,"journal":{"name":"Aorn Journal","volume":"118 2","pages":"68-69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9870611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Meta-Analysis of Minimally Invasive Versus Open Approaches to Pancreatic Surgery.","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/aorn.13973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13973","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54317,"journal":{"name":"Aorn Journal","volume":"118 2","pages":"127-130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9878658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Critical Factors for Sterile Processing Quality and Effectiveness.","authors":"Brenda S Nack","doi":"10.1002/aorn.13972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13972","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54317,"journal":{"name":"Aorn Journal","volume":"118 2","pages":"65-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9878661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tina Thomas, Debra Hampton, Karen Butler, Julie L Hudson
Communication is essential for safe, effective patient care. In perioperative services, where interdisciplinary teamwork is crucial, communication breakdowns may lead to increased errors, decreased staff member satisfaction, and poor team performance. This process improvement project focused on instituting perioperative huddles for two months and measuring the effect that they had on staff members' satisfaction, engagement, and communication effectiveness. We used validated, Likert-style survey tools to gauge participants' satisfaction, level of engagement, communication practices, and opinions about the value of huddles before and after implementation, in addition to an open-ended descriptive question in the postsurvey. Sixty-one participants completed the presurvey and 24 participants completed the postsurvey. Scores across all categories increased post huddle implementation. Benefits of the huddles noted by participants included timely and consistent messaging, sharing essential information, and increased feelings of connection between perioperative leaders and staff members.
{"title":"Assessing the Value of Huddle Implementation in the Perioperative Setting.","authors":"Tina Thomas, Debra Hampton, Karen Butler, Julie L Hudson","doi":"10.1002/aorn.13949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Communication is essential for safe, effective patient care. In perioperative services, where interdisciplinary teamwork is crucial, communication breakdowns may lead to increased errors, decreased staff member satisfaction, and poor team performance. This process improvement project focused on instituting perioperative huddles for two months and measuring the effect that they had on staff members' satisfaction, engagement, and communication effectiveness. We used validated, Likert-style survey tools to gauge participants' satisfaction, level of engagement, communication practices, and opinions about the value of huddles before and after implementation, in addition to an open-ended descriptive question in the postsurvey. Sixty-one participants completed the presurvey and 24 participants completed the postsurvey. Scores across all categories increased post huddle implementation. Benefits of the huddles noted by participants included timely and consistent messaging, sharing essential information, and increased feelings of connection between perioperative leaders and staff members.</p>","PeriodicalId":54317,"journal":{"name":"Aorn Journal","volume":"118 1","pages":"14-23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9748145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}