Canadian operating room nursing journal最新文献

Background: Perioperative nurses are expected to demonstrate strict adherence with asepsis principles to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) as breaching of these principles poses a serious risk of infection to surgical patients.

Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 87 perioperative personnel to describe self-reported compliance with the principles of asepsis during surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the practices of perioperative scrub personnel with surgical asepsis.

Results: A sizable percentage of participants indicated that they never or rarely observe breaches in the sterile field during surgery with regards to open suction drain systems (46.6%; n = 41), closed suction drain systems (46.6%; n = 41), suture material (39.7%; n = 35), use of surgical instruments (37.5%; n = 33), and prosthetic implants (56.8%; n = 50). Perioperative scrub RNs were less likely to wear shoe covers during surgical procedures than ORTs (M = 3.42 and 4.17; mdn = 3.00 and 5.00 respectively; p = .026).

Conclusions: The findings showed areas of compliance and noncompliance with the principles of asepsis. Given that the role of the perioperative nurse is paramount in maintaining surgical integrity, and enhancing positive patient outcomes, strict adherence to surgical asepsis is vital to prevent SSIs and other complications.

Safety standards for patients with cochlear implants are difficult to find. Safety standards are, in fact, constantly evolving as more information becomes available. This article provides an overview of current philosophies and guidelines for most medical/surgical interventions, with emphasis on the operating room environment, as indicated by the three manufacturers authorized to market cochlear implants in Canada.

Initial purchase and replacement costs for surgical instrumentation are significant components in today's operating room budgets. OR staff and medical device reprocessing personnel work together as a team to ensure effective management of this valuable commodity. The purpose of this article is to discuss the composition of stainless steel surgical instruments, to identify processes to minimize damage to instruments caused by staining, corrosion, and pitting, and to utilize that information to describe effective measures to manage instrumentation in both the OR and reprocessing areas.

The current traditional apprenticeship model in healthcare is no longer meeting the needs of our learners. This model requires learners to master various core skills, carry out a procedure under supervision, and relate simultaneously to other staff in the complex operating room. The approach of "see one, do one, teach one" is considered, by some, to no longer be acceptable. Perioperative nursing educators are, as a result, now faced with the challenge of finding education modalities that will facilitate the learner's journey to competence and the delivery of safe patient care. The purpose of this paper is to discuss team training simulation in the competence development of perioperative nursing learners at the Registered Nurses Professional Development Centre (RNPDC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) and deep tissue injuries (DTIs), while considered to be preventable in most cases continue to affect many patients in acute care facilities. Surgical patients have an especially high risk of developing HAPUs for several reasons, including immobility during the intraoperative and immediate postoperative periods. HAPUs are responsible for significant patient harm in the form of pain, increased susceptibility to infection, and delayed recovery. Perioperative nurses must take a proactive and comprehensive approach to protecting their patients from pressure injuries, including HAPUS and DTIs.

Health Canada recommends that hospitals should have procedures in place to ensure Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) are cleaned, disinfected and sterilized according to the manufacturer's instructions. For the purpose of this paper, reusable medical devices will be referred to as RMDs and include all instrumentation and devices that the Central Processing Department (CPD) resterilizes for use in the hospital. Patient safety in surgery begins in CPD. Manufacturer recommendations for the decontamination and sterilization of surgical instrumentation are of utmost importance to Operating Room (OR) and CPD staff. With recommendations that are unclear, nonspecific or unattainable there was a need to define what it means institutionally to meet standards and provide safe patient care while continuing to support the advancement of surgical technology. The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges faced by one multisite organization (The University Health Network) in managing the sterilization of surgical instrumentation. The development of The Guidance Matrix by the network's inter-professional Reusable Medical Device (RMD) Committee, will be discussed along with information about the elements of this tool and an illustration of how it is used. The key benefits of The Guidance Matrix, including how its use has facilitated transparent decision-making, communication and collaboration regarding sterilization issues across the sites, will be described. Sterilization processes in Central Processing Departments (CPD) include chemical indicators, dated load indicators, and tamperproof locks and filters. The lack of an indicator of sterilization can be a frustrating experience for an OR Nurse. But do we really understand the critical importance of all these indicators? The foundation of sterilizing reusable medical devices (RMDs) begins with proper processes, standards and subsequent scientific validation from the vendors. According to AORN, patient safety is vital and it begins with proper cleaning and processing of the surgical instruments. Surgical site infections can increase the length of stay and the cost of the patients' hospitalization, as well as increased risk, morbidity and even mortality. 1 Today's patients are far more informed than they were in the past. They can gather information from the internet as well as from television, radio, and print media. This knowledge empowers the patient to expect that their healthcare providers are practicing due diligence. It is the ethical duty and responsibility of nurses to provide safe, competent care while protecting the rights of the patient and being accountable to the professional governing bodies. In other words, we are advocates for both our patients and the healthcare system.2 Using both new and innovative instruments in the OR was, in the past, as simple as a surgeon requesting an instrument, the perioperative nurse ordering the instrument and CPD processing it for use in the OR. That is no

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) values learning from nursing history to provide a contextual perspective in understanding how past events have shaped current nursing practice. Until the publication of operating room nursing journals, Canada's national nursing journal, The Canadian Nurse, served as an educational and professional resource for those nurses working in the operating room and for nurses whose work was related to, or connected with, the operating room. A historical review of early issues of The Canadian Nurse (first published in 1905) reveals a substantial amount of content related to operating room nursing in the twenty year period, beginning in the 1940s, that predated the existence of OR specialty journals. The content was, for the time, both detailed and informative. It was through this journal that operating room nurses, indeed all Canadian nurses, learned about new advances, employment opportunities, educational programs, professional associations, and the achievements of those in the profession. Operating Room Nursing, as an isolated and quickly emerging specialty, was introduced to other nurses via items in The Canadian Nurse journal.