Effect of standardized handoff on improved clinician preparedness in the ICU
Editor's Note The UW [University of Washington]-IPASS standardized handoff curriculum improves provider preparedness and workflow in the ICU, this study finds. The intent of UW-IPASS is to standardized and improve clinician handoffs through the use of a mnemonic and electronic medical record tool that ensures communication of essential information. UW-IPASS…
Peer initiative cultivates a better OR culture
The following “success story” describes the PEER initiative at Geisinger Medical Center, which has involved staff in making decisions to improve processes and communication. OR Manager periodically publishes success stories like this from nurse leaders or other healthcare providers who want to share their experience with our readers. Recent examples…
Survey finds lack of support for texting of medical orders
Editor's Note A survey released November 16 by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that many healthcare providers do not support the texting of medical orders. Of 778 respondents, which included nurses, pharmacists, physicians and other prescribers, medication/patient safety officers, and quality risk managers, 33% did not believe medical…
Compassion practices linked to nurse well-being, patient perceptions of care
Editor's Note In this study, compassion practices were significantly and negatively associated with nurse emotional exhaustion and positively associated with nurse psychological vitality. Compassion practices were also positively associated with patient perceptions of care and overall patient ratings. Supplemental analysis found that nurse well-being mediates the relationship between compassion practices…
Remote video auditing: A path to compliance and safety
Perioperative services leaders seeking to improve safety and efficiency without sacrificing quality may want to turn to remote video auditing (RVA), which is being successfully used in hospital ORs and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). “We’ve seen improved patient safety, efficiency, and cleaning processes,” says Sheldon Newman, MD, executive vice chairman…
Just culture creates a safe, positive environment
Just culture has become a bit of a buzzword, so it’s worth revisiting what the term truly means and how it can be implemented and sustained. Although it’s a powerful tool for improving patient safety, just culture is effective only when leaders set expectations for processes and behavior, and address…
Nurse-run telephone triage service for after-hour calls by neurosurgery patients
Editor's Note Clinical Advice Service (CAS), a nurse-run telephone triage service for after-hour calls, developed at the Stanford University School of Medicine, provides well-coordinated care to neurosurgery patients while reducing physician workload, this study finds. Between July 2016 and June 2017, CAS nurses received 1,021 after-hours calls from neurosurgery patients.…
Improving readability of discharge instructions linked to fewer follow-up phone calls
Editor's Note Making discharge instructions easier to read resulted in fewer phone calls from traumatic injury patients after discharge, finds this study presented October 25 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017 in San Diego. A total of 1,006 patients were included in the study, 493 in…
CMUNRO SCALE created to facilitate risk assessment for pressure injuries
In 2016, after 10 years of research and validation, Cassendra Munro’s Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients (Munro Scale) was made available for use in the perioperative setting and was added to the AORN Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Tool Kit. The Munro Scale assesses a patient’s risk level…
Improved communication tools put PACU visitors at ease
About 8 years ago, Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland had a policy that required visitors to wait in the surgery waiting room at least 3 hours before being allowed to visit their loved ones. The postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse was not expected to communicate with the family while…
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